On This Day in History – January 14

Major Events

• 1129 – The Knights Templar are formally endorsed by the Catholic Church at the Council of Troyes, increasing their power and influence across Europe.
• 1539 – Spain officially annexes Cuba, beginning centuries of colonial rule.
• 1761 – The Third Battle of Panipat takes place in India, one of the largest and bloodiest battles of the 18th century, reshaping power on the subcontinent.
• 1784 – The Continental Congress ratifies the Treaty of Paris, formally ending the American Revolutionary War.
• 1907 – An earthquake kills over 12,000 people in Kingston, Jamaica.
• 1920 – The League of Nations holds its first official meeting in Paris.
• 1954 – Marilyn Monroe marries baseball star Joe DiMaggio, creating one of the most famous celebrity unions of the 20th century.
• 1967 – The Human Be-In takes place in San Francisco, becoming a defining event of the counterculture movement.
• 2004 – Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili is sworn into office following a peaceful revolution.
• 2011 – Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali flees the country, sparking the wider Arab Spring movement.

Famous Birthdays

• 83 BCE – Mark Antony, Roman general and politician (d. 30 BCE)
• 1741 – Benedict Arnold, American Revolutionary War general (d. 1801)
• 1882 – Hendrik Willem van Loon, Dutch-American historian (d. 1944)
• 1905 – Claire Trevor, American actress (d. 2000)
• 1941 – Faye Dunaway, American actress
• 1954 – Harold Shipman, British physician and serial killer (d. 2004)
• 1970 – Dave Grohl, American musician (Nirvana, Foo Fighters)
• 1981 – Pitbull, American rapper and entertainer
• 1985 – Shawn Wayans, American actor and comedian

Notable Deaths

• 1301 – Andrew III of Hungary, King of Hungary (b. 1265)
• 1898 – Lewis Carroll, English author (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) (b. 1832)
• 1926 – Viktor Vasnetsov, Russian painter (b. 1848)
• 1951 – Elly Ney, German pianist (b. 1882)
• 1963 – Sylvia Plath, American poet (b. 1932)
• 1972 – Fredric March, American actor (b. 1897)
• 1994 – Mickey Spillane, American novelist (b. 1918)
• 2016 – Alan Rickman, English actor (b. 1946)
• 2022 – Ricardo Bofill, Spanish architect (b. 1939)

Holidays

• Orthodox New Year – Observed by Eastern Orthodox Christians
• Makar Sankranti – Hindu festival marking the transition of the sun
• Tamil Thai Pongal – Harvest festival in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka
• Ratification Day – United States (Connecticut)

Fun Facts

• January 14 marks the Orthodox New Year due to the Julian calendar.
• Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland, died on this day in 1898.
• The Human Be-In helped popularize the phrase “flower power.”
• Makar Sankranti is one of the few Hindu festivals celebrated on the same date each year.
• Dave Grohl has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.
• The Arab Spring began its rapid expansion following events on January 14.