1. Washington officially became a state on February 14, 1889. The territory had been petitioning for statehood since the 1850s, but it wasn't until the late 1880s that Congress approved the state constitution and President Benjamin Harrison signed the bill admitting Washington to the Union.

2. The first Valentine's Day in the United States was celebrated in Washington, DC in 1848. The tradition of exchanging valentines dates back centuries, but it was Esther Howland, a young entrepreneur from Massachusetts, who turned it into a million-dollar industry in the US. Howland started selling handmade valentines in 1848, and soon her cards were being sold all over the country.

3. On February 14, 1979, a massive winter storm hit Washington and Oregon, causing widespread power outages and disrupting transportation. The storm, known as the "Presidents' Day Storm," lasted for several days and dumped up to 10 feet of snow in some areas.

4. In 2005, a group of activists in Seattle declared February 14 "International Condom Day" and handed out free condoms in the city's Capitol Hill neighborhood. The event was part of a global effort to promote safe sex and raise awareness about sexually transmitted infections.

5. On February 14, 1924, Seattle radio station KJR (now KOMO) made its debut on the airwaves. The station was one of the first in the country to broadcast popular music and entertainment, and it quickly became a fixture in the Seattle community. Today, KOMO is still a popular news and talk radio station.