On 14 August in poetry and history
Poets born or who died on this date, plus historical events that happened on this day across history.
610 poets with calendar dates · 6,535 events with calendar dates in the catalogue
1 birthday · 1 death anniversary · 7 world events on 14 August
Birthdays
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Letitia Elizabeth Landon
14 August 1802 – 15 October 1838 (~36)
Born 14 August 1802 — would have been 224 in 2026
Death anniversaries
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Alfred Kreymborg
10 December 1883 – 14 August 1966 (~83)
Died 14 August 1966 — 60 years ago on this date
World events on this day
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Battle of Aljubarrota secures Portuguese independence
On August 14, 1385, the Battle of Aljubarrota was fought between the Portuguese forces of King John I, supported by English allies, and the Castilian army of King John I of Castile. The Portuguese victory was decisive, securing Portugal's independence from Castile and ending the 1383-1385 Crisis. The battle was a turning point in Portuguese history, establishing the House of Aviz as the ruling dynasty and cementing the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance as a cornerstone of Portuguese foreign policy.
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Social Security Act 1935 Creates American Unemployment and Old-Age Insurance
President Roosevelt's Social Security Act of 1935 created compulsory federal insurance against unemployment and old age in the United States, representing the most significant American response to the mass loss and destitution of the Great Depression.
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Battle of the Yellow Ford
On August 14, 1598, the Irish forces of Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, and his ally Hugh O'Donnell defeated an English army at the Battle of the Yellow Ford near Armagh. The battle was a major victory for the Irish confederacy and a significant setback for the English, who lost over 2,000 men. The victory boosted the morale of the Irish rebels and attracted international attention, encouraging Spain to send military aid to Ireland.
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Battle of Badajoz
On August 14, 1936, Nationalist forces under General Juan Yagüe stormed and captured the fortified border city of Badajoz, Extremadura, after several days of shelling and street fighting. The battle cut off the Spanish Republic from neighboring Portugal and linked the northern and southern zones of Nationalist control. Following the battle, Nationalist troops carried out a massacre of Republican supporters, with estimates of the dead ranging from 500 to 4,000, in one of the worst atrocities of the war.
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British Post Office Rejects Telephone
In 1876, the British Post Office chief engineer famously rejected the telephone, asserting that the existing messenger boy system was sufficient for communication needs. This dismissal highlighted the resistance to technological innovation in Britain at the time. The eventual acceptance of the telephone would revolutionize communication, but this moment serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by emerging technologies.
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Battle of Santander
From August 14 to September 17, 1937, the Battle of Santander was fought in Cantabria, northern Spain, as Nationalist and Italian forces under General Fidel Dávila destroyed the Republican Army of the North. The fall of Santander on August 26 assured the Nationalist conquest of the province and marked the end of organized Republican resistance in northern Spain. The battle resulted in the capture of tens of thousands of Republican prisoners, who were subjected to brutal conditions in Nationalist prison camps.
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Atlantic Charter
The Atlantic Charter was a pivotal document issued on August 14, 1941, by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. It outlined key principles for a post-war world, emphasizing self-determination, economic cooperation, and collective security. This charter not only solidified the alliance between the U.S. and the U.K. but also laid the groundwork for the establishment of the United Nations, influencing global geopolitics for decades to come.