1. The 1961 U.S. Figure Skating Championships were held in Madison, Wisconsin on February 28th. The event was the site of a tragic plane crash that killed the U.S. figure skating team and several coaches and officials. The tragedy is memorialized in Madison with a statue honoring the team.

2. On February 28, 1829, a fire destroyed most of the city of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. The fire started in a blacksmith shop and spread quickly due to high winds. The city was rebuilt with brick and stone buildings that are still standing today.

3. A major snowstorm hit Wisconsin on February 28 and March 1, 1909, with snowfall of up to 22 inches in some areas. The storm caused widespread travel disruptions and power outages, and many schools and businesses were closed for several days.

4. In 1983, Wisconsin Governor Anthony Earl signed a bill making February 28th an official state holiday in honor of Civil War veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Joshua Glover. Glover was a runaway slave who was captured in Milwaukee in 1854 and taken back to Missouri. Abolitionists in Milwaukee helped Glover escape from jail and flee to Canada, where he lived for the rest of his life.

5. On February 28, 1995, a record-breaking snowstorm hit Wisconsin, dumping over 2 feet of snow in some areas. The storm caused widespread power outages, travel disruptions, and school closures. The snowfall was the third-largest in Wisconsin's recorded history.