February 28, 1807, President Thomas Jefferson nominated Frankfort native Thomas Todd to the U.S. Supreme Court . He served 18 years, nine months, and three days.
February 28, 1835, locals incorporated Frankfort . The town likely received its name from a skirmish in 1780 when Native Americans attacked a group of settlers making salt on the Kentucky River. Pioneer Stephen Frank died. The locals called the crossing “Frank’s Ford,” later edited it to Frankfort.
February 28, 1838, Fayette County native Rev. Joseph J. Bullock, appointed by Governor J. Clark and the Senate, became Kentucky’s 1st Superintendent of Public Instruction .
February 28, 1848, the Western Kentucky Lunatic Asylum , Kentucky’s 2nd state-supported mental facility, opened in Hopkinsville.
February 28, 1854, an earthquake shook Paris, Lexington, Richmond, Barboursville, and other points; the 2nd earthquake of the month.
February 28, 1865, legislators consolidated Transylvania University with Kentucky University @ Harrodsburg, which John Bowman built among the ruins of Bacon College. They began classes on Transy’s campus in October. The Squire’s Sketches of Lexington by J. Winston Coleman, Jr. pg: 52
February 28, 1867, Kentucky created Bell County from Knox County and Harlan County and named it in honor of Joshua Fry Bell, Kentucky legislator. Pineville is the county seat. Other localities include Middlesboro, Arjay, Beverly, Black Snake, Blackmont, Colmar, Cubage, Field, Fonde, Fourmile, Frakes, Harbell, Hutch, Ingram, Jaybel, Keenox, Kettle Island, Laurel Ford, Meldrum, Miracle, Mocking Bird Branch, Noetown, Oaks, Olcott, Ponza, Premier, Pruden, Red Oak, Rella, Stoney Fork, Stony Fork Junction, Sugar Run, Tejay, Timsley, Tuggleville, Varilla, Wallsend, and Wasioto. The 112th county, Bell County, covers 361 square miles.
February 28, 1869, City Marshal John T. Thompson, Covington Police Department , died from a gunshot in front of the tollhouse of the Cincinnati and Covington Suspension Bridge three weeks earlier. No one caught the murderer.
February 28, 1885, Harrodsburg native Beriah Magoffin, Kentucky’s 21st governor, passed over .
February 28, 1887, after four years of construction, Frankfort’s U.S. Post Office & Courthouse opened . The post office moved in 1965, and the building housed the Paul Sawyier Public Library.
On February 28, 1890, a scrawny reporter, Charles Kincaid, of feeble health, shot ex-Congressman Preston Taulbee, built like a “Mountaineer,” below the eye inside the Capitol . Kincaid ruined Taulbee’s political career two years earlier with one published article. Both remained in Frankfort politics, and after many mean-spirited encounters, Kincaid snapped. The case fueled a drive for congressional reform. “Concern with corruption, concern with the civility on Capitol Hill, all of a sudden became talking points.”
February 28, 1914, State University, Lexington (UK), coached by Alpha Brumage, hosted and defeated Marietta, winning 19-17 in Woodlawn Auditorium . Ashland native Karl Zerfoss was the high-scorer with eight points.
February 28, 1918, UK, coached by S. Boles, defeated Cumberland College in Gatliff Gymnasium in Williamsburg , 42-21. Kentucky enjoyed a 3-1 record inside Gatliff. Maysville native Ben Marsh scored 14 points.
February 28, 1920, Coach George C. Buchheit’s Cats played Tennessee for the 4th time in the same season. They finally won this game in Knoxville, 34-26. Paris native Basil Hayden earned high-scoring honors with 18.
February 28, 1921, President-Elect Warren G. Harding stopped at the Southern Station in Lexington on his way to his inauguration. The eight-minute visit started at 6:30 p.m. and included a short, upbeat statement from the caboose; Mrs. Harding stood beside him.
February 28, 1933, Kentucky won the 1st Southeastern Conference (SEC) Tournament Championship by defeating Mississippi State, 46-27, in Atlanta.
On February 28, 1956, the General Assembly approved “an act relating to educational benefits for the children of certain deceased veterans. ” The act provided that the children of Kentucky veterans killed while serving in the armed forces shall be granted a free education anywhere in the U.S.
On February 28, 1957, Johnny Longden became the 1st jockey to win 5,000 races. In 1956, he became thoroughbred racing’s winningest rider, breaking the record of 4,870 wins by British jockey Sir Gordon Richards (1904-88). Longden called “The Pumper” for his riding style, rode many of the day’s great thoroughbreds. In 1943, he captured the U.S. Triple Crown aboard Count Fleet. Longden’s sculptured bust, along with busts of fellow jockeys William Shoemaker and Laffit Pincay, has been placed in the paddock area at Santa Anita Racetrack.
February 28, 1967, Army SP4 Charles Combs from Hazard , Marine Corps CPL Donatus J. Geilen from Covington , Army CPL Ralph D. McNew from Lily in Laurel County , died in the Vietnam War.
February 28, 1968, Marine Corps CPL Charles A. Smith from Louisville died in the Vietnam War.
February 28, 1970, Dan Issel became the 1st UK player to score 2,000 career points as the #1 Wildcats avenged their only loss of the season beating Vanderbilt 90-86.
February 28, 1983, millions gather around their television sets to watch the last episode of M.A.S.H.
February 28, 1986, Governor M.L. Collins signed a final agreement with Toyota Motor Corporation , pledging the Commonwealth would spend $35 million to buy and improve the 1,600-acre site in Scott County and then turn it over to the Japanese Automaker.
February 28, 1991, the 1st Persian Gulf War, also known as the 1st Iraq War or Operation Desert Storm, ended. Six Kentuckians died in this military operation.
February 28, 2001, the UK basketball program retired the jerseys of Lexington native Burgess Carey #56 and Kenny Walker #34 during the Auburn game at Rupp Arena on Senior Game Day. Saul Smith scored two points, the only senior player.
February 28, 2005, America’s life expectancy reached an all-time high, 77.6 years . Women had an expectancy of 80.1 years, 5.3 more than men. In 2019, Kentucky ranked 45th at 75.8 years.
On February 28, 2018, Attorney General A. Beshear told lawmakers that a proposal to overhaul Kentucky’s ailing public pension systems contained “multiple legal violations.” Beshear wanted to expand gambling instead.
Thursday, February 28, 2019, Kentucky teachers returned to class after a “sick out.” They traveled to Frankfort to protest a bill that restructured the Teachers’ Retirement System a day earlier. They returned to work disappointed after the House voted along party lines to go forward with the change.
On February 28, 2023, Thomas Massie tweeted , “Reminder: the United States is one of the very few countries on the planet that has a COVID vaccine mandate on legal international visitors. Biden should revoke his xenophobic policy now. The House passed my bill, HR 185, to repeal the mandate, but the Senate has yet to act.”