On This Day in History — May 14

Highlights of May 14

• 2010 — British politician Stephen Timms survived a murder attempt by an Islamic extremist during a constituency surgery. Read more
• 2008 — On the day of the UEFA Cup Final, violence erupted between football hooligan supporters of both teams and the Greater Manchester Police, resulting in 39 arrests and 39 injured officers. Read more
• 1980 — Salvadoran Civil War: Refugees trying to flee El Salvador across the Sumpul River to Honduras were attacked by both Salvadoran and Honduran forces, resulting in at least 300 deaths. Read more
• 1955 — Cold War: Eight Eastern Bloc countries signed a mutual defense treaty to establish the Warsaw Pact. Read more
• 1951 — Trains ran on the Talyllyn Railway in Wales for the first time since its preservation, making it the first railway in the world to be operated by volunteers. Read more
• 1943 — Second World War: Australian Hospital Ship Centaur was attacked and sunk by a Japanese submarine off the coast of Queensland, killing 268 people aboard. Read more
• 1940 — World War II: The bulk of Dutch forces surrendered to the German Wehrmacht, ending the Battle of the Netherlands. Read more
• 1939 — In Lima, Peru, Lina Medina became the youngest confirmed mother in history, giving birth at the age of five years, seven months and twenty-one days. Read more
• 1931 — Five people were killed in Ådalen, Sweden, as soldiers opened fire on an unarmed trade union demonstration. Read more
• 1919 — Sir Harry Hands, the mayor of Cape Town, performed the first public observance of a two-minute silence in remembrance of those killed in World War I. Read more
• 1878 — The last witchcraft trial in the United States opened in Salem, Massachusetts. Read more
• 1868 — Boshin War: Troops of the Tokugawa shogunate withdrew from the Battle of Utsunomiya Castle and retreated north towards Nikkō and Aizu. Read more
• 1863 — American Civil War: Union troops captured Jackson, the capital of Mississippi. Read more
• 1857 — Mindon Min was crowned as King of Burma. Read more
• 1856 — Major Henry C. Wayne arrived in Indianola, Texas, with 34 camels to form the short-lived United States Camel Corps. Read more
• 1804 — Led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, the Corps of Discovery left Camp Dubois near present-day Hartford, Illinois, to begin the first overland expedition to the West Coast of the United States and back. Read more
• 1509 — War of the League of Cambrai: French forces defeated the Venetians at the Battle of Agnadello in present-day Northern Italy. Read more
• 1264 — Second Barons' War: King Henry III was defeated at the Battle of Lewes and forced to sign the Mise of Lewes, making Simon de Montfort the de facto ruler of England. Read more

Events

• 2022 — Ten people are killed in a mass shooting in Buffalo, New York. Read more
• 2021 — China successfully lands Zhurong, the country's first Mars rover. Read more
• 2012 — Agni Air Flight CHT crashes in Nepal after a failed go-around, killing 15 people. Read more
• 2010 — Space Shuttle Atlantis launches on the STS-132 mission to deliver the first shuttle-launched Russian ISS component — Rassvet. This was originally slated to be the final launch of Atlantis, before Congress approved STS-135. Read more
• 2008 — Battle of Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester city centre between Zenit supporters and Rangers supporters and the Greater Manchester Police; 39 policemen injured, one police dog injured and 39 arrested. Read more
• 2004 — The Constitutional Court of South Korea overturns the impeachment of President Roh Moo-hyun. Read more
• 2004 — Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Mary Donaldson are married at Copenhagen Cathedral. Read more
• 2004 — Rico Linhas Aéreas Flight 4815 crashes into the Amazon rainforest during approach to Eduardo Gomes International Airport in Manaus, Brazil, killing 33 people. Read more
• 1988 — Carrollton bus collision: A drunk driver traveling the wrong way on Interstate 71 near Carrollton, Kentucky, hits a converted school bus carrying a church youth group. Twenty-seven die in the crash and ensuing fire. Read more
• 1987 — Fijian Prime Minister Timoci Bavadra is ousted from power in a coup d'état led by Lieutenant colonel Sitiveni Rabuka. Read more
• 1980 — Salvadoran Civil War: The Sumpul River massacre occurs in Chalatenango, El Salvador. Read more
• 1977 — A Dan-Air Boeing 707 leased to IAS Cargo Airlines crashes on approach to Lusaka International Airport in Lusaka, Zambia, killing six people. Read more
• 1973 — Skylab, the United States' first space station, is launched. Read more
• 1970 — Andreas Baader is freed from custody by Ulrike Meinhof, Gudrun Ensslin and others, a pivotal moment in the formation of the Red Army Faction. Read more
• 1961 — Civil rights movement: A white mob twice attacks a Freedom Riders bus near Anniston, Alabama, before fire-bombing the bus and attacking the civil rights protesters who flee the burning vehicle. Read more
• 1955 — Cold War: Eight Communist bloc countries, including the Soviet Union, sign a mutual defense treaty called the Warsaw Pact. Read more
• 1953 — Approximately 7,100 brewery workers in Milwaukee perform a walkout, marking the start of the 1953 Milwaukee brewery strike. Read more
• 1951 — Trains run on the Talyllyn Railway in Wales for the first time since preservation, making it the first railway in the world to be operated by volunteers. Read more
• 1948 — Israel is declared to be an independent state and a provisional government is established. Immediately after the declaration, Israel is attacked by the neighboring Arab states, triggering the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Read more
• 1943 — World War II: A Japanese submarine sinks AHS Centaur off the coast of Queensland. Read more
• 1940 — World War II: Rotterdam, Netherlands, is bombed by the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany despite a ceasefire, killing about 900 people and destroying the historic city center. Read more
• 1939 — Lina Medina becomes the youngest confirmed mother in medical history at the age of five. Read more
• 1935 — The Constitution of the Philippines is ratified by a popular vote. Read more
• 1931 — Five unarmed civilians are killed in the Ådalen shootings, as the Swedish military is called in to deal with protesting workers. Read more
• 1925 — Mrs Dalloway, one of Virginia Woolf's earliest and best-known novels, is published. Read more
• 1918 — Cape Town Mayor, Sir Harry Hands, inaugurates the two-minute silence. Read more
• 1915 — The May 14 Revolt takes place in Lisbon, Portugal. Read more
• 1913 — Governor of New York William Sulzer approves the charter for the Rockefeller Foundation, which begins operations with a $100 million donation from John D. Rockefeller. Read more
• 1900 — Opening of World Amateur championship at the Paris Exposition Universelle, also known as Olympic Games. Read more
• 1879 — The first group of 463 Indian indentured laborers arrives in Fiji aboard the Leonidas. Read more
• 1878 — The last witchcraft trial held in the United States begins in Salem, Massachusetts, after Lucretia Brown, an adherent of Christian Science, accused Daniel Spofford of attempting to harm her through his mental powers. Read more
• 1870 — The first game of rugby in New Zealand is played in Nelson between Nelson College and the Nelson Rugby Football Club. Read more
• 1868 — Boshin War: The Battle of Utsunomiya Castle ends as former Tokugawa shogunate forces withdraw northward. Read more
• 1863 — American Civil War: During the Vicksburg campaign, Union forces drive Confederates under Joseph E. Johnston out of Jackson, Mississippi in the Battle of Jackson. Read more
• 1857 — Mindon Min is crowned as King of Burma in Mandalay, Burma. Read more
• 1842 — The first edition of The Illustrated London News, the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine, is published. Read more
• 1836 — The Treaties of Velasco are signed in Velasco, Texas. Read more
• 1832 — The Battle of Stillman's Run, the first battle of the Black Hawk War, is fought. Read more
• 1811 — Paraguay: Pedro Juan Caballero, Fulgencio Yegros and José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia start actions to depose the Spanish governor. Read more
• 1804 — William Clark and 42 men depart from Camp Dubois to join Meriwether Lewis at St Charles, Missouri, marking the beginning of the Lewis and Clark Expedition's historic journey up the Missouri River. Read more
• 1800 — The 6th United States Congress recesses, and the process of moving the Federal government of the United States from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., begins the following day. Read more
• 1796 — Edward Jenner administers the first smallpox inoculation. Read more
• 1747 — War of the Austrian Succession: A British fleet under Admiral George Anson defeats the French at the First Battle of Cape Finisterre. Read more
• 1610 — Henry IV of France is assassinated by Catholic zealot François Ravaillac, and Louis XIII ascends the throne. Read more
• 1608 — The Protestant Union, a coalition of Protestant German states, is founded to defend the rights, land and safety of each member against the Catholic Church and Catholic German states. Read more
• 1607 — English colonists establish "James Fort", which would become Jamestown, Virginia, the earliest permanent English settlement in the Americas. Read more
• 1509 — Battle of Agnadello: In northern Italy, French forces defeat the Republic of Venice. Read more
• 1465 — During the 1465 Moroccan revolution which overthrows the Marinid dynasty, the Jewish mellah is attacked by the population of Fez, though the extent of the massacre is debated. Read more
• 1450 — A large Ottoman force begins the siege of Albanian rebel forces in Krujë, that ultimately will fail. Read more
• 1264 — Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured and forced to sign the Mise of Lewes, making Simon de Montfort the effective ruler of England. Read more
• 1097 — The Siege of Nicaea begins during the First Crusade. Read more
• 1027 — Robert II of France names his son Henry I as junior King of the Franks. Read more

Born on May 14

• 2002 — Zach Edey, Canadian basketball player Read more
• 2001 — Jack Hughes, American hockey player Read more
• 1997 — Rúben Dias, Portuguese footballer Read more
• 1996 — Blake Brockington, American trans man and activist (died 2015) Read more
• 1996 — Martin Garrix, Dutch DJ Read more
• 1996 — Pokimane, Moroccan-Canadian internet personality Read more
• 1995 — Rose Lavelle, American soccer player Read more
• 1994 — Marquinhos, Brazilian footballer Read more
• 1994 — Pernille Blume, Danish swimmer Read more
• 1994 — Bronte Campbell, Malawian-Australian swimmer Read more
• 1993 — Miranda Cosgrove, American actress and singer Read more
• 1993 — Kyle Freeland, American baseball player Read more
• 1993 — Kristina Mladenovic, French tennis player Read more
• 1989 — Rob Gronkowski, American football player Read more
• 1987 — François Steyn, South African rugby player Read more
• 1986 — Clay Matthews III, American football player Read more
• 1985 — Dustin Lynch, American singer-songwriter Read more
• 1985 — Sam Perrett, New Zealand rugby league player Read more
• 1985 — Zack Ryder, American wrestler Read more
• 1984 — Gary Ablett, Jr., Australian footballer Read more
• 1984 — Olly Murs, English singer-songwriter Read more
• 1984 — Mark Zuckerberg, American computer programmer and businessman, co-founder of Facebook Read more
• 1983 — Anahí, Mexican singer-songwriter, producer, and actress Read more
• 1983 — Frank Gore, American football player Read more
• 1983 — Tatenda Taibu, Zimbabwean cricketer Read more
• 1983 — Amber Tamblyn, American actress, author, model, director Read more
• 1981 — Pranav Mistry, Indian computer scientist, invented SixthSense Read more
• 1980 — Júlia Sebestyén, Hungarian figure skater Read more
• 1979 — Dan Auerbach, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer Read more
• 1979 — Clinton Morrison, Irish international footballer Read more
• 1978 — Brent Harvey, Australian footballer Read more
• 1978 — Eddie House, American basketball player Read more
• 1977 — Roy Halladay, American baseball player (died 2017) Read more
• 1977 — Ada Nicodemou, Australian actress Read more
• 1976 — Hunter Burgan, American multi-instrumentalist and bassist of rock band AFI Read more
• 1976 — Martine McCutcheon, English actress and singer Read more
• 1975 — Gulmurod Khalimov, Tajikistani police commander turned Islamic State mercenary outlaw Read more
• 1975 — Nicki Sørensen, Danish cyclist Read more
• 1973 — Natalie Appleton, Canadian singer and actress Read more
• 1973 — Fraser Nelson, Scottish journalist Read more

Died on May 14

• 2026 — Alan Rothwell, English actor (born 1937) Read more
• 2026 — Hans van Houwelingen, Dutch mathematician and professor emeritus of medical statistics (born 1945) Read more
• 2024 — Don Perlin, American comic book artist, writer, and editor (born 1929) Read more
• 2024 — Netiporn Sanesangkhom, Thai political activist (born 1995) Read more
• 2023 — Doyle Brunson, American poker player (born 1933) Read more
• 2023 — Samantha Weinstein, Canadian actress (born 1995) Read more
• 2019 — Tim Conway, American actor, writer, and comedian (born 1933) Read more
• 2019 — Grumpy Cat, American cat and internet meme celebrity (born 2012) Read more
• 2018 — Tom Wolfe, American author (born 1931) Read more
• 2017 — Powers Boothe, American actor (born 1948) Read more
• 2016 — Darwyn Cooke, American comic book writer and artist (born 1962) Read more
• 2015 — B.B. King, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (born 1925) Read more
• 2015 — Micheál O'Brien, Irish footballer and hurler (born 1923) Read more
• 2015 — Stanton J. Peale, American astrophysicist and academic (born 1937) Read more
• 2015 — Franz Wright, Austrian-American poet and translator (born 1953) Read more
• 2014 — Jeffrey Kruger, English-American businessman (born 1931) Read more
• 2014 — Emanuel Raymond Lewis, American librarian and author (born 1928) Read more
• 2014 — Morvin Simon, New Zealand historian, composer, and conductor (born 1944) Read more
• 2013 — Wayne Brown, American accountant and politician, 14th Mayor of Mesa (born 1936) Read more
• 2013 — Arsen Chilingaryan, Armenian footballer and manager (born 1962) Read more
• 2013 — Asghar Ali Engineer, Indian author and activist (born 1939) Read more
• 2013 — Ray Guy, Canadian journalist (born 1939) Read more
• 2012 — Ernst Hinterberger, Austrian author and screenwriter (born 1931) Read more
• 2012 — Mario Trejo, Argentinian poet, playwright, and journalist (born 1926) Read more
• 2010 — Frank J. Dodd, American businessman and politician, president of the New Jersey Senate (born 1938) Read more
• 2010 — Norman Hand, American football player (born 1972) Read more
• 2010 — Goh Keng Swee, Singaporean soldier and politician, 2nd Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore (born 1918) Read more
• 2007 — Mary Scheier, American sculptor and educator (born 1908) Read more
• 2007 — Ülo Jõgi, Estonian historian and author (born 1921) Read more
• 2006 — Lew Anderson, American actor and saxophonist (born 1922) Read more
• 2006 — Stanley Kunitz, American poet and translator (born 1905) Read more
• 2006 — Eva Norvind, Mexican actress, director, and producer (born 1944) Read more
• 2005 — Jimmy Martin, American musician (born 1927) Read more
• 2004 — Anna Lee, English-American actress (born 1913) Read more
• 2003 — Dave DeBusschere, American basketball player and coach (born 1940) Read more
• 2003 — Wendy Hiller, English actress (born 1912) Read more
• 2003 — Robert Stack, American actor and producer (born 1919) Read more
• 2001 — Paul Bénichou, French writer, intellectual, critic, and literary historian (born 1908) Read more
• 2001 — Gil Langley, Australian cricketer, footballer, and politician (born 1919) Read more
• 2000 — Keizō Obuchi, Japanese politician, 84th Prime Minister of Japan (born 1937) Read more

Holidays & observances

Christian feast day: Boniface of Tarsus; Christian feast day: Justa, Justina and Henedina; Christian feast day: Maria Domenica Mazzarello; Christian feast day: Matthias the Apostle (Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Communion, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America); Christian feast day: Michael Garicoïts; Christian feast day: Mo Chutu of Lismore (Roman Catholic Church); Christian feast day: Théodore Guérin; Christian feast day: Victor and Corona; Christian feast day: May 14 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Independence Day (Paraguay); Hastings Banda's Birthday (Malawi); National Unification Day (Liberia); The first day of Izumo-taisha Shrine Grand Festival. (Izumo-taisha)

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