| 14 April 1042 | Byzantine Empire [political events] | The Byzantine emperor Michael V is deposed, blinded, and succeeded by Theodora and Zoe, the popular but incompetent daughters of Constantine VIII. Their rule is marked by intrigue and corruption and weakens the Byzantine empire. |
| 14 April 1059 | Italy, Holy Roman Empire [Catholicism] | A decree governing the election of popes is made in a council held at the Lateran palace by Pope Nicholas II. In future the choice is to be made by the cardinal bishops; secular authorities, including the people of Rome and the Emperor, are allowed only a marginal role. |
| 14 April 1205 | Bulgaria, Latin Empire of Constantinople [wars] | Tsar Kalojan of Bulgaria defeats, captures, and executes the Latin emperor Baldwin of Constantinople at Adrianople (modern Edirne, Turkey). |
| 14 April 1471 | England [Wars of the Roses (1455–85)] | Having sailed from Burgundy to land at Ravenspur in Holderness, England, on 14 March, King Edward IV of England musters support and enters London, England, capturing Henry VI and annihilating the Lancastrian Neville forces in the fog at Barnet. The Lancastrian leaders, the Earl of Warwick and Lord Montague, die in battle. |
| 14 April 1574 | Holy Roman Empire, Spanish Netherlands [Dutch Revolt (1598–1609)] | Count Louis of Nassau, brother of William the Silent, Prince of Orange, and his invading army are annihilated on the heath at Mook by the Spanish forces of Luis de Requesens, the Habsburg governor of the Netherlands. |
| 14 April 1629 | UK, France [treaties] | The Peace of Susa ends the war between England and France. |
| 14 April 1629 | United Netherlands [births and deaths] | Christiaan Huygens, Dutch mathematician, astronomer, and physicist, who developed the wave theory of light, born in The Hague, United Netherlands (–1695). |
| 14 April 1632 | Sweden, Holy Roman Empire [Thirty Years War (1618–48)] | King Gustavus II Adolphus of Sweden defeats the imperialist army of Johan Tserclaes, Graf von Tilly, on the River Lech near the confluence of the rivers Lenz and Danube. Tilly is mortally wounded (he dies on 30 April). The Swedish army moves on to Ingolstadt, Bavaria, but is forced to raise the siege. |
| 14 April 1759 | Germany, England [births and deaths] | George Frideric Handel, German-born English baroque composer, whose best-known works include the oratorio Messiah (1741), dies in London, England (74). |
| 14–15 April 1912 | [ships and shipping] | The British luxury liner Titanic, carrying 2,224 people on its maiden transatlantic voyage, hits an iceberg 640 km/400 mi off the coast of Newfoundland and sinks causing the deaths of 1,513. One of the largest ships afloat (269 m/882 ft) it has a double-hulled bottom and is considered unsinkable. The accident leads to the first international convention for safety at sea, held in London, England, the following year, which draws up safety standards. |
| 14 April 1931 | Spain [political events] | Following municipal elections in Spain, Niceto Alcalá Zamora, leader of a revolutionary committee in Madrid, successfully demands the abdication of Alfonso XIII. Alcalá Zamora becomes president of a provisional government. |
| 14–17 April 1940 | UK, Norway [World War II (1939–45)] | British forces land at Namsos (14 April), and Åndalsnes (17 April), Norway, to assist the Norwegians against the invading German forces. Units from Åndalsnes reach the city of Lillehamer (21 May) before withdrawing. |
| 14 April 1976 | Morocco, Mauritania [political events] | Western Sahara is divided between Morocco and Mauritania. |
| 14 April 1983 | UK [telephone services] | BT (British Telecom) launches the first cordless phone in Britain, the Fidelity Wanderer. It costs £170 and is effective up to 180 m/600 ft from base. |
