1. The small heart-shaped Valentine candies that include little sayings, such as “Be Mine” are known to have at least a five-year shelf life.
2. The first box of chocolates produced for Valentine’s was done in the late 1800s by Richard Cadbury.
3. In the seventeenth century, a popular Valentine in the U.S. and Britain was a True Love Knot, or also known as the Endless Knot of Love.
4. Throughout the history of Valentines, the thought is there are about eight St. Valentines. Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni are the two St. Valentines that is considered most likely to have inspired Valentine’s Day, however, some think they may be the same person.
5. Valentine’s Day was possibly named for Valentine of Terni, a priest who would often marry Roman soldiers despite the orders that came from Claudius II. On February 14, 269, he was arrested and then killed.
6. Another theory is that Valentine’s Day might have been named for the priest Valentine of Rome. He was imprisoned for refusing to obey Claudius II’s ban on Christianity. Prior to his killing on February 14, he had fallen in love with the daughter of the jailer and wrote his last note to which he signed it, “From Your Valentine.”
7. Famous people born on Valentine’s Day include John Barrymore, Jimmy Hoffa, Jack Benny, NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Gregory Hines, Drew Bledsoe and Florence Henderson.