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February 14: Facts & Historical Events On This Day

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Facts & Historic Events That Happened on February 14

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Happy Valentine’s Day! February 14th is officially Ferris Wheel Day and Organ Donor Day.

Welcome to the 45th day of the year! We’re gradually getting through the year, but we still have another 321 days left in 2024.

Other than the love and romance that happens on this day each year, February 14th is also a special day in history with major developments in the world of politics, music and television.

Did you know that on this day in 1849, a photograph of the 11th US President James Knox Polk was taken? It is the oldest surviving photograph taken of a president while in office.

Keep reading for more fun & interesting facts about February 14th in history!

Events

What memorable events happened on February 14 in history? Keep reading to find out!

2014

Ellen Page received a standing ovation after her emotional coming out speech at the Human Rights Campaign “Time to Thrive.”

2005

YouTube was founded & the domain name youtube.com was activated.

OTD in 2005: YouTube was founded & the domain name youtube.com was activated.

YouTube officially launched on December 15, 2005, by which time the site was receiving 8 million daily views.

1990

Pale Blue Dot, an iconic photo of our Earth, was taken by Voyager 1 space probe.

OTD in 1990: Pale Blue Dot

The photo was taken from a record distance of about 6 billion kilometers (3.7 billion miles) away and was received in real-time. The earth can be seen as just a tiny pale blue dot.

1985

Whitney Houston’s self-titled album was released.

The album was Billboard’s Album of Year in 1986.

1972

Grease The Musical first opened at the Eden Theatre in Manhattan, New York.

1967

Aretha Franklin recorded “Respect.”

The song became Billboard Song of the Year for 1967.

1949

The Knesset, Israel’s parliament, convened for the first time.

1931

The original “Dracula” movie premiered in New York City, starring Bela Lugosi.

OTD in 1931: The original "Dracula" movie premiered in New York City

1929

The Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre took place in Chicago.

Seven North Side Gang members were killed – apparently on Al Capone’s order.

1912

Arizona became the 48th state to join the United States of America.

1876

Alexander Graham Bell applied for a patent for the telephone.

1859

Oregon became the 33rd state to join the United States of America.

1849

A photograph was taken of the 11th US President, James Knox Polk.

OTD in 1849: A photograph was taken of the 11th US President

The photo was taken in New York City by Matthew Brady and is the earliest photo of a US president in office that has been found.

1747

The discovery of Earth’s wobbling motion on its axis was presented to the Royal Society, London, in a letter written by astronomer James Bradley.

1349

Hundreds of Jews in Strasbourg, France, were publicly burnt to death.

Known as the Strasbourg massacre, it happened during and after the Black Death, and the Jews were blamed for the epidemic.

Famous Births

Is today your birthday? If so, you share this special day with Freddie Highmore! Check out more famous people born on this day below.

1999

Harry Holland

English

Actor

Harry Holland

Age:

25 years old

Born In:

England, UK

1992

Freddie Highmore

English

Actor

Freddie Highmore

Age:

32 years old

Born In:

England, UK

1978

Danai Gurira

American

Actress

Danai Gurira

Age:

46 years old

Born In:

Iowa, USA

1970

Simon Pegg

English

Actor

Simon Pegg

Age:

54 years old

Born In:

England, UK

Quotes

Every day brings a new quote – here are the most well-known quotes spoken or written on Feb 14th in history.

1923

Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.

Rudyard Kipling

English Journalist

1849

Literature is the most noble of professions. In fact, it is about the only one fit for a man.

Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe

American Writer

Special Holidays

Are you looking for something to do today? Then why not find time today to celebrate the following special holidays.

February 14: National Organ Donor Day
United States

National Organ Donor Day

In the US alone, 17 people die per day because they never got the transplant they needed. National Organ Donor Day is a day to raise awareness of this issue and encourage more people to register themselves as organ donors and prevent more unnecessary deaths.

February 14: National Ferris Wheel Day
United States

National Ferris Wheel Day

This day celebrates the birth of George Washington Gale Ferris Jr., the inventor of the Ferris Wheel. Today is Ferris Wheel Day, so why not enjoy this family-friendly activity at the fairground today?

THe Fact Site’s

Fun Fact Of The Day

Invented in 1923, Q-Tips were initially called Baby Gays; then Q-Tip Baby Gays, then finally just Q-Tips. The Q stands for quality.

Birthday & Zodiac

Those of you who were born on Valentine’s Day share the Aquarius zodiac sign.

Aquarius is the eleventh zodiac sign and is symbolized by the Water Bearer, a symbol of the Gods bringing essential nutrients to Earth.

Those of you that were born in February have the Amethyst birthstone. Amethyst is often associated with stability, courage, and peace, which is perfect if you’re living in the cold, dark days of February.

If you were lucky enough to be born on February 14th, you were likely conceived around May 24th, the year before.

A baby conceived on February 14th, 2024, will likely be born around November 7th, 2024.

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