What are the important events that happened on February 14? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.

February 14: Facts & Myths About This Day

February 14 is the 45^th day of the year 2025 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 320 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Friday.

Under the Julian calendar, this day is February 1, 2025 – a Friday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?

When this day started, 28,991,520 minutes has elapsed since midnight of January 1, 1970 – the Unix epoch.

Strange as it may, if we name this day after a polygon then it will be called ‘tetracontapentagon’ day.

Aquarius is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Amethyst is the modern birthstone for this month. Bloodstone is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.

According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 368 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year.

The ancient Maya civilization believes that the end of the world will happen on December 21, 2012. There are now 4,438 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.

February 14 Historical Events

• 1556 –
  Thomas Cranmer is declared a heretic.
• 1903 –
  The United States Department of Commerce and Labor is established (later split into Department of Commerce and Department of Labor).
• 1915 –
  New Year’s Day in Chinese calendar. Start of the year of the Wood Rabbit in Chinese astrology.
• 1918 –
  The Soviet Union adopts the Gregorian calendar (on 1 February according to the Julian calendar).
• 1920 –
  The League of Women Voters is founded in Chicago, Illinois.
• 1961 –
  Discovery of the chemical elements: Element 103, Lawrencium, is first synthesized at the University of California.
• 1979 –
  In Kabul, Setami Milli militants kidnap the American ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs who is later killed during a gunfight between his kidnappers and police.
• 1998 –
  An oil tanker train collides with a freight train in Yaoundé, Cameroon, spilling fuel oil. One person scavenging the oil drops a lit cigarette, creating a massive explosion which kills 120.
• 2004 –
  In a suburb of Moscow, Russia, the roof of the Transvaal water park collapses, killing more than 25 people, and wounding more than 100 others.
• 2005 –
  Seven people are killed and 151 wounded in a series of bombings by suspected al-Qaeda-linked militants that hit the Philippines’ Makati financial district in Metro Manila, Davao City, and General Santos City.

Who were born on February 14?

• 1916 –
  Sally Gray, English actress (d. 2006)
• 1917 –
  Herbert A. Hauptman, American mathematician, Nobel Prize Laureate (d. 2011)
• 1921 –
  Hugh Downs, American television host
• 1931 –
  Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion, Canadian hockey player (d. 2006)
• 1943 –
  Aaron Russo, American movie producer (d. 2007)
• 1944 –
  Ronnie Peterson, Swedish racing driver (d. 1978)
• 1946 –
  Gregory Hines, American dancer and actor (d. 2003)
• 1955 –
  Ronald Desruelles, Belgian athlete
• 1979 –
  Paolo Ginestra, Italian footballer
• 1985 –
  Heart Evangelista, Filipino singer and actress

Who died on February 14?

• 1229 –
  Raghnall mac Gofraidh, King of the Isles.
• 1400 –
  King Richard II of England (murdered) (b. 1367)
• 1405 –
  Timur, Mongol conqueror (b. 1336)
• 1782 –
  Singu Min, King of Burma (b. 1756)
• 1885 –
  Jules Vallès, French writer (b. 1832)
• 1891 –
  William Tecumseh Sherman, Civil War General (b. 1820)
• 1943 –
  Dora Gerson, German actress, cabaret singer, and Holocaust victim (b. 1899)
• 1958 –
  Abdul Rab Nishtar, veteran leader of Pakistan Movement, (b. 1899)
• 1996 –
  Bob Paisley, English football manager (b. 1919)
• 2009 –
  Sir Bernard Ashley, Welsh businessman (b. 1926)