Suvarna Garge (Editor)

December 1914

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The following events occurred in December 1914:

Contents

December 1, 1914 (Tuesday)

  • A colliery accident at a mine in Hokkaido, Japan killed 437 miners.
  • Battle of Kolubara — Austro-Hungarian forces occupied Belgrade while the Serbian army withdrew to Niš.
  • Battle of Limanowa — The Austro-Hungarian Army attempted to halt further Russian advances into Galicia and prevent the capture of Kraków, resulting in fierce fighting around towns of Limanowa and Łapanów
  • Armenian militia in Zeitun, Turkey defeated Ottoman forces after three months of fighting, despite the loss of 60 men. Their actions delayed the Ottoman Empire's plans to uproot the entire Armenian population until March 1915.
  • Born: Russell Rowe, Canadian politician, Member of Provincial Parliament of Ontario from 1963 to 1981 and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1974 to 1977, in Campbellford, Ontario (d. 1994); K. B. Andersen, Danish politician, served as Education Minister of Denmark from 1964 to 1968 and Foreign Minister of Denmark from 1971 to 1973 and 1975 to 1978 (d. 1984)
  • Died: Alfred Thayer Mahan, United States Navy officer, introduced the concept of sea power in The Influence of Sea Power upon History which influenced many naval strategies in the 20th-century (b. 1840)

    • December 2, 1914 (Wednesday)

  • Serbian Campaign — In recognition of the occupation of Belgrade happening on the 66th anniversary of the ascension of Franz Joseph to the Austrian throne, army commander Oskar Potiorek informed the emperor that he was "laying town and fortress Belgrade at His Majesty's feet".
  • Battle of Kolubara — Serbian forces took advantage of the lull in battle as Austro-Hungarian forces slowly regrouped to resupply and counterattack, with King Peter I of Serbia accompanying his nation's army to the front to boost morale.
  • Jimmie Mercer, a county ranger for Pima County, Arizona, was mortally wounded in Pantano, Arizona when a rancher suspected of cattle rustling shot him in the leg before fleeing. Mercer died of his gunshot wound ten days later in a Tucson hospital. Mercer was such a respected lawman and pioneer in southern Arizona that a memorial of him was established at the Ciénega Creek Natural Preserve.
  • Born: Bill Erwin, American actor, best known for character supporting roles in major film and TV programs from the 1950s to the early 2000s including I Love Lucy, Gunsmoke, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Seinfeld, in Honey Grove, Texas (d. 2010); Russell Taylor, Welsh rugby player, played for the Cross Keys RFC and Abergavenny RFC and selected for the 1938 British Lions tour to South Africa, in Risca, Wales (d. 1965); Eddie Sauter, American jazz musician, best known for his collaborative work with artists Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, Woody Herman, and Benny Goodman in New York City (d. 1981)
  • Died: Alexander Campbell Fraser, Scottish philosopher, author of many biographies on British and Irish philosophers including Thomas Reid (b. 1819); J. Borden Harriman, American banker, president of Harriman & Co., husband to Florence Jaffray Harriman (b. 1864); Marc Pourpe, French aviator, completed the first airmail flight to Egypt, killed in a plane crash (b. 1887)

    • December 3, 1914 (Thursday)

  • Battle of Qurna — The British Indian Army and forces with the Ottoman Empire clashed at the town of Qurna northwest of Basra, Iraq which had been captured by the British in November. Despite making steady advances on open ground, British soldiers could not find a suitable crossing at the Tigris river and so delayed in assaulting the town directly.
  • Born: Trevor Foster, Welsh rugby player, played second-row for the Bradford Bulls from 1938 to 1955, in Newport, Wales (d. 2005)

    • December 4, 1914 (Friday)

  • Italian Prime Minister Giovanni Giolitti argued in Parliament for Italy to continue remaining neutral during World War One.
  • Mexican Revolution — Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata met in Xochimilco, Mexico to negotiate an alliance against Venustiano Carranza.
  • Born: Claude Renoir, French cinematographer, nephew to film director Jean Renoir, known for his cinematography in The River, Cleopatra, and Barbarella, in Paris (d. 1993); George Swindin, British association football player and manager, 35-year career notable with Arsenal F.C., as goalkeeper from 1936 to 1954 and manager from 1958 to 1962, in Campsall, England (d. 2005); Rudolf Hausner, Austrian painter, co-founder of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism, in Vienna (d. 1995)

    • December 5, 1914 (Saturday)

  • Tashi Namgyal became the ruling Chogyal (King) of Sikkim, and the 11th ruler of the Namgyal dynasty after his half-brother and predecessor Sidkeong Tulku Namgyal died suddenly from heart failure after only ruling 10 months. Tashi would rule for several decades, and advocated for closer ties with India, resulting in Sikkim becoming part of the Indian Union in 1975.
  • The Irish Volunteers appointed Eoin MacNeill as chief of staff for its main headquarters.
  • The Norwegian schooner Endurance, carrying members of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition led by British explorer Ernest Shackleton, departed after month-long preparations from the British-governed South Georgia Islands in the south Atlantic Ocean and set course for the Antarctic.
  • The Toronto Argonauts won their first Grey Cup, defeating the University of Toronto Varsity Blues 14 to 2 at the 6th Grey Cup at Varsity Stadium in Toronto.
  • Born: Odette Joyeux, French actor and writer, in Paris (d. 2000)
  • Died: William E. Haynes, American politician, U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1889 to 1893 (b. 1829)

    • December 6, 1914 (Sunday)

  • Battle of Łódź — German forces occupied Łódź, the second largest city in Poland after Warsaw, effectively ending the battle. German casualties were 35,000, while Russian losses were double at 70,000 along with 25,000 prisoners and 79 captured guns.
  • Battle of Kolubara — Serbian forces broke through the Austro-Hungarian line at their centre and on their right flank, forcing the invading army to retreat back to Belgrade, abandoning their weapons and equipment as they went.
  • Mexican Revolution — Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata entered Mexico City at the head of an army of 60,000 men, forcing Venustiano Carranza and his supporters to retreat to Veracruz.
  • Battle of Qurna — The British attempted a second assault on Qurna but only ended up retaking ground the Ottomans had moved back into just days before.
  • President Adolfo Díaz was elected for a second term following general elections in Nicaragua.
  • U.S. naval officer Charles Armijo Woodruff became the 11th Governor of American Samoa, succeeding Nathan Post.
  • Born: Qiu Fazu, Chinese medical doctor and surgeon, considered the father of modern Chinese surgery, also rescued 40 Jewish concentration camp prisoners from the Holocaust, in Hangzhou, China (d. 2008); Cyril Washbrook, British cricketer, played for the Lancashire County Cricket Club from 1933 to 1959, including 37 Tests, in Barrow, Lancashire, England (d. 1999)

    • December 7, 1914 (Monday)

  • Battle of Kolubara — The Austro-Hungarian Army attempted to regain control around Belgrade by attacking the right flank of the Serbian Army in the city's outskirts.
  • Pope Benedict XV called for an official truce between the warring nations of World War One by Christmas, asking "that the guns may fall silent at least upon the night the angels sang."
  • The ship Endurance encountered pack ice further north than expected and was forced to maneuver, creating delays for the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.
  • The first feature-length film composed entirely of indigenous North Americans was released as In the Land of the Head Hunters. The film is a fictionalized depiction of Kwakwaka'wakw (Kwakiutl) peoples that lived in the Queen Charlotte Strait region of British Columbia. The film was written and directed by Edward S. Curtis and acted entirely by member of the Kwakwaka'wakw. It was selected in 1999 for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant."
  • The last film Charlie Chaplin did for Keystone Studios was released; His Prehistoric Past was a prehistoric comedy written and directed by Chaplin. Chaplin had asked for an increase in salary to $1,000 a week ($23,943 in 2016 dollars) when his contract came up for renewal at the end of the year, but Keystone producer Mack Sennett refused for being too large.
  • Born: Alberto Castillo, Argentine tango singer and actor, in Buenos Aires (d. 2002); Winston Place, British cricketer, played for the Lancashire County Cricket Club from 1937 to 1955 and played three Tests in 1948, in Rawtenstall, England (d. 2002)

    • December 8, 1913 (Tuesday)

  • Battle of the Falkland Islands — A superior British Royal Navy squadron under Doveton Sturdee located and gave chase to the Imperial German Navy squadron under Admiral Maximilian von Spee while trying to raid a British supply base on the Falkland Islands off Argentina. The British squadron — composed of HMS Invincible and Inflexible, the armoured cruisers HMS Carnarvon, Cornwall and Kent, the armed merchant cruiser HMS Macedonia and the light cruisers HMS Bristol and Glasgow — had superior firepower and were able to sink German cruisers SMS Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, light cruisers SMS Nürnberg (1906) and Leipzig, and two auxiliary ships. Only the German light cruiser Dresden cruiser and a third auxiliary escaped. Casualties were incredibly one-sided, with Germany sustaining more than 1,800 casualties, including Admiral von Spee, while the British sustained only a dozen.
  • Battle of Kolubara — The Serbian attacked the Austro-Hungarian Army before they could fall back and entrench themselves in the towns of Užice and Valjevo in western Serbia. Using the hills surrounding Valjevo, the Serbs were able encircle the town and storm Austro-Hungarian defenses before they were all properly set up and capture the city with minimal casualties. In four days of counterattacks, the Serbian army captured more than 20,000 troops, 50 officers including a general, and 40 cannons as well as huge stocks of military equipment.
  • Battle of Qurna — The British located a suitable crossing on the Tigris river to ensure Ottoman forces could not retake gained ground, while a British gunboat managed to capture an Ottoman steamer.
  • U.S. President Woodrow Wilson delivered his 1914 State of the Union Address to both houses of the United States Congress, advocating the hopes of peace and growth of international trade and cooperation, in spite of ongoing events with World War One.
  • Maritz Rebellion — Boer rebel leader General Christian Frederick Beyers drowned in the Vaal River while trying to escape pursuing forces of the Union of South Africa, effectively ending any organized rebellion in South Africa.
  • The Mayfair Theatre in Dunedin, New Zealand opened to the public as the "King Edward Picture Theatre" to showcase new motion picture releases. The theater closed down as a movie house and was acquired by the Dunedin Opera Company in 1967 where it remains an opera house. The building was registered as a historic site by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust in 2008.
  • The War Merit Cross was created by Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe to recognize significant contributions to the German war effort during World War One by military and civilians alike. Before discontinued in 1918, it had been awarded 18,000 times to combatants and 1,100 times to civilians.
  • Born: Ernie Toshack, Australian cricketer, played 12 Tests for the Australia cricket team from 1946 to 1948, in Cobar, Australia (d. 2003); Bobby Grayson, American football player, played fullback for the Stanford University football team in three consecutive Rose Bowl games from 1933 to 1935, in Portland, Oregon (d. 1981)
  • Died: Madison Cawein, American poet, author of the poem Waste Land which inspired T.S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land (b. 1865)

    • December 9, 1914 (Wednesday)

  • Battle of Kolubara — The Austro-Hungarian counter-offensive around Belgrade failed and forces retreated towards the city centre.
  • Battle of Qurna — With British now able to cross the river, the Ottoman command negotiated a surrender that would allow on the troops to leave the town of Qurna in exchange for handing it over to the British. However, British command ordered an unconditional surrender that the Ottomans reluctantly accepted, leading to 42 Ottoman officers and 989 soldiers to be taken prisoner. The British losses were 29 killed and 242 wounded.
  • German submarine U-11 struck a mine off the coast of Belgium and sank, killing all 26 crew on board.
  • The notorious British softcore porn magazine Photo Bits released its final issue, but already gained its reputation in literary circles, most famously for being mentioned in James Joyce's novel Ulysses.The magazine was famous for being one of Britain's most popular pin-up magazines even as it was also it the most maligned by moral leaders.
  • Born: Frances Reid, American actress, known for role of Alice Horton on the NBC daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives from 1965 to 2007, in Wichita Falls, Texas (d. 2010); Shmuel Katz, South African-Israeli politician, co-founder of the nationalistic Herut political party in 1948, in Johannesburg (d. 2008)
  • Died: Mitchell Cary Alford, American politician, 25th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky (b. 1855)

    • December 10, 1914 (Thursday)

  • New Zealand held a general election to elect a total 80 Members of Parliament for the 19th New Zealand Parliament, with incumbent Prime Minister William Massey of the Reform Government maintaining power. Over 600,000 voters were registered, of which 84 per cent turned out to vote.
  • Battle of Kolubara — The Serbian Army retook the lower reaches of the Drina, forcing most of the Austro-Hungarian troops to retreat across the river back towards Bosnia.
  • The Royal Navy's first aircraft carrier, HMS Ark Royal, was commissioned.
  • Born: Dorothy Lamour, American actress and singer, guest starred with Bing Crosby and Bob Hope on many of the Road to ... movies, in New Orleans (d. 1996)
  • Died: Sereno E. Payne, American politician, U.S. Representative from New York and first House Majority Leader from 1899 to 1911 (b. 1843)

    • December 11, 1914 (Friday)

  • Benito Mussolini merged his Fascist organization Fasci Autonomi d'Azione Rivoluzionaria with Fasci d'Azione Internazionalista to become Fasci d'Azione Rivoluzionaria (renamed later as Fasci Italiani di Combattimento), with Mussolini as the organization's leader.
  • Born: Bill Nicholson, American baseball player, played right field for the Chicago Cubs from 1939 to 1948 and the Philadelphia Phillies from 1949 to 1953, in Chestertown, Maryland (d. 1996); Gabriel Chiramel, Indian academic and social activist, recipient of the Padma Bhushan in 2007 for contributions to education and literature, in Manaloor (still alive in 2016)

    • December 12, 1914 (Saturday)

  • The New York Stock Exchange re-opened, having been closed since August 1 except for bond trading.
  • The American steamer SS Ulysses was launched from the Bethlehem Sparrows Point Shipyard in Sparrows Point, Maryland. It was installed with guns when the United States entered World War One in 1917 and assigned to protect the Panama Canal.
  • The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials was established as American Association of State Highway Officials to set standards for highway design and construction throughout the United States (it changed to its present name in 1973).
  • Born: Patrick O'Brian, British novelist, author of the Aubrey–Maturin series, starting with Master and Commander, in Chalfont St Peter, England (d. 2000); Tom Kelley, American photographer, photographed various celebrities from Gary Cooper to John F. Kennedy, but most famous for his 1949 nude photos of Marilyn Monroe, in Philadelphia, (d. 1984)

    • December 13, 1914 (Sunday)

  • Battle of Limanowa — The Austro-Hungarian Army successfully beat back all Russian attacks but casualties proved massive. Austro-Hungarian and supporting German forces sustained 12,000 casualties, while the Russian Imperial Army suffered 30,000 casualties.
  • Battle of Kolubara — With most of the rest of the Austro-Hungarian Army pushed out of Serbia, General Oskar Potiorek ordered the remaining Austro-Hungarian forces in Belgrade to withdraw from the city.
  • British submarine HMS B11 torpedoed the Ottoman ironclad Mesudiye in the Dardanelles, killing 37 sailors and officers. However, the ship's 150 mm guns were salvaged and rebuilt as defensive guns on the shores of the straits.
  • Born: Fred Coe, American television producer, best known for the 1950s TV anthology series Goodyear Television Playhouse, in Alligator, Mississippi (d. 1979)

    • December 14, 1914 (Monday)

  • Battle of Kolubara — Austrian-Hungarian forces began to evacuate out of Belgrade.
  • Battle of Givenchy — France launched a winter offensive against the Germans with support from the British Expeditionary Force in the regions of Flanders and Artois in west Belgium.
  • Municipal elections were held in Edmonton, Alberta, with just over 10,000 ballots cast out of 32,000 eligible voters, for a voter turnout of 31%. William Thomas Henry was elected 13th Mayor of Edmonton, beating challenger Joseph Adair in a landslide of over 8,000 votes to 1,600.
  • A Royal Naval Air Service Avro 504 of the Eastchurch Squadron dropped four 16-lb (7.25-kg) bombs on the Ostend-Bruges railway in Belgium.
  • A freighter responded to a rendezvous request by German naval officer Hellmuth von Mücke, leader of the 50-man landing party for the SMS Emden that was stranded on Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean after their ship was damaged and grounded by the Australian cruisier HMAS Sydney. The crew commandeered a schooner to the Dutch East Indies but could not remain there without violating the Netherlands neutrality during World War One. The freighter picked up the landing party and delivered them to the Ottoman port city of Hodeida (now Al Hudaydah in Yemen).
  • The ship Endurance encountered thick ice in the Weddell Sea, creating constant delays to the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Shackleton later wrote in memoirs: "I had been prepared for evil conditions in the Weddell Sea, but had hoped that the pack would be loose. What we were encountering was fairly dense pack of a very obstinate character".
  • Canadian chartered Bank of Vancouver closed its doors after only four years, a victim of the sudden collapse of the real estate market and industry in Vancouver due by the onset of World War One.
  • A film adaptation of The Last Egyptian by Land of Oz creator L. Frank Baum was released, starring J. Farrell MacDonald in the title role (who was also director).
  • Born: Karl Carstens, German politician, President of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1979 to 1984, in Bremen, Germany (d 1992)

    • December 15, 1914 (Tuesday)

  • Battle of Kolubara — The Serbian Army took back control of Belgrade, effectively ending the battle.
  • A gas explosion at the Mitsubishi Hojyo coal mine in Kyūshū, Japan killed 687 miners, the worst coal mine disaster in Japanese history.
  • Ross Sea party — British polar ship Aurora left Sydney for Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. The ship was a component of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition under command of Aeneas Mackintosh that was to lay out a series of supply depots across the Ross Ice Shelf in the Antarctic for polar expedition under command of Ernest Shackleton.
  • Born: Henry Wells, American academic, leading political expert on Latin America who helped draft the Constitution of Puerto Rico, in Macomb, Illinois (d. 2007); Glynn Ross, American opera impresario (director), first director of the Seattle Opera from 1963 to 1983, in Omaha, Nebraska (d. 2005)
  • Died: Martin Schanz, German academic, leading scholar on Plato and classical philosophy and the University of Würzburg from 1867 to 1912 (b. 1842)

    • December 16, 1914 (Wednesday)

  • The Battle of Kolubara officially ended in a decisive victory for Serbia. The Austro-Hungarian Army suffered about 225,000 casualties, including 30,000 killed, 173,000 wounded and 70,000 taken prisoner, including 200 officers, as well as the loss of 130 cannons, 70 heavy machine-guns and large stocks of military supplies. The Serbian army suffered heavy casualties, with 22,000 killed, 91,000 wounded and 19,000 missing or captured.
  • Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby — Imperial German Navy battle cruisers attacked English North Sea ports, resulting in 137 deaths.
  • The British cruiser HMS Comus was launched by Swan Hunter at Wallsend, England, and would be involved in the Battle of Jutland in 1916.
  • SMS Glyndwr was the first Imperial German Navy aviation ship to be commissioned. She served initially as a seaplane pilot training ship.
  • Born: Jo Gullett, Australian politician, Member of the Australian House of Representatives for the Division of Henty from 1946 to 1955, in Canberra, Australia (d. 1999); O. Winston Link, American photographer, most famous for his photographs and sound recordings of the last steam locomotive in the United States, in New York City (d. 2001); Bob Leach, American journalist, advocate for victims' rights that resulting in the passing of Marsy's Law in California in 2008 (d. 2008)

    • December 17, 1914 (Thursday)

  • The Ottoman Empire made known to Germany it had signed a secret alliance with Bulgaria back in August.
  • First Battle of Artois — The first major offensive on Western Front since the First Battle of Ypres commenced with French forces attacking German defenses from Artois, France.
  • U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signed the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act, that was initially introduced by U.S. Representative Francis Burton Harrison.
  • George J. Clark became Premier of New Brunswick, replacing James K. Flemming who resigned following a scandal concerning fundraising practices.
  • The British cruiser HMS Calliope was launched at Chatham, Kent and would serve at the Battle of Jutland in 1916.
  • Born: Luis Barragán, Argentine painter, leading artist in Abstract, Figurative, and Surrealist schools in Argentina, in Buenos Aires (d. 2009)

    • December 18, 1914 (Friday)

  • The Sultanate of Egypt became a British protectorate.
  • Battle of Givenchy — Offensive operations were halted due to bad weather, entrenched German defenses and lack of objectives reached.
  • Battle of Rufiji Delta — German cruiser SMS Königsberg moved further up Rufiji River in German East Africa to avoid barrages from a British naval squadron.
  • German submarine SM U-5 sank off the coast of Belgium following an accident, killing all 29 crew members.

    • December 19, 1914 (Saturday)

  • The French submarine Curie (Q 87) was spotted by patrolling Austro-Hungarian Navy ships near Pula, Croatia. The submarine was hit and sunk, killing three sailors while the remaining crew of 23 were captured. Being in shallow water, the submarine was salvaged and repaired. It was reissued under the Austro-Hungarian fleet as SM U-14.
  • Mohandas Gandhi left England sailing for India, accompanied by his wife Kasturba. He began to learn the Bengali language while on board.
  • Born: Dietrich Hrabak, German Luftwaffe flying ace, credited with shooting down over 125 enemy aircraft, in Großdeuben, Germany (d. 1995); Alan Reid, British-Australian journalist, long-running member of the Canberra Press Gallery for the Parliament of Australia from 1937 to 1985, in Liverpool (d. 1987); Mel Shaw, American animator, best known for his work with Disney including Bambi, Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, New York City (d. 2012)

    • December 20, 1914 (Sunday)

  • First Battle of Champagne — The French Fourth Army launched attacks from Artois and Champagne in France in hopes of breaking through and forcing a German retreat.
  • Battle of Givenchy — German forces attacked members of the British Indian Army defending Givenchy, France, capturing defense trenches on either side of the town.
  • During a massive gale in Dover harbour, British ocean liner SS Montrose broke free of its moorings and drifted out to sea before it was wrecked on the Goodwin Sands offshore.
  • Ross Sea party — British polar ship Aurora arrived at Hobart, Tasmania, Australia to take on final stores before journeying to the Antarctic where it would lay out supply depots for the main. Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.
  • The Tokyo Station opened in Japan.
  • The Anderson County Courthouse in Palestine, Texas was dedicated. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
  • Born: Harry F. Byrd, Jr., American politician, U.S. Senator from Virginia from 1965 till 1983, in Winchester, Virginia (d. 2013); Mary Helen Wright Greuter, American astronomer and historian, author of Explorer of the Universe: A Biography of George Ellery Hale (1966) and Sweeper of the Sky: The Life of Maria Mitchell (1949), in Washington, D.C. (d. 1997); Adrian von Fölkersam, German Waffen-SS during World War Two, recipient of Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, in Saint Petersburg (d. 1945, killed in action)

    • December 21, 1914 (Monday)

  • First Battle of Champagne — After gaining some ground, French forces found German defenses were stronger than anticipated, with machine gun nests and mines slowing their advance.
  • Battle of Givenchy — German forces launched a direct assault on Givenchy, France but French and British reinforcements saved the town from capture.
  • Lieutenant-General Sir William Birdwood arrived in Egypt to take command of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.
  • Great Britain was bombed by German aircraft for the first time, when an Etrich Taube dropped two bombs near the Admiralty Pier, Kent.
  • Royal Naval Air Service Wing Commander Charles Rumney Samson conducted the first night bombing raid, attacking Ostend, Belgium flying a Maurice Farman biplane.
  • The Mack Sennett comedy Tillie's Punctured Romance, which featured Marie Dressler, Mabel Normand, Charlie Chaplin and the Keystone Cops, was the first feature-length film released through Keystone Studios. Considered to be the first feature-length comedy ever released, the film, based on the Broadway play Tillie's Nightmare starring Dressler, became so popular that three other films featuring Dressler as the Tillie character were made.
  • Born: Frank Fenner, Australian medical researcher, oversaw programs that eradicated smallpox and controlled the rabbit populations in Australia, in Ballarat, Australia (d. 2010)
  • Died: William Montgomery, New Zealand politician, Member of the New Zealand Legislative Council from 1892 to 1906 (b. 1821)

    • December 22, 1914 (Tuesday)

  • As result of his military failures during the Serbian Campaign, Oskar Potiorek was relieved of command of the Austro-Hungarian Army in the Balkans and replaced with Archduke Eugen of Austria, while the weakened 4th and 5th Armies of Austria-Hungary merged to become the 5th Army of 95,000 men.
  • Battle of Sarikamish — Ottoman Empire forces began an offensive against the Russian Imperial Army in the Caucuses between the borders of each empire.
  • Battle of Givenchy — French troops relieved British Indian troops at Givenchy, France, officially ending the battle.
  • Battle of Łowczówek — The First Brigade of the Polish Legions, allied with Austria-Hungary, fought Russian troops for key strategic hill defenses around the village of Łowczówek in Galicia (now south-western Poland).
  • The thick ice opened up in the Weddell Sea, allowing the ship Endurance to continue steadily southward for the next two weeks towards the Antarctic, putting the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition back on schedule.
  • Born: Leah Bodine Drake, American poet, best known for her poetry collection A Hornbook for Witches, in Chanute, Kansas (d. 1964); Paul Francis Leibold, American clergy, Archbishop of Cincinnati from 1969 to 1972, in Dayton, Ohio (d. 1972)
  • Died: William Stanley West, American politician, U.S. Senator from Georgia in 1914 (b. 1849)

    • December 23, 1914 (Wednesday)

  • Battle of Sarikamish — Two divisions with the Ottoman Empire pursued retreating Russian forces Ardahan in what is now the border between Turkey and Georgia, but thick fog confused a trailing division to believe the one in front was Russian instead of Ottoman. The friendly-fire battle cost Ottoman forces the lives of 2,000 soldiers.
  • Battle of Łowczówek — After initial Russian counterattacks forced the First Brigade of the Polish Legions to retreat from Łowczówek in Galicia, conflicting orders from the Austro-Hungarian command called for them to recapture lost positions.
  • Battle of Rufiji Delta — The Royal Navy sent two shallow ships to engage the German cruiser SMS Königsberg hiding in Rufiji River in German East Africa but were driven away by defensive fire.
  • The dissident Argentine association football organization Federación Argentina de Football merged with the Argentine Football Association following a three-year competing run against the established football competition.
  • French deputy Georges Bonnefous put forth a legislative bill to create the Croix de la Valeur Militaire ("Cross of Military Valor") that was signed by 66 other deputies. The bill would eventually create the Croix de guerre (War Cross) award given to French soldiers or allies who displayed valor during World War One.

    • December 24, 1914 (Thursday)

  • Battle of Sarikamish — Ottoman troops were forced on a punishing march through deep snow and freezing temperatures in the Caucuses towards Sarikamish and Kars. Thousands of soldiers died from hypothermia during the march.
  • An unofficial temporary Christmas truce began between British and German soldiers on the Western Front.
  • A similar Christmas truce was held between British and German colonial forces during the Siege of Mora in Kamerun, Africa.
  • Ross Sea party — British polar ship Aurora departed from Hobart, Tasmania, Australia for the Antarctic
  • The musical Betty debuted at the Prince's Theatre in Manchester. Created by Frederick Lonsdale and Gladys Unger, composed by Paul Rubens and Ernest Steffan, and lyrics by Rubens and Adrian Ross, the musical enjoyed successful runs in London and New York City the following two years.
  • The musical To-Night's the Night, composed by Paul Rubens, with lyrics by Percy Greenbank and Rubens, and a book adapted by Fred Thompson, made its Broadway debut at the Shubert Theatre in New York City at a start of successful run of 460 performances.
  • Born: Herbert Reinecker, German writer, known as screenwriter for the 1970s German police procedural TV series Der Kommissar, in Hagen, Germany (d. 2007)
  • Died: John Muir, Scottish-American geologist and ecologist, founder of the Sierra Club (b. 1838)

    • December 25, 1914 (Friday)

  • Battle of Ardahan — Ottoman forces began a month-long siege on the Russian-held city of Ardahan on the border between the Russian and Ottoman Empires.
  • Battle of Łowczówek — Russian assaults from Tuchów in heavy fog forced the First Brigade of the Polish Legions to abandon its defense positions around Łowczówek, Galicia but succeeded in discouraging any further advances by the Imperial Russian Army. The Polish Legion sustained over 450 casualties during the battle was received accolades from Austria-Hungary for its efforts. The battle is mentioned on Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Warsaw.
  • Battle of Sarikamish — Russian forces were ordered to evacuate Sarikamish, a city on the border of the Russian and Ottoman Empire.
  • Cuxhaven Raid — British aircraft launched from warships attacked the German port of Cuxhaven with submarine support, although little damage was caused.
  • HMS Empress, HMS Engadine, and HMS Riviera launched a seaplane attack on the Zeppelin sheds at Nordholz Naval Airbase, the first time a navy tried to exert sea power on land by means of the air. However, fog prevented the aircraft from reaching their target, and only three of the nine aircraft found their way back to their mother ships.
  • Born: Irina Sebrova, Soviet Air Force officer, member of the all-female Night Witches air squadron during World War Two and recipient of the Hero of the Soviet Union, in Novomoskovsk, Russia (d. 2000)
  • Died: Jean Alfred Fournier, French medical researcher, leading specialist in sexually transmitted infections including congenital syphilis (b. 1832)

    • December 26, 1914 (Saturday)

  • The British Expeditionary Force was reorganized into the First Army under command of Lieutenant-General Sir Douglas Haig and the Second Army under command of Horace Smith-Dorrien.
  • Battle of Sarikamish — Russian completely retreated from Sarikamish in an orderly fashion, leaving behind two cavalry units and 1,000 railway engineers to defend the retreating line.
  • German diplomat Franz von Papen recruited plantation manager Werner Horn in New York City to sabotage Canadian railways.
  • Born: Richard Widmark, American actor, known for roles including his debut in Kiss of Death, in Sunrise Township, Chisago County, Minnesota (d. 2008); Baba Amte, Indian social worker and activist, known for organizing and advocating rehabilitation and empowerment program for poor people suffering from leprosy in India, in Hinganghat, India (d. 2008); Archer Denness, Australian army officer, recipient of the Military Cross for this command at the Battle of Yongju during the Korean War, in Fremantle, Australia (d. 1997)
  • Born: Crawford Gordon Jr., Canadian industrialist, leader of wartime defense production in Canada under Minister of Munitions and Supply C.D. Howe during the World War Two, in Winnipeg (d. 1967); Albert Simonson, American chess master, gold medal winner at the 5th Chess Olympiad in 1933, in New York City (d. 1965); Samuel Ifor Enoch, Welsh Biblical academic, leading researcher in the Dead Sea Scrolls and author of The Jesus of Faith and the Dead Sea Scrolls, in Ceredigion, Wales (d. 2001)

    • December 27, 1914 (Sunday)

  • First Battle of Champagne — French forces grouped near Perthes, France to begin a fresh assault on German defenses.
  • British torpedo boat destroyer HMS Success was wrecked off Fife Ness, Scotland during a massive storm but with no loss of life.
  • Died: Patrick William Riordan, Canadian-American Roman Catholic priest, served as Archbishop for San Francisco from 1884 to 1914 (b. 1841); Charles Martin Hall, American chemist and inventor, best known for his role in developing the Hall–Héroult process to smelting aluminum (b. 1863)

    • December 28, 1914 (Monday)

  • Battle of Sarikamish — The advance of Ottoman tropps in the Caucuses slowed to most of the soldiers being too exhausted and cold to continue marching, while Russian forces regrouped and held off the advance at the town of Horasan near the border between the two empires.
  • The British film A Study in Scarlet was the first ever to feature the literary detective Sherlock Holmes. Francis Ford both played the title role and directed the film, with his brother, future Western film director John Ford, playing Watson.The film is missing from the BFI National Archive, and is listed as one of the British Film Institute's "75 Most Wanted" lost films.
  • Mary Pickford starred as Cinderella in the film of the same name, directed by James Kirkwood, Sr., produced by Daniel Frohman, and released by Famous Players Film Company. The film is still readily available through archives and online.
  • The film serial The Exploits of Elaine was released, with Pearl White playing the damsel in distress. The serial was named to the United States National Film Registry in 1994 for its cultural and historic importance.
  • The Military Cross decoration for commissioned British officers below the rank of captain was established.
  • Born: Bidia Dandaron, Buddhist author and teacher in the Soviet Union, in Kizhinga, Buryatia, Russian Empire (d. 1974); Bernard Youens, British actor, best known for the role of Stan Ogden on the long-running BBC soap opera Coronation Street, in Hove, England (d. 1984)
  • Born: Pops Staples, American musician, patriarch of the family gospel and R&B group The Staples Singers, known for songs including the 1972 hit "I'll Take You There", in Winona, Mississippi (d. 2000); Joseph Dippolito, American gangster, underboss of the Los Angeles crime family from 1967 to 1969, in New York City (d. 1974); Lee Bowman, American actor, bet known for leading roles in films such as Cover Girl and The Impatient Years, in Cincinnati (d. 1979)

    • December 29, 1914 (Tuesday)

  • Battle of Sarikamish — Ottoman forces totaling 12,000 men attacked Sarikamish but only 300 men succeeded in breaking into the city. Russian defenders drove off the Ottoman troops, inflicting 6,000 casualties.
  • Born: Billy Tipton, American jazz musician, later uncovered he was a transgender male (assigned female gender at birth), in Oklahoma City (d. 1989); Albert Tucker, Australian artist, member of the Heide Circle, in Melbourne (d. 1999); Paul Pierce, American football coach, coached Sul Ross State University from 1946 to 1951 and Sam Houston State University from 1952 to 1967 where his team shared the 1964 NAIA Football National Championship with Concordia College, in Doña Ana County, New Mexico (d. 2004)

    • December 30, 1914 (Wednesday)

  • First Battle of Champagne — As the French launched a new assault, the German counterattacked their right flank and took out three lines of defense and inflicted major casualties.
  • Born: Bert Parks, American singer and actor, best known for hosting the Miss America Pageant telecast from 1955 to 1979, in Atlanta (d. 1992); Aloísio de Oliveira, Brazilian musician, best known for his collaborations with performer Carmen Miranda, in Rio de Janeiro (d. 1995)

    • December 31, 1914 (Thursday)

  • Battle of Sarikamish — Ottoman forces retreating from Sarikamish were bogged down in the woods outside the city. Reduced to from 12,000 to 2,500 soldiers and handful of guns, the remaining units fled and freed major routes into Sarikamish for Russians to resupply.
  • First Battle of Champagne — French forces retook the ground lost the previous day but four major counter-attacks by the Germans put the line offensive into disorganization.
  • The last issue of the Norwegian daily newspaper Solungen was published in Åsnes, Norway after which the paper merged with Glommendalens Social-Demokrat.
  • T. S. Eliot wrote to Conrad Aiken from Merton College, Oxford, saying: "I hate university towns and university people, who are the same everywhere, with pregnant wives, sprawling children, many books and hideous pictures on the walls ... Oxford is very pretty, but I don't like to be dead."
  • Born: Beth Levine, American fashion designer, leading designer of the Levine shoe line from the 1950s to 1970s, wife to Herbert Levine, in Patchogue, New York (d. 2006)

    • References

    December 1914 Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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