On This Day in History – February 14

Major Events

• 1349 – Several hundred Jews are burned alive in Strasbourg after being falsely blamed for the Black Death, highlighting the widespread persecution during medieval plague outbreaks.
• 1778 – The United States formally recognizes the flag of France, strengthening the alliance during the American Revolutionary War.
• 1876 – Alexander Graham Bell files a patent for the telephone, just hours before a similar claim by Elisha Gray, leading to one of history’s most famous patent disputes.
• 1912 – Arizona is admitted as the 48th state of the United States.
• 1929 – The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre occurs in Chicago, becoming one of the most notorious crimes of the Prohibition era.
• 1946 – ENIAC, the world’s first general-purpose electronic computer, is unveiled in Pennsylvania.
• 1989 – Iran’s Supreme Leader issues a religious decree against author Salman Rushdie, sparking global debate over free speech.
• 2005 – YouTube is founded, later transforming how people create and consume video content.
• 2018 – A mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida reignites global discussions on gun control.

Famous Birthdays

• Frederick Douglass – American abolitionist and writer (1818–1895)
• Susan B. Anthony – American women’s rights activist (1820–1906)
• Jack Benny – American comedian and actor (1894–1974)
• Florence Henderson – American actress (1934–2016)
• Meg Tilly – Canadian-American actress (1960)
• Simon Pegg – English actor and comedian (1970)
• Rob Thomas – American singer-songwriter (1972)
• Danai Gurira – American-Zimbabwean actress and playwright (1978)
• Teller – American magician and entertainer (1948)

Notable Deaths

• James Cook – British explorer and navigator (1779, born 1728)
• Karl Marx – German philosopher and economist (1883, born 1818)
• Anna Nicole Smith – American model and television personality (2007, born 1967)
• Myron Scholes – American economist (2024, born 1941)
• P. G. Wodehouse – English author (1975, born 1881)
• Julian Huxley – British biologist and writer (1975, born 1887)
• Garry Winogrand – American photographer (1984, born 1928)
• Daphne du Maurier – English novelist (1989, born 1907)
• Jimmy Hoffa (symbolic remembrance date) – American labor leader (1975, born 1913)

Holidays

• Valentine’s Day – Celebrated internationally
• Statehood Day – Arizona, United States
• International Book Giving Day – Observed in multiple countries

Fun Facts

• Valentine’s Day has roots in ancient Roman fertility festivals.
• ENIAC weighed more than 27 tons and occupied an entire room.
• The telephone patent dispute shaped modern intellectual property law.
• The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre accelerated the decline of organized crime power in Chicago.
• Valentine’s Day is one of the highest greeting card–sending days of the year.
• Arizona was the last of the contiguous U.S. states to achieve statehood.