May 14 facts for kids

May 14 is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 231 days remain until the end of the year. May 14th is a day filled with many important events throughout history! From kings taking their thrones to major scientific breakthroughs and exciting space missions, this date has seen a lot happen. People around the world also celebrate special holidays and remember famous people who were born or passed away on this day. Let's explore some of the most interesting moments from May 14th.

Important Events in History

Early Times: Before 1600

• 1027 – Robert II of France, a king of France, named his son Henry I as a junior king. This meant Henry would help rule and learn how to be king.
• 1097 – The Siege of Nicaea began. This was a big battle during the First Crusade, where Christian armies tried to take back the city of Nicaea.
• 1264 – The Battle of Lewes took place in England. During this battle, King Henry III of England was captured. He was then forced to sign a document called the Mise of Lewes, which gave a powerful leader named Simon de Montfort control over England.
• 1509 – The Battle of Agnadello happened in northern Italy. French forces won a major victory against the Republic of Venice in this fight.

From 1600 to 1900

• 1607 – English colonists created "James Fort." This place later became Jamestown, Virginia, which was the very first lasting English settlement in the Americas.
• 1608 – The Protestant Union was formed. This was a group of Protestant states in Germany that joined together to protect their rights and lands from the Catholic Church and other Catholic German states.
• 1610 – Henry IV of France was sadly assassinated by a religious extremist. After his death, his son, Louis XIII, became the new King of France.
• 1643 – Just four years old, Louis XIV became King of France. This happened after his father, Louis XIII, passed away.
• 1796 – Edward Jenner gave the very first smallpox inoculation. This was a huge step in medicine, helping to protect people from the dangerous smallpox disease.
• 1804 – William Clark and 42 other men started their journey from Camp Dubois. They were going to meet Meriwether Lewis to begin the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition. This expedition explored the western parts of North America, traveling up the Missouri River.
• 1870 – The first game of rugby in New Zealand was played. It was a match between Nelson College and the Nelson Rugby Football Club in Nelson, New Zealand.
• 1879 – The first group of 463 Indian workers arrived in Fiji. They came aboard a ship called the Leonidas to work there.

Modern Times: 1901 to Today

• 1913 – The Rockefeller Foundation was officially approved by the Governor of New York. This foundation started with a huge donation of $100 million from John D. Rockefeller to help with many good causes.
• 1939 – Lina Medina became the youngest confirmed mother in medical history. She was only five years old.
• 1940 – During World War II, the city of Rotterdam, Netherlands was heavily bombed by Germany's air force, the Luftwaffe. Even though there was a ceasefire, about 900 people died, and the old city center was destroyed.
• 1948 – Israel was declared an independent state. A temporary government was set up. Right after this, neighboring Arab states attacked Israel, starting the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.
• 1955 – During the Cold War, eight Communist countries, including the Soviet Union, signed a defense agreement called the Warsaw Pact. This was a military alliance to protect each other.
• 1961 – In the Civil Rights Movement, a group of white people attacked a Freedom Riders bus near Anniston, Alabama. They even threw a fire bomb at the bus and attacked the civil rights protesters as they escaped the burning vehicle.
• 1973 – Skylab, the United States' first space station, was launched into space. It was a laboratory orbiting Earth where astronauts could do experiments.
• 2010 – Space Shuttle Atlantis launched on the STS-132 mission. It carried the first Russian part for the ISS that was launched by a shuttle, called Rassvet.
• 2021 – China successfully landed its first Mars rover, named Zhurong, on the planet Mars. This was a big achievement in space exploration.

People Born on May 14th

Famous People from History

• 1727 – Thomas Gainsborough, a famous English painter.
• 1771 – Robert Owen, a Welsh businessman and social reformer who worked to improve conditions for workers.
• 1851 – Anna Laurens Dawes, an American author and a supporter of women's right to vote.
• 1863 – John Charles Fields, a Canadian mathematician who created the famous Fields Medal for math.
• 1897 – Sidney Bechet, an American jazz musician known for playing the saxophone and clarinet.

Well-Known People Born After 1900

• 1904 – Hans Albert Einstein, a Swiss-American engineer and educator, and the son of Albert Einstein.
• 1907 – Ayub Khan, a Pakistani general who became the second President of Pakistan.
• 1922 – Franjo Tuđman, a historian who became the first President of Croatia.
• 1926 – Eric Morecambe, a very popular English comedian and actor.
• 1936 – Bobby Darin, a famous American singer-songwriter and actor.
• 1943 – Jack Bruce, a Scottish-English singer-songwriter and bass player, known for the band Cream.
• 1944 – George Lucas, the American director, producer, and screenwriter who created Star Wars.
• 1952 – David Byrne, a Scottish singer-songwriter and musician, known for the band Talking Heads.
• 1952 – Robert Zemeckis, an American director, producer, and screenwriter, known for movies like Back to the Future.
• 1959 – Patrick Bruel, a French actor, singer, and poker player.
• 1969 – Cate Blanchett, a highly acclaimed Australian actress.
• 1984 – Mark Zuckerberg, an American computer programmer and businessman who co-founded Facebook.
• 1993 – Miranda Cosgrove, an American actress and singer.
• 1996 – Martin Garrix, a famous Dutch DJ.

People Who Passed Away on May 14th

Historical Figures Who Died on This Day

• 1219 – William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke, an English soldier and politician known as one of the greatest knights.
• 1610 – Henry IV of France, the French king who was assassinated.
• 1643 – Louis XIII of France, the French king whose son Louis XIV took the throne after him.
• 1847 – Fanny Mendelssohn, a talented German pianist and composer.
• 1881 – Mary Seacole, a Jamaican-English nurse and author who helped soldiers during the Crimean War.

Notable Deaths in Recent Times

• 1912 – Frederik VIII of Denmark, the King of Denmark.
• 1940 – Emma Goldman, a Lithuanian author and activist who supported anarchism and women's rights.
• 1965 – Frances Perkins, an American advocate for workers' rights and the first woman to serve in a U U.S. presidential cabinet.
• 1991 – Jiang Qing, a Chinese revolutionary and politician, known as a member of the "Gang of Four."
• 1998 – Frank Sinatra, a legendary American singer and actor.
• 2015 – B.B. King, a famous American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.
• 2019 – Tim Conway, a beloved American actor and comedian.
• 2019 – Grumpy Cat, a famous internet meme celebrity cat.

Holidays and Special Days

• Flag Day in Paraguay.
• Hastings Banda's Birthday in Malawi.
• National Unification Day in Liberia.

See also

In Spanish: 14 de mayo para niños