1780
246 years ago
UK story
American Revolutionary War: Spanish forces capture Fort Charlotte in Mobile, Alabama, the last British frontier post capable of threatening New Orleans.
On this day: 14 March
112 things happened on 14 March, from 1074 to 2019. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.
In the UK 3
UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
1885
141 years ago
UK story
The Mikado, Gilbert and Sullivan's most frequently performed Savoy opera, debuted at the Savoy Theatre in London.
1885
141 years ago
UK story
The Mikado, Gilbert and Sullivan's most frequently performed Savoy opera, debuted at the Savoy Theatre in London.
Around the world 24
1074
952 years ago
Battle of Mogyoród: Dukes Géza and Ladislaus defeat their cousin Solomon, King of Hungary, forcing him to flee to Hungary's western borderland.
1489
537 years ago
Catherine Cornaro (pictured), Queen of Cyprus, was forced to abdicate and sell the administration of the island to the Republic of Venice.
1590
436 years ago
Battle of Ivry: Henry of Navarre and the Huguenots defeat the forces of the Catholic League under Charles, Duke of Mayenne, during the French Wars of Religion.
1593
433 years ago
Japanese invasions of Korea: A force of 3,000 Korean soldiers successfully defended Haengju Fortress against 30,000 Japanese invaders.
1647
379 years ago
Thirty Years' War: Bavaria, Cologne, France and Sweden sign the Truce of Ulm.
1663
363 years ago
According to his own account, Otto von Guericke completes his book Experimenta Nova (ut vocantur) Magdeburgica de Vacuo Spatio, detailing his experiments on vacuum and his discovery of electrostatic repulsion.
1794
232 years ago
Eli Whitney is granted a patent for the cotton gin.
1864
162 years ago
The Petite messe solennelle by Gioachino Rossini was first performed in Paris, 34 years after his retirement as a composer.
1900
126 years ago
The Gold Standard Act is ratified, placing the United States currency on the gold standard.
1901
125 years ago
Utah governor Heber Manning Wells vetoes a bill that would have eased restrictions on polygamy.
1903
123 years ago
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, the first national wildlife refuge in the US, is established by President Theodore Roosevelt.
1916
110 years ago
Battle of Verdun: German attack captures Côte 265 at the west end of Mort-Homme but the French 75th Infantry Brigade manages to hold Côte 295 at the east end.
1920
106 years ago
In the second of the 1920 Schleswig plebiscites, about 80% of the population in Zone II votes to remain part of Weimar Germany.
1931
95 years ago
Alam Ara, the first Indian sound film, premiered at the Majestic Cinema in Bombay.
1939
87 years ago
Slovakia declares independence under German pressure.
1942
84 years ago
Anne Miller becomes the first American patient to be treated with penicillin, under the care of Orvan Hess and John Bumstead.
1951
75 years ago
Korean War: United Nations troops recapture Seoul for the second time.
1967
59 years ago
The body of U.S. President John F. Kennedy is moved to a permanent burial place at Arlington National Cemetery.
1978
48 years ago
The Israel Defense Forces launch Operation Litani, a seven-day campaign to invade and occupy southern Lebanon.
1988
38 years ago
China defeated Vietnam in a naval altercation while attempting to establish oceanographic observation posts on the Spratly Islands.
1991
35 years ago
Escondida, one of the most productive copper mines in the world, was officially inaugurated.
1995
31 years ago
Norman Thagard becomes the first American astronaut to ride to space on board a Russian launch vehicle.
2006
20 years ago
The 2006 Chadian coup d'état attempt ends in failure.
2017
9 years ago
A naming ceremony for the chemical element nihonium takes place in Tokyo, with then Crown Prince Naruhito in attendance.
Quick quiz
Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!
-
In which year did this happen: “The Mikado, Gilbert and Sullivan's most frequently performed Savoy opera”?
- 1780
- 1885
- 1869
Show the answer
B: 1885. 1885 — that’s 141 years ago. Find it on the page
-
In which year did this happen: “The Mikado, Gilbert and Sullivan's most frequently performed Savoy opera”?
- 1869
- 1885
- 1780
Show the answer
B: 1885. 1885 — that’s 141 years ago. Find it on the page
-
“American Revolutionary War: Spanish forces capture Fort Charlotte in Mobile” happened in 1780. How many years ago was that?
- 236 years
- 246 years
- 256 years
Show the answer
B: 246 years. 2026 − 1780 = 246. Find it on the page
Born on this day 33
Famous people whose birthday is 14 March.
- 1879 Albert Einstein — German-American physicist, academic and Nobel Prize laureate (died 1955) Read more about Albert Einstein on Wikipedia
- 1933 Michael Caine — English actor UK Read more about Michael Caine on Wikipedia
- 1965 Aamir Khan — Indian film actor, producer, and director Read more about Aamir Khan on Wikipedia
- 1958 Albert II — Prince of Monaco Read more about Albert II on Wikipedia
- 1990 Joe Allen — Welsh footballer UK Read more about Joe Allen on Wikipedia
- 1854 Paul Ehrlich — German physician and biologist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1915) Read more about Paul Ehrlich on Wikipedia
- 1820 Victor Emmanuel II Read more about Victor Emmanuel II on Wikipedia
- 1869 Algernon Blackwood — English author and playwright (died 1951) UK Read more about Algernon Blackwood on Wikipedia
- 1844 Umberto I of Italy Read more about Umberto I of Italy on Wikipedia
- 1988 Stephen Curry — American basketball player Read more about Stephen Curry on Wikipedia
- 1836 Isabella Beeton — English author of Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management (died 1865) UK Read more about Isabella Beeton on Wikipedia
- 1999 Olivia Dean — English singer-songwriter UK Read more about Olivia Dean on Wikipedia
- 1933 Quincy Jones — American producer (died 2024) Read more about Quincy Jones on Wikipedia
- 1997 Simone Biles — American gymnast Read more about Simone Biles on Wikipedia
- 1975 Steve Harper — English footballer and referee UK Read more about Steve Harper on Wikipedia
- 1979 Nicolas Anelka — French footballer and manager Read more about Nicolas Anelka on Wikipedia
- 1942 Rita Tushingham — English actress UK Read more about Rita Tushingham on Wikipedia
- 1912 Cliff Bastin — English footballer (died 1991) UK Read more about Cliff Bastin on Wikipedia
- 1920 Dorothy Tyler-Odam — English high jumper (died 2014) UK Read more about Dorothy Tyler-Odam on Wikipedia
- 1835 Giovanni Schiaparelli — Italian astronomer and historian (died 1910) Read more about Giovanni Schiaparelli on Wikipedia
- 1905 Raymond Aron — French journalist, sociologist, and philosopher (died 1983) Read more about Raymond Aron on Wikipedia
- 1948 Billy Crystal — American actor, comedian, director, producer, and screenwriter Read more about Billy Crystal on Wikipedia
- 1928 Frank Borman — American astronaut (died 2023) Read more about Frank Borman on Wikipedia
- 1938 Eleanor Bron — English actress and screenwriter UK Read more about Eleanor Bron on Wikipedia
- 1908 Maurice Merleau-Ponty — French philosopher and academic (died 1961) Read more about Maurice Merleau-Ponty on Wikipedia
- 1934 Eugene Cernan — American captain, pilot, and astronaut (died 2017) Read more about Eugene Cernan on Wikipedia
- 1941 Wolfgang Petersen — German-American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2022) Read more about Wolfgang Petersen on Wikipedia
- 1804 Johann Strauss I — Austrian composer and conductor (died 1849) Read more about Johann Strauss I on Wikipedia
- 1977 Naoki Matsuda — Japanese footballer (died 2011) Read more about Naoki Matsuda on Wikipedia
- 1914 Bill Owen — English actor and songwriter (died 1999) UK Read more about Bill Owen on Wikipedia
- 1844 Arthur O'Shaughnessy — English poet and herpetologist (died 1881) UK Read more about Arthur O'Shaughnessy on Wikipedia
- 1823 Théodore de Banville — French poet and critic (died 1891) Read more about Théodore de Banville on Wikipedia
- 1994 Ansel Elgort — American actor and DJ Read more about Ansel Elgort on Wikipedia
Remembering 19
Well-known people who died on 14 March.
- 1883 Karl Marx — German philosopher and theorist (born 1818) Read more about Karl Marx on Wikipedia
- 2018 Stephen Hawking — English physicist and author (born 1942) UK Read more about Stephen Hawking on Wikipedia
- 2014 Tony Benn — English politician, Postmaster General of the United Kingdom (born 1925) UK Read more about Tony Benn on Wikipedia
- 1811 Augustus FitzRoy — 3rd Duke of Grafton, English politician, Prime Minister of Great Britain (born 1735) UK Read more about Augustus FitzRoy on Wikipedia
- 1471 Thomas Malory — English writer, the author of Le Morte d'Arthur UK Read more about Thomas Malory on Wikipedia
- 1995 William Alfred Fowler — American physicist and astronomer, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1911) Read more about William Alfred Fowler on Wikipedia
- 2016 Peter Maxwell Davies — English composer and conductor (born 1934) UK Read more about Peter Maxwell Davies on Wikipedia
- 1803 Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock — German poet (born 1724) Read more about Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock on Wikipedia
- 1932 George Eastman — American inventor and businessman, founded Eastman Kodak (born 1854) Read more about George Eastman on Wikipedia
- 2019 Charlie Whiting — British motorsport director (born 1952) UK Read more about Charlie Whiting on Wikipedia
- 1757 John Byng — British admiral and politician, 11th Commodore Governor of Newfoundland (born 1704) UK Read more about John Byng on Wikipedia
- 1975 Susan Hayward — American actress (born 1917) Read more about Susan Hayward on Wikipedia
- 1555 John Russell — 1st Earl of Bedford (born 1485) UK Read more about John Russell on Wikipedia
- 1997 Fred Zinnemann — Austrian-American director and producer (born 1907) Read more about Fred Zinnemann on Wikipedia
- 2006 Lennart Meri — Estonian director and politician, 2nd President of Estonia (born 1929) Read more about Lennart Meri on Wikipedia
- 1748 George Wade — Irish field marshal and politician (born 1673) UK Read more about George Wade on Wikipedia
- 1648 Ferdinando Fairfax — 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron, English general and politician (born 1584) UK Read more about Ferdinando Fairfax on Wikipedia
- 1989 Zita of Bourbon-Parma — Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary (born 1892) Read more about Zita of Bourbon-Parma on Wikipedia
- 1973 Howard H. Aiken — American computer scientist and engineer (born 1900) Read more about Howard H. Aiken on Wikipedia
Special days 11
Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 14 March somewhere in the world.
- Mother Tongue Day (Estonia) Read more about Flag of Estonia on Wikipedia
- Pi Day Read more about Pi Day on Wikipedia
- White Day on which men give gifts to women; complementary to Valentine's Day (Japan and other Asian nations) Read more about White Day on Wikipedia
- Nanakshahi New Year, first day of the month of Chet (Sikhism) Read more about Nanakshahi calendar on Wikipedia
- Steak and Blowjob Day, a satirical unofficial holiday created in the United States as a male response to Valentine's Day Read more about Steak and Blowjob Day on Wikipedia
- Summer Day (Albania) Read more about Dita e Verës on Wikipedia
- Heroes' Day (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) Read more about Heroes' Day on Wikipedia
- Constitution Day (Andorra) Read more about Public holidays in Andorra on Wikipedia
- Christian saints’ and feast days: Matilda of Ringelheim, Leobinus, March 14 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics).
For older readers 22 Show stories about war, disasters, crime and other difficult history
Content note: these entries mention things like war, violence, deaths, disasters or crime. They are part of history, but they can be upsetting. Grown-ups and teachers: you may want to read them first. They come straight from Wikipedia and have not been rewritten for children.
- 1757 Royal Navy Admiral John Byng was executed by firing squad for failing to "do his utmost" during the Battle of Minorca at the start of the Seven Years' War. Read more about Royal Navy on Wikipedia
- 1945 The Royal Air Force first used the Grand Slam, a 22,000 lb (10,000 kg) earthquake bomb, on a strategic railway viaduct in Bielefeld, Germany. Read more about Royal Air Force on Wikipedia
- 1984 Gerry Adams, leader of Sinn Féin, was seriously wounded in an assassination attempt by Ulster Freedom Fighters in central Belfast, Northern Ireland. Read more about Gerry Adams on Wikipedia
- 1921 Six members of a group of Irish Republican Army activists known as the Forgotten Ten are hanged in Dublin's Mountjoy Prison. Read more about Irish Republican Army on Wikipedia
- 1982 The South African government bombs the headquarters of the African National Congress in London. Read more about 1982 bombing of the African National Congress headquarters in London on Wikipedia
- 1973 Vietnam War: After having been captured by North Vietnamese forces five and a half years earlier, U.S. Navy pilot John McCain was released with 108 other prisoners of war. Read more about Vietnam War on Wikipedia
- 1309 On Eid al-Fitr, the citizens of Granada stormed palaces in the city, deposing Sultan Muhammad III and placing his half-brother Nasr on the throne. Read more about Eid al-Fitr on Wikipedia
- 1943 The Holocaust: The liquidation of the Kraków Ghetto is completed. Read more about The Holocaust on Wikipedia
- 2021 The Burmese military and police forces killed at least 65 civilians during the Hlaingthaya massacre in Yangon, including those protesting a recent coup d'état. Read more about Tatmadaw on Wikipedia
- 1972 Italian publisher Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, known for his translation of Boris Pasternak's novel Doctor Zhivago after it had been smuggled out of the Soviet Union, died in an explosion. Read more about Giangiacomo Feltrinelli on Wikipedia
- 1961 A USAF B-52 bomber carrying nuclear weapons crashes near Yuba City, California. Read more about United States Air Force on Wikipedia
- 1964 Jack Ruby is convicted of killing Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin who had shot and killed John F. Kennedy the previous year. Read more about Jack Ruby on Wikipedia
- 1674 The Third Anglo-Dutch War: The Battle of Ronas Voe results in the Dutch East India Company ship Wapen van Rotterdam being captured with a death toll of up to 300 Dutch crew and soldiers. Read more about Third Anglo-Dutch War on Wikipedia
- 2008 A series of riots, protests, and demonstrations erupt in Lhasa and subsequently spread elsewhere in Tibet. Read more about 2008 Tibetan unrest on Wikipedia
- 2019 Cyclone Idai makes landfall near Beira, Mozambique, causing devastating floods and over 1,000 deaths. Read more about Cyclone Idai on Wikipedia
- 1980 LOT Polish Airlines Flight 007 crashes during final approach near Warsaw, Poland, killing 87 people, including a 14-man American boxing team. Read more about LOT Polish Airlines Flight 007 on Wikipedia
- 1972 Sterling Airways Flight 296 crashes near Kalba, United Arab Emirates while on approach to Dubai International Airport, killing 112 people. Read more about Sterling Airways Flight 296 on Wikipedia
- 1979 Alia Royal Jordanian Flight 600 crashes at Doha International Airport, killing 45 people. Read more about Alia Royal Jordanian Flight 600 on Wikipedia
- 2006 Operation Bringing Home the Goods: Israeli troops raid an American-supervised Palestinian prison in Jericho to capture six Palestinian prisoners, including PFLP chief Ahmad Sa'adat. Read more about Operation Bringing Home the Goods on Wikipedia
- 1926 The El Virilla train accident, Costa Rica, kills 248 people and wounds another 93 when a train falls off a bridge over the Río Virilla between Heredia and Tibás. Read more about El Virilla train accident on Wikipedia
- 2007 The Nandigram violence in Nandigram, West Bengal, results in the deaths of at least 14 people. Read more about Nandigram violence on Wikipedia
- 1923 Charlie Daly and three other members of the Irish Republican Army are executed by Irish Free State forces. Read more about Charlie Daly on Wikipedia
Where these facts come from
Stories with a heading have been written for young readers by A Day in the Past, using the linked articles as sources. Other entries show text from Wikipedia’s “March 14” page and its “On this day” feed, written by Wikipedia contributors and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. Each “Read more” link goes to the article an entry is based on. Photos are credited under each picture. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us.