July 14
The date is most famously associated with the Storming of the Bastille in Paris, the event which escalated widespread unrest into the French Revolution. Bastille Day remains a day of national celebration in France.
Events
pre-20th century
- 1223 - Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father, Philip II.
- 1420 - Battle of Vítkov Hill, decisive victory of Czech Hussite forces commanded by Jan Žižka against Crusade army led by Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor.
- 1769 - An expedition led by Gaspar de Portolá leaves its base in California and sets out to find the Port of Monterey.
- 1771 - Foundation of the Mission San Antonio de Padua in modern California by the Franciscan friar Junípero Serra.
- 1789 - French Revolution: Citizens of Paris storm the Bastille.
- 1789 - Alexander Mackenzie finally completes his journey to the mouth of the great river he hoped would take him to the Pacific, but which turns out to flow into the Arctic Ocean. Later named after him, the Mackenzie is the second-longest river system in North America.
- 1790 - French Revolution: Citizens of Paris celebrate the unity of the French people and the national reconciliation in the Fête de la Fédération.
- 1791 - The Priestley Riots drive Joseph Priestley, a supporter of the French Revolution, out of Birmingham, England.
- 1798 - The Sedition Act becomes law in the United States making it a federal crime to write, publish, or utter false or malicious statements about the United States government.
- 1853 - Opening of the first major US world's fair, the Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations in New York City.
- 1865 - First ascent of the Matterhorn by Edward Whymper and party, four of whom die on the descent.
- 1874 - The Chicago Fire of 1874 burns down 47 acres of the city, destroying 812 buildings, killing 20, and resulting in the fire insurance industry demanding municipal reforms from Chicago's city council.
- 1877 - The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 began in Martinsburg, West Virginia, when wages of Baltimore and Ohio Railroad workers were cut for the third time in a year. The strike was ended on Sept 4 by local and state militias, and federal troops.
- 1881 - Billy the Kid is shot and killed by Pat Garrett outside Fort Sumner.
- 1900 - Armies of the Eight-Nation Alliance capture Tientsin during the Boxer Rebellion.
post-19th century
- 1902 - The Campanile in St Mark's Square, Venice collapses, also demolishing the loggetta.
- 1911 - Harry Atwood, an exhibition pilot for the Wright brothers, lands his airplane at the South Lawn of the White House. He is later awarded a Gold medal from U.S. President William Howard Taft for this feat.
- 1915 - World War I: The McMahon–Hussein Correspondence between Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca and the British official Henry McMahon concerning the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire begins.
- 1916 - World War I: Start of the Battle of Delville Wood as an action within the Battle of the Somme, which was to last until 3 September 1916.
- 1928 - New Vietnam Revolutionary Party is founded in Hu?, providing some of the communist party's most important leaders in its early years.
- 1933 - Gleichschaltung: In Germany, all political parties are outlawed except the Nazi Party.
- 1933 - The Nazi eugenics begins with the proclamation of the Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring that calls for the compulsory sterilization of any citizen who suffers from alleged genetic disorders.
- 1938 - Howard Hughes sets a new record by completing a 91-hour airplane flight around the world.
- 1940 - People's Seimas held parliamentary elections, and the Union of Labor Lithuania won, paving the way for Lithuania to become Lithuanian SSR; Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, consolidating into the Soviet Union on July 21, 1940.
- 1943 - In Diamond, Missouri, the George Washington Carver National Monument becomes the first United States National Monument in honor of an African American.
- 1948 - Palmiro Togliatti, leader of the Italian Communist Party, is shot and wounded near the Italian Parliament.
- 1950 - Korean War: North Korean troops initiate the Battle of Taejon.
- 1957 - Rawya Ateya takes her seat in the National Assembly of Egypt, thereby becoming the first female parliamentarian in the Arab world.
- 1958 - Iraqi Revolution: In Iraq the monarchy is overthrown by popular forces led by Abd al-Karim Qasim, who becomes the nation's new leader.
- 1960 - Jane Goodall arrives at the Gombe Stream Reserve in present-day Tanzania to begin her famous study of chimpanzees in the wild.
- 1965 - The Mariner 4 flyby of Mars takes the first close-up photos of another planet.
- 1969 - Football War: After Honduras loses a soccer match against El Salvador, riots break out in Honduras against Salvadoran migrant workers.
- 1969 - The Federal Reserve Banks begins removing large denominations of United States currency from circulation.
- 1976 - Capital punishment is abolished in Canada.
- 2013 - The dedication of statue of Rachel Carson, a sculpture named for the environmentalist, in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.
- 2015 - NASA's New Horizons probe performs the first flyby of Pluto, and thus completes the initial survey of the Solar System.
Births
pre-19th century
- 926 - Murakami, emperor of Japan
- 1410 - Arnold, Duke of Guelders,
- 1448 - Philip, Elector Palatine
- 1454 - Poliziano, Italian poet and scholar
- 1515 - Philip I, Duke of Pomerania
- 1602 - Cardinal Mazarin, Italian-French cardinal and politician, 2nd Chief Minister of the French Monarch
- 1608 - George Goring, Lord Goring, English general
- 1610 - Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
- 1634 - Pasquier Quesnel, French priest and theologian
- 1671 - Jacques d'Allonville, French astronomer and mathematician
- 1675 - Claude Alexandre de Bonneval, French general
- 1676 - Caspar Abel, German historian, poet, and theologian
- 1696 - William Oldys, English historian and author
- 1721 - John Douglas, Scottish bishop and scholar
- 1743 - Gavrila Derzhavin, Russian poet and politician
- 1755 - Michel de Beaupuy, French general
- 1785 - Mordecai Manuel Noah, American journalist, playwright, and diplomat
- 1795 - Eleanor Anne Porden, British Romantic poet; wife of the explorer, John Franklin
19th century
- 1801 - Johannes Peter Müller, German physiologist and anatomist
- 1816 - Arthur de Gobineau, French author and diplomat
- 1829 - Edward Benson, English archbishop
- 1859 - Willy Hess, German violinist and educator
- 1861 - Kate M. Gordon, American activist
- 1862 - Florence Bascom, American geologist and educator
- 1862 – Gustav Klimt, Austrian painter and illustrator
- 1863 - Arthur Coningham, Australian cricketer
- 1865 - Arthur Capper, American journalist and politician, 20th Governor of Kansas
- 1866 - Juliette Wytsman, Belgian painter
- 1868 - Gertrude Bell, English archaeologist and spy
- 1872 - Albert Marque, French sculptor and doll maker
- 1874 - Abbas II of Egypt
- 1874 - Crawford Vaughan, Australian politician, 27th Premier of South Australia
- 1878 - Donald Meek, Scottish actor
- 1885 - Sisavang Vong, Laotian king
- 1888 - Scipio Slataper, Italian author and critic
- 1889 - Marco de Gastyne, French painter and illustrator
- 1889 - Ante Pavelic, Croatian fascist dictator during World War II
- 1893 - Clarence J. Brown, American publisher and politician, 36th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio
- 1893 - Garimella Satyanarayana, Indian poet and author
- 1894 - Dave Fleischer, American animator, director, and producer
- 1896 - Buenaventura Durruti, Spanish soldier and anarchist
- 1898 - Happy Chandler, American lawyer and politician, 49th Governor of Kentucky, second Commissioner of Baseball
1901–1920
- 1901 - Gerald Finzi, English composer and academic
- 1901 - George Tobias, American actor
- 1903 - Irving Stone, American author and educator
- 1906 - Tom Carvel, Greek-American businessman, founded Carvel
- 1906 - William Hu?. Tunner, American general
- 1907 - Chico Landi, Brazilian race car driver
- 1910 - William Hanna, American animator, director, producer, and actor, co-founded Hanna-Barbera
- 1911 - Pavel Prudnikau, Belarusian poet and author
- 1912 - Woody Guthrie, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1912 - Buddy Moreno, American musician
- 1913 - Gerald Ford, American commander, lawyer, and politician, 38th President of the United States
- 1914 - Fred Fox, French musician
- 1918 - Ingmar Bergman, Swedish director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1918 - Arthur Laurents, American director, screenwriter, and playwright
- 1918 - Jay Wright Forrester, American computer engineer and systems scientist
- 1920 - Shankarrao Chavan, Indian lawyer and politician, Indian Minister of Finance
- 1920 - Marijohn Wilkin, American country and gospel songwriter
1921–1930
- 1921 - Sixto Durán Ballén, American-Ecuadorian architect and politician, 48th President of Ecuador
- 1921 - Leon Garfield, English author
- 1921 - Armand Gaudreault, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1921 - Geoffrey Wilkinson, English chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1922 - Robin Olds, American general and pilot
- 1922 - Elfriede Rinkel, German SS officer
- 1922 - Käbi Laretei, Estonian-Swedish concert pianist
- 1923 - René Favaloro, Argentine surgeon and cardiologist
- 1923 - Dale Robertson, American actor
- 1923 - Robert Zildjian, American businessman, founded Sabian
- 1924 - Warren Giese, American football player, coach, and politician
- 1925 - Bruce L. Douglas, American politician
- 1926 - Wallace Jones, American basketball player and coach
- 1926 - Harry Dean Stanton, American actor, musician, and singer
- 1926 - Himayat Ali Shair, Urdu poet
- 1927 - John Chancellor, American journalist
- 1927 - Mike Esposito, American author and illustrator
- 1928 - Nancy Olson, American actress
- 1928 - William Rees-Mogg, English journalist and public servant
- 1930 - Polly Bergen, American actress and singer
- 1930 - Benoît Sinzogan, Beninese military officer and politician
1931–1940
- 1931 - Jacqueline de Ribes, French fashion designer and philanthropist
- 1931 - E. V. Thompson, English police officer and author
- 1932 - Rosey Grier, American football player and actor
- 1932 - Del Reeves, American country singer-songwriter
- 1933 - Robert Bourassa, Canadian lawyer and politician, 22nd Premier of Quebec
- 1933 - Dumaagiin Sodnom, Mongolian politician; 13th Prime Minister of Mongolia
- 1936 - Robert F. Overmyer, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut
- 1937 - Yoshiro Mori, Japanese journalist and politician, 55th Prime Minister of Japan
- 1938 - Jerry Rubin, American activist, author, and businessman
- 1938 - Tommy Vig, Hungarian vibraphone player, drummer, and composer
- 1939 - Karel Gott, Czech singer-songwriter and actor
- 1939 - George Edgar Slusser, American scholar and author
- 1940 - Susan Howatch, English author and academic
1941–1960
- 1941 - Maulana Karenga, American philosopher, author, and activist, created Kwanzaa
- 1941 - Andreas Khol, German-Austrian lawyer and politician
- 1942 - Javier Solana, Spanish physicist and politician, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs
- 1945 - Jim Gordon, American drummer and songwriter
- 1946 - Sue Lawley, English journalist
- 1946 - John Wood, Australian actor and screenwriter
- 1947 - John Blackman, Australian radio and television presenter
- 1947 - Claudia J. Kennedy, American general
- 1947 - Salih Neftçi, Turkish economist and author
- 1947 - Navin Ramgoolam, Mauritius physician and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Mauritius
- 1948 - Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu, Zulu king
- 1948 - Tom Latham, American politician
- 1948 - Earl Williams, American baseball player
- 1949 - Tommy Mottola, American businessman and music publisher
- 1950 - Bruce Oldfield, English fashion designer
- 1952 - Bob Casale, American guitarist, keyboard player, and producer
- 1952 - Franklin Graham, American evangelist and missionary
- 1952 - George Lewis, American musician and composer
- 1952 - Joel Silver, American actor and producer, co-founded Dark Castle Entertainment
- 1953 - Martha Coakley, American lawyer and politician, 58th Attorney General of Massachusetts
- 1955 - L. Brent Bozell III, American journalist and activist, founded the Media Research Center
- 1958 - Mircea Geoana, Romanian politician and diplomat, 97th Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs
- 1959 - Aubrey McClendon, American businessman
- 1960 - Anna Bligh, Australian politician, 37th Premier of Queensland
- 1960 - Kyle Gass, American singer-songwriter, musician, and actor
- 1960 - Angélique Kidjo, Beninese singer-songwriter, activist and actress
1961–2000
- 1962 - Vanessa Lawrence, English geographer and civil servant
- 1963 - Jacques Lacombe, Canadian organist and conductor
- 1971 - Howard Webb, English footballer and referee
- 1974 - David Mitchell, British comedian
- 1977 - Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden
- 1983 - Tito Muñoz, American conductor and academic
- 1988 - Jérémy Stravius, French swimmer; winner of five gold medals in Olympic and world championship competitions.
Deaths
pre-19th century
- 664 - Eorcenberht, king of Kent
- 809 - Otomo no Otomaro, Japanese general and Shogun
- 850 - Wei Fu, chancellor of the Tang Dynasty
- 937 - Arnulf I, duke of Bavaria
- 1223 - Philip II, king of France
- 1242 - Hojo Yasutoki, regent of Japan
- 1262 - Richard de Clare, 6th Earl of Gloucester, English soldier
- 1486 - Margaret of Denmark, daughter of Christian I of Denmark
- 1526 - John de Vere, 14th Earl of Oxford, English peer, landowner, and Lord Great Chamberlain of England
- 1575 - Richard Taverner, English translator
- 1614 - Camillus de Lellis, Italian priest and saint
- 1723 - Claude Fleury, French historian and author
- 1742 - Richard Bentley, English scholar and theologian
- 1766 - František Maxmilián Kanka, Czech architect
- 1774 - James O'Hara, 2nd Baron Tyrawley, Irish field marshal
- 1780 - Charles Batteux, French philosopher and academic
- 1789 - Jacques de Flesselles, French politician
- 1789 - Bernard-René de Launay, French politician
- 1790 - Ernst Gideon von Laudon, Austrian field marshal
19th century
- 1809 - Nicodemus the Hagiorite, Greek monk and saint
- 1816 - Francisco de Miranda, Venezuelan general
- 1817 - Germaine de Staël, French philosopher and author
- 1827 - Augustin-Jean Fresnel, French physicist and engineer, reviver of wave theory of light, inventor of catadioptric lighthouse lens
- 1834 - Edmond-Charles Genêt, French-American diplomat
- 1850 - August Neander, German historian and theologian
- 1856 - Edward Vernon Utterson, English lawyer and historian
- 1876 - John Buckley, English soldier, Victoria Cross recipient
- 1881 - Billy the Kid, American criminal
1901–1970
- 1904 - Paul Kruger, South African politician, 5th President of the South African Republic
- 1907 - William Henry Perkin, English chemist and academic
- 1910 - Marius Petipa, French dancer and choreographer
- 1917 - Octave Lapize, French cyclist
- 1918 - Quentin Roosevelt, American lieutenant and pilot
- 1936 - Dhan Gopal Mukerji, Indian-American author and scholar
- 1937 - Julius Meier, American businessman and politician, 20th Governor of Oregon
- 1939 - Alphonse Mucha, Czech painter and illustrator
- 1954 - Jacinto Benavente, Spanish author and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1965 - Adlai Stevenson II, American soldier and politician, 5th United States Ambassador to the United Nations
- 1966 - Julie Manet, French painter and art collector
- 1967 - Tudor Arghezi, Romanian author and poet
- 1968 - Konstantin Paustovsky, Russian author and poet
- 1970 - Preston Foster, American actor
post–1970
- 1974 - Carl Spaatz, American World War II general; commander of the Strategic Air Forces in Europe
- 1984 - Ernest Tidyman, American author and screenwriter; Academy Award winner for The French Connection
- 1986 - Raymond Loewy, French-American industrial designer
- 1989 - Frank Bell, English linguist and academic
- 1991 - Constance Stokes, Australian painter
- 1993 - Léo Ferré, Monacan singer-songwriter, pianist, and poet
- 1998 - Richard McDonald, American businessman, co-founded McDonald's
- 2000 - Pepo, Chilean cartoonist; creator of Condorito
- 2000 - William Roscoe Estep, American historian and academic
- 2001 - Guy de Lussigny, French painter
- 2002 - Joaquín Balaguer, Dominican lawyer and politician, 41st President of the Dominican Republic
- 2003 - François-Albert Angers, Canadian economist and academic
- 2005 - Joe Harnell, American pianist and composer
- 2005 - Cicely Saunders, English hospice founder
- 2017 - Maryam Mirzakhani, Iranian mathematician; only woman to win the Fields Medal, the most prestigious award in mathematics
Holidays and observances
Christian [feast day]s
- Boniface of Savoy
- Gaspar de Bono
- St Camillus of Lellis
- Deusdedit of Canterbury
- John Keble
- Samson Occom
Others
- Bastille Day
- International Non-Binary People's Day
- Republic Day
- Victoria Day. The birthday of Crown Princess Victoria is an official flag day in Sweden.