What happened in February 1987?
The top front-page story of each day in February 1987, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Feb 1🏛️ Historic Chair Auctioned – A 200-year-old Philadelphia wing chair sold for $2.75 million, becoming the most expensive piece of furniture ever auctioned at Sotheby's.
- Feb 2🗽 Visitors Pay for Liberty – Starting today, visitors to the Statue of Liberty will pay $1 to see the monument, marking the first fee in its 100-year history.
- Feb 3🌊 Peru Floods Kill 43 – Flash flooding in the Peruvian Andes has resulted in at least 43 deaths and 20 missing, according to civil defense officials.
- Feb 4⛵ U.S. Regains Cup – Dennis Conner avenged his 1983 loss, winning back the America's Cup for the U.S. with a brilliant final race.
- Feb 5⛵ America's Cup Victory – Dennis Conner's Stars & Stripes won the America's Cup, reclaiming the title for the U.S. after a three-year hiatus.
- Feb 6🔬 Giant Ape Fossils Verified – Scientists confirm a rich trove of fossil relics in northern Vietnam, shedding light on human origins.
- Feb 7🚀 Soviet Space Failures – Two serious rocket and satellite failures occurred before the successful launch of astronauts to the Soviet Union's Mir space station.
- Feb 8🎨 Aquino Wins Big – Philippine voters endorsed President Corazon C. Aquino and her government, granting new legitimacy after a turbulent election period.
- Feb 9❤️ Infant Receives New Heart – A 2.5-month-old Canadian girl is in critical but stable condition after a successful heart transplant at Loma Linda University Medical Center.
- Feb 10🌊 Thermal Energy Gusher – An experimental geothermal well in Honduras has produced a gusher, promising cheap electricity for the country.
- Feb 11🏛️ Ballet Unites Youths – American and Soviet teenagers meet for the first time, bonding over their shared passion for ballet toe shoes.
- Feb 12💼 Pentagon Arms Loss – The Pentagon faces significant losses of arms and supplies, amounting to hundreds of millions due to theft and mismanagement.
- Feb 13🚀 Titan Rocket Launches – The Air Force successfully launched a Titan 3B rocket after two previous failures, marking a significant achievement for U.S. defense efforts.
- Feb 14🔬 Gene Linked to Alzheimer's – Researchers isolated a gene responsible for abnormal deposits in the brains of Alzheimer's patients, marking a significant breakthrough.
- Feb 15🏛️ Ancient City Unearthed – An ancient Roman city is emerging from a high-speed archaeological dig in Israel, revealing historical treasures.
- Feb 16🔬 Breakthrough in Conductivity – Researchers developed a superconductive compound that loses all resistance to electricity at liquid nitrogen temperatures.
- Feb 17🌌 Rare Milky Way Probe – An unusual alignment of the Earth, moon, and Milky Way core offers astronomers a rare chance to study hidden processes in the galaxy.
- Feb 18🚆 Train Collision Tragedy – Two crowded commuter trains collided in Sao Paulo, resulting in 46 deaths and over 100 injuries, marking a significant transportation disaster.
- Feb 19📺 Soviet TV Broadcast Plan – The Discovery Channel's plans to air Soviet TV live in the U.S. shift to using taped programs due to legal issues.
- Feb 20🌋 Underwater Volcano Discovery – Oceanographers piloted a submarine into an underwater volcano near Hawaii, revealing a strange new world.
- Feb 21🚀 John Glenn's Anniversary – Celebrating the 25th anniversary of John Glenn's historic orbital space flight, marking a milestone in American space exploration.
- Feb 22🌍 Gandhi and Zia Meet – Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi and Pakistani President Zia ul-Haq meet to discuss easing tensions over troop buildups on their border.
- Feb 23🏥 Copter Rescues Stranded – A police helicopter rescued two teenagers unharmed from drifting on ice in Little Neck Bay for an hour.
- Feb 24🔬 Ancient Tomb Discovered – Archaeologists in Egypt uncovered a 3,300-year-old tomb in the Valley of the Kings, revealing potential treasures and insights into Ramses II's reign.
- Feb 25🌌 Supernova Detected – Astronomers reported a nearby supernova explosion, the closest observed since 1604, enhancing understanding of cosmic evolution.
- Feb 26🌌 Exploding Star Discovery – Astronomers report an exploding star sighted in the Southern Hemisphere, potentially revising theories on supernova formation.
- Feb 27🔬 Gene Transfer Breakthrough – Mice suffering from severe neurological issues were cured through gene transfer techniques, advancing potential treatments for human ailments.
- Feb 28🔬 Record Japan Trade Surplus – Japan's current account surplus hit a record in January, rising 11.6% from the previous month, defying predictions of reduced trade imbalances.
Happy Birthday! 1987 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1987 in real headlines. See the 1987 book →