Apart from being the birthday of English actor Simon Pegg, and of course, Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14 proves to be an important day for the United States and the empires of Eurasia.

1556

English reformation leader Thomas Cranmer was declared a heretic by the pope and Catholic Church.

1655

The Mapuche, under the direction of their military leader Clentaru, rose up against the Spanish in present-day Chile and continued to be a thorn in the side of Spanish expeditionary forces for the remainder of their colonization efforts.

1778

The United States flag was formally acknowledged by a foreign naval vessel for the first time when the USS Ranger, commanded by John Paul Jones, was given a nine gun salute by French Admiral Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte.

1804

Karađorđe, better known as Black George, led the first Serbian uprising against the Ottoman Empire.

1835

The original Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the church of the Latter Day Saints was formed in Kirtland, Ohio.

1849

James K. Polk, helmsman of the Mexican-American war, became the first U.S. president to have their photo taken.

1852

Great Ormond St Hospital for Sick Children, the first hospital to provide specific in-patient beds for children, was founded in London.

1859

Oregon was admitted as the 33rd state.

1912

Arizona was admitted as the 48th and last contiguous state.

1920

The League of Women Voters, a U.S. women’s suffrage group, was founded in Chicago.

1946

The Bank of England was nationalized.

1990

The famous Pale Blue Dot photograph was taken by the Voyager 1 spacecraft.

2005

YouTube went online, launched by a group of college students.

2018

Jacob Zuma resigned as president of South Africa.