Seeds of Fire: A People’s Chronology

Recalling events that happened on this day in history.
Memories of struggle, resistance and persistence.

Compiled by Ulli Diemer

February 14, 1895
Birth of Max Horkheimer, German philosopher, sociologist, and member of the Frankfurt School. Further Reading: Max Horkheimer: Critical Theory Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno: Dialectic of Enlightenment Martin Jay: The Dialectical Imagination: A History of the Frankfurt School and the Institute of Social Research The Frankfurt School and “Critical Theory” Related Topics: Critical Theory – Frankfurt School (Critical Theory)
February 14, 1949
Start of the Asbestos Strike. Miners walk off the job at four asbestos mines in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, near the towns of Asbestos and Thetford Mines. The strike is declared “illegal” by the capitalist courts, and police and strikebreakers are brought in. Workers eventually return to work in June, but many do not get their jobs back. In the longer term, pay and working conditions improve in the mines as employers seek to avoid similar confrontations. The strike becomes a huge issue in Quebec, and leads to increased political awareness and upheaval in Quebec society, helping to open the way for future change. Related Topics: Strikes: Canadian