Anniversaries and commemorations come and go daily. Most of us, even the best historians, miss most occasions. If we think of history as events then we are faced with a continually showering in the grains of sand. Nevertheless, we do pick out certain patterns in the remembrance of historical dates. The blog here reminds us of some dates where the local, state, national, and global perspectives entwine.
On 14, Monday April 1919, Auguste-Réal Angers, Canadian judge and politician, 6th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, died (b. 1919)
On 14, Friday April 1944, Bombay Explosion: The freighter SS Fort Stikine, carrying a mixed cargo of ammunition, cotton bales and gold, explodes in harbour at Bombay (India), sinking surrounding ships and killing around 800 people.
On 14, Tuesday April 1959, Steve Byrnes, American motorsports broadcaster, born (d. 2015)
On 14, Monday April 1969, Matilde Muñoz Sampedro, Spanish actress, died (b. 1900)
On 14, Saturday April 1979, Rebecca DiPietro, American model, born
On 14, Saturday April 1979, Pierre Roland, Indonesian actor, born
On 14, Saturday April 1979, Clarence Dillon, American financier, died (b. 1882)
On 14, Friday April 1989, The U.S. government seizes the Irvine, California, Lincoln Savings and Loan Association; Charles Keating (for whom the Keating Five were named) eventually goes to jail, as part of the massive 1980s savings and loan crisis which cost U.S. taxpayers nearly $200,000,000 in bailouts, and many people their life savings.
On 14, Thursday April 1994, Skyler Samuels, American actress, born
On 14, Thursday April 1994, Manuel Andújar, Spanish writer, died (b. 1913)
On 14, Thursday April 1994, Hugh Springer, Governor-General of Barbados, died (b. 1913)
On 14, Wednesday April 1999, A massive hailstorm hits Sydney, with most of the damage being centred on the Eastern Suburbs. It is the second most costliest natural disaster in Australian history, causing $1.7 billion in insured damages.
On 14, Wednesday April 1999, Kosovo War: NATO warplanes repeatedly bomb ethnic Albanian refugee convoys for 2 hours over a 12-mile stretch of road, after mistaking them for Serbian military trucks, between Đakovica and Dečani in western Kosovo, killing at least 73 refugees.
On 14, Wednesday April 1999, Ellen Corby, American actress, died (b. 1911)
On 14, Wednesday April 1999, Anthony Newley, English actor, singer and songwriter, died (b. 1931)
On 14, Tuesday April 2009, Max Lake, 84, winemaker and surgeon, died
On 14, Tuesday April 2009, Sir Marcus Loane, 97, Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Primate of Australia, died
On 14, Tuesday April 2009, Maurice Druon, French novelist, died (b. 1918)
On 14, Monday April 2014, Brian Harradine, 79, Senator for Tasmania (1975–2005), died
On 14, Monday April 2014, An estimated 276 girls and women are abducted and held hostage from a school in Nigeria.
Other On This Day days in history
Neville Buch