What Happened on December 14
Important Events
- 644 Uthman ibn Affan, companion of Muhammad, appointed 3rd Caliph of Islam
- 1287 During St. Lucia's Flood in Northwest Netherlands the Zuiderzee seawall collapses with loss of over 50,000 lives. Fifth largest recorded flood in history
- 1542 Princess Mary Stuart succeeds her father James V and becomes Queen Mary I of Scotland at 6 days old
- 1774 First incident of American Revolution - 400 New Hampshire militiamen successfully attack Fort William and Mary
- 1911 Norwegian Roald Amundsen's expedition is the 1st to each the South Pole
- 1995 The Dayton Agreement is signed in Paris by leaders of various governments ending the conflict in the former Yugoslavia including Slobodan Milošević, Alija Izetbegović, Franjo Tuđman and Bill Clinton
Dec 14 in Film & TV
- 1993 "Philadelphia" one of the first mainstream films about AIDS, directed by Jonathan Demme, starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington premieres in Century City, California
- 2019 Miss World won by Miss Jamaica Toni-Ann Singh in London. First time all five major beauty titles held by black women.
Dec 14 in Music
- 1849 1st chamber music group in US gives their 1st concert in Boston
Dec 14 in Sport
- 1947 The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is founded in Daytona Beach, Florida
Did You Know?
Birth of Quantum Physics: German Physicist Max Planck presents a theoretical derivation of his black-body radiation law
On December 14, 1900
Famous Birthdays
Nostradamus
(1503 - 1566)Tycho Brahe
(1546 - 1601)George VI
(1895 - 1952)Jimmy Doolittle
(1896 - 1993)Shirley Jackson
(1916 - 1965)Dilma Rousseff
73 Years Old
Would You Believe?
University of Toronto scientists present findings of the world's oldest water - 2 billion years old from a mine in Canada
On December 14, 2016
Famous Weddings
- 1490 Anna van Bretagne marries a proxy Maximilian of Austria
- 1780 US founding father Alexander Hamilton (25) weds Elizabeth Schuyler (23) at Schuyler Mansion in Albany, New York
- 1984 Singer and actress Bette Midler (39) weds Martin Von Hasselberg at Starlight Chapel in Las Vegas
Articles, Photos and Quiz
Heartbreak and Tragedy for Captain Scott
Beaten to the South Pole by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen on this day, only despair and death awaited British explorer Captain Robert Scott.
December 14, 1911Dayton Agreement
The full and official signing of the Dayton Agreement in Paris, France
December 14, 1995Weekly Quiz for December 9 - 15
Which country was Lech Wałęsa elected President of? Which British monarch abdicated their throne in 1936? Who headed the 1st expedition to the South Pole?
December in History
A King Salutes Remarkable Woman Soldier
Whether she went to war out of love or duty, Phoebe Hessel, who died on this day, led a remarkable life on and off the battlefield.
December 12, 1821Great Balls of Fire! The 'Bride' is 13
Jerry Lee Lewis leapt to fame declaring there was ‘A Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On’. His fans were certainly shaken when told of his 13-year-old ‘bride’.
December 13, 1957The Tower that Twice Defied Hitler
The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of France and twice managed to upstage Adolf Hitler. The man who built it, Gustave Eiffel was born on this day.
December 15, 1832Melodrama at Theatre Leaves Actor Dead
One of England’s most popular actors arrived at the stage door on this day to prepare for another performance. He would never make it to the stage.
December 16, 1897