The George W. Wells, launched on August 14, 1900, from Camden, Maine, was the world’s first six-masted schooner—a bold leap in maritime design and scale. Named for George Washington Wells, president of the American Optical Company in Southbridge, Massachusetts, the vessel drew a crowd of over 10,000 spectators to its launch. Measuring 325 feet in length and 48 feet in width, with masts towering over 119 feet, the Wells was the largest wooden schooner afloat in the world at the time. Built for the coastal cargo trade—hauling coal, lumber, and other bulk goods—it quickly became one of the most admired ships of its era. Though tragically lost in a storm off the coast of North Carolina in September 1913, its legacy endures as a symbol of American ingenuity, ambition, and the fleeting grandeur of the age of sail.
Image via Alamy
On August 14, 1776
Upon the arrival of the British at New York, George Washington addressed his troops, saying, “We must resolve to conquer or die; with this resolution, and the blessing of Heaven, Victory, and Success, certainly will attend us. There will then be a glorious issue to this Campaign, and the General will reward his brave Fellow Soldiers with every Indulgence in his power.“
From Washington Day by Day, published in 1895
Despite the raging Civil War, a moment of human empathy pierced the conflict. On August 14, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln personally intervened on behalf of a Confederate prisoner held at Camp Chase, Ohio. The prisoner’s wife—desperate to reach her husband—had come directly to the White House, pleading her case in person. Moved by her courage and concern, Lincoln telegraphed Captain Henry M. Lazella, the officer in charge—not to punish, but to connect: “Tell him his wife is here, and allow him to telegraph to her.” Lazella replied that same day, confirming Dr. J. J. Williams’s presence and the message delivered. This small act of compassion reveals a rarely seen side of wartime leadership—and the enduring bonds of family, even across enemy lines.
Image: Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio–Prison of the rebels captured by U. S. forces c. 1862
On August 14, 1900, Iowa born Calvin Pearl Titus of the U.S. Army’s 14th Infantry Regiment was the first to scale the wall of the Peking Palace in China during the Boxer Rebellion. When his fellow troops were pinned down by enemy fire and needed to gain a higher position to counter, Calvin responded to his
commander “I’ll try, Sir!” and courageously climbed the wall.
He received the Medal of Honor two years later.
Today the 14th Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army is known as “The Golden Dragons.”
Image via Wikimedia Commons, no known restrictions
Men are at battle stations watching for enemy planes and depth charges are ready on the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Nicholas which is enroute to the Vella Lavella landings on August 14, 1943.
Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Crowd in Times Square in New York City at the time of the announcement of the Japanese surrender on August 14, 1945
Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
“Kissing the War Goodbye”
Times Square, August 14, 1945
As news of Japan’s surrender swept through New York City, spontaneous celebration erupted in Times Square. In this U.S. Navy photograph by photojournalist Victor Jorgensen, a sailor embraces a woman in white—later identified as Greta Friedman, a dental assistant—as strangers became symbols of relief, joy, and the emotional release of war’s end. Captured at 5:51 p.m., the moment reflects both the exuberance and complexity of public memory: a kiss uninvited, yet immortalized. Unlike Alfred Eisenstaedt’s more famous version, Jorgensen’s image was published in The New York Times the following day and taken from a lower angle, foregrounding intimacy over spectacle. It remains in the public domain, a quieter echo of a day that changed the world.
Washington Monument during construction
August 14, 1879
via Library of Congress, no known restrictions
A Maryland Colonial currency note valued at “Two Dollars and Two-Thirds of a Dollar” that was printed according to a Resolve of the Annapolis Convention that took place on August 14, 1776.
via NYPL, no known restrictions
“Doc” was an appropriate nickname for John Henry Holliday, born August 14, 1851, due to his training at a Pennsylvania dental college. His reputation rests on his skill with cards and firearms and his presence with the Earp brothers at the 1881 O.K. Corral gunfight in Tombstone, Arizona Territory.
Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain in the US
A photo of FDR signing The Social Security Act on August 14, 1935.
First satellite photo of Earth taken on August 14, 1959 by NASA’s Explorer VI.
On August 14, 1966, NASA’s Lunar Orbiter 1 became the first American spacecraft to orbit the moon.
Earvin “Magic” Johnson, born August 14, 1959, in Lansing, Michigan, became one of basketball’s most electrifying figures—and a force for change off the court. His Magic Johnson Foundation, launched in 1991, has impacted hundreds of thousands annually through health screenings, scholarships, and community programs. On the hardwood, Magic’s legacy remains unmatched: his record for most career playoff assists in NBA history still stands, a testament to his vision, generosity, and game-changing brilliance.
Image of Magic Johnson with Los Angeles Laker’s coach Pat Riley in 1989 by Lacy Atkins via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
August 14, 1936
At the Summer Olympic Games in Berlin, captain of the U.S. Men’s Basketball Team, Joe Fortenberry, led his team to the first ever Gold Medal win (19-8) in Basketball.
Joe had 8 of Team USA’s 19 points versus Canada.
Why was the contest such a low scoring basketball game? It took place outdoors on a dirt court during a driving rain.
Image of Joe Fortenberry via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Ernest Thayer, the author of the famous baseball poem “Casey At The Bat” was born on August 14, 1863 in Lawrence, Massachusetts. You can read more about Thayer’s timeless poem here.
https://heartfelthistory.com/heartfelt-history-goes-back-back-way-back-casey-at-the-bat/
The fourth Philadelphia Mint building opened on August 14, 1969. It’s one of the largest and most productive mints in the world.
Charlotte Fowler Wells, born August 14, 1814, in Cohocton, New York, was a pioneering educator, publisher, and public intellectual who helped shape the popular reception of phrenology in 19th-century America. She taught the first formal class in phrenology in the United States, and later became president of the Fowler & Wells Company, a leading publisher and lecture bureau founded by her brothers Orson Squire Fowler and Lorenzo Niles Fowler. Married to Samuel Roberts Wells, she co-edited the American Phrenological Journal and helped establish the American Institute of Phrenology, blending scientific curiosity with reformist zeal.
Wells’s influence extended beyond cranial charts: she was a business manager, lecturer, and advocate for women’s rights and social reform. Her belief in science as a moral force shaped her public work, even as phrenology itself became increasingly contested. Into her eighties, she continued to publish and speak, remaining a visible figure in American intellectual life until her death on June 4, 1901, in West Orange, New Jersey.
On August 14, 1948, eight of an eventual 76 beavers were parachuted into the Chamberlain Basin wetlands region of Idaho. The Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game determined, correctly, that dropping the beavers by parachute was safer and cheaper than transport by truck. Shown is a beaver in his drop box in 1950.
Image from Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game via Wikimedia Commons, no known copyright, public domain in the US.
The Territory of Oregon was organized on August 14, 1848.
It lasted nearly 11 years until Oregon became a state in 1859.
Image: view of Portland, Oregon from the east c. 1858
via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Happy Birthday, Steve Martin
Born August 14, 1945, in Waco, Texas, Steve Martin began his journey into show business at Disneyland, where he worked at the Main Street Magic Shop as a teenager. There, he honed his skills in magic tricks, balloon animals, and comic timing, performing for guests and learning the art of crowd engagement.
His co-worker John McEuen, who later co-founded the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, helped spark Martin’s lifelong love of the banjo—a signature element of his act. From these humble beginnings, Martin evolved into one of America’s most beloved comedians, actors, and writers.
Image of Steve in 1963 via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
