On this day: Bank of England nationalised
Events, birthdays and anniversaries for 14 February
St Valentine’s Day.
c270AD: St Valentine martyred by Roman Emperor Claudius II. The tradition of sending love letters is unlikely to be connected with St Valentine but to follow the medieval belief that birds traditionally pair on 14 February.
1797: The naval Battle of Cape St Vincent took place off south-west Portugal. The Spanish fleet was defeated by the British, under Admiral Sir John Jervis, ennobled as Earl St Vincent.
1922: Marconi began the first regular broadcasting transmissions in Britain.
1929: St Valentine’s Day massacre took place in a Chicago warehouse and seven members of Bugsy Moran’s gang were gunned down.
1933: The world’s first speaking clock began to operate in Paris. It was designed for the French ministry of posts and telecommunications by M Esclangon of the Paris Observatory, who was fed-up with people phoning the observatory to ask for the exact time.
1936: The Post Office introduced special greetings telegrams for St Valentine’s Day.
1946: The Bank of England was nationalised.
1963: Harold Wilson became leader of the Labour Party.
1981: Fire at Dublin disco killed 49 people.