Happy Valentine’s Day, Entrepreneurs!
We often complain that today is a holiday that was made up to sell greeting cards and flowers. What better day to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit!
In 1797, a British publisher issued The Young Man’s Valentine Writer, which contained scores of suggested sentimental verses for the young lover unable to compose his own. Printers had already begun producing a limited number of cards with verses and sketches, called “mechanical valentines,†and a reduction in postal rates in the next century ushered in the less personal but easier practice of mailing Valentines. That, in turn, made it possible for the first time to exchange cards anonymously, which is taken as the reason for the sudden appearance of racy verse in an era otherwise prudishly Victorian. Paper Valentines became so popular in England in the early 19th century that they were assembled in factories. Fancy Valentines were made with real lace and ribbons, with paper lace introduced in the mid-19th century.
- 1849 – In New York City, James Knox Polk becomes the first serving President of the United States to have his 1849 – In New York City, James Knox Polk becomes the first serving President of the United States to have his photograph taken.
- 1855 – Texas is linked by telegraph to the rest of the United States, with the completion of a connection between New Orleans and Marshall, Texas.
- 1899 – Voting machines are approved by the U.S. Congress for use in federal elections.
- 1903 – The United States Department of Commerce and Labor is established (later split into Department of Commerce and Department of Labor).
- 1924 – The International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is founded.
- 1946 – ENIAC, the first general-purpose electronic computer, is unveiled.