Timeline February 1966

Events in February 1966 6

• 1885 – 1966 Chester W. Nimitz (1885-1966) Died 20 February 1966, aged 80 Chester W. Nimitz commanded the US Pacific Fleet during World War II and oversaw the naval campaigns that defeated Japan. He died in California on 20 February 1966.
• 1895 – 1966 Buster Keaton (1895-1966) Died 1 February 1966, aged 70 Buster Keaton was a silent-film actor and director renowned for his deadpan expression and inventive physical comedy in films such as The General. He died of lung cancer in Los Angeles on 1 February 1966.
• 1966 Gene Clark leaves the Byrds Fear of flying The band's main songwriter quits.
• 1966 Luna 9 makes first soft landing on the Moon Soviet probe transmits the first images from the lunar surface The Soviet Luna 9 spacecraft achieved the first controlled soft landing on the Moon on 3 February 1966. It transmitted the first photographs taken from the lunar surface, a major milestone in the space race.
• 1966 Bob Marley marries Rita Anderson Kingston Rita later joins his backing singers, the I Threes.
• 1966 Coup overthrows Kwame Nkrumah Ghana's military and police seize power while president is abroad On 24 February 1966, while President Kwame Nkrumah was on a state visit to China and North Vietnam, Ghana's military and police staged a coup and formed the National Liberation Council. Nkrumah never returned to power and went into exile.