February 1, 1884: The first portion, or fascicle, of the Oxford
English Dictionary (OED), considered the most comprehensive
and accurate dictionary of the English language, was published.

Today, the OED is the definitive authority on the meaning,
pronunciation and history
of over half a million English words, past and present. 

National Freedom Day is a United States observance on February 1 honoring the signing by Abraham Lincoln of a joint House and
Senate resolution that later became the 13th Amendment to the
U.S. Constitution. President Lincoln signed the Amendment
outlawing slavery on February 1, 1865, although it was not
ratified by the states until later.