On This Day: Six More Weeks of Winter?

And an Influential Author is Born This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, [click here to view](. February 02 [RAND]( AYN RAND 1905 LEARN MORE ABOUT HER PHILOSOPHY, OBJECTIVISM [READ MORE]( [groundhog]( GROUNDHOG DAY 2019 HOW OFTEN IS PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL RIGHT? [READ MORE]( Advertisement Advertisement MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY [Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote in the film Capote (2005).] 2014: American actor [Philip Seymour Hoffman]( who fully inhabited the characters he played and was renowned for his scene-stealing work in supporting roles, died of a [heroin]( overdose in New York City. [The Sex Pistols, 1977.] 1979: Sid Vicious of [the Sex Pistols]( early proponents of British punk rock, died of a drug overdose in New York City. [Idi Amin.] 1971: [Idi Amin]( declared himself president of [Uganda]( and for the next eight years headed a regime that was noted for its brutality. [Rand, Ayn] 1905: American writer [Ayn Rand]( whose commercially successful novels promoting [individualism]( and [laissez-faire]( [capitalism]( became influential among conservatives and libertarians, was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. [Stalingrad, Battle of] 1943: The [Battle of Stalingrad]( in [World War II]( ended with the surrender of German troops to the Soviets. [Chet Baker (right) performing with Stan Getz, 1983.] 1927: American [jazz]( saxophonist [Stan Getz]( was born in Philadelphia. [SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY]( ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1977 [Shakira]( Colombian musician 1905 [Ayn Rand]( American author 1952 [Park Geun-Hye]( president of South Korea 1927 [Stan Getz]( American musician 1944 [Geoffrey Hughes]( British actor [SEE ALL BIOS ON THIS DAY]( Advertisement FOLLOW: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( To unsubscribe from Britannica e-mails, [click here](. Encyclopædia Britannica 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Chicago, Illinois 60654 United States © 2019 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. [Privacy Policy]( • [Help](