May 14
Overview
Holidays & Observances
Christianfeast day:
Boniface of Tarsus, Engelmund of Velsen, Matthias the Apostle(Roman Catholic Church,Anglican Communion,Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), Michael Garicoïts, Mo Chutu of Lismore(Roman Catholic Church), Victor and Corona, May 14 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
A day in the Christian liturgical calendar honoring the memorials of several saints across different denominations.
Independence Day(Paraguay)
Paraguay’s national holiday celebrating independence from Spanish rule.
Hastings Banda's Birthday(Malawi)
The commemoration of the birth of Malawi’s first president, Hastings Banda.
National Unification Day(Liberia)
Liberia’s annual celebration of national unity and harmony.
The first day ofIzumo-taisha Shrine Grand Festival. (Izumo-taisha)
The opening day of the grand annual festival at Izumo-taisha, one of Japan’s oldest and most sacred Shinto shrines.
Boniface of Tarsus
Feast day celebrating Saint Boniface of Tarsus.
Engelmund of Velsen
Commemoration of Saint Engelmund of Velsen, an early medieval missionary.
Matthias the Apostle(Roman Catholic Church,Anglican Communion,Evangelical Lutheran Church in America)
Feast day of Saint Matthias the Apostle, chosen to replace Judas Iscariot.
Michael Garicoïts
Feast day honoring Saint Michael Garicoïts, founder of a French religious congregation.
Events
Robert II of France names his son Henry I as junior King of the Franks.
In 1027, King Robert II of France crowned his son Henry I as junior King of the Franks, securing the Capetian succession.
The Siege of Nicaea begins during the First Crusade.
In 1097, Crusader forces commence the Siege of Nicaea, the first major target in Anatolia during the First Crusade.
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.
At the Battle of Lewes in 1264, rebel barons led by Simon de Montfort defeat and capture King Henry III, enforcing the Mise of Lewes and shifting power to de Montfort.
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.
In 1465, during a revolt that ended Marinid rule in Morocco, the Jewish mellah of Fez suffered violence and looting amid popular unrest.
Battle of Agnadello: In northern Italy, French forces defeat the Republic of Venice.
At the Battle of Agnadello in 1509, French armies under King Louis XII rout Venetian forces, shifting the balance in the War of the League of Cambrai.
English colonists establish "James Fort", which would become Jamestown, Virginia, the earliest permanent English settlement in the Americas.
In 1607, English settlers establish James Fort at Jamestown, Virginia, marking the first permanent English colony in North America.
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.
In 1608, Protestant German princes form the Protestant Union to defend their territories and faith against Catholic powers.
Henry IV of France is assassinated by Catholic zealot François Ravaillac, and Louis XIII ascends the throne.
On May 14, 1610, King Henry IV of France is assassinated by Catholic fanatic François Ravaillac; his son Louis XIII succeeds him.
War of the Austrian Succession: A British fleet under Admiral George Anson defeats the French at the First Battle of Cape Finisterre.
In 1747, Admiral George Anson leads a British fleet to victory over France at the First Battle of Cape Finisterre during the War of the Austrian Succession.
Births
Charles IV
Holy Roman Emperor from 1355 to 1378, best known for issuing the Golden Bull of 1356.
Margaret of Valois
Queen consort of France and Navarre, sister to three French kings, known for her memoirs and role in the French Wars of Religion.
Francesco Rasi
Italian singer-songwriter, theorbo player, and poet active in the early Baroque era.
Alice Barnham
Wife of the English statesman and philosopher Francis Bacon.
Katakura Kagenaga
Japanese samurai and senior retainer of the Sendai domain in the Edo period.
Johann Philipp Förtsch
German Baroque composer and physician known for his cantatas and early operas.
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj
Second ruler of the Maratha Empire and son of Shivaji, known for his resistance against the Mughal Empire.
Duke of Savoy and first King of Sardinia who expanded his realm and modernized his state.
Peder Horrebow
Danish astronomer and mathematician who advanced the study of solar parallax and celestial mechanics.
Deaths
Pope Theodore I served as Bishop of Rome from 642 until 649, vigorously defending orthodox doctrine against monothelitism.
Zhu Hongzhao
Chinese general and governor during the Five Dynasties period.
Pope John XII was elected pope at age 18 and led the Church amid political strife until his death in 964.
Walcher
Walcher served as Bishop of Durham and Earl of Northumbria, striving to bridge Norman rule and local communities until his assassination in 1080.
William Marshal
William Marshal was an English knight and statesman, earning fame for his martial skill, loyalty, and service as regent for King Henry III.
Tahmasp I
Tahmasp I was the second Shah of the Safavid Empire, known for his long reign and cultural patronage.
Magnus II
Magnus II of Saxe-Lauenburg was a German duke who governed a small principality within the Holy Roman Empire.
Charles III
Charles III was Duke of Lorraine who skillfully navigated between French and Habsburg interests to preserve his duchy’s autonomy.
Henry IV was the first Bourbon king of France, famed for issuing the Edict of Nantes and restoring peace after the Wars of Religion.