February 14

February 14: This Day in History

• 1849— James K. Polk became the first U.S. president to be photographed while in office.
• 1876— Alexander Graham Bell applied for a patent for the telephone just hours before Elisha Gray filed a similar application.
• 1912— Arizona became the 48th and last contiguous state admitted to the United States.
• 1929— The St. Valentine's Day Massacre occurred in Chicago, when members of Al Capone's gang shot and killed seven rivals.
• 1989— Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for the death of author Salman Rushdie over his novel 'The Satanic Verses.'

Famous Birthdays on February 14

• Frederick Douglass (1818) — abolitionist and statesman
• Galileo Galilei (1564) — astronomer and physicist
• Kevin Bacon (1958) — actor
• Jim Kelly (1960) — NFL quarterback, four-time Super Bowl appearance
• Drew Bledsoe (1972) — NFL quarterback

What Happens on February 14?

Did You Know? February 14 Fun Facts

• Approximately 145 million Valentine's Day cards are exchanged each year in the U.S., making it the second-largest card-sending holiday after Christmas.
• The origin of Valentine's Day as a romantic holiday is often traced to Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th-century poem 'Parliament of Fouls.'

Count Down to Events on February 14

• How many days until BAFTA Film Awards?
• How many days until Captain America Brave New World?
• How many days until Rio Carnival Brazil?
• How many days until Super Bowl LX?
• How many days until Super Bowl LXI?
• How many days until Valentine's Day?
• How many days until Valentine's Day?
• How many days until Valentine's Day?