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.