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1. St. Valentine wasn't just one person. There are at least three men named Valentine that could've inspired Valentine's Day, so the origin story is unknown.
2. Hallmark's Valentine's Day greeting cards first appeared on store shelves in 1916. The company's founder, J.C. Hall, began selling Valentine's Day postcards earlier, in 1910.
3. The first heart-shaped box of chocolates debuted in 1861. It was created by Richard Cadbury . . . the son of Cadbury founder John Cadbury . . . and he started packaging chocolates in fancy boxes to increase sales.
4. Conversation hearts got their start as medical lozenges. A Boston pharmacist invented a machine to make medical lozenges . . . but then he switched to making circular candies with it. This was in 1847. In 1866, his brother came up with the idea to print messages on the candies. And in 1902, they became heart-shaped.
5. There's an official Valentine's Day alternative for singles: It's also TODAY . . . and it's called "International Quirkyalone Day." (???)
(History.com / Hallmark / South Florida Reporter / Mental Floss / Huff Post) Image © 2022 Getty Images