The city of St. Louis was founded February 15, 1764

St. Louis /seɪnt ˈluːɪs/ (French: Saint-Louis or St-Louis, [sɛ̃ lwi] ( listen)) is an independent city[6] on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 318,069 in July 2011,[5] it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The metropolitan St. Louis area, officially classified as the Greater St. Louis, (CSA) population of 2,882,932, is the 15th-largest in the country and is the largest metro area in Missouri.

The city of St. Louis was founded in 1764 by Pierre Laclède and Auguste Chouteau, and after the Louisiana Purchase, it became a major port on the Mississippi River. Its population expanded after the American Civil War, and it became the fourth-largest city in the United States in the late 19th century. It seceded from St. Louis County in March 1877, allowing it to become an independent city and limiting its political boundaries. In 1904, it hosted the Louisiana Purchase Exposition and the 1904 Summer Olympics. The city's population peaked in 1950, then began a long decline that continues in the 21st century.

The economy of St. Louis relies on service, manufacturing, trade, transportation of goods, and tourism. The region is home to several major corporations: Express Scripts, Emerson Electric, Enterprise Holdings, Reinsurance Group of America, Peabody Energy, Ameren, Charter Communications, Graybar Electric, Sigma-Aldrich, Monsanto, Centene and Edward Jones. St. Louis is home to three professional sports teams: the St. Louis Cardinals, one of the most successful Major League Baseball clubs; the hockey St. Louis Blues, and the football St. Louis Rams. The city is commonly identified with the Gateway Arch, part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in downtown St. Louis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis,_Missouri

Happy Birthday St. Louis

Free College Courses Online!

Picked up information on this last week during the visit by Al Gore to St. Louis County Library and thought it might be worth passing along for those who might find it of interest.

https://www.coursera.org/

Might be worth a look.

Highlights from former VP Al Gore appearance in St. Louis broadcast at 11am Central Time

Anyone who might be interested and have the time.

Highlights from former Vice-President Al Gore's appearance on February 9th at the St. Louis County Library.

http://news.stlpublicradio.org/programs/st-louis-air

There is a little tab at the top of the page to listen live to KWMU1

State of the Union 101: Nine Obama proposals that might create jobs

A trade pact with the EU. Rebuilding roads and bridges. Innovation centers for manufacturing. Obama put forward a lot of proposals in his State of the Union address, but which ones will add the most jobs?

The goal of job growth and rising prosperity for the middle class formed the thematic core of President Obama's State of the Union speech Tuesday.
Not every idea Mr. Obama proposed on this front is a sure jobs gainer. In fact some, like raising the minimum wage, spark strong controversy among economists who champion the goals of employment and growth.

But some economists say Obama offered a collection of proposals that could have a positive effect on jobs and incomes. And they say the focus is warranted, even though signals from private-sector businesses and consumers have been improving.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/DC-Decoder/2013/0213/State-of-the-Union-101-Nine-Obama-proposals-that-might-create-jobs?nav=87-frontpage-entryLeadStory

200 Years Ago: February 14, 1813

February 14, 1813 HMS Belvadie & HMS Statira vs. USS Cora - On February 14, the HMS Belvadire and HMS Statira captured the American schooner USS Cora, with 8 guns and 40 men of her crew.


The Cora was said to be the fastest schooner to come out of Baltimore.

February 14th is National Creme-Filled Chocolates Day

Celebrate!

February 14, 2008 Northern Illinois University shooting

The Northern Illinois University shooting was a school shooting that took place on February 14, 2008, during which Steven Kazmierczak shot multiple people on the campus of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois, United States, killing five and injuring twenty-one, before committing suicide.

The incident happened at the campus's Cole Hall at approximately 3:05 p.m. local time.[3] The school placed the campus on lockdown; students and teachers were advised to head to a secure location, take cover, and avoid the scene and all buildings in the vicinity of the area.[4] Six people died in the incident, including the perpetrator, tying it with the University of Iowa shooting (Gang Lu Massacre) as the fifth-deadliest university shooting in United States history, after the Virginia Tech massacre, the University of Texas Clock Tower shooting, the California State University, Fullerton massacre and the Oikos University massacre.[5][6]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Illinois_University_shooting

February 14, 1949 The Asbestos Strike Begins

At midnight on February 14, 1949, miners walked off the job at four asbestos mines in the Eastern Townships, near Asbestos, Quebec and Thetford Mines. Though these mines were owned by either American or English-Canadian companies, almost all the workers were francophones. The largest company was the American Johns-Manville firm. The union had several demands. These included elimination of asbestos dust inside and outside of the mill; a fifteen cent an hour general wage increase; a five cent an hour increase for night work; a social security fund to be administered by the union; the implementation of the Rand Formula; and "double time" payment for work on Sundays and holidays. These demands were radical in Quebec at the time, and they were rejected by the owners.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbestos_Strike

February14, 1912 – Arizona is admitted as the 48th U.S. state

February 14, 1903 The United States Department of Commerce and Labor is established

The department was originally created as the United States Department of Commerce and Labor on February 14, 1903.[2] It was subsequently renamed the Department of Commerce on March 4, 1913, as the bureaus and agencies specializing in labor were transferred to the new Department of Labor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Commerce