On This Day in History: December 14

The Muslim scholar and polymath al-Khwarizmi is believe to be born in Uzbekistan, c. September 780 BCE. He was a mathematician active during the Islamic Golden Age, who is known as the “father of algebra.” and for his introduction of the Hindu-Arabic numeral system (0-9) to Europe. Expand +

Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, is significantly damaged by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake. More

A massive flood known as the "Saint Lucia's flood" strikes the Netherlands, causing widespread destruction. along the North Sea coast devastating the province of Friesland and killing an estimated 50,000 to 80,000 people. In response, a dike was built between the villages of Beetgum and Britsum, which was a major step in reclaiming a large inland sea area called Bordine.

A heavy storm over the North Sea generated surging waves that collapsed a thin land barrier, flooding the Zuiderzee inlet and causing more than 50,000 casualties. The flood, called the St. Lucia flood, has been rated as one of the most destructive floods in recorded history. The event also created direct sea access for the village of Amsterdam, allowing its development into a major port city.

King James V of Scotland dies on December 14, 1542, leaving his infant daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots, as his heir. He died just six days after Mary was born, following a military defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss.

Alabama is admitted into the United States Union becoming the 22nd State of the Union.

Quantum Theory is born when German theoretical physicist Max Planck shares his hypothesis that radiation energy is emitted, not continuously, but rather in discrete packets called quanta. The energy E of the quantum is related to the frequency ν by E = hν. The quantity h, now known as Planck’s constant, is a universal constant with the approximate value of 6.62607 × 10−34 joule-second. In 1905 Einstein extended Planck’s hypothesis to explain the photoelectric effect. More

Roald Amundsen’s Norwegian polar team was the first to reach the geographic South Pole on December. Five weeks later, on January, 1904, the polar team led by Robert Falcon Scott was the second. Scott's party of five died on the return journey from the pole. More

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is officially established in Baghdad, Iraq.

Mariner 2, an American space probe, becomes the first spacecraft to successfully fly by Venus.

The Dayton Agreement is signed, ending the Bosnian War with the goal of achieving peace in the Balkans.

Twenty first graders from Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut and six school employees are killed by Adam Lanza before turning a gun on himself. Earlier the same day, he killed his mother at the home they shared. More

The first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are administered in the United Kingdom, marking the beginning of vaccination campaigns worldwide.