February 12 - Sikhote-Alin meteorite falls to earth in Siberia, the largest iron meteorite known to have impacted [REF].
February 20 - The first living things sent into space (and returned) are fruit flies, accompanied by rye and cotton seeds, aboard a V-2 rocket launched by the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps which reaches an altitude of 68 miles (109 km) [REF].