Alas, it’s Valentine’s Day. Whether this is a day that you’ve been waiting for for months, or been desperately trying to forget, Valentine’s Day is more than merely a day for the celebration of love. It has proved to be an important day in history, and so we here a Her Campus have found 4 most exciting things (or very average) that have happened on this day…
Penicillin discovered, 1929
Penicillin was discovered by Sir Alexander Fleming after he noticed that mould that had fallen on a plate of staphylococcus bacteria and killed a large part of it. Penicillin was revolutionary in the fight against infections and is widely regarded as the first miracle drug.
Jacqueline Kennedy tour of White House, 1962
This was the first ever First Lady televised tour of the White House and is widely seen as the first prime documentary specially designed to appeal to women. The tour was especially significant because of the 2 million dollar restoration of the White House that Kennedy had helped direct during the first year of her husband’s presidency. Originally broadcast in 1962, the program became the most widely-viewed documentary of the time, with roughly 80 million viewers, including ¾ of the USA.
US League of Women Voters formed, 1920
This was formed to help women increase their role in public affairs alongside the women’s suffrage movement. It was created at a time when women were winning the right to vote and aimed to help newly enfranchised women exercise their responsibilities as voters. The League supports a variety of progressive public policy positions, including campaign finance reform, universal health care, abortion rights, climate change action and environmental regulation, and gun control.
Smoking ban, 2006
The House of Commons took their first vote on the banning of smoking in enclosed work places and other public places in England. Ministers were given a free vote and the House decided by a margin of 200 votes. The ban was implemented on 1 July 2007.
Yes, these really were “the most exciting things” we could find. Turns out not a lot actually happened on this day…