Summary of the Day ✨ 14 January (14/01)
Queen Margrethe II abdicated the Danish throne, making way for her son Frederik X as the new monarch, while terrorist explosions near Jakarta’s Sarinah Building killed seven people after ISIS claimed responsibility. Meanwhile, Thailand mourned 32 train passengers killed by a falling crane, Iran grieved 15 victims of a crashed Boeing 707, and Yemen declared open war against al-Qaeda.
Historical Events 📜
- 2026: Thirty-two people are killed when a crane falls onto a passenger train in Sikhio district, Thailand.
- 2024: Queen Margrethe II abdicates as Queen of Denmark and is succeeded by her son, Frederik X.
- 2019: A Saha Airlines Boeing 707 crashes at Fath Air Base near Karaj in Alborz Province, Iran, killing 15 people.
- 2016: Multiple explosions reported near the Sarinah Building, Jakarta, followed by shootout between perpetrators and the police, killing seven people. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claimed responsibility.
- 2010: Yemen declares an open war against the terrorist group al-Qaeda.
- 1993: Sinking of the MS Jan Heweliusz: In Poland’s worst peacetime maritime disaster, ferry MS Jan Heweliusz sinks off the coast of Rügen, drowning 55 passengers.
- 1973: Elvis Presley’s concert Aloha from Hawaii is broadcast live via satellite, and sets the record as the most watched broadcast by an individual entertainer in television history.
- 1972: Queen Margrethe II of Denmark ascends the throne, the first Queen of Denmark since 1412 and the first Danish monarch not named Frederik or Christian since 1513.
- 1969: USS Enterprise fire: An accidental explosion aboard the USS Enterprise near Hawaii kills 28 people.
- 1967: Counterculture of the 1960s: The Human Be-In takes place in San Francisco, California’s Golden Gate Park, launching the Summer of Love.
- 1960: The Reserve Bank of Australia, the country’s central bank and banknote issuing authority authorized by the 1959 Reserve Bank Act, is established.
- 1957: Kripalu Maharaj is named fifth Jagadguru (world teacher) after giving seven days of speeches before 500 Hindu scholars.
- 1954: The Hudson Motor Car Company merges with Nash-Kelvinator Corporation forming the American Motors Corporation.
- 1953: Josip Broz Tito is elected the first President of Yugoslavia.
- 1952: NBC’s long-running morning news program Today debuts, with host Dave Garroway.
Famous Births 👶
- 2002: JJ Peterka, German ice hockey player
- 2001: Cora Jade, American wrestler
- 2000: Jonathan David, Canadian soccer player
- 1999: Declan Rice, English footballer
- 1999: Emerson Royal, Brazilian footballer
- 1999: D’Andre Swift, American football player
- 1998: Maddison Inglis, Australian tennis player
- 1997: Francesco Bagnaia, Italian motorcycle racer
- 1994: Kai, South Korean singer, model, actor and dancer
- 1993: Daniel Bessa, Brazilian footballer
- 1993: David Nwaba, American basketball player
- 1992: Robbie Brady, Irish footballer
- 1992: Chieh-Yu Hsu, American tennis player
- 1992: Qiang Wang, Chinese tennis player
- 1990: Kacy Catanzaro, American athlete and wrestler
Notable Deaths 🕊️
- 2025: Arthur Blessitt, American Christian preacher (born 1940)
- 2025: Tony Slattery, British actor, comedian and television personality (born 1959)
- 2023: Mukarram Jah, 8th Nizam of Hyderabad (born 1933)
- 2021: Joel Robert, Belgian motorcycle racer (born 1943)
- 2018: Spanky Manikan, Filipino veteran actor (born 1942)
- 2018: Cyrille Regis, French Guianan-English footballer (born 1958)
- 2017: Zhou Youguang, Chinese sociologist, (born 1906)
- 2016: René Angélil, Canadian music producer, talent manager, and singer (born 1942)
- 2016: Alan Rickman, English actor (born 1946)
- 2015: Bob Boyd, American basketball player and coach (born 1930)
- 2015: Zhang Wannian, Chinese general (born 1928)
- 2014: Jon Bing, Norwegian author, scholar, and academic (born 1944)
- 2014: Juan Gelman, Argentinian poet and author (born 1930)
- 2014: Flavio Testi, Italian composer and musicologist (born 1923)
- 2013: Conrad Bain, Canadian-American actor (born 1923)
Holidays & Observances 🎉
- Christian feast day:
Barba’shmin - Christian feast day:
Devasahayam Pillai (Catholic Church) - Christian feast day:
Divina Pastora (Barquisimeto) - Christian feast day:
Eivind Berggrav (Lutheran) - Christian feast day:
Felix of Nola - Christian feast day:
Macrina the Elder - Christian feast day:
Odoric of Pordenone - Christian feast day:
January 14 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) - Defender of the Motherland Day (Uzbekistan)
- Feast of the Ass (Medieval Christianity)
- Flag Day (Georgia)
- National Forest Conservation Day (Thailand)
- Old New Year, and its related observance:
Azhyrnykhua (Abkhazia) - Old New Year, and its related observance:
Yennayer (Berbers) - Ratification Day (United States)