August 14
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1945: The end of the war in the Pacific
On this day in 1945, U.S. Pres. Harry S. Truman announced that Japan had surrendered. The following day a radio address by Emperor Hirohito was broadcast throughout the country—though he declared the “acceptance” of the Allies’ terms and never used the word “surrender.” This came days after atomic bombs had been dropped on Hiroshima (August 6) and Nagasaki (August 9). The official surrender ceremony was held on September 2, thereby ending the largest—and bloodiest war—in history.
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Featured Event
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Originally started in 1248, construction of the cathedral (Kölner Dom) in Cologne, Germany—the largest Gothic church in northern Europe and the city’s major landmark—was finally completed on this day in 1880. [Test your knowledge of iconic monuments.]
Featured Biography
Featured Biography
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Born this day in 1966, Halle Berry in 2002 became the first African American to win the Academy Award for best actress, earning the honour for her nuanced portrayal of Leticia Musgrove in Monster’s Ball (2001).
Famous Birthdays
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2016
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt won the 100-metres at the Rio de Janeiro Games, becoming the first person to win the event in three consecutive Olympics; he later claimed an unprecedented third straight gold medal in the 200-metres. [Take our track and field quiz.]
Bernard Gotfryd Photograph Collection, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (reproduction no. LC-DIG-gtfy-02725)
2004
Polish-born poet, essayist, and critic Czesław Miłosz—who was considered one of the major poets of the 20th century and won the 1980 Nobel Prize for Literature—died at age 93. [Sort fact from fiction in our poetry quiz.]
Image: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1994
Venezuelan militant Carlos the Jackal, who orchestrated some of the highest-profile terrorist attacks of the 1970s and ’80s, was captured by French agents in Sudan; he was later sentenced to life in prison for his crimes. [Take our criminality and famous outlaws quiz.]
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1959
American basketball player Magic Johnson, who led the National Basketball Association (NBA) Los Angeles Lakers to five championships, was born in Lansing, Michigan. [Test your knowledge of basketball player nicknames.]
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1941
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued the Atlantic Charter, a joint declaration that stated, among other points, that they desired no territorial changes without the free assent of the peoples concerned. [Take our quiz about famous documents.]
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1935
U.S. Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act, establishing a permanent national old-age pension system through employer and employee contributions. [How much do you know about U.S. history?]
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1917
China declared war on Germany and Austria-Hungary during World War I. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about World War I.]
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1900
An international force seized Beijing to crush the Boxer Rebellion. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about China.]
Image: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1457
The first book printed in Europe with a colophon bearing the name of the printer was completed in Mainz, Germany. [Test your knowledge of European history.]