On This Day: 14 October

14 October in Indian history

• 1956B. R. Ambedkar, a leader of India's "Untouchable" caste, publicly converted to Buddhism and became the leader of the Dalit Buddhist movement.India

14 October in world history

• 2017An Al-Shabaab suicide bomber detonated a massive truck bomb at the Zobe junction in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, killing 587 people, injuring 316 others, and leaving more than 500 missing.
• 2012Felix Baumgartner jumped from a helium balloon in the stratosphere to become the first person to break the sound barrier without vehicular power.
• 2004Pinnacle Airlines Flight 3701 crashes in Jefferson City, Missouri. The two pilots (the aircraft's only occupants) are killed.
• 1994Yasser Arafat, Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres receive the Nobel Peace Prize for their role in the establishment of the Oslo Accords and the framing of future Palestinian self government.
• 1975An RAF Avro Vulcan bomber explodes and crashes over Żabbar, Malta after an aborted landing, killing five crew members and one person on the ground.
• 1966The Dutch Cals cabinet fell after Norbert Schmelzer, the leader of the government party, filed a successful motion against the budget, in what later became known as the Night of Schmelzer.
• 1964Members of the Politburo voted to remove Nikita Khrushchev as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and replace him with Leonid Brezhnev.
• 1947Flying the Bell X-1 over Muroc Army Air Field in California, Captain Chuck Yeager breaks the sound barrier in level flight, reaching Mach 1.05.
• 1942World War II: The German submarine U-69 (1940) sinks the Canadian passenger ferry SS Caribou approximately 20 nautical miles southwest of Port aux Basques, Newfoundland.
• 1939Second World War: The German submarine U-47 torpedoed and sank the Royal Navy battleship HMS Royal Oak while the latter was anchored at Scapa Flow in Orkney, Scotland.
• 1926The first book featuring English author A. A. Milne's fictional bear Winnie-the-Pooh was published.
• 1913The worst mining accident in the United Kingdom's history took place when an explosion resulted in 440 deaths at the Universal Colliery in Senghenydd, Wales.
• 1908The Chicago Cubs defeat the Detroit Tigers, 2–0, clinching the 1908 World Series; this would be their last until winning the 2016 World Series.
• 1863American Civil War: In the Battle of Bristoe Station, the Union II Corps surprised and repelled the Confederate attack on the Union rearguard, resulting in a Union victory.
• 1806War of the Fourth Coalition: Napoleon decisively defeats Prussia at the Battle of Jena–Auerstedt.
• 1774American Revolution: The First Continental Congress denounces the British Parliament's Intolerable Acts and demands British concessions.
• 1548Forces of the Burmese Toungoo dynasty led by King Tabinshwehti (depicted) departed Martaban to begin an invasion of the Ayutthaya Kingdom.

Born on 14 October

• 1981Gautam Gambhir, Indian cricketerIndia
• 1977Saeed Ajmal, Pakistani cricketer
• 1976Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sri Lankan cricketer
• 1940Cliff Richard, Indian-English singer-songwriter and actorIndia
• 1894Sail Mohamed, Algerian anarchist and Spanish Civil War veteran (died 1953)
• 1643Bahadur Shah I, Mughal emperor (died 1712)India

Died on 14 October

• 2015Radhakrishna Hariram Tahiliani, Indian admiral (born 1930)India
• 2006Klaas Runia, Dutch theologian and journalist (born 1926)
• 1984Martin Ryle, English astronomer and physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1918)
• 1240Razia Sultana, female sultan of Delhi (born c. 1205)India

Frequently asked questions

What happened on 14 October in history?

2017: An Al-Shabaab suicide bomber detonated a massive truck bomb at the Zobe junction in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, killing 587 people, injuring 316 others, and leaving more than 500 missing. 2012: Felix Baumgartner jumped from a helium balloon in the stratosphere to become the first person to break the sound barrier without vehicular power. 2004: Pinnacle Airlines Flight 3701 crashes in Jefferson City, Missouri. The two pilots (the aircraft's only occupants) are killed. 1994: Yasser Arafat, Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres receive the Nobel Peace Prize for their role in the establishment of the Oslo Accords and the framing of future Palestinian self government.

What happened on 14 October in Indian history?

1956: B. R. Ambedkar, a leader of India's "Untouchable" caste, publicly converted to Buddhism and became the leader of the Dalit Buddhist movement.

Which famous people were born on 14 October?

Gautam Gambhir, Indian cricketer (1981); Saeed Ajmal, Pakistani cricketer (1977); Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sri Lankan cricketer (1976); Cliff Richard, Indian-English singer-songwriter and actor (1940).

Which day is observed on 14 October?

Day of the Cathedral of the Living Pillar (Georgian Orthodox Church); Mother's Day (Belarus); National Education Day (Poland), formerly Teachers' Day; Nyerere Day (Tanzania); Second Revolution Day (Yemen).