December 14
Overview
Holidays & Observances
Christianfeast day:
Folcwin, John of the Cross, John III of the Sedre(Syriac Orthodox Church), Matronian, Nicasius of Rheims, Nimatullah Kassab(Maronite Church), Spyridon(Western Church), Venantius Fortunatus, December 14 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
A collective feast day on December 14 honoring several Christian saints from both Western and Eastern traditions.
Alabama Day(Alabama)
Alabama Day marks the anniversary of Alabama’s admission to the Union on December 14, 1819.
Forty-seven Ronin Remembrance Day(Sengaku-ji,Tokyo)
A memorial at Sengaku-ji Temple in Tokyo honoring the Forty-seven Ronin for their loyalty and sacrifice.
Martyred Intellectuals Day(Bangladesh)
A solemn day in Bangladesh honoring academics killed during the 1971 Liberation War.
Monkey Day
An unofficial global celebration appreciating monkeys through art, comedy, and education.
Folcwin
Feast day of Saint Folcwin, a 9th-century Frankish abbot known for his piety.
John of the Cross
Commemoration of Saint John of the Cross, the Spanish mystic and Doctor of the Church.
John III of the Sedre(Syriac Orthodox Church)
Feast day of John III of the Sedre, Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch from 631 to 648.
Matronian
Feast day of Saint Matronian, an early Christian ascetic venerated in the Western Church.
Events
Constantinople is severely damaged by an earthquake, which cracks the dome of Hagia Sophia.
An earthquake in 557 severely damaged Constantinople, cracking the dome of the Hagia Sophia.
Sweet Dew Incident: Emperor Wenzong of the Tang dynasty conspires to kill the powerful eunuchs of the Tang court, but the plot is foiled.
The Sweet Dew Incident in 835 saw Emperor Wenzong attempt to eliminate powerful court eunuchs, but the plot was foiled.
St. Lucia's flood: The Zuiderzee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses, killing over 50,000 people.
The 1287 St. Lucia's flood devastated the Netherlands when the Zuiderzee dike collapsed, killing over 50,000 people.
Princess Mary Stuart becomes Queen of Scots at the age of one week on the death of her father, James V of Scotland.
One-week-old Mary Stuart ascended to the Scottish throne on the death of her father, James V of Scotland, in 1542.
The Theresian Military Academy is founded in Wiener Neustadt, Austria.
The Theresian Military Academy was founded in Wiener Neustadt, Austria in 1751 as a pioneering institution for officer training.
Founding Father Alexander Hamilton marries Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton at the Schuyler Mansion in Albany, New York.
Alexander Hamilton married Elizabeth Schuyler at the Schuyler Mansion in Albany, New York, in 1780.
The Montgolfier brothers first test fly an unmanned hot air balloon in France; it floats nearly 2.5 km (1.6 mi).
The Montgolfier brothers achieved the first unmanned hot air balloon flight in France, traveling nearly 2.5 kilometers.
The French invasion of Russia comes to an end as the remnants of the Grande Armée are expelled from Russia.
Napoleon's Grande Armée was expelled from Russia, marking the disastrous end of the 1812 invasion.
War of 1812: The Royal Navy seizes control of Lake Borgne, Louisiana.
On December 14, 1814, the Royal Navy captured Lake Borgne, paving the way for the Battle of New Orleans.
Births
Go-Suzaku
The 69th emperor of Japan who reigned from 1036 to 1045, known for his patronage of Buddhism and court culture.
Frederick III
Margrave of Brandenburg who strengthened his territories through alliances, trade, and diplomacy in the late 14th century.
Tycho Brahe
A pioneering Danish astronomer and chemist known for his precise astronomical observations that laid the foundation for modern planetary science.
Charles Berkeley
An English aristocrat and politician who served in the House of Lords during the Restoration era.
János Kemény
Prince of Transylvania known for his efforts to defend his realm’s autonomy during Ottoman and Habsburg pressures.
Barthélemy d'Herbelot
French orientalist and scholar renowned for his comprehensive encyclopedia 'Bibliothèque orientale', a foundational work in Oriental studies.
Anne Conway
An English philosopher whose metaphysical writings challenged Cartesian dualism and anticipated later idealist thought.
Aphra Behn
One of the first professional female English playwrights and a pioneering figure in Restoration literature.
Daniel Neal
An English historian known for his detailed narrative of the Puritan movement and its impact on English society.
Deaths
Xue Rengao
Xue Rengao was a rebel leader who briefly declared himself emperor of the short-lived Qin state during the collapse of the Sui Dynasty.
John III of the Sedre
John III of the Sedre was the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, leading his church through theological debates and the early Islamic conquests.
Aldfrith
Aldfrith was a learned king of Northumbria renowned for fostering scholarship and relative peace during his reign.
Pope Adrian II served as the leader of the Catholic Church from 867 to 872, navigating complex relations with secular and religious authorities.
Agnes of Poitou
Agnes of Poitou was Holy Roman Empress and regent, guiding the empire during her son’s minority after 1056.
Al-Ashraf Khalil
Al-Ashraf Khalil was the Mamluk Sultan who led the successful campaign to oust the Crusaders from the Levant by capturing Acre.
Margaret of Brabant
Margaret of Brabant was Queen Consort of Germany as the wife of King Henry, noted for her charitable works and courtly influence.
Rinchinbal Khan
Rinchinbal Khan was a Mongolian emperor of the Yuan dynasty whose reign at age six was one of the shortest in history.
Cangrande II della Scala
Cangrande II della Scala was the Lord of Verona, remembered for his authoritarian rule and conflicts with neighboring states.