This Day In History, May 14th.
Five Historical Events That Happened on May 14th.
In 1607, English colonists commanded by Captain John Smith established the first permanent English settlement in North America in Jamestown, Virginia.
In 1796, English physician Edward Jenner gave the first effective smallpox vaccination to an eight-year-old child, opening the path for the disease's abolition.
Following the approval of a resolution by the United Nations General Assembly in November 1947, the independent state of Israel was declared in 1948.
1973: The United States launched the Skylab space station into orbit above Earth, which would be manned by teams of astronauts in three consecutive missions for a total of 171 days.
Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark married Australian-born Mary Donaldson at Copenhagen Cathedral in 2004, in what was dubbed Denmark's "wedding of the century."
May 14th, 1607: English colonists, led by Captain John Smith, landed at Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in North America.
On May 14, 1607, a group of English colonists sponsored by the Virginia Company arrived in what is now known as Jamestown, Virginia. It was named after King James I of England, as it was the first permanent English settlement in North America. In their early years, the colonists encountered several hardships, including sickness, famine, and confrontation with Native American tribes, but they eventually established a foothold in the New World. Captain John Smith was instrumental in the settlement's early success, making ties with local Indians and directing trading excursions up the Chesapeake Bay.
1796: English physician Edward Jenner administered the first successful smallpox vaccine to an eight-year-old boy, paving the way for the eradication of the disease.
On May 14, 1796, Edward Jenner, an English physician, delivered the first effective smallpox vaccine to an eight-year-old kid. Jenner had observed that milkmaids who had cowpox, a milder disease than smallpox, appeared to be resistant to smallpox. He carried out a series of studies in which he infected them with cowpox and then exposed them to smallpox. He discovered that cowpox immunization protected people from smallpox, and he named this procedure vaccination after the Latin word for cow, vacca.
Jenner's finding was a huge medical breakthrough that prepared the path for the abolition of smallpox. In 1967, the World Health Organization initiated a global smallpox eradication effort, and the last confirmed case occurred in Somalia in 1977. Smallpox was proclaimed eliminated in 1980, making it the first and only human disease eradicated with immunization.
1948: The independent state of Israel was proclaimed, following the adoption of a resolution by the United Nations General Assembly in November 1947.
David Ben-Gurion, the chairman of the Jewish Agency, declared the formation of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948. This came after the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution in November 1947 calling for the partition of Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab governments.
The proclamation of the State of Israel was welcomed with excitement and celebration by Jews all over the world, but it also sparked a conflict with the neighboring Arab countries, which opposed the partition plan and fought to prevent the foundation of a Jewish state in the region. The Arab-Israeli War lasted many months and resulted in the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs as well as the founding of Israel as an independent nation.
1973: The United States launched the Skylab space station into orbit around Earth, which would be occupied by teams of astronauts for a total of 171 days in three separate missions.
The United States launched the Skylab space station into orbit above Earth on May 14, 1973. Skylab was the first American space station, built to undertake scientific study in subjects such as astronomy, meteorology, and medicine.
Skylab, which consisted of a primary workshop module, a solar observatory module, and an airlock module, was launched by a Saturn V rocket. The space station was manned by astronaut crews for a total of 171 days in three distinct trips between 1973 and 1974. The astronauts conducted a wide range of experiments and observations in Skylab, including studies of the Sun, Earth, and other celestial bodies.
Skylab was finally deorbited in 1979, and some of its components burnt up in the Earth's atmosphere, while others plummeted to Earth in uncontrolled reentries.
2004: The wedding of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Australian-born Mary Donaldson took place at the Copenhagen Cathedral, in what was described as Denmark's "wedding of the century."
Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark married Australian-born Mary Donaldson in a grandiose wedding at Copenhagen Cathedral on May 14, 2004. Many leaders and royals from across the world attended the wedding, which was broadcast live to millions of people.
Frederik and Mary's wedding was deemed a fairy tale romance since they met at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, when Mary was working as a marketing consultant. They fell in love and began a long-distance romance, which culminated to their 2003 engagement.
The bride wore a gorgeous gown made by Danish designer Uffe Frank, while the groom wore a military uniform to the ceremony. Before attending a reception at the royal palace, the newlyweds traveled in a horse-drawn carriage through the streets of Copenhagen, waving to delighted onlookers.
The marriage of Frederik and Mary was hailed "the wedding of the century" in Denmark, and it was viewed as a sign of optimism and rejuvenation for the Danish monarchy.