February 4^th in history

Encyclopædia Britannica presents people and events from this day in history.

Betty Friedan: Biography of the Day

Betty Friedan

"The feminine mystique has succeeded in burying millions of American women alive."

Betty Friedan, The Feminine Mystique (1963)

Born this day in 1921 was American feminist Betty Friedan, cofounder of the National Organization for Women and author of The Feminine Mystique (1963), which studied the frustrations of modern women in traditional roles.

 

Yalta Conference opened: 4 February 1945 - This Day in History

On this day in 1945, during the final stages of World War II, the Yalta Conference opened with Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin meeting to plan the final defeat and occupation of Nazi Germany.

More Events on this day:

1974: Newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst was kidnapped by members of the Symbionese Liberation Army.

1932: The United States hosted its first Winter Olympic Games, in Lake Placid, New York.

1902: American aviator Charles A. Lindbergh was born in Detroit, Michigan.

1789: George Washington was elected to serve as the first U.S. president by a unanimous vote in the first electoral college.

1787: Shays's Rebellion, an uprising in western Massachusetts in opposition to high taxes and stringent economic conditions, was defeated by the Springfield militia.