Here's a quick overview of our top stories for Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026:
Watch the latest weather forecast
TOP HEADLINES:
Big Sky creates affordable homeownership options for local workers
Ready for some fun? Check out the 'Menagerie of Imaginary' lantern parade on Saturday in Bozeman
Glacier Park announces 2026 summer operations
Bridger Ridge Trail secures easement allowing full public access
Missing man found dead in an apparent climbing accident
BOZEMAN EVENTS:
The Boomerangs at Bridger Brewing
The Boomerangs will perform a free concert at Bridger Brewing as part of their weekly Wednesday concert series.
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
5:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Bridger Brewing - Bozeman, 1609 S. 11th Avenue, Bozeman, Montana
Free admission
Pecha Kucha 49
An eclectic evening of speakers presenting in the Pecha Kucha format (20 images x 20 seconds). This creative presentation style features diverse speakers sharing their passions, projects, and ideas in a fast-paced, engaging format.
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
6:40 PM
The Ellen Theatre, 17 W. Main Street, Bozeman, Montana
Ticket pricing not specified (check venue website for details)
Event at Tinworks at Rialto
An event is scheduled at Tinworks at Rialto in downtown Bozeman.
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Tinworks at Rialto, downtown Bozeman, Montana
Cost not specified
THAT’S INTERESTING:
Historical Events on February 19th
Ancient & Medieval Times
- 356 AD - Roman Emperor Constantius II closes all pagan temples
- 1408 - The revolt of Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, against King Henry IV ends with his defeat and death at Bramham Moor
16th-18th Century
- 1473 - Birth of Nicolaus Copernicus (see notable births)
- 1600 - Peruvian stratovolcano Huaynaputina explodes in the most violent eruption in South American recorded history
- 1712 - Russian Tsar Peter the Great officially marries Polish-Lithuanian peasant Martha Skavronskaya at Saint Isaac's Cathedral in Saint Petersburg
19th Century
- 1878 - Thomas Edison is awarded U.S. Patent No. 200,521 for his invention of the phonograph - the first machine able to reproduce recorded sound
- 1884 - More than sixty tornadoes strike the Southern United States, one of the largest tornado outbreaks in U.S. history
20th Century
- 1934 - Bob Hope marries his second wife Dolores DeFina in Erie, Pennsylvania (they remained married for 69 years until his death)
- 1942 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9066, ordering the detention and internment of all Japanese Americans on the West Coast
- 1942 - An estimated 150 Japanese warplanes attack the Australian city of Darwin
- 1945 - U.S. Marines launch the invasion of Iwo Jima with 30,000 troops; the famous flag-raising photo becomes one of WWII's most iconic images
- 1945 - 980 Japanese soldiers reportedly killed by crocodiles over two days on Ramree Island, Burma
- 1976 - George Harrison is ordered to pay $587,000 for "subconscious plagiarism" of "My Sweet Lord" from "He's So Fine"
- 1984 - Phil and Steve Mahre become the first brother pair to win Gold and Silver medals in the same Olympic event (slalom skiing)
- 1986 - The Soviet "Mir" Space Station is launched, becoming the world's first modular space station (remained in orbit for 15 years)
21st Century
- 2008 - Fidel Castro steps down as Cuba's president after 49 years in power at age 81
- 2008 - Toshiba announces its formal recall of HD DVD format, ending the format war with Sony's Blu-ray
Notable Births on February 19th
- 1473 - Nicolaus Copernicus - Polish mathematician and astronomer who proposed the heliocentric model of the solar system
- 1630 - Shivaji Bhonsle (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj) - Indian warrior and founder of the Maratha Empire
- 1865 - Sven Hedin - Swedish geographer and explorer
- 1942 - Will Provine - American biologist and historian (died 2015)
- 1953 - Cristina Fernández de Kirchner - Argentinian politician, 55th President of Argentina
- 1957 - Falco - Austrian singer-songwriter ("Rock Me Amadeus")
- 1963 - Seal - English singer-songwriter ("Kiss from a Rose")
Notable Deaths on February 19th
- 1916 - Ernst Mach - Austrian physicist (Mach number named after him)
- 1952 - Knut Hamsun - Norwegian writer and Nobel Prize laureate
- 1997 - Deng Xiaoping - Chinese politician and paramount leader who modernized China
- 2000 - Friedensreich Hundertwasser - Austrian/New Zealand painter and architect
- 2001 - Stanley Kramer - American film director
Interesting Facts
- February 19th has been particularly significant for "first blows" in history - from Copernicus challenging the geocentric universe to Edison's first sound recording device
- The date marks both technological breakthroughs (phonograph, space station) and tragic wartime events (Darwin bombing, Japanese internment)
- It's been a day of both great achievements in exploration and science, as well as significant political changes (Castro's resignation, Roosevelt's controversial executive order)
Parts of this story were adapted for this platform with AI assistance. Our editorial team verifies all reporting across all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
