August 14

1457 The first book ever printed is published by a German astrologer named Faust. He is thrown in jail while trying to sell books in Paris. Authorities concluded that all the identical books meant Faust had dealt with the devil.

1559 Spanish explorer de Luna enters Pensacola Bay, Florida.

1605 The Popham expedition reaches the Sagadahoc River in present-day Maine and settles there.

1756 French commander Louis Montcalm takes Fort Oswego, New England, from the British.

1793 Republican troops in France lay siege to the city of Lyons.

1900 The European allies enter Beijing, relieving their besieged legations from the Chinese Boxers.

1917 The Chinese Parliament declares war on the Central Powers.

1942 Dwight D. Eisenhower is named the Anglo-American commander for Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa.

1945 Japan announces its unconditional surrender in World War II.

1947 Pakistan becomes an independent country.

1969 British troops arrived Northern Ireland in response to sectarian violence between Protestants and Roman Catholics.

1973 The United States ends the "secret" bombing of Cambodia.

1987 Mark McGwire hits his 49th home run of the season, setting the major league home run record for a rookie.

1995 Shannon Faulker becomes the first female cadet in the long history of South Carolina’s state military college, The Citadel. Her presence was met with intense resistance, reportedly including death threats, and she left the school a week later.

2007 Four co-ordinated suicide bomb attacks in Yazidi towns near Mosul, Iraq, kill more than 400 people.

2010 First-ever Summer Youth Olympic Games open, in Singapore. Athletes must be 14–18 years old.

Born on August 14

1777 Hans Christian Oersted, Danish scientist who discoverd electromagnetism.

1863 Ernest L. Thayer, author of the poem "Casey at the Bat."

1925 Russell Baker, author and columnist for The New York Times.

1938 Niara Shudarkasa, educator and first woman president of Lincoln University.

1945 Steve Martin, American comedian, actor, musician and screenwriter, his many awards include a Lifetime Achievement in Comedy (American Comedy Awards, USA), several Emmys, and Grammys for Best Comedy Album (1977, 1979) and Best Bluegrass Album (2009, 2013)

1947 Danielle Steel, the fourth-bestselling author of all time.

1950 Gary Larson, cartoonist (The Far Side).

1966 Halle Berry, actress, her many awards include a Golden Globe (Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, TV movie) and and an Oscar (Monster’s Ball).

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