Holidays
Feast Day of St. Justin
St. Justin (c. AD 100 – c. AD 165, posthumously known as Justin Martyr) is the patron saint of philosophers.
While most of his works are lost, two apologies and a dialogue did survive. The First Apology, his most well-known text, defends the morality of the Christian life, and provides various ethical and philosophical arguments to convince the Roman emperor, Antoninus, to abandon the persecution of the Church.
What Happened On
Photo Credit: Jim Bowen
Photo Credit: Jim Bowen
Stone Mountain
April 14, 1965
Stone Mountain Park in Georgia is opened - on the 100th anniversary of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln's assassination. It depicts three Confederate figures, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson, riding their favorite horses, Blackjack, Traveller, and Little Sorrel, respectively. It is the largest bas-relief in the world.
The project began in 1914 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC), who hired Gutzon Borglum (who went on to build Mount Rushmore) to design the monument. He was initially instructed by the UDC, "I feel it is due to the Klan (Ku Klux Klan) which saved us from Negro dominations and carpetbag rule, that it be immortalized on Stone Mountain. Why not represent a small group of them in their nightly uniform approaching in the distance?" However, they eventually settled on a monument featuring Davis, Lee, and Jackson.
Borglum completed Lee's head in 1924, but after disagreements with the organizers he was fired in 1925. Augustus Lukeman took his place and Borglum's work was blasted off the mountain.
The U.S. Mint issued a 1925 Stone Mountain Commemorative silver U.S. half dollar as a fundraiser for the monument. It was the largest issue of commemorative coins by the U.S. government up to that time.
The park was opened in 1965, but the carving wasn't completed until 1972.
In Cold Blood
April 14, 1965
Richard Hickock and Perry Smith are hanged for the 1959 murder of the Clutter family in Kansas. These murders were the basis for Truman Capote's book and 1967 movie In Cold Blood.
Photo Credit: Karl Baron
Photo Credit: Karl Baron
First Commercial Magnetic Video Tape Recorder
April 14, 1956
Ampex Co. demonstrates the first commercial magnetic video tape recorder. It cost $45,000 and an hour-long reel of tape cost $300. It went into use later in the year. Ampex received a 1957 Emmy Award for their device.
Black Sunday Dust Storm
April 14, 1935
One of the worst dust storms ever in the U.S. It was the most severe in the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles. The Dust Bowl was a period of severe dust storms in the 1930s that greatly damaged the agriculture of the American and Canadian prairies. It was brought on by severe drought and failure to apply dryland farming methods to prevent soil erosion. Huge clouds of dust, called black blizzards, traveled cross country, often reducing visibility to 3 feet (1 meter) or less. Unable to grow crops due to the dust clouds, tens of thousands of families had to abandon their farms. Woody Guthrie's song 
Great Dust Storm and the Ken Burns documentary The Dust Bowl (2012) describe the events of Black Sunday.
First Atom Split by a Particle Accelerator
April 14, 1932
British physicists John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton use a particle accelerator to bombard lithium to produce alpha particles. They confirmed and announced their results two weeks later. This was the first split of the nucleus in a fully controlled manner. They were working under the direction of Ernest Rutherford, who in 1917 became the first person to split the atom.
WWI Flying Ace
April 14, 1918
Douglas Campbell downs his first German aircraft. He downed his fifth on May 31st making him the first American flying in an American unit to achieve the status of ace.
Titanic by Willy Stöwer
Titanic by Willy Stöwer
Sinking of the Titanic
April 14, 1912
At 11:37 p.m. the "unsinkable" ship the RMS Titanic strikes an iceberg in the North Atlantic while on her maiden voyage from Southampton, UK, to New York City. She sank at 2:20 a.m. killing 1,517 of the 2,238 people aboard.
Masabumi Hosono, the only Japanese passenger, survived, but was ostracized for the rest of his life in Japan as dishonorable and a coward for not going down with the ship.
Taft throwing the opening ball
Taft throwing the opening ball
First U.S. President to Throw the Opening Ball of Baseball Season
April 14, 1910
William Howard Taft starts a long-lasting tradition of the U.S. President throwing the opening ball of baseball season.
An early Kinetoscope Parlor in San Francisco ca. 1894
An early Kinetoscope Parlor in San Francisco ca. 1894
First Commercial Motion Picture House
April 14, 1894
A Kinetoscope parlor opens on Broadway in New York City and begins showing films featuring famous celebrities of the time. The films were viewed via 10 Edison Kinetoscope machines, each showing a different film. Each machine could be viewed by a single person. Viewers paid 25¢ to see five films, or 50¢ to watch all 10. The picture house was an instant success and its owners soon opened others in Chicago and San Francisco.
The films included the German strongman Eugen Sandow, a cock fight, a contortionist, Highland dancing, a trapeze act, and wrestling.
Lincoln Shot
April 14, 1865
U.S. President Abraham Lincoln is shot and mortally wounded in Ford's Theater by John Wilkes Booth.
Bombardment of Fort Sumter
Bombardment of Fort Sumter
First Casualty of the Civil War
April 14, 1861
A Union soldier is killed by a gun explosion when Union soldiers were attempting to fire a 100-gun salute to the flag before surrendering Fort Sumter. Daniel Hough was loading the 47th round when a spark caused the gun to explode killing him instantly. The salute was then cut short after 50 rounds. Another solider died five days later of his wounds. There had been no other soldiers of either side killed in the battle.
Webster's Dictionary
April 14, 1828
Noah Webster's An American Dictionary of the English Language is published. It contained 70,000 entries. 2,500 copies printed and sold it for $20 (adjusted for inflation: $540).
Photo Credit: Stevan Kragujević
Photo Credit: Stevan Kragujević
U.S. Attacks Libya
April 14, 1986
The U.S. attempts to assassinate Muammar Gaddafi - blaming him for the bombing of a West Berlin disco - killing his infant daughter in the attack. In 2001 a German woman was convicted of placing the bomb. She was aided by her Palestinian husband, another Palestinian, and a Libyan who worked at the German embassy.
Easing of the Trade Embargo with China
April 14, 1971
Announced by U.S. President Richard Nixon. It had been in effect for 20 years.
Pan American Union
April 14, 1890
The Pan American Union is established by the First International Conference of American States held in Washington D.C.
Whig Party Formed
April 14, 1834
The Whig Party is formed by Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and John C. Calhoun in opposition to U.S. President Andrew Jackson.
First U.S. Abolition Society
April 14, 1775
The Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage is founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Birthdays
Loretta Lynn (Loretta Webb)
Born April 14, 1935 d. 2022
American country singer. She is the most awarded female country recording artist. Music: Don't Come Home Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind) (1966) and Coal Miner's Daughter (1970).
Helen Keller (age 8) with tutor Anne Sullivan (right)
Helen Keller (age 8) with tutor Anne Sullivan (right)
The Miracle Worker
Anne Sullivan
Born April 14, 1866 d. 1936
American educator. "The Miracle Worker." In 1887, she became Helen Keller's teacher and companion. Anne herself was partially blind as a child, becoming completely blind in 1935.
Anthony Michael Hall
Born April 14, 1968
American actor. Film: Sixteen Candles (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985). TV: Saturday Night Live.
John Shea
Born April 14, 1949
American Emmy-winning actor. TV: Baby M (1988, Emmy).
Ritchie Blackmore
Born April 14, 1945
British guitarist, with Deep Purple. Music: Hush (1968), Kentucky Woman (1969), and Smoke On The Water (1972).
Pete Rose
Born April 14, 1941
American baseball player, all-time hits leader (4,256), 1973 MVP, and 1975 World Series MVP. He was banned from baseball (1989) and the Hall of Fame (1991) for gambling on baseball and in 1990 was imprisoned for tax evasion.
Christie as Lara in Doctor Zhivago
Christie as Lara in Doctor Zhivago
Julie Christie
Born April 14, 1940
British Oscar-winning actress. Film: Dr. Zhivago (1965, Lara), Darling (1965), McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971), and Shampoo (1975).
Gloria Randle Scott
Born April 14, 1938
American children's leader. Gloria Randle Scott was the first black president of the Girl Scouts of the USA (1975-78). She was also the first African-American to receive a degree in zoology from Indiana University (1959).
Bradford Dillman
Born April 14, 1930 d. 2018
American actor. TV: Falcon Crest (Darryl Clayton).
Rod Steiger
Born April 14, 1925 d. 2002
American Oscar-winning actor. Film: In the Heat of the Night (1967, Oscar) and The Amityville Horror (1979).
John Gielgud and as Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing (1959)
John Gielgud and as Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing (1959)
Sir John Gielgud
Born April 14, 1904 d. 2000
British Oscar, Tony, Emmy, Grammy-winning actor. He was noted for his Shakespearian roles and is considered the greatest Hamlet of his time. He broadcast more than a hundred radio and television dramas between 1929 and 1994.
In 1953, he was arrested and fined for homosexual activity after he was caught cruising in a public restroom. At the time, sexual activity between men was illegal in Britain. He was initially reluctant to continue performing as he was afraid that his career would be ruined by the incident. But, the first time he stepped back on stage he received a standing ovation from the audience. He had been knighted by Queen Elizabeth II just a few months prior to this incident.
Film: Julius Caesar (1953), Becket (1964), and Richard III (1955), and Arthur (1981, Oscar for his portray of acid-tongued Hobson).
Pyotr Stolypin
Born April 14, 1862 d. 1911
Russian Premier (1906-11). Known for his ruthless tactics to achieve reform and democratization, he was assassinated by a police double agent. His assassin was apprehended and hanged.
Catherine Eddowes
Born April 14, 1842 d. 1888
English crime victim. She is the fourth known victim of Jack the Ripper.
Huygens' pendulum clock
Huygens' pendulum clock
Christiaan Huygens
Born April 14, 1629 d. 1695
Dutch scientist. His improvements on telescope lenses enabled him to discover Saturn's rings and 6th moon Titan (1656). He also built the first pendulum clock (1656), published the first book on probability (1657), discovered the polarization of light (1678), and founded the wave theory of light.
Philip III
Born April 14, 1578 d. 1621
King of Spain (1598-1621). As Philip II, he was also King of Portugal, Naples, Sicily and Sardinia and Duke of Milan from 1598 until his death in 1621. He is considered a weak ruler who spent enormous sums on court festivities.
Deaths
Burl Ives (Burle Icle Ivanhoe)
Died April 14, 1995 b. 1909
American Oscar-winning actor, singer. He was jailed in Mona, Utah, for singing Foggy Foggy Dew (An Irish ballad) in public, which authorities deemed a bawdy song.
Film: Big Country (1958, Oscar) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958, Big Daddy). TV: Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964, voice of Samuel The Snowman) and The Bold Ones: The Lawyers (1969-72, Walter Nichols).
The Original Ouija Board
The Original Ouija Board
Elijah J. Bond
Died April 14, 1921 b. 1847
American inventor, lawyer. Bond patented the Ouija Board (1891). His patent was initially denied, because the chief patent officer wanted proof that it worked. As a test, he asked the board to spell out his name, which it did. He then granted the patent.
The name Ouija had been determined in 1890 when Bond's sister-in-law, a spiritualist and medium, asked the board what its name was, to which the board spelled out "OUIJA". When asked what the word meant, it responded "GOOD LUCK".
The use of similar talking boards is recorded as far back as A.D. 1100 in China. They became popular in the United States in the 1860s after the Civil War when spiritualists used the devices to help people contact relatives lost in the war.
The scientific community generally believes the Ouija board works via unconscious movements, known as the ideomotor effect. This effect was described by Michael Faraday in 1853.
Many religious groups believe Ouija boards are connected to the occult and ban their use. Some believe their use can even result in demonic possession.
Percy Sledge
Died April 14, 2015 b. 1940
American Rock & Roll Hall of Fame singer. Music: When a Man Loves a Woman (1966, #1) which became the first gold record released by Atlantic Records.
Don Ho (Donald Tai Loy Ho)
Died April 14, 2007 b. 1930
Hawaiian singer. Music: Tiny Bubbles (1966, #8). TV: The Don Ho Show (1976-77).
Anthony Newley
Died April 14, 1999 b. 1931
English singer, actor, composer. Film: Oliver Twist (the Artful Dodger). He and Leslie Bricussse wrote the musical Stop the World, I Want to Get Off (1961) and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971).
Simone de Beauvoir
Died April 14, 1986 b. 1908
French author, feminist. Her book The Second Sex (1949) pioneered post-World War II feminism. She and her lover Jean-Paul Sartre are credited with creating "existentialism."
Rachel Louise Carson
Died April 14, 1964 b. 1907
American biologist, conservationist. Her 1962 book Silent Spring alerted the nation to the dangers of pesticides.
William John Burns
Died April 14, 1932 b. 1861
American detective. He preceded J. Edgar Hoover as head of the Bureau of Investigation (1921-24), the FBI's predecessor.
Louis Henri Sullivan
Died April 14, 1924 b. 1856
American architect. Creator of the skyscraper.
Dr. L. L. Zamenhof (Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof)
Died April 14, 1917 b. 1859
Russian philologist. He developed of the international language Esperanto (1887). He believed that an international language could help end wars. He also wrote the first grammar of the Yiddish language (1879).
George Frederick Handel
Died April 14, 1759 b. 1685
German composer. Music: The Messiah (1742).
Sergius III
Died April 14, 911 b. ????
Italian religious leader, 119th Pope (904-911).