1914
Franz Ferdinand shot in Sarajevo
After a comically botched morning bombing, the Austrian archduke's driver took a wrong turn and rolled straight past a Bosnian Serb teenager named Gavrilo…
Panama Canal opens
After twenty-one thousand deaths from disease and accident, two nations' attempts, and a decade of American jungle work, the first ship steamed from Atlantic…
Japan enters WWI and seizes German Pacific colonies
Japan, bound by treaty to Britain, declared war on Germany and proceeded to take German possessions in China and the Pacific…
Germany invades Belgium, Britain declares war
Implementing a plan drawn up in 1905, German armies smashed through neutral Belgium aiming to swing around Paris.
Marne halts German advance
Paris taxis ferried reinforcements to the front as Joffre's armies counterattacked along the Marne.
US occupies Veracruz
A minor incident in Tampico led Woodrow Wilson to order the US Navy to seize Veracruz and cut off weapons flowing to Mexican strongman Victoriano Huerta.
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1914?
Saeculum lists 6 events from 1914. The most significant is Franz Ferdinand shot in Sarajevo.
What era was 1914 part of?
1914 falls within the Modern Era (1901-2000). World wars, cold war, and the splitting of the atom.
Which regions saw notable events in 1914?
The events from 1914 span Europe, North America and East Asia.