129 things happened on 14 December, from AD 557 to 2025. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.
1542 · 484 years ago
Mary Stuart became Queen of Scotland when she was only a week old, after her father, King James V, died. She is remembered as Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary reigned until 24 July 1567, when she was forced to abdicate, which means to give up the throne.
UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
UK story
Mary Stuart became Queen of Scotland when she was only a week old, after her father, King James V, died. She is remembered as Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary reigned until 24 July 1567, when she was forced to abdicate, which means to give up the throne.
UK story
The Glasgow District Subway opened beneath the city of Glasgow. It is the third-oldest underground metro system in the world, after the Metropolitan Railway in London and the Budapest Metro. It was also the first to be called a 'subway'. Its trains were first pulled by cables and later ran on electricity, and its circular line has never been extended.
UK story
A general election was held across the United Kingdom soon after the First World War ended. For the first time, women over 30 who met certain property rules could vote, as well as all men over 21. Women could also stand as candidates for the first time. Constance Markievicz became the first woman elected to Parliament, although she did not take her seat.
UK story
War of 1812: The Royal Navy seizes control of Lake Borgne, Louisiana.
French brothers Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier test-flew a hot air balloon for the first time, with nobody on board. It floated nearly 2.5 kilometres. The brothers were paper makers from Annonay in France. In 1783 one of their balloons made the first confirmed flight carrying people, with Jacques-Étienne on board.
German scientist Max Planck explained his law about the energy given off by hot objects to the Physical Society in Berlin. This work started quantum theory, and Planck is known as its originator. Quantum physics describes how matter and light behave at the tiny scale of atoms. Its ideas are now used in many areas of science and technology.
Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and four companions became the first people to reach the South Pole. They got there five weeks before a British team led by Robert Falcon Scott. Amundsen and his team returned safely to their base. Amundsen was a key figure in the 'Heroic Age' of Antarctic exploration.
American physicists Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr. and Estle Ray Mann were given a patent for their 'cathode-ray tube amusement device'. It is the earliest known idea for an interactive electronic game with a screen. Players turned knobs to steer a dot of light, like a shell flying towards targets. The targets were plastic shapes placed over the screen.
The first Test match between Australia and the West Indies ended in a tie, the first in Test cricket history. On the last day, Australian batsman Ian Meckiff was run out by Joe Solomon, which tied the match. In cricket, a batter is run out when the fielding team breaks the wicket while the batter is out of their ground.
NASA's space probe Mariner 2 flew past Venus at a distance of about 34,854 kilometres. It was the first spacecraft to report back successfully from a visit to another planet. Mariner 2 had no cameras, but its instruments scanned Venus for 42 minutes. They showed that the planet was far hotter than scientists had expected.
The Millau Viaduct was officially opened near Millau in southern France. The bridge crosses the deep valley of the River Tarn. It was designed by a team led by engineer Michel Virlogeux and English architect Norman Foster. With a height of 343 metres, it was the tallest bridge in the world for over 20 years.
Constantinople is severely damaged by an earthquake, which cracks the dome of Hagia Sophia.
The Theresian Military Academy is founded in Wiener Neustadt, Austria.
Founding Father Alexander Hamilton marries Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton at the Schuyler Mansion in Albany, New York.
Alabama becomes the 22nd U.S. state.
American Civil War: The Battle of Bean's Station, the final battle of the Knoxville campaign, was fought in Grainger County, Tennessee.
The Commercial Pacific Cable Company lays the first Pacific telegraph cable, from San Francisco to Honolulu.
The Wright brothers make their first attempt to fly with the Wright Flyer at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
New South Wales Premier Charles Wade signs the Seat of Government Surrender Act 1909, formally completing the transfer of State land to the Commonwealth to create the Australian Capital Territory.
Haruna (pictured), the fourth and last Japanese battlecruiser of the Kongō class, was launched and went on to serve in both world wars.
Lisandro de la Torre and others found the Democratic Progressive Party (Partido Demócrata Progresista, PDP) at the Hotel Savoy, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Giacomo Puccini's comic opera Gianni Schicchi premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.
Friedrich Karl von Hessen, a German prince elected by the Parliament of Finland to become King of Finland, renounces the throne.
Wozzeck (poster pictured) by composer Alban Berg, described as the first atonal opera, premiered at the Berlin State Opera.
Plutonium (specifically Pu-238) is first isolated at Berkeley, California.
Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Ceylon, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Laos, Libya, Nepal, Portugal, Romania and Spain join the United Nations through United Nations Security Council Resolution 109.
The 3rd Soviet Antarctic Expedition becomes the first to reach the southern pole of inaccessibility.
Convention against Discrimination in Education of UNESCO is adopted.
American Civil Rights Movement: Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States: The Supreme Court of the United States rules that Congress can use the Constitution's Commerce Clause to fight discrimination.
Upon completing the third extra-vehicular activity of Apollo 17, American astronaut Gene Cernan became the last person to date to walk on the Moon.
The Knesset passed the Golan Heights Law, extending Israeli "laws, jurisdiction and administration" to the Golan Heights, effectively annexing the territory internationally recognized as part of Syria.
Wilma Mankiller takes office as the first woman elected to serve as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.
Construction begins on the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze river.
Yugoslav Wars: The Dayton Agreement is signed in Paris by the leaders of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. On the same day, NATO began ground peacekeeping operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Walt Disney Company announces that it would acquire 21st Century Fox, including the 20th Century Fox movie studio, for $52.4 billion.
A total solar eclipse is visible from parts of the South Pacific Ocean, southern South America, and the South Atlantic Ocean.
Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!
In which year did this happen: “Mary, Queen of Scots, becomes queen at just one week old”?
A: 1542. 1542 — that’s 484 years ago. Find it on the page
In which year was George VI born?
A: 1895. 1895 — that’s 131 years ago. Find it on the page
Which of these happened first?
C: Mary, Queen of Scots, becomes queen at just one week old. 1918: Women vote in a UK general election for the first time · 1896: The Glasgow Subway opens in Scotland · 1542: Mary, Queen of Scots, becomes queen at just one week old Find it on the page
“The Glasgow Subway opens in Scotland” happened in 1896. How many years ago was that?
A: 130 years. 2026 − 1896 = 130. Find it on the page
Famous people whose birthday is 14 December.
UK story
George VI was King of the United Kingdom from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He became king after his brother, Edward VIII, abdicated, or gave up the throne. George VI was the last Emperor of India. In 1949 he also became the first Head of the Commonwealth.
UK story
Aphra Behn was an English playwright, poet and writer. She was one of the first English women to earn her living by writing, and she inspired many later women authors. Before her writing career, King Charles II employed her as a spy in Antwerp. She wrote under the name Astrea.
Well-known people who died on 14 December.
Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 14 December somewhere in the world.
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.
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 “December 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.