This Day In History : May 14

1787 United States

Constitution of the United States

On May 14, 1787, delegates to the Constitutional Convention began to assemble in Philadelphia. Their task was daunting: to peacefully overthrow the new American government as defined by the Articles of Confederation.

Also on This Day in History May 14

Discover what happened on May 14 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.

Births on This Day, May 14
  • 1846 Pieter Cort van de Linden

    Dutch politician (Prime Minister of Netherlands 1913-18)

  • 1868 Magnus Hirschfeld

    German physician and gay rights advocate

  • 1900 Edgar Wind

    German art historian

  • 1922 Franjo Tuđman

    Croatian politician and President of Croatia (1990-1999)

  • 1929 Vladimir Antoshin

    International Chess Grandmaster (1964)

Deaths on This Day, May 14
  • 1919 Henry J. Heinz

    American businessman who founded the H. J. Heinz Company

  • 1643 Louis XIII

    King of France (1610-43)

  • 1893 Earnest E Kummer

    German mathematician (surface of Kummer)

  • 1912 August Strindberg

    'Father of modern Swedish Literature', Swedish dramatist and writer

  • 1998 Marjory Stoneman Douglas

    American journalist, conservationist (1st Lady of the Everglades) and women's suffrage advocate

1889

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children launched in London

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), a British child protection charity, was founded as the Liverpool Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (LSPCC) by Thomas Agnew.
1643

Louis XIV becomes King of France aged 4

Louis XIV, also known as the “Sun King,” ascended to the French throne at the tender age of four years and eight months. His father, Louis XIII, passed away on May 14, 1643, leaving young Louis as the ruler of a fractured, unstable, and nearly insolvent France.
1811

Paraguay gains independence from Spain

Paraguay’s de facto independence began on May 14, 1811, when a local ruling ‘junta’ was established following the May 14 Revolution.
1897

Anglo-Ethiopian Treaty

Great Britain signs treaty with Ethiopian Emperor Menelik II settling border issues with British Somaliland
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