Box-office #1
The Empire Strikes Back
1980 · dir. Irvin Kershner
Wide US release on May 23, 1980. Goes on to become the highest-grossing film of the year.
Sci-fiStar Wars $538M worldwide
On this day
August 14 Friday, August 14, 2026
A curious almanac of what happened on August 14 across the years — history, birthdays, the songs that ruled the charts, the films that packed cinemas, and the science that nudged the world forward.
12
Events
7
Birthdays
4
Holidays
1784
US history 242 years ago
Russian colonization of North America: Awa'uq Massacre: The Russian fur trader Grigory Shelikhov storms a Kodiak Island Alutiit refuge rock on Sitkalidak Island, killing 500+ Alutiit.
Russian fur trader Grigory Shelikhov storms an Alutiiq refuge on Sitkalidak Island near Kodiak, killing over 500 in what becomes known as the Awa'uq Massacre.
History
What happened on August 14
12 verified entries Full timeline
- -74World history
A group of officials, led by the Western Han minister Huo Guang, present articles of impeachment against the new emperor, Liu He, to the imperial regent, Empress Dowager Shangguan.
Huo Guang leads a group of officials in presenting impeachment charges against Emperor Liu He to Empress Dowager Shangguan.
- -29World history
Octavian holds the second of three consecutive triumphs in Rome to celebrate the victory over the Dalmatian tribes.
Octavian celebrates his victory over the Dalmatian tribes with a grand triumphal parade through Rome.
- 1040UK history
King Duncan I is killed in battle against his first cousin and rival Macbeth. The latter succeeds him as King of Scotland.
Macbeth kills King Duncan I in battle, becoming the new ruler of Scotland.
- 1183World history
Taira no Munemori and the Taira clan take the young Emperor Antoku and the three sacred treasures and flee to western Japan to escape pursuit by the Minamoto clan.
Taira no Munemori leads Emperor Antoku and the three sacred treasures westward to evade Minamoto forces.
- 1264War
After tricking the Venetian galley fleet into sailing east to the Levant, the Genoese capture an entire Venetian trade convoy at the Battle of Saseno.
The Genoese deceive the Venetian fleet and capture a full trade convoy in the Battle of Saseno.
- 1352War
War of the Breton Succession: Anglo-Bretons defeat the French in the Battle of Mauron.
Anglo-Breton forces defeat a French army at the Battle of Mauron during the War of the Breton Succession.
- 1370European history
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, grants city privileges to Karlovy Vary.
Charles IV grants city privileges to Karlovy Vary, establishing the Bohemian spa town as an imperial city under his direct protection.
- 1592UK history
The first sighting of the Falkland Islands by John Davis.
John Davis sights the Falkland Islands, marking their first recorded discovery by a European explorer.
- 1598War
Nine Years' War: Battle of the Yellow Ford: Irish forces under Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, defeat an English expeditionary force under Henry Bagenal.
Irish forces led by Hugh O'Neill defeat an English army under Henry Bagenal at the Battle of the Yellow Ford.
- 1784US history
Russian colonization of North America: Awa'uq Massacre: The Russian fur trader Grigory Shelikhov storms a Kodiak Island Alutiit refuge rock on Sitkalidak Island, killing 500+ Alutiit.
Russian fur trader Grigory Shelikhov storms an Alutiiq refuge on Sitkalidak Island near Kodiak, killing over 500 in what becomes known as the Awa'uq Massacre.
- 1791World history
Slaves from plantations in Saint-Domingue hold a Vodou ceremony led by houngan Dutty Boukman at Bois Caïman, marking the start of the Haitian Revolution.
A Vodou ceremony led by houngan Dutty Boukman at Bois Caïman marks the beginning of the Haitian Revolution.
- 1842US history
American Indian Wars: Second Seminole War ends, with the Seminoles forced from Florida.
The Second Seminole War concludes, resulting in the forced relocation of Seminole tribes from Florida.
Born today
Famous birthdays on August 14
7 this date All birthdays
🎂 95
Frederic Raphael
American journalist, author, and screenwriter
Frederic Raphael, American-born British novelist and Oscar-winning screenwriter known for Darling, Two for the Road, and Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut, turns 94 today.
Born
1931
Turns 95
today
Paolo Sarpi
Italian writer
1552 – 1623
Doc Holliday
American dentist and gambler
1851 – 1887
Amaza Lee Meredith
American architect
1895 – 1984
Frank and John Craighead
American naturalists (twins, Frank d. 2001, John d. 2016)
b. 1916 · 110
Stanley A. McChrystal
American general
b. 1954 · 72
Magic Johnson
American basketball player and coach
b. 1959 · 67
Music
The number one songs on August 14
Across the years Full chart history
🇬🇧 #1 on August 14, 1981
"Stand and Deliver"
by Adam and the Ants
The dandy highwayman spent five weeks at the top — a brash, glam-pop coronation.
#1 for 5 weeks
Also #1 on this day
- 1965"Ticket To Ride"— The Beatles
- 1972"Metal Guru"— T. Rex
- 2003"Make Luv"— Room 5 ft. Oliver Cheatham
Film & TV
At the movies
Box office #1 and premieres All releases
🏆 Sport August 14, 1920
The 1920 Summer Olympics, having started four months earlier, officially open in Antwerp, Belgium, with the newly adopted Olympic flag and the Olympic oath being raised and taken at the Opening Ceremony for the first time in Olympic history.
The Olympic flag is raised and the Olympic oath is recited for the first time during the Opening Ceremony in Antwerp.
Read the story
🔬 Science August 14, 1995
Java 1.0 is unveiled
Sun Microsystems releases a programming language that will become the backbone of enterprise computing and Android.
Read the storyToday is also
Holidays & observances
4 celebrated today
National Navajo Code Talkers Day is a holiday in the United States honoring Navajo code talkers in the military.
International
A code talker was a person employed by the military during wartime to use a little-known language as a means of secret communication
Falklands Day is the celebration of the first sighting of the Falkland Islands by John Davis in 1592.
International
Falklands Day is the celebration of the first sighting of the Falkland Islands by John Davis in 1592, and is celebrated on 14 August
Independence Day celebrates the independence of Pakistan from the United Kingdom in 1947.
International
Independence Day, observed annually on 14 August, is a national holiday in Pakistan
Partition Horrors Remembrance Day commemorates the victims and sufferings of people during the Partition of India in 1947.
International
Partition Horrors Remembrance Day is an annual national memorial day observed on 14 August in India, commemorating the victims and sufferings of people during the 1947 partition of India
❝
Great restaurants are, of course, nothing but mouth-brothels. There is no point in going to them if one intends to keep one's belt buckled.
— Frederic Raphael · born August 14, 1931