What Happened on February 24?

February 24 is when the Supreme Court won its superpower of judicial review in 1803, when the whole Western world got calendar reform in 1582, and when Space Shuttle Discovery flew its final mission in 2011!

• 1582 — Pope Gregory XIII decrees the Gregorian calendar

  A papal announcement called Inter gravissimas fixed a calendar problem nobody else could solve: the Julian calendar drifted about 11 minutes too long each year, throwing seasons and holidays out of sync. Read the full story →

• 1803 — Marbury v. Madison establishes judicial review

  The Supreme Court ruled that courts can strike down laws that violate the Constitution — giving the judiciary its key power in America's checks-and-balances system. Read the full story →

• 2011 — Space Shuttle Discovery launches on its final mission

  NASA's most-traveled spacecraft blasted off one last time from Kennedy Space Center, capping 27 years, 39 missions, and more than 142 million miles in orbit. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Steve Jobs (1955–2011) · Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859)

Days & observances

National Tortilla Chip Day · National Trading Card Day