Vintage News · Odd history for November 14

What Happened On November 14

Q: What happened on November 14?

1680: German astronomer Gottfried Kirch discovered the Great Comet of 1680, the first comet to be discovered by telescope. 1680: German astronomer Gottfried Kirch discovers the Great Comet of 1680, the first comet to be discovered by telescope. 1967: American physicist Theodore Maiman was given a patent for his ruby laser systems, the world's first laser. 1967: American physicist Theodore Maiman is given a patent for his ruby laser systems, the world's first laser. 1851: Moby-Dick, an epic novel by American writer Herman Melville, was first published in the United States. 1990: Music producer Frank Farian admitted that the German R&B duo Milli Vanilli did not sing the vocals on their album Girl You Know It's True. 1960: Ruby Bridges and the McDonogh Three became the first black children to attend an all-white elementary school in Louisiana as part of the New Orleans school desegregation crisis. 1910: Aviator Eugene Burton Ely performed the first takeoff from a ship (pictured), flying from a makeshift deck on USS Birmingham in Hampton Roads, Virginia. 2008: The first G-20 economic summit opens in Washington, D.C. 2001: A magnitude 7.8 earthquake strikes a remote part of the Tibetan Plateau. It has the longest known surface rupture recorded on land (~400 km) and is the best documented example of a supershear earthquake.

50 events and 229 births, refreshed daily. OddlyTrue's own archive for 14 November →

November 13 November 15

10 odd things that happened on November 14

1680 First ever
German astronomer Gottfried Kirch discovered the Great Comet of 1680, the first comet to be discovered by telescope.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1680 First ever
German astronomer Gottfried Kirch discovers the Great Comet of 1680, the first comet to be discovered by telescope.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1967 First ever
American physicist Theodore Maiman was given a patent for his ruby laser systems, the world's first laser.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1967 First ever
American physicist Theodore Maiman is given a patent for his ruby laser systems, the world's first laser.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1851 First ever
Moby-Dick, an epic novel by American writer Herman Melville, was first published in the United States.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1990 Oddly true
Music producer Frank Farian admitted that the German R&B duo Milli Vanilli did not sing the vocals on their album Girl You Know It's True.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1960 First ever
Ruby Bridges and the McDonogh Three became the first black children to attend an all-white elementary school in Louisiana as part of the New Orleans school desegregation crisis.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1910 First ever
Aviator Eugene Burton Ely performed the first takeoff from a ship (pictured), flying from a makeshift deck on USS Birmingham in Hampton Roads, Virginia.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
2008 First ever
The first G-20 economic summit opens in Washington, D.C.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
2001 Oddly true
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake strikes a remote part of the Tibetan Plateau. It has the longest known surface rupture recorded on land (~400 km) and is the best documented example of a supershear earthquake.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Observed today

2019A mass shooting occurs at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, California, resulting in three deaths, including that of the perpetrator, and three injuries. Wikipedia →
2017A gunman kills four people and injures 12 others during a shooting spree across Rancho Tehama, California. He had earlier murdered his wife in their home. Wikipedia →
2016A magnitude 7.8 earthquake strikes Kaikōura, New Zealand, at a depth of 15 km (9 miles), resulting in the deaths of two people. Wikipedia →
2012Israel launches a major military operation in the Gaza Strip in response to an escalation of rocket attacks by Hamas. Wikipedia →
2008The first G-20 economic summit opens in Washington, D.C. Wikipedia →
2008Space Shuttle Endeavour launches on STS-126 to continue assembly of the International Space Station. Wikipedia →
2003Astronomers discover Sedna, a distant trans-Neptunian dwarf planet. Wikipedia →
2001War in Afghanistan: Afghan Northern Alliance fighters take over the capital Kabul. Wikipedia →
2001A magnitude 7.8 earthquake strikes a remote part of the Tibetan Plateau. It has the longest known surface rupture recorded on land (~400 km) and is the best documented example of a supershear earthquake. Wikipedia →
1995A budget standoff between Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Congress forces the federal government to temporarily close national parks and museums and to run most government offices with skeleton staffs. Wikipedia →
1992In poor conditions caused by Cyclone Forrest, Vietnam Airlines Flight 474 crashes near Nha Trang, killing 30. Wikipedia →
1991American and British authorities announce indictments against two Libyan intelligence officials in connection with the downing of the Pan Am Flight 103. Wikipedia →
1991Cambodian Prince Norodom Sihanouk returns to Phnom Penh after thirteen years in exile. Wikipedia →
1990After German reunification, the Federal Republic of Germany and Poland sign a treaty confirming the Oder–Neisse line as the border between Germany and Poland. Wikipedia →
1990While on approach to Zurich Airport, Alitalia Flight 404 crashes into Stadlerberg Mountain near Weiach, killing 46. Wikipedia →
1984Zamboanga City mayor Cesar Climaco, a prominent critic of the government of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, is assassinated in his home city. Wikipedia →
1982Lech Wałęsa, the leader of Poland's outlawed Solidarity movement, is released after eleven months of internment near the Soviet border. Wikipedia →
1982Reverend Caesar "Butch" Conde leads first worship service of the Bread of Life Ministries International in the Philippines. Wikipedia →
1979US President Jimmy Carter issues Executive Order 12170, freezing all Iranian assets in the United States in response to the hostage crisis. Wikipedia →
1978France conducts the Aphrodite nuclear test as 25th in the group of 29 1975–78 French nuclear tests. Wikipedia →
1977During a British House of Commons debate, Labour MP Tam Dalyell poses what would become known as the West Lothian question, referring to issues related to devolution in the United Kingdom. Wikipedia →
1975With the signing of the Madrid Accords, Spain abandons Western Sahara. Wikipedia →
1973In the United Kingdom, Princess Anne marries Captain Mark Phillips, in Westminster Abbey. Wikipedia →
1973The Athens Polytechnic uprising, a massive demonstration of popular rejection of the Greek military junta of 1967–74, begins. Wikipedia →
1971Mariner 9 enters orbit around Mars. Wikipedia →
1970Soviet Union enters ICAO, making Russian the fourth official language of organization. Wikipedia →
1970Southern Airways Flight 932 crashes in the mountains near Huntington, West Virginia, killing 75, including almost all of the Marshall University football team. Wikipedia →
1969Apollo program: NASA launches Apollo 12, the second crewed mission to the surface of the Moon. Wikipedia →
1967The Congress of Colombia, in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the death of Policarpa Salavarrieta, declares this day as "Day of the Colombian Woman". Wikipedia →
1967American physicist Theodore Maiman is given a patent for his ruby laser systems, the world's first laser. Wikipedia →
1965Vietnam War: The Battle of Ia Drang begins. This is the first major engagement between regular American and North Vietnamese forces. Wikipedia →
1960Ruby Bridges becomes the first black child to attend an all-white elementary school in Louisiana. Wikipedia →
1957The "Apalachin meeting" in rural Tioga County in upstate New York is raided by law enforcement; many high-level Mafia figures are arrested while trying to flee. Wikipedia →
1952The New Musical Express publishes the first regular UK Singles Chart. Wikipedia →
1941World War II: The aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal sinks due to torpedo damage from the German submarine U-81 sustained on November 13. Wikipedia →
1941World War II: German troops, aided by local auxiliaries, murder nine thousand residents of the Słonim Ghetto in a single day. Wikipedia →
1940World War II: In England, Coventry is heavily bombed by German Luftwaffe bombers. Coventry Cathedral is almost completely destroyed. Wikipedia →
1938The Lions Gate Bridge, connecting Vancouver to the North Shore region, opens to traffic. Wikipedia →
1922The British Broadcasting Company begins radio service in the United Kingdom. Wikipedia →
1921The Communist Party of Spain is founded, and issues the first edition of Mundo obrero. Wikipedia →
1920Pesäpallo, the Finnish version of baseball developed by Lauri Pihkala, is played for the first time at Kaisaniemi Park in Helsinki. Wikipedia →
1918The Provisional National Assembly of the new republic of Czechoslovakia meets to devise a constitution. Wikipedia →
1914The Joensuu City Hall, designed by Eliel Saarinen, was inaugurated in Joensuu, Finland. Wikipedia →
1910Aviator Eugene Burton Ely performs the first takeoff from a ship in Hampton Roads, Virginia, taking off from a makeshift deck on the USS Birmingham in a Curtiss pusher. Wikipedia →
1889Pioneering female journalist Nellie Bly (aka Elizabeth Cochrane) begins a successful attempt to travel around the world in less than 80 days. She completes the trip in 72 days. Wikipedia →
1851Moby-Dick, a novel by Herman Melville, is published in the USA. Wikipedia →
1812Napoleonic Wars: At the Battle of Smoliani, French Marshals Victor and Oudinot are defeated by the Russians under General Peter Wittgenstein. Wikipedia →
1770James Bruce discovers what he believes to be the source of the Nile. Wikipedia →
1680German astronomer Gottfried Kirch discovers the Great Comet of 1680, the first comet to be discovered by telescope. Wikipedia →
332 BCAlexander the Great is crowned pharaoh of Egypt. Wikipedia →

From The Guardian Archives — On This Day

2017The Guardian
US Holocaust Museum says evidence of genocide against Rohingya in Myanmar
Year-long report into atrocities accuses security forces of ‘unprecedented and systematic’ campaign of violence again…
Read on The Guardian →
2014The Guardian
Caught in conflict: women in Pakistan
Homa Khaleeli: An extraordinary five-year project that documents the intimate lives of women and children in Pakistan
Read on The Guardian →
2002The New York Times
Holocaust Writer in Storm Over Role of Catholic Church
Daniel Jonah Goldhagen's new book, A Moral Reckoning: The Role of the Catholic Church in the Holocaust, provokes outr…
Read on NYTimes.com →

Headlines via The Guardian Open Platform · Historic front pages via the NYT Archive API

Facts from Wikipedia On This Day API (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia. Thumbnails CC BY-SA. Headlines via The Guardian Open Platform and the NYT Archive API. Historic pages via Library of Congress Chronicling America. Curated by OddlyTrue.