Dashed left edge = started before February 2026 ·
Dashed right edge = ongoing beyond February 2026
Events in February 2026 19
1925 – 2026Roy Medvedev (1925-2026)Died 13 February 2026, aged 100Russian historian and Soviet-era dissident, among his country's foremost historiographers of the late twentieth century.
1930 – 2026Frederick Wiseman (1930-2026)Died 16 February 2026, aged 96American documentary filmmaker who spent six decades observing American institutions, from Titicut Follies to City Hall.
1931 – 2026Robert Duvall (1931-2026)Died 15 February 2026, aged 95American actor of extraordinary restraint, indelible in The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, The Great Santini and Tender Mercies, for which he won an Academy Award.
1932 – 2026Edward Hoagland (1932-2026)Died 17 February 2026, aged 93American essayist, novelist and travel writer celebrated above all for his writing about nature and wildlife.
1932 – 2026Holmes Rolston III (1932-2026)Died 12 February 2026, aged 92American philosopher and theologian who founded the fields of environmental ethics and environmental philosophy.
1939 – 2026Neil Sedaka (1939-2026)Died 27 February 2026, aged 86American singer and songwriter who wrote or co-wrote more than 500 songs, among them Calendar Girl and Breaking Up Is Hard to Do.
1939 – 2026Ali Khamenei (1939-2026)Died 28 February 2026, aged 86Iranian cleric who was president of Iran from 1981 to 1989 and then its supreme leader from 1989 until his death in a US-Israeli military assault.
1941 – 2026Jesse Jackson (1941-2026)Died 17 February 2026, aged 84American activist and politician, one of the defining leaders of the twentieth-century civil rights movement and a two-time candidate for the presidency.
1948 – 2026Bud Cort (1948-2026)Died 11 February 2026, aged 77American actor remembered for the cult classic Harold and Maude, Hal Ashby's black comedy opposite Ruth Gordon.
1950 – 2026Willie Colon (1950-2026)Died 21 February 2026, aged 75American trombonist, composer and bandleader who helped bring salsa to a mass audience in the 1970s.
1966 – 2026Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (1966-2026)Died 22 February 2026, aged 59Mexican drug lord known as El Mencho who led the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. One of the world's most wanted traffickers, he was killed by Mexican military forces.
1972 – 2026Eric Dane (1972-2026)Died 19 February 2026, aged 53American actor known for Grey's Anatomy and Euphoria. He died some ten months after being diagnosed with ALS.
1977 – 2026James Van Der Beek (1977-2026)Died 11 February 2026, aged 48American actor best known for the teen drama Dawson's Creek and the film Varsity Blues. He had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2024.
2026The Olympic torch at the San Siro -- February 2026In February 2026 Baresi makes his final public appearance at the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, carrying the Olympic torch into the San Siro alongside former Inter Milan defender Giuseppe Bergomi -- his old rival and friend. The image of the two great rivals of the Derby della Madonnina carrying the flame together into the ground they both regard as home is one of the defining images of the Games.
2026Kendrick Lamar becomes the most-decorated hip-hop artist at the GrammysTwenty-seven awards and countingKendrick Lamar won five Grammy Awards on 1 February 2026, bringing his career total to 27 and making him the most awarded hip-hop artist in the ceremony's history.
20262026 Winter OlympicsXXV Winter Games - Milan-CortinaThe 2026 Winter Olympics take place in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, 6–22 February 2026 — Italy's third Winter Games after Cortina 1956 and Turin 2006. Events are spread across venues in northeastern Italy including the Cortina d'Ampezzo ski resort, the Livigno snowpark and arenas in Milan. The first Winter Olympics co-hosted by two cities. Six sports, 16 disciplines and 116 events — the largest Winter Games programme in history.
2026Norway sets a Winter Olympic medal record at Milano-CortinaKlaebo wins six golds at a single GamesNorway claimed a record 41 medals at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics. Cross-country skier Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won six gold medals, the most by any athlete at a single Winter Games.
2026Seattle Seahawks win Super Bowl LXBad Bunny headlines the first primarily Spanish-language halftime showThe Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots 29-13 on 8 February 2026 for the franchise's second Super Bowl title. Bad Bunny's halftime performance was the first to be presented primarily in Spanish.
2026United States and Israel launch war on IranSupreme Leader Ali Khamenei killed in the opening weeksOn 28 February 2026 the United States and Israel launched a coordinated attack on Iran, which retaliated with its own strikes. The opening weeks left thousands dead, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, displaced millions, and upended the world economy.