May 14 is the 134th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 231 days remain until the end of the year.
We have some interesting facts & historic events all about May 14th, including areas in religion, crime, health and more.
Keep reading for more interesting facts about May 14th in history!
Table of Contents
Global Celebrations
- Chicken Dance Day
- National Buttermilk Biscuit Day
- National Train Day
- World Fair Trade Day
- National Windmill Day
Historic Events
What Happened On This Day – May 14
1973: Skylab blasts off into orbit
The United States’ first space station crashed back to Earth on July 11, 1979, four years ahead of schedule. In its six years of service, the laboratory was used for many biomedical and technological experiments.
1970: The Red Army Faction (RAF) begins operations
The German left-wing activist group grew out of the peace and anti-imperialist movement of the 1960s. In reaction to the violent oppression by the German state, they later began operating as a terrorist cell and are responsible for several murders.
1955: The Warsaw Pact is established
Eight communist bloc countries signed the mutual defense treaty, which played an important role during the Cold War as an antagonist of NATO.
1948: Israel becomes an independent state
The announcement by Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, triggered a 10-month armed conflict known as the Arab-Israeli War of 1948. It started the day after the proclamation as troops of Egypt, Syria, Transjordan and Iraq invaded the young nation.
1796: The first smallpox vaccination is administered
The British physician, Edward Jenner, successfully inoculated an 8-year-old smallpox patient using material from a cowpox lesion. The word “vaccine” is derived from the Latin word for cow (vacca).
1919: German submarine U-118 washed ashore on the beach at Hastings, in 1919.
1876: “World’s Largest Knife and Fork,” on display by the Beaver Falls Cutlery Company at the 1876 World’s Fair in Philadelphia.
1643: Louis XIV was crowned the King of France.
Famous Birthdays
Births On This Day, May 14
1984: Mark Zuckerberg, American computer programmer, businessman, co-founder of Facebook
1977: Roy Halladay, American baseball player
1969: Cate Blanchett, Australian actress
1923: Adnan Pachachi, Iraqi politician
1922: Franjo Tuđman, Croatian general, politician, 1st President of Croatia
Heartbreaking Deaths
Deaths On This Day, May 14
2015: B.B. King, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer
1998: Frank Sinatra, American singer, actor
1987: Rita Hayworth, American actress, dancer
1940: Emma Goldman, Lithuanian/American activist, writer
1881: Mary Seacole, Jamaican/English nurse