◆ On this day

August 14

4 sourced moments from August 14 in history: France Bolted On the World's First Car Number Plates (1893); Japan's surrender was announced, ending World War II (1945); Pakistan's independence: 14 or 15 August 1947?, plus 1 more.

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4 things happened on August 14

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2003 Technology · Energy

A massive blackout hit the northeastern US and Canada

On August 14, 2003, a cascading grid failure plunged roughly 50 million people into darkness across two countries.

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1947 History · Modern

Pakistan's independence: 14 or 15 August 1947?

Pakistan celebrates 14 August, but the Act that created it named 15 August, and its borders weren't announced until two days after that.

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1945 History · War & Conflict

Japan's surrender was announced, ending World War II

On August 14, 1945, Japan's surrender was made public to the world, ending the deadliest conflict in history.

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1893 Technology · Transportation

France Bolted On the World's First Car Number Plates

A single Paris police order in 1893 invented the metal nameplate that every car on Earth would eventually be required to wear.

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