Holidays Calendar for October 14, 2024
National Heritage Day is a public holiday in the Turks and Caicos Islands celebrated on the second Monday in October. It was established in 2014 to replace Columbus Day.
Public Holidays →
USA,
American Virgin Islands,
Guam,
American Samoa,
Northern Mariana Islands,
Puerto Rico
Columbus Day in the United States
Columbus Day is one of the federal holidays in the United States. It is observed on the second Monday in October. Columbus Day celebrates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s first arrival to the Americas in 1492.
On October 14, the Georgian Orthodox Church celebrates the Day of Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of the Living Pillar, is one of the most venerated places of worship in Georgia.
Thanksgiving Day is mostly known as an American holiday, but it is also celebrated in Canada, where it falls on the second Monday in October.
Liberation Day is an important national holiday in Yemen celebrated on October 14. It commemorates the revolts against the British in South Yemen that eventually led to the independence of South Yemen.
Health and Sports Day (Taiiku no Hi) is a Japanese public holiday celebrated on the second Monday in October. It was established in 1966 to promote sports and a healthy lifestyle. The original date of the holiday was October 10, but in 2000 it was moved to create a long weekend.
Norfolk Island Agricultural Show is an annual event held in October. The culmination of the show falls in the second Monday in October, it is an official public holiday in the Territory of Norfolk Island.
October 14 is Julius Nyerere Day in Tanzania. This public holiday commemorates the death anniversary of Julius Kambarage Nyerere, the first President of Tanzania who is referred to as the Father of the Nation.
National Heroes' Day is a public holiday in the Bahamas celebrated on the second Monday of October. It was officially established in 2013, replacing Discovery Day (also known as Columbus Day).
On the second Monday of October, the citizens of Sint Maarten, a small island country in the Caribbean, celebrate Constitution Day. This public holiday was established to commemorate the day when the current Constitution of Sint Maarten entered into force.
Public Holidays →
American Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands–Puerto Rico Friendship Day in the US Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands–Puerto Rico Friendship Day is celebrated in the United States Virgin Islands on the second Monday of October, coinciding with Columbus Day. This public holiday honors Puerto Ricans residing in the U.S. Virgin Islands and their contributions.
Public Holidays →
Venezuela,
Uruguay,
Guatemala,
Costa Rica,
Chile,
Colombia,
Argentina,
Belize
Día de la Raza (Columbus Day in Latin America)
On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas for the first time. The anniversary of his arrival is celebrated in the United States as Columbus Day. However, this name is frowned upon in Hispanic countries and Belize because it is associated with colonization and the oppression of indigenous peoples. The most common alternative name for the holiday is Día de la Raza (Day of the [Hispanic] Race).
The Intercession of the Theotokos, also known as the Feast of Intercession and the Protection of the Theotokos, is one of the great feasts celebrated by the Eastern Orthodox Church. It is celebrated on October 1; churches that follow the Julian calendar observe it on October 14 in the Gregorian calendar.
World Standards Day is a global observance held annually on October 14. It was officially established in 1970 by Faruk Sünter, President of the International Organization for Standardization at the time.
World Cavity-Free Future Day is an annual awareness campaign held on October 14 to raise awareness of the dangers of tooth decay and the importance of oral hygiene. It was initiated by the global non-profit organization Alliance for a Cavity-Free Future.
Wine lovers from all over the world celebrate International Prokupac Day annually on October 14. This holiday was created to raise awareness of an indigenous Serbian red wine grape variety and raise the profile of Serbian wines at an international level.
World Metropolitan Day is celebrated every October to commemorate the adoption of the Montreal Declaration on Metropolitan Areas and highlight the global importance of metropolises.
National Education Day is a Polish holiday celebrated on October 14. It commemorates the establishment of the Commission of National Education in 1773. It is one of the national holidays which are not non-working days.
Tajikistani entrepreneurs celebrate their professional holiday annually on October 14. Entrepreneur’s Day in Tajikistan was officially inaugurated by the country’s president Emomali Rahmon in 2015.
Chișinău Day is an official municipal holiday celebrated in the Moldovan capital on October 14 every year. Unlike in many cities in the former Soviet Republics, it doesn’t commemorate Chișinău’s foundation or liberation from the Nazi occupation during WWII. Instead, it honors the city’s oldest church and its patron saint.
14 October Democracy Day is an official memorial day in Thailand. It was established in 2003 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 1973 popular uprising, which ended Thanom Kittikachorn’s military dictatorship and altered the country’s political system, reverting it back to democracy.
Even if you try to avoid eating too much sugar, you can make an exception and indulge yourself on October 14 when the National Dessert Day is celebrated. This food holiday is the perfect excuse to eat a piece of cake, a sundae, a cupcake, or any other type of dessert you like.
Shrimp Sandwich Day (Räkmackans dag, also translated as Prawn Sandwich Day) is celebrated in Sweden on October 14 every year. This fun holiday was created in honor of an iconic dish of Swedish cuisine.
Indigenous Peoples' Day is celebrated in some localities in the United States on the second Monday in October. This observance was originally designed as a counter-celebration to Columbus Day, a federal holiday which celebrates Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas.
Mother's Day is celebrated in most countries of the world, although its date varies from country to country. For example, Belarusians celebrate the holiday dedicated to mothers on October 14. This day was officially designated as Mother's Day in Belarus in 1996.
Festivals on October 14, 2024
- VGIK International Student Festival in Moscow, Russia
- Paris Motor Show in Paris, France
- Nada no Kenka Matsuri in Himeji, Japan
- Texas Renaissance Festival in Todd Mission, USA
- Festival Kreol in Seychelles in Victoria, Seychelles
- International Alba White Truffle Fair in Alba, Italy
- Celtic Colours International Festival in Cape Breton Island, Canada
- Warsaw International Film Festival in Warsaw, Poland
- Film Fest Gent in Ghent, Belgium
- BFI London Film Festival in London, United Kingdom
- Screamfest Horror Film Festival in Los Angeles, USA
- Carolina Renaissance Festival in Huntersville, USA
- CinEast Film Festival in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
- Roma Jazz Festival in Rome, Italy
- Melbourne Fringe Festival in Melbourne, Australia
This Day in History
- 2022 Died: Robbie Coltrane (born Anthony Robert McMillan), Scottish actor who gained worldwide recognition for playing Rubeus Hagrid in the Harry Potter film series.
- 2014 A snowstorm disaster occurred in central Nepal. Unusually severe snowstorms and avalanches killed at least 43 people and injured 175.
- 2014 Austrian skydiver, daredevil and BASE jumper Felix Baumgartner became the first person to break the sound barrier outside a vehicle.
- 2002 Died: Norbert Schultze, German composer of film music. He is best known for writing the melody of the popular love song "Lili Marleen".
- 2001 Born: Rowan Blanchard, American actress and activist. She rose to prominence after playing Riley Matthews on the Disney Channel series Girl Meets World.
- 1994 Quentin Tarantino's black comedy crime film Pulp Fiction was released in the United States. The film was nominated for seven Oscars and won one.
- 1985 Died: Emil Gilels, Soviet pianist who is considered to be one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century. He has a very extensive repertoire.
- 1984 Died: Martin Ryle, English radio astronomer who was awarded the 1974 Nobel Prize in Physics for his pioneering research in radio astrophysics.
- 1980 Died: Leonard Bernstein, American composer, conductor, pianist, and music lecturer. He is one of the most successful musicians in American history.
- 1980 Born: Ben Whishaw, English actor of stage and screen known for his roles in Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, Cloud Atlas, and Skyfall, as well as for voicing Paddington Bear.
- 1979 The National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights took place in Washington, D.C. It drew between 75,000 and 125,000 participants.
- 1978 Born: Usher (Usher Terry Raymond IV), American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. He is recognized as an influential figure in contemporary R&B and pop music.
- 1977 Died: Bing Crosby, American singer and actor noted for his warm bass-baritone voice, one of the best selling recording artists of the 20th century.
- 1973 Born: George Floyd, African-American man who was murdered by a police officer in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. His death brought international attention to the Black Lives Matter movement.
- 1965 Died: Randall Jarrell, American poet, novelist, essayist, and literary critic. One of his best known works is Pictures from an Institution (1954).
- 1964 Leonid Brezhnev became the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the USSR, succeeding Nikita Khrushchev.
- 1962 The Cuban Missile Crisis began when a U-2 flight piloted by Major Richard Heyser took photos of Soviet ballistic missiles deployed in Cuba.
- 1960 Died: Abram Ioffe, Soviet physicist who is widely regarded as the "Father of Soviet physics". He established a number of research laboratories.
- 1959 Died: Errol Flynn, Australian-American actor known for his roles in Captain Blood, The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Sea Hawk, That Forsyte Woman, etc.
- 1947 Captain Chuck Yeager of the United States Air Force became the first pilot to break the sound barrier in level flight. He flew a Bell X-1 aircraft.
- 1944 Died: Erwin Rommel, renowned German field marshal of the Second World War. Hitler forced Rommel to commit suicide with a cyanide pill.
- 1940 Born: Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb), British singer, musician, actor, and philanthropist. He has sold over 21 million singles in the United Kingdom.
- 1939 Born: Ralph Lauren (born Ralph Lifshitz), American fashion designer, business executive, and philanthropist who founded Ralph Lauren Corporation.
- 1927 Born: Roger Moore, English actor. He is best known for playing James Bond in seven films between 1973 and 1985. He is the oldest actor to portray Bond.
- 1926 The children's novel Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne was first published. Portions of the book were adapted from previously published stories.
- 1893 Born: Lillian Gish, American actress, director, and writer whose prolific career spanned 75 years. She was called The First Lady of American Cinema.
- 1890 Born: Dwight D. Eisenhower, prominent American general and statesman. Eisenhower served as the 34th President of the United States from 1953 until 1961.
- 1888 Born: Katherine Mansfield, New Zealand and British short story writer. She is considered to be one of the most prominent modernist authors.
- 1884 American innovator and entrepreneur George Eastman (founder of Eastman Kodak) received a United States patent on his photographic film.
- 1644 Born: William Penn, English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and early Quaker. He is primarily remembered as the founder of Pennsylvania.
- 1066 The Battle of Hastings was fought between the Norman-French army of Duke William II of Normandy and an English army under King Harold II. It began the Norman conquest of England.