What happened on February 29 ?

1528 - Patrick Hamilton, Scottish religious reformer (martyred) (b. 1504)

1592 - Alessandro Striggio, Italian composer

1604 - John Whitgift, Archbishop of Canterbury (b. 1530)

1744 - John Theophilus Desaguliers, French philosopher (b. 1683)

1820 - Johann Joachim Eschenburg, German literary critic (b. 1743)

1868 - Ludwig I of Bavaria (b. 1786)

1940 - Edward Frederic Benson, American writer (b. 1867)

1944 - Pehr Evind Svinhufvud, President of Finland (b. 1861)

1956 - Elpidio Quirino, President of the Philippines (b. 1890)

1968 - Tore ÿrjasæter, Norwegian poet (b. 1886)

1980 - Gil Elvgren, American artist (b. 1914)

1992 - Ruth Pitter, English poet (b. 1897)

2000 - Kayla Rolland, school shooting victim (b. 1993)

2004 - Jerome Lawrence, American playwright (b. 1915)