February 14th - Valentines Day - On this day

🗓️ On This Day - February 14th

Love is in the air… but don’t worry! If you’re not celebrating Valentine’s Day, or if it’s your birthday and you’re sick of the sight of hearts and flowers, there are plenty of other ways you can mark February 14th. Below, we’ll take you through some historic events, famous birthdays, and special events that fall on this date.

On this day

Carrie Chapman Catt

The League of Women Voters took shape.

At the height of the women’s suffrage revolution, Carrie Chapman Catt took women’s voting rights to the next logical step and set up what was known as Chicago’s League of Women Voters on February 14th 1920. As we all know, it’s the work of the suffrage movement that, thankfully, led to more rights offered to women across the US.

On This day in history, Torvill and Dean

Torvill and Dean enrapture the crowds on the ice.

At the Sarajevo Winter Olympics in 1984, all eyes were on British ice skating duo Jane Torvill and Christopher Dean. They would break a record and gain nine out of nine perfect scores for their performance to Ravel’s “Bolero”. To this day, the duo remain an important cultural icon (as a duo)!

Salman Rushdie went in to hiding on this day in February 14th

Salman Rushdie went into hiding.

On February 14th 1989, author Salman Rushdie received a fatwa from Ayatollah Khomeini, who stated that his book “The Satanic Verses” was blasphemous. The fatwa effectively demanded a bounty on Rushdie’s head - which led him into hiding for several years.

Hannibal Lecter

I ate his liver…

Sir Anthony Hopkins brought sinister cannibal Hannibal Lecter to cinema audiences through the release of “The Silence of The Lambs”, which was unveiled on February 14th 1991. Also benefiting from a career-defining role from Jodie Foster, the movie is hardly what you’d call a typical Valentine’s date night option… unless that’s your kind of thing!

On This Day in History - February 14th.

YouTube was born!

Can you believe YouTube has been with us since 2005? The video-sharing site is an entertainment platform all on its own, and it first saw registration on February 14th. It eventually grew into a video platform to end them all - with more than a billion people visiting and watching videos on the platform every single month.

Special Days Falling on February 14th

Let’s take a look at a few big occasions that people are celebrating nationwide and elsewhere in the world today.
February 14th - Valentines Day

St Valentine’s Day

Of course, February 14th is perhaps most famous for being the feast day of St Valentine. Valentine was a tragic figure - he was known for defying the orders of his Emperor, Claudius II, and acted as marriage invigilator for couples when weddings were outlawed! He’s remembered today through gifts of chocolates and heartfelt cards shared between loved ones.

Pet theft awareness day

Pet Theft Awareness Day

A cause that shouldn’t take a backseat to Valentine’s madness is pet theft. Millions of pets around the world go missing every year - but several are outright stolen for nefarious reasons. Today, we raise awareness for the two million or more pets that are stolen from homes across the US each and every year.

Paperback Book Day

International Book Giving Day

Whether or not you’re giving chocolates and flowers, it’s also officially a great day to give the gift of literature. Got a favorite you’d like a loved one to check out? Now’s your chance!

This page was last modified on July 29, 2023. Suggest an edit