The claimant King Charles II of England and Scotland is declared King of Great Britain, by the Parliament of Scotland. This move was not followed by the Parliament of England nor the Parliament of Ireland.

James II of England and VII of Scotland becomes King upon the death of his brother Charles II.

30 000 Swedish peasants from all over the country, who have travelled to Stockholm, carry out a huge protest march, which will be known as Bondetåget, to the Royal Palace in Stockholm, to show their support for King Gustaf V and his attempts to exercise personal power as a monarch. In the court yard, the king holds the so-called Court yard speech (Swedish Borggårdstalet, which crown prince Gustaf Adolf recites outside the castle to those, who do not get room at the court yard), where the king puts forth his opinion about the Swedish armed defence propagating that it should be strong, contrary to the official policy of Swedish prime minister Karl Staaff and his government of disarmament. This triggers a political crisis (the so-called Courtyard Crisis; Swedish Borggårdskrisen) and despite the fact that 50 000 workers two days later carry out a counter demonstration (the so-called Workers’ march), supporting the government, Karl Staaff is forced to resign on February 17. This is the last time the Swedish monarch tries to exercise any political power and from now on, the Swedish monarchs accept parliamentarism and abstain from claiming any political powers, even if they are not formally abolished until 1975, when the new Swedish instrument of government comes into effect.

The Broker, a Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train derails near Woodbridge Township, New Jersey. The accident kills 85 people and injures over 500 more. The wreck is one of the worst rail disasters in American history.

Eight Manchester United F.C. players are killed in the Munich air disaster.

At Cape Canaveral, Florida, the first successful test firing of a Titan intercontinental ballistic missile is accomplished.

Justice Mary Gaudron is appointed to the High Court of Australia, the first woman to be appointed.

The Round Table Talks start in Poland, thus marking the beginning of overthrow of communism in Eastern Europe.

Willamette Valley Flood of 1996: Floods in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, United States, causes over US$500 million in property damage throughout the Pacific Northwest.

New Year’s Day in Chinese calendar. Start of the year of the Fire Sheep in Chinese astrology.

Ida Straus, American passenger aboard the Titanic (d.1912)

Henry Blogg, English lifeboatman, George Cross and British Empire Medal recipient (d. 1954)

Irmgard Keun, German author (d. 1982)

Gyula Lóránt, Hungarian football player and manager (d. 1981)

Jacques Villeret, French film actor (d. 2005)

Gordon Downie, Canadian musician (The Tragically Hip)

David Hayter, American voice actor

Masaharu Fukuyama, Japanese singer

Kasper Hvidt, Danish handball goalkeeper

Jamie Whincup, Australian racing driver