1914 History Events: What Happened in 1914

It’s difficult to discuss 1914 without mentioning the Panama Canal’s opening and, of course, the outbreak of World War I. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria by Gavrilo Princip, a 19-year-old Serbian nationalist, on June 28th sparked the conflict. Austria-Hungary responded by attacking Belgrade, Serbia’s capital, drawing Russia into the conflict and prompting Germany to declare war on Russia and its ally, France. In response to Germany’s invasion of neutral Belgium, the United Kingdom declared war on them. President Woodrow Wilson declared the US neutral and attempted, but failed, to broker a peace between the Allies (the United Kingdom, France, and Russia) and the Central European powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary. In the summer of 1918, the United States joined the Allies in the war, and played a major part in the Allies’ triumph in November of that year.

The arts had a better year than most, as legendary English actor Charlie Chaplin made his debut in the comedy short Making a Living on February 2nd. Soon after, he starred in Kid Auto Races in Venice as his most famous character, “The Tramp,” and in Tillie’s Punctured Romance, one of the year’s most popular pictures.

In sports, Babe Ruth made his big league debut, while Honus Wagner of the Pittsburgh Pirates became the first player to reach 3000 career hits in the twentieth century. In science and technology, British archaeologist Katherine Routledge conducted the first exploration of the enigmatic Easter Island, while Florida’s St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line made the first scheduled passenger trip. American author William S. Burroughs, English actor Alec Guinness of Star Wars fame, and Soviet leader Yuri Andropov were all born in 1904.

Continue reading to find out more about the events of 1914.

Event
(March 30, 1914) Sonny Boy Williamson, an American blues performer and harmonica master, was born in Jackson, Tennessee.
Advertisements (June 27, 1914) The Illinois Monument is dedicated at Cheatham Hill, which is today part of the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.
(June 28, 1914) Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his consort, Sophie, at Sarajevo, Bosnia, on this day in 1914, sparking World War I.
(July 23, 1914) Austria-Hungary presents a list of demands to the Kingdom of Serbia in the form of an ultimatum, demanding that Serbia enable the Austrians to investigate the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Austria declares war on July 28 after Serbia accepts all but one of their requests.
(August 05, 1914) The first electric traffic light is built in Cleveland, Ohio.