|
May 14.
1607. Jamestown, Virginia, is settled as an English colony.
1643. Four year old Louis XIV becomes King of France. The "Sun King" will rule until 1715 -- or 72 years, the longest reign of any European monarch. For most of his reign France is the leading power of Europe, and he will preside over three major wars and several minor ones. He is succeeded by his five year old great grandson, with all other heirs having predeceased him.
1804. The Lewis and Clark expedition begins, with the party departing from Camp Dubois (present day Hartford, Illinois, and sailing up the Missouri River.
1913. The Rockefeller Foundation is chartered, beginning with a $100 million donation from John D. Rockefeller.
1940. The Netherlands surrender to Germany.
1948. Israel is declared as an independent state, and is immediately attacked by her Arab neighbors, beginning the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
1955. Eight communist countries, including the USSR, sign a treaty called the Warsaw Pact.
|