On the final lap of the Daytona 500 race, NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, known as "The Intimidator" for his aggressive driving style, is killed in a crash. Earlier, an 18 car wreck happened on lap 173 when Tony Stewart flipped in mid-air causing a major wreck. The race had come to a stop to take a 17 lap break because of the debris scattered on the track. The red flag was out to clean up the mess on the backstretch.
Major League Baseball Hall of famer, Eddie Mathews, dies in La Jolla, California due to complications of pneumonia. Mathews is the only player in Braves history to have played for the Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta teams. He is tied with Ernie Banks with 512 career home runs.
Current events of February 19, 2001 (2001-02-19) (Monday)