FYI February 14, 2020

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On This Day

1349 – Several hundred Jews are burned to death by mobs while the remaining Jews are forcibly removed from Strasbourg.
The Strasbourg massacre occurred on February 14, 1349, when several hundred Jews were publicly burnt to death, and the rest of them expelled from the city as part of the Black Death persecutions.[1] It was one of the first and worst pogroms in pre-modern history.

Starting in the spring of 1348, pogroms against Jews had occurred in European cities, starting in Toulon. By November of that year they spread via Savoy to German-speaking territories. In January 1349, burnings of Jews took place in Basel and Freiburg, and on 14 February the Jewish community in Strasbourg was destroyed.

This event was heavily linked to a revolt by the guilds five days previous, the consequences of which were the displacement of the master tradesmen, a reduction of the power of the patrician bourgeoisie, who had until then been ruling almost exclusively, and an increase in the power of the groups that were involved in the revolt. The aristocratic families of Zorn and Müllenheim, which had been displaced from the council and their offices in 1332, recovered most of their power, the guilds, which until then had no means of political participation, could occupy the most important position in the city, that of the Ammanmeister. The revolt had occurred because a large part of the population on the one hand believed the power of the master tradesmen was too great, particularly that of the then-Ammanmeister Peter Swarber, and on the other hand, there was a desire to put an end to the policy of protecting Jews under Peter Swarber.

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Born On This Day

1838 – Margaret E. Knight, American inventor (d. 1914)
Margaret Eloise Knight (February 14, 1838 – October 12, 1914[1]) was an American inventor, notably of the flat-bottomed paper bag. She has been called “the most famous 19th-century woman inventor”.[2] She was working in a paper-bag factory when she devised a new way to put together the bags. She founded the Eastern Paper Bag Company in 1870, creating paper bags for groceries similar in form to the ones that would be used in later generations.

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FYI

Open Culture: Discover the Artist Who Mentored Edward Hopper & Inspired “Nighthawks”; America’s First Drag Queen Was Also America’s First LGBTQ Activist and a Former Slave; Watch Footage from the Psychology Experiment That Shocked the World: Milgram’s Obedience Study (1961); Robin Williams’ Celebrity Struggles: A Discussion with Dave Itzkoff by Pretty Much Pop: A Culture Podcast (ep. 31) and more ->
 
 
 
 
By Scott Myers, Interview: Asta Philpot: A conversation with the inspiration for the upcoming comedic road movie Come As You Are.
 
 
 
 
Happy birthday, Google Maps
 
 
 
 
By Don Thompson, The Associated Press: California man spent 15 years in prison. DNA, genealogy websites were just used to free him.
 
 
 
 

Posted by Deborah Byrd in Human World | Space: Today, 30th anniversary of the Pale Blue Dot
 
 
 
 
Priorities!
By Francisco Guzman and Brian Ries, CNN: He pulled his sister out a window in a house fire and went back in to save the family dog. He’s 5 years old
 
 
 
 
Susan Wojcicki: YouTube at 15: My personal journey and the road ahead
 
 
 
 
The Rural Blog: Former federal mining scientist leads decades-long effort to reforest former surface mines in eastern Kentucky; Federal appeals court strikes down Medicaid work rules; Two Trump-voting brothers in Pennsylvania coal country say they’re on a mission to fight local racism and more ->
 
 
 
 

Chuck Wendig, Terrible Minds: In Which Valumtime’s Day Brings Some News Candy For Your Heart Bucket
 
 
 
 
Today’s email was written by Stevie Borello, and edited and produced by Annaliese Griffin. Quartz Obsession: Conversation hearts: It’s the thought that counts
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

Ideas

By sailingknitter: Wooly Warm Hat
 
 
By FernMakes: DIY Foot Cozy! | Snuggly Sewing Project to Warm Your Toes
To make your feet extra-toasty, heat a microwaveable heat pack/wheat bag in the microwave and place it into the pouch.
 
 
By AverageJoesJoinery: You Can Use a Drill Bit for More Than Drilling Holes!
 
 
By scotto: Igloo Made With Nifty Tool
 
 
By Scott Weston: Resurfacing Cast Iron Pans

Recipes

By Shabbyfufu: The BEST Delicious and Pretty Pink Cocktails
 
 
Betty Crocker Kitchens: 17 Dishes That’ll Warm You Right Up
 
 
By Creative Mom CZ: Sweet Valentine – Human Heart Cake
 
 
By cherzer: Maple Pecan Snow Cream
 
 
By Jessie Sheehan, The Kitchn: 5 Over-the-Top Chocolate Desserts You Can Make in Your Instant Pot

Fresh Fiction: Special Valentine Recipes from Fresh Fiction authors for you!