This day in history: 14 june

Europa

• Founding of Munich (1158)
  On June 14, 1158, the city of Munich was officially founded by Henry the Lion on the banks of the river Isar, marking the beginning of what would become one of Germany’s most important cities.
• German Occupation of Paris (1940)
  On June 14, 1940, during World War II, German troops entered and occupied Paris. This event marked a dramatic turning point in the war, symbolizing the fall of France to Nazi Germany’s Blitzkrieg tactics. The occupation lasted until the city’s liberation in 1944.
• First Prisoners Arrive at Auschwitz (1940)
  On the same day, the first transport of Polish political prisoners arrived at Auschwitz concentration camp. This marked the beginning of Auschwitz as Nazi Germany’s largest concentration and extermination camp, where over a million people would ultimately perish.
• Sporting History: UEFA European Championship
  June 14 has also seen notable moments in European football history. For example, on this day, Henrik Larsson made a celebrated return for Sweden, and Klaus Allofs scored a hat-trick for Germany in a thrilling match, both during UEFA European Championship tournaments.
• Red Week Ends in Italy (1914)
  In 1914, June 14 marked the end of “Red Week” in Italy, a period of intense civil unrest and protests against militarism. Order was restored in cities like Ancona after a week of strikes and demonstrations that highlighted deep social and political divisions in pre-World War I Italy.

America

• Flag Day: Adoption of the U.S. Flag (1777)
  June 14 is celebrated as Flag Day in the United States, commemorating the adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the official flag by the Second Continental Congress in 1777. The resolution declared: “That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation”.
• Establishment of Flag Day as a Holiday
  The first formal observance of Flag Day was organized by Bernard J. Cigrand in 1885. President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation in 1916 establishing June 14 as Flag Day, and in 1949, Congress officially designated it as a national observance, though it is not a federal holiday.
• U.S. Army Birthday (1775)
  On June 14, 1775, the Continental Congress established the United States Army, making this date the official birthday of the U.S. Army. This was a crucial step in organizing colonial forces during the American Revolutionary War.
• Bear Flag Revolt (1846)
  On June 14, 1846, American settlers in California declared independence from Mexico, establishing the short-lived “Bear Flag Republic.” This event is commemorated in California’s history and is tied to the origins of the state flag.
• In 1900, Hawaii officially became a U.S. territory after President William McKinley signed the Hawaii Organic Act.
• On June 14, 1954, President Eisenhower signed a bill adding the phrase “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance.
• June 14 is also National Bourbon Day and World Blood Donor Day, both celebrated in the U.S..

Asia

• In 1276, while in exile in Fuzhou due to the advancing Mongol invaders, the remnants of the Song dynasty court held the coronation ceremony for Emperor Duanzong, marking a key moment in Chinese dynastic history.
• On June 14, 1285, during the Second Mongol invasion of Vietnam, forces led by Prince Trần Quang Khải of the Trần dynasty destroyed most of the invading Mongol naval fleet in the Battle of Chuong Duong, a significant Vietnamese victory.
• In 1287, Kublai Khan defeated the forces of Nayan and other traditionalist Borjigin princes in East Mongolia and Manchuria, consolidating his power within the Mongol Empire.
• China–Soviet Split (1963)
  On June 14, 1963, the ideological split between China and the Soviet Union became public through open letters. The USSR advocated for diplomatic “peaceful coexistence” with the West, while China pushed for a militant revolutionary approach, deepening the rift in global communism.
• In 1821, Badi VII, king of Sennar (in present-day Sudan), surrendered his throne to Ismail Pasha, a general of the Ottoman Empire, ending a 300-year-old Sudanese kingdom and expanding Ottoman influence in northeast Africa.
• In recent years, June has seen significant political and military developments in Asia, such as the 2024 border tensions on the Korean Peninsula, ongoing violence in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and renewed fighting in Myanmar, though these are not specifically tied to June 14.

Africa

• End of the Kingdom of Sennar (1821)
  On June 14, 1821, Badi VII, the king of Sennar (in present-day Sudan), surrendered his throne and realm to Ismail Pasha, a general of the Ottoman Empire. This event marked the end of the 300-year-old Sudanese kingdom and expanded Ottoman control further into northeast Africa.
• French Invasion of Algeria Begins (1830)
  On June 14, 1830, the French invasion of Algeria commenced as 34,000 French soldiers landed at Sidi Fredj, 27 kilometers west of Algiers. This landing marked the beginning of the French colonization of Algeria, which would have profound and lasting effects on the region’s history.
• World War II: North African Campaign (1940)
  On June 14, 1940, during the North African Campaign of World War II, British forces crossed from Egypt into Libya and captured Fort Capuzzo. This was an early Allied advance against Italian positions in North Africa and part of the broader struggle for control of the region.
• On the same day, British commander Neil Ritchie abandoned the Gazala line and began a rapid retreat to the Egyptian frontier, leaving troops in Tobruk isolated—a significant moment in the desert war between Axis and Allied forces.
• African American Soldiers and Equal Pay (1864, U.S. context)
  On June 14, 1864, the U.S. Congress ruled that African American soldiers must receive equal pay. While this event occurred in the United States, it is often highlighted in African and African diaspora history calendars for its significance in the global struggle for racial equality.