This Day in History: February 14

1014: Pope Benedict VIII crowns Henry II Holy Roman Emperor

Pope Benedict VIII crowned Henry II as Holy Roman Emperor, which strengthened the pope's influence over the imperial throne. Henry II became known for his efforts to establish a centralized monarchy in Germany and his support of the Catholic Church.

1076: Pope Gregory VII excommunicates Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV (for the 1st time)

Pope Gregory VII excommunicated Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV for the first time, starting a long conflict between the pope and the emperor over the power to appoint church officials. This conflict was known as the Investiture Controversy.

1797: Battle of Cape St. Vincent

In the Battle of Cape St. Vincent, the British fleet under Admiral Sir John Jervis defeated a larger Spanish fleet under Admiral Don José de Córdoba y Ramos near Cape St. Vincent, Portugal. Captain Horatio Nelson, who later became a famous British naval commander, distinguished himself in this battle.

1876: Alexander G. Bell & Elisha Gray apply separately for telephone patents

Both Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray applied separately for telephone patents on the same day. The Supreme Court eventually ruled that Bell was the rightful inventor of the telephone.

1929: St. Valentine's Day Massacre in Chicago

Seven gangsters were killed in the St. Valentine's Day Massacre in Chicago, allegedly on orders from gang leader Al Capone. This event brought public attention to the organized crime problem in the United States.

1971: Richard Nixon installs secret taping system in the White House

President Richard Nixon installed a secret taping system in the White House to record his conversations with staff and visitors. The tapes later played a major role in the Watergate scandal, which led to Nixon's resignation.

1989: The Knesset convenes for the first time

The Knesset, the parliament of Israel, convened for the first time. The term “Knesset” is derived from the Hebrew name of an ancient Great Assembly: Anshei Knesset HaGedolah.

2003: Dolly the sheep is put to death

Dolly, the first mammal to be cloned from an adult, was put to death after showing signs of premature aging and contracting various diseases. Her creation sparked debates about the ethics of cloning and the potential implications for human cloning.

2005: Assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri

Former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated. The U.N. Special Tribunal for Lebanon later found compelling evidence for the involvement of the Lebanese militia Hezbollah in the assassination, sparking political tensions in Lebanon and the wider Middle East region.

1984: Union Carbide agrees to pay damages for the Bhopal disaster

Union Carbide agreed to pay damages to the Indian government for the Bhopal disaster, in which a gas leak from the company's pesticide plant killed thousands of people and caused long-term health effects for many more. The disaster remains one of the worst industrial accidents in history.