Valentine's Day is celebrated in many countries on February 14 as a festival of romance and affection. People send greeting cards called valentines to their sweethearts, friends, and members of their families. Many valentine cards have romantic verses, and others contain humorous pictures and sayings. Many say, 'Be my valentine.' Valentine's Day parties and dances are often held. Many people send flowers, chocolates, or some other gift to their wives, husbands, or sweethearts. The earliest records of Valentine's Day in English tell that birds chose their mates on that day. People used a different calendar before 1582, and February 14 came on what is now February 24. Research Valentine's Day
Bal Gangadhar Tilak was an Indian patriot. He was born in 1856 at Batnagiri and died in 1920. Born of the Brahmancaste of Chitpavans, he was educated at the Deccan college, became a lawyer and in 1880 founded two newspapers, The Mahratta, printed in English and The Kesari printed in a local language. From his newspapers he attacked British occupation of India and appealed for independence. He was imprisoned by the British for sedition, and in 1908 following violent resistance among his supporters to the British occupation, he was sentenced to six years' transportation. In 1918 he went to Britain to prosecute his action against Sir Valentine Chirol claiming defamation contained in articles written by Chirol. Research Bal Tilak
Brooke Valentine is an American pop singer and song writer. She was born in 1984 at Houston, Texas. After being a member of a band called 'Best Kept Secret' she later went solo. Research Brooke Valentine
Francis I was King of France. He was born in 1494 and died in 1547. His father was Charles of Orleans, count of Angouleme, and his mother Louise of Savoy, grand-daughter of Valentine, duke of Milan. He ascended the throne in 1515, having succeeded his uncle, Louis XII. In prosecution of his claim to Milan he defeated the Swiss in the plains of Marignano and forced the reigning dukeMaximilian Sforza to relinquish the sovereignty. On the death of Maximilian in 1519 Francis was one of the competitors for the empire; but the choice fell on Charles of Austria, the grandson of Maximilian, henceforth known as the Emperor Charles V. From this period Francis and Charles were rivals, and were almost continually at war with one another. Both attempted to gain the alliance of England.
With this view Francis invited Henry VIII of England to an interview, which took place near Calais, between Guines and Ardres, in June, 1520. The magnificence of the two monarchs and their suites on this occasion has given to the meeting the name of the Field of the Cloth of Gold. In 1521 war broke out between the rivals, and in 1525 Francis was defeated and taken prisoner at Pavia. He could recover his liberty only by renouncing his claims to Naples, Milan, Genoa, and Asti, the suzerainty of Flanders and Artois, and promising to cede the Duchy of Burgundy and some other French fiefs. War was soon after renewed, an alliance, called the Holy League, having been formed between the Pope Clement VII, the King of France, the King of England, the Republic of Venice, the Duke of Milan, and other Italian powers, with the object of checking the advances of the emperor. In this war Rome was taken and sacked by the Constable of Bourbon in 1527, and Italy was devastated, but Francis gained little either of fame or material advantage. Peace was concluded in 1529, but hostilities again broke out in 1535, when Francis possessed himself of Savoy. A hastily made-up peace was soon broken, and Francis again found himself at war with the Emperor and the King of England.
Fortunately for France the union of the Protestant princes of Germany against the emperor prevented him from following up his success, and inclined him to a peace, which was concluded at Crespy in 1544. Charles resigned all his claims on Burgundy, and allowed Francis to retain Savoy. Two years after peace was made with England. Francis I possessed a chivalric and enterprising spirit, and was a patron of learning. Research Francis I
George Sand was the nom de plume of Armandine Lucile Aurore Dudevant, a French writer. She was born in 1804 in Paris and died in 1876. She was the daughter of Maurice Dupin, an officer of the republican army, who was descended from a natural daughter of Marshal Saxe. Until the age of fourteen she was brought up at the Chateau of Nohant, near La Chatre (department of Indre), mostly under the care of her grandmother, afterwards spending nearly three years in an Augustinian convent in Paris.
In 1822 she married Baron Dudevant, to whom she bore a son and a daughter; but in 1831 separated from him, and took up her residence in Paris. In conjunction with Jules Sandeau, a young lawyer, she wrote Rose et Blanche, which was published in 1831, with the pseudonym Jules Sand. The reception it met with afforded her an opportunity of publishing a novel solely by herself - Indiana, under the name of George Sand, which she ever after retained. Indiana had a brilliant success, but excited much criticism by its extreme views on social questions. This was also the case with many others of her works. Valentine, Lelia, Jacques, Andre, Leone Leoni, Simon, Mauprat, La Derniere Aldini, Lavinia, Metella, and others, appeared within the first few years after her debut.
She visited Italy with Alfred de Musset; and lived eight years with Frederic-Francois Chopin, the composer. These relations also influenced or occasioned some of her works (as Elle et Lui, 1858). In 1836 she obtained a judicial separation from her husband, with the care of her children. She took an active interest in the revolution of 1848, and contributed considerably to newspaper and other political literature. In 1854 she published Histoire de Ma Vie, a psychological autobiography.
Among her later novels are: La Mareau Diable; Francois le Champi; La Petite Fadette; Jean; Teverino; La Filleule; Lea Maltres Sonneurs; L'Homme de Neige; Pierrequi Roule; Monsieur de Sylvestre. Her published works consist of upwards of sixty separate novels, a large number of plays, and numerous articles in literary journals. Research George Sand
John Valentine Conroy (J V Conroy) is an Anglo-Indian hockey player. He was born in 1928. Britain's greatest ever hockey forward, he played in 55 internationals: 23 for Great Britain and 32 for England and was a member of the British 1952 and 1956 Olympic squads. He was the first Anglo-Indian to be picked to play hockey for Great Britain. Research John Conroy
SaintValentine is the name of several saints. Two of the name, a priest and a bishop, are said to have been martyred near Rome on the same day, February the 14th, about 270. The practice of sending love tokens on their festival, February the 14th, is a survival of the Roman custom of boys drawing the names of girls by lot in honour of Juno Februalis at the Lupercalia about the same date. Research St Valentine
William Carleton was an Irish novelist. He was born in 1794 at Prillisk and died in 1869. His education commenced at a hedge-school, and terminated with two years' training in an academy kept by a relation, a priest, at Glasslough. Thence he went to Dublin to try his fortune in the walks of literature. There, in 1830 to 1832, were published his Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry. Among his other publications are: Fardorougha, the Miser; The Misfortunes of Barney Branagan; Valentine M'Clutchy; The Black Prophet; The TitheProctor; WilleyReilly; and the Evil Eye; this last novel appearing in 1860. He enjoyed a government allowance of 200 pounds per annum several years before his death. Research William Carleton
Abbreviations
Research Valentine's Day
