March 14

Events - Wars & Conflicts

1074day.year

Battle of Mogyoród: Dukes Géza and Ladislaus defeat their cousin Solomon, King of Hungary, forcing him to flee to Hungary's western borderland.

In 1074, Dukes Géza and Ladislaus defeated King Solomon at the Battle of Mogyoród, reshaping the Hungarian throne.
In March 1074, the rival dukes Géza and Ladislaus confronted their cousin King Solomon at Mogyoród. The battle concluded with a decisive victory for Géza and Ladislaus, forcing Solomon to flee to the western borderland. The conflict arose from a dynastic dispute over the Hungarian crown. Géza and Ladislaus consolidated their power, reshaping Hungary's monarchy. The outcome weakened Solomon's claim and realigned alliances among the Hungarian nobility.
1074 Battle of Mogyoród Géza Ladislaus Solomon, King of Hungary
1590day.year

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.

In 1590, Henry of Navarre’s Huguenot army defeated the Catholic League at the Battle of Ivry, advancing his claim to the French throne.
In March 1590, Huguenot forces led by Henry of Navarre faced the Catholic League under Charles, Duke of Mayenne at Ivry. Henry’s cavalry launched a fierce charge that broke the League’s infantry lines. Despite being outnumbered, the Protestant victory opened the road to Paris for Henry’s army. The triumph bolstered Henry’s position in the French Wars of Religion and undermined Catholic resistance. It showcased the tactical impact of mobile artillery and disciplined infantry in late 16th-century warfare. The battle’s outcome influenced subsequent negotiations and laid groundwork for the Edict of Nantes.
1590 Battle of Ivry Henry of Navarre Huguenots Catholic League Charles, Duke of Mayenne French Wars of Religion
1647day.year

Thirty Years' War: Bavaria, Cologne, France and Sweden sign the Truce of Ulm.

In 1647, Bavaria, Cologne, France, and Sweden signed the Truce of Ulm, momentarily pausing hostilities in the Thirty Years' War.
On March 14, 1647, Bavaria, Cologne, France, and Sweden agreed to the Truce of Ulm during the Thirty Years' War. The accord temporarily halted fighting on the Upper Rhine front. It reflected shifting alliances as Catholic and Protestant powers negotiated an uneasy peace. Bavaria gained time to replenish its forces, while France and Sweden sought to isolate Habsburg influence. Although short-lived, the truce demonstrated the diplomatic complexities underpinning the protracted conflict. Hostilities resumed soon after, culminating in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648.
1647 Thirty Years' War Bavaria Cologne France Sweden Truce of Ulm
1674day.year

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.

In 1674, during the Third Anglo-Dutch War, the Dutch ship Wapen van Rotterdam was captured at Ronas Voe with heavy Dutch casualties.
The Battle of Ronas Voe occurred on March 14, 1674, off the coast of Shetland during the Third Anglo-Dutch War. The English Royal Navy intercepted and captured the Dutch East India Company ship Wapen van Rotterdam. The fierce engagement resulted in up to 300 Dutch crew and soldiers losing their lives. The action disrupted Dutch trade routes and demonstrated England’s naval reach. It underscored the global dimension of 17th-century maritime conflicts over commerce and empire. Prisoners were taken, and the encounter influenced later peace negotiations.
1674 Third Anglo-Dutch War Battle of Ronas Voe Dutch East India Company
1757day.year

Admiral Sir John Byng is executed by firing squad aboard HMS Monarch for breach of the Articles of War.

In 1757, Admiral Sir John Byng was executed by firing squad aboard HMS Monarch for failing to relieve Minorca in the Seven Years' War.
On March 14, 1757, Admiral John Byng was executed by a Royal Navy firing squad aboard HMS Monarch. He was convicted under the Articles of War for not adequately relieving the British garrison at Minorca. Byng’s death sparked public debate over military justice and command responsibility. Voltaire famously satirized the event by noting the British shoot an admiral 'pour encourager les autres'. The case highlighted the harsh discipline of 18th-century naval warfare and political scapegoating. It prompted reforms in naval law and the treatment of officers in the Royal Navy.
1757 John Byng executed by firing squad HMS Monarch Articles of War
1780day.year

American Revolutionary War: Spanish forces capture Fort Charlotte in Mobile, Alabama, the last British frontier post capable of threatening New Orleans.

In 1780, Spanish forces captured Fort Charlotte in Mobile, ending Britain’s last Gulf Coast threat to New Orleans in the American Revolutionary War.
Under Governor Bernardo de Gálvez, Spanish troops seized Fort Charlotte on March 14, 1780. The fort was Britain’s final stronghold on the Gulf Coast capable of menacing New Orleans. Spain’s victory secured West Florida and disrupted British supply lines. It showcased Spain’s critical support for American revolutionaries against British forces. The conquest boosted colonial morale and hindered British naval operations in the region. Fort Charlotte remained under Spanish control until the territory was transferred to the United States.
1780 American Revolutionary War Spanish capture Fort Charlotte Mobile, Alabama New Orleans
1921day.year

Six members of a group of Irish Republican Army activists known as the Forgotten Ten, are hanged in Dublin's Mountjoy Prison.

On March 14, 1921, six IRA members dubbed the Forgotten Ten were executed at Dublin’s Mountjoy Prison, becoming symbols of the Irish struggle for independence.
On March 14, 1921, six Irish Republican Army activists—later known as the Forgotten Ten—were hanged in Mountjoy Prison in Dublin. They were convicted of participating in ambushes and armed resistance against British authorities during the Irish War of Independence. The executions provoked widespread public outrage and galvanized support for the IRA across Ireland. These men became enduring symbols of sacrifice and martyrdom in the fight for Irish self-determination. Their remains lay in unmarked graves until a state funeral and proper reburial in Glasnevin Cemetery in 2001. The event highlighted the brutal realities of guerrilla warfare and deepened international awareness of Ireland’s quest for independence.
1921 Irish Republican Army Forgotten Ten Mountjoy Prison
1923day.year

Charlie Daly and three other members of the Irish Republican Army are executed by Irish Free State forces.

On March 14, 1923, Charlie Daly and three other IRA members were executed by the Irish Free State in the midst of the Irish Civil War.
On March 14, 1923, four officers of the Irish Republican Army—including commander Charlie Daly—were executed by firing squad under orders of the pro-Treaty Irish Free State. The men had refused to recognize the legitimacy of the Anglo-Irish Treaty and continued to engage in hostilities during the Irish Civil War. Their executions took place at a time when the new government sought to suppress anti-Treaty forces and assert control. Daly had been a respected leader in the War of Independence before opposing the treaty’s terms. The executions deepened animosities between pro- and anti-Treaty factions, prolonging the conflict. The incident remains a stark illustration of the internal divisions and human cost of Ireland’s civil struggle.
1923 Charlie Daly Irish Republican Army Irish Free State
1943day.year

The Holocaust: The liquidation of the Kraków Ghetto is completed.

The final liquidation of the Kraków Ghetto marks a devastating milestone in the Holocaust.
Established in early 1941, the Kraków Ghetto confined over 15,000 Jews under overcrowded and inhumane conditions. Following mass deportations in 1942, the remaining population faced systematic starvation and forced labor. On March 14, 1943, Nazi authorities completed the final liquidation, deporting survivors to extermination camps such as Bełżec. Thousands perished during transport or were slain upon arrival. This final operation underscored the genocidal efficiency of the Holocaust and its devastating impact on European Jewry.
1943 The Holocaust Kraków Ghetto
1945day.year

The R.A.F. drop the Grand Slam bomb in action for the first time, on a railway viaduct near Bielefeld, Germany.

The RAF deploys the massive Grand Slam bomb in combat for the first time against a German railway viaduct near Bielefeld.
Designed by Barnes Wallis, the Grand Slam bomb weighed over 22,000 pounds and carried a 9,000-pound explosive charge. On March 14, 1945, 617 Squadron of the RAF dropped it on a railway viaduct near Bielefeld, Germany. The bomb penetrated deeply before detonating, collapsing the target structure. Its successful use demonstrated Allied innovation in strategic bombing. The mission influenced postwar development of large conventional munitions.
1945 R.A.F. Grand Slam bomb Bielefeld
1951day.year

Korean War: United Nations troops recapture Seoul for the second time.

United Nations forces retake Seoul for the second time amid fierce combat in the Korean War.
Seoul, initially captured by UN troops in September 1950, had fallen back to communist control earlier this year. In a series of counteroffensives, United Nations forces advanced toward the South Korean capital. On March 14, 1951, they entered Seoul amid intense urban fighting. The recapture boosted UN morale and stabilized the front near the 38th parallel. This event marked a key turning point in the protracted Korean War.
1951 Korean War United Nations Seoul
1978day.year

The Israel Defense Forces launch Operation Litani, a seven-day campaign to invade and occupy southern Lebanon.

Israel launches Operation Litani, invading southern Lebanon to drive out Palestinian fighters.
On March 14, 1978, the Israel Defense Forces initiated Operation Litani by crossing the Litani River into southern Lebanon. The week-long campaign aimed to push Palestinian Liberation Organization forces away from the Israeli border following a deadly raid on a civilian bus. Israeli troops occupied a security zone north of the Litani River and engaged in heavy combat with guerrilla fighters. The United Nations Security Council responded with Resolution 425, calling for immediate Israeli withdrawal and establishing the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Operation Litani influenced the dynamics of the Lebanese Civil War and the future of UN peacekeeping in the region.
1978 Israel Defense Forces Operation Litani Lebanon