On 13th February…

1692 - The MacDonalds of Glencoe were massacred for not promptly pledging an allegiance to King William III and Queen Mary II. Many Scottish clans had remained faithful to King James II when he had been deposed and replaced by his daughter and her husband. The government had offered safety to everyone who took an oath of allegiance before 1st January 1692 otherwise they could be arrested and face charges of treason. Most chiefs of the clans had taken the oath, but Alexander MacDonald had waited until the last minute but was then unable to take the oath because there was no magistrate to witness it. So despite their acceptance of the new monarchy, the MacDonalds had missed the deadline and because of that, the Secretary of State for Scotland issued an order for military punishment of the clan. Many managed to escape but 33 men, 2 women and 2 children were murdered by soldiers at Glencoe.

On 14th February…

270CE - Valentine, a holy priest was executed for defying Roman Emperor Claudius II’s ban on all marriages and engagements in Rome. Valentine felt that the ruling was unfair and continued to perform secret marriages for young couples. After his death Valentine was named a saint, we now call this day St Valentine’s Day in honour of his memory. (This is just one story of how Valentine’s Day became, there are many different legends and at least three different identities to Valentine.)

On 15th February…

1903 - The first teddy bears went on sale in a shop in America. The toy was named after the American President Theodore Roosevelt who had refused to shoot a captive bear on a hunting trip. On hearing the story, a sweet-shop owner and his wife who also made and sold stuffed animals in their store decided to make some stuffed bears and dedicate them to the President. They called them ‘Teddy’s bear’.

On 16th February…

On 17th February…

1461 - The second Battle of St Albans during the Wars of the Roses took place in and around St Albans in Hertfordshire, England. The Wars of the Roses were battles between cousin’s fighting over who should be king of England. At the time it was called the Cousin’s War but has since been renamed the Wars of the Roses after the emblems of the two Houses that were fighting. The House of Lancaster had a red rose for its emblem and was originally led by King Henry VI and later Henry Tudor who became King Henry VII whilst the House of York was represented by a white rose and led by King Edward IV and later his brother, King Richard III.

On 18th February…

1478 - George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence, was executed in the Tower of London for plotting against his brother, King Edward IV. There are rumours that he was drowned in a barrel of wine.

On 19th February…

1473 - Nicolaus Copernicus was born in Poland. He introduced the idea that the earth revolves around the sun.