On this day, Feb 14th, in history.

Today is Valentine’s Day. Like 92% of American married men I HATE Valentine’s Day. I feel it’s the most made up holiday there is. That’s my rant for the day.

I was interested in who St Valentine was so I checked it out. Seems that according to the Catholic church there were at least THREE St Valentines, all martyrs.

· a priest in Rome who suffered martyrdom in the second half of the 3rd century and was buried on the Via Flaminia.
· a bishop of Interamna (modern Terni) also suffered martyrdom in the second half of the 3rd century and was also buried on the Via Flaminia, but in a different location than the priest.
· a martyr in North Africa, about whom little else is known.
The middle of February has been a time for fertility rituals since ancient times and it is probably because of this that Valentines Day is associated with love.

Now back to this date in history:

In 1929 the famous St Valentine’s Day massacre occurred in Chicago. In a gang war 7 men were shot down in a garage.

In WWII in 1943 there was the Battle of Kasserine Pass. This was America’s first major defeat in the European theater.

In 1779 British explorer Captain Cook is killed in Hawaii, known at that time as the Sandwich Islands.

Born on this date:

Union leader Jimmy Hoffa.

Report Carl Bernstein.

Sportscaster Mel Allan.

Comedian Jack Benny.

Dancer Gregory Hines.

Actor Vic Morrow of TV’s Combat show.

Mrs Brady, actress Florence Henderson.

Actress Meg Tilly.

Napoleonic general Jean-Victor Moreau.

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