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On This Day 5 mins Read

February 14: Facts & Historical Events On This Day

Did you know that on this day, February 14, 1849, a photograph of the 11th US President James Knox Polk was taken?

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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 320 days left in 2025.

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, February 14, 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!

Historical Events

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

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

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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.

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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.

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Whitney Houston’s self-titled album was released.

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

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

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Aretha Franklin recorded “Respect.”

The song became Billboard Song of the Year for 1967.

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

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

OTD in 1931: The original "Dracula" movie premiered in New York City
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The Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre took place in Chicago.

Seven North Side Gang members were killed - apparently on Al Capone's order.

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

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Alexander Graham Bell applied for a patent for the telephone.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

Age

26 years old

Born IN

England, UK

1992

Freddie Highmore

English Actor

Age

33 years old

Born IN

England, UK

1978

Danai Gurira

American Actress

Age

47 years old

Born IN

Iowa, USA

1970

Simon Pegg

English Actor

Age

55 years old

Born IN

England, UK

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.

Violets, February’s primary birth flower, represent the loyalty and humility of people born during this month. Primroses, February’s secondary birth flower, symbolize youthful energy and the first blush of love.

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, 2025, will likely be born around November 7th, 2025.

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

(American Writer)

Special Holidays

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

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?

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.

Fact Of The Day

Close-up of colorful cotton swabs, also known as Q-tips

Invented in 1923, Q-tips were initially called Baby Gays, then Q-tip Baby Gays, and finally just Q-tips. The “Q” stands for quality.

Days Until

Your countdown to 2025's upcoming special days!

  • Women's Day

    22 days

  • St Patrick's Day

    31 days

  • Earth Day

    67 days

  • Halloween

    259 days

  • Christmas Day

    314 days

Feb 13 Feb 15

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References

MLA

Ward, Luke. "February 14: Facts & Historical Events On This Day." FactstoryHub, 1 Jan. 2020, www.factstoryhub.com/day/february-14/. Accessed 5 Dec. 2025.

APA

Ward, L. (2025, October 31). February 14: Facts & Historical Events On This Day. FactstoryHub. https://factstoryhub.com/day/february-14/

Chicago

Ward, Luke. "February 14: Facts & Historical Events On This Day." FactstoryHub, October 31, 2025. https://factstoryhub.com/day/february-14/.

About The Author

Luke Ward
Owner

Luke Ward is the owner of FactstoryHub. He has over 14 years of experience in researching, informative writing, fact-checking, SEO & web design. In his spare time, he loves to explore the world, drink coffee & attend trivia nights.

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