On This Day in History

July 14

Historical Events

Storming of the Bastille

1789 The French Revolution begins with the storming of the Bastille Prison in Paris. Now celebrated as France's national day.

1798 US Sedition Act prohibits "any false, scandalous, and malicious writing" about the government.

1850 First public demonstration of ice made via refrigeration, by Florida physician John Gorrie.

1933 All non-Nazi political parties are banned in Germany.

1992 386BSD is released by Lynne Jolitz and William Jolitz, starting the open source operating system revolution. Linus Torvalds releases Linux soon afterwards.

More Historical Events

Famous Birthdays

Gertrude Bell 1868 - 1926 William Hanna 1910 - 2001

Gerald Ford 1913 - 2006 Ingmar Bergman 1918 - 2007

Also Phoebe Waller-Bridge (39) and Conor McGregor (36).

More Famous Birthdays

Famous Deaths

Johan Willem Friso 1687 - 1711 Billy the Kid 1859 - 1881

Also Adlai Stevenson II and Cicely Saunders.

More Famous Deaths

France Celebrates Bastille Day

July 14 is Bastille Day, marking the fall in 1789 of the massive Paris fortress, the start of the French Revolution and the end of the country’s monarchy.

History of Bastille Day