February And its Happenings!

 

By: Marcia King-Gamble

www.lovemarcia.com

In this month of both love and black history I thought I might share some interesting findings that may be fact or fiction.

First let’s start with how Valentine’s Day came about. 

One story is that St. Valentine’s was a Roman priest in the year 3AD. Emperor Claudius the 2^nd had banned marriages as he felt such a union made for bad soldiers. Valentine didn’t agree and performed marriages in secret. He wore a ring with Cupid on it which helped identify him. In a precursor to greeting cards, he gave out paper hearts to remind Christians of their love for God.  When he was caught, he was thrown in jail.  There, he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter. Some say through a miracle he cured her of her blindness. On the day he was to be beheaded he sent her a note” From your Valentine”.

It is also said the first Valentine’s Day was celebrated in the year 496, and it is thought to originate from a Roman festival called Lupercalia, which happened mid-February, and was an ode to Spring. As part of the celebration, boys drew girls‘names from a box, and for the length of the festival they dated them; some of these dates led to marriage. The church later stepped in and turned the festival into a Christian celebration which encompassed St. Valentine’s as well.

But what truly solidifies Valentine’s as a day of love, is a poem by medieval poet Geoffrey Chaucer.  His Poem Parliament of Fowls written in the late 14^th century describes a group of birds that gather in the early spring on ‘seynt valentine’s day' to choose their mate for the year.  The poem is a humorous and at times philosophical exploration of the idea of love. The middle ages was a time of courtly love and romantic partnerships were celebrated by poetry, songs, and paintings.  By the end of the 15^th century, the word ‘Valentine’ was being used to describe lovers.

Since this is also Black History month, I thought I might share some unknown or rather uncelebrated Black inventors.

First up, Sarah Boone who improved on the original version of the ironing board which initially was a horizontal wooden block patented in 1858. In 1892 Boone’s updated invention featured the narrower more curved design we use today.

In 1966 Mary Van Brittan Brown invented the first home security system. Her husband worked at night and she was often alone. The camera device was attached to her peephole. A microphone was added and so were buttons to open the door and contact the police.

Then there was Garrett Morgan who invented the three-light traffic light – otherwise known as the yellow light. He’d witnessed an awful accident and felt a yield component was important.

Refrigerated trucks were the brainchild of Frederick McKinley Jones. This helped to preserve blood, food and supplies during the war.

Automatic elevator doors were invented by Alexander Miles in 1887 after his child almost fell down the shaft; a common happening in those days of manually having to shut the shaft and elevator doors.

Then there’s Jan E. Matzeliger who we have to thank for the automated machine that attached the upper part of a shoe to its sole. Previously shoes were handsewn, and only about 50 were generated per day. With this invention, 700 or more could be made on an average day, making shoes more affordable for average Joe.

 That my readers is your black history lesson today.

Coming soon is an updated version of my 2003 Women’s Fiction release This Way Home with a new cover.  Order and let me know what you think. It’s based off the Marla Hanson story; the model who was mugged in Central Park and her face slashed. Find it on Amazon and B&N. No link yet.

About Marcia King-Gamble

Romance writer, Marcia King-Gamble originally hails from a sunny Caribbean island where the sky and ocean are the same mesmerizing shade of blue. This former travel industry executive has spent most of life in the United States. A National Bestselling author, Marcia has penned over 34 books and 8 novellas. She has contributed to Michael Fiore’s DigitalRomanceInc and served as a moderator on the now defunct eHarmony advice boards.  Having witnessed the bad, the ugly, and the not so good in relationships, she still prefers to write about happily ever after. Caring for her animal family keeps her grounded and sane.

Visit Marcia at www.lovemarcia.com or “friend” her on Facebook: http://bit.ly/1MlnrIS

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