September 1914

September 1, 1914 (Tuesday)

Due to war with Germany, Saint Petersburg in Russia changed its name to Petrograd, meaning "Peter's City", to remove the German words Sankt and Burg.

British Field Marshal Herbert Kitchener met with General John French, commander of the British Expeditionary Force following the Battle of Le Cateau at a midnight ministers that included French Prime Minister René Viviani and War Minister Alexandre Millerand. The two British generals at one point excused themselves to talk privately, and while no record of their conversation was kept, it was evident months afterward the two had developed a professional hostility towards one other.

Action at Néry – A cavalry brigade from the retreating British Army fought a skirmish against an opposing German cavalry brigade twice their size, during the Great Retreat from Mons. The British artillery was mostly put out of action in the first few minutes, but a single gun successfully kept up a steady fire for two and a half hours against a full German battery until British reinforcements arrived. Three men of the artillery unit were awarded the Victoria Cross for their part in the battle, including Edward Kinder Bradbury who died from wounds during the battle. The battery itself was later awarded the honour title of "Néry", the only British Army unit to have this as a battle honour.

The British 3rd Cavalry Division was established under the command of Major-General the Hon. Julian Byng and remained active until 1919.

The 15th Battalion for the Canadian Expeditionary Force was established and deployed for Europe of September 26. The battalion received battle honors for key World War One battles including the Second Battle of Ypres, Battle of the Somme, Battle of Vimy Ridge, and Battle of Passchendaele. It was disbanded in 1918 but later reformed as the 48th Highlanders of Canada.

The Imperial Japanese Navy seaplane carrier Wakamiya arrived off Kiaochow Bay, China, to participate in operations during the Siege of Tsingtao. It was the first combat deployment of an aviation ship by any country.

The last known passenger pigeon "Martha" died in the Cincinnati Zoo.

The poem "August, 1914" by John Masefield was published in the September 1 issue of The English Review, the first piece of literature written about World War One.

Born: Elvin A. Kabat, American biomedical scientist, considered one of the founding fathers of modern quantitative immunochemistry (d. 2000); Vladimir Haensel, German-American chemical engineer, inventor of the catalytic reforming process that converts crude oil to gasoline, in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany (d. 2002); Jean Burden, American poet, editor of Yankee from 1955 to 2002, in Waukegan, Illinois (d. 2008); Andy Lennon, Canadian aeronautical engineer, designer of modern model aircraft such as the R/C Model Aircraft Design (d. 2007)

Born: John H. Adams, American jockey, inductee to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1965, in Carlisle, Arkansas (d. 1995); Bert Bank, American soldier and politician, survivor of the Bataan Death March chronicled in his memoir Back From the Living Dead, in Montgomery, Alabama (d. 2009); William J. Porter, British-American diplomat, U.S. delegate member at the Paris Peace Accords to end the Vietnam War, in Stalybridge, England (d. 1988)

Died: George Henry Morris, Irish military officer, first commanding officer to lead an Irish Guards battalion into battle, killed in action (b. 1872)

September 2, 1914 (Wednesday)

Japan landed between 15,000 and 20,000 troops at Longkou, China, north of the German-control Chinese port of Tsingtao in preparation to lay siege on the port, even though it violated China's neutrality.

The French village of Moronvilliers, 15 kilometers northeast from Rheims, was occupied by German troops. Because it was situated on what became the Western Front, the village was deserted and destroyed during the war.

The British territorial mounted artillery brigades, the I Brigade and II Brigade, were established in Egypt from existing mounted brigades and artillery.

The 1st Battalion of Western Ontario, 4th Battalion of Central Ontario, 3rd Battalion of Toronto, 16th Canadian Scottish Battalion, and 1st British Columbia Battalion were established for the Canadian Expeditionary Force and deployed to Europe on October 14. Both battalions played key roles in the Second Battle of Ypres, Battle of the Somme, Battle of Vimy Ridge, and Battle of Passchendaele. All battalions were disbanded in 1919, but the 4th Battalion reformed and merged with the present day The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry and the 15th Battalion became part of the The Canadian Scottish Regiment.

Charles Masterman invited 25 "eminent literary men" to Wellington House in London to form a secret British War Propaganda Bureau. Those who attend include William Archer, Arnold Bennett, G. K. Chesterton, Arthur Conan Doyle, Ford Madox Hueffer, John Galsworthy, Thomas Hardy, Rudyard Kipling, John Masefield, Henry Newbolt, Gilbert Parker, G. M. Trevelyan and H. G. Wells.

Born: Lord George-Brown, British politician, served as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1960 to 1970, in London (d. 1985); Ron Barclay, New Zealand politician, Member of Parliament for New Plymouth from 1966 to 1975, in Little River, New Zealand (d. 2003); Fred Ruiz Castro, Filipino judge, 12th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from 1976 to 1979 (d. 1979)

Born: William T. Dillard, American businessman, founder of the Dillard's department store chain, in Mineral Springs, Arkansas (d. 2002); Booker T. Laury, American blues musician, best known for his collaborations with Memphis Slim, in Memphis (d. 1995)

Died: John M. Deane, American military officer, recipient of the Medal of Honor for actions at the battle of Fort Haskell during the American Civil War (b. 1840); John de Villiers, South African judge, first Chief Justice of South Africa from 1874 to 1914 (b. 1842)

September 3, 1914 (Thursday)

Pope Benedict XV (Giacomo della Chiesa) succeeded Pope Pius X as the 258th pope.

William, Prince of Albania left the country after just six months due to opposition to his rule.

Battle of Rawa – The Russian 3rd Army under command of Pavel Plehve exploited a gap in the Austrian-Hungarian defense line when the Austria-Hungarian Fourth Army was ordered south to aid the Third Army, which had suffered heavy casualties.

Sioux County, North Dakota was established by proclamation of Governor Louis B. Hanna and named after the Sioux Lakota that historically settled in the area.

The Masonic Temple in Worcester, Massachusetts was completed and dedicated by Grand Master, Most Worshipful Melvin M. Johnson. The temple was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Born: Nick Gulas, American wrestling promoter, best known for his work with the NWA Mid-America under the National Wrestling Alliance, in Birmingham, Alabama (d. 1991); Jimmy Delaney, Scottish association football player, with a playing career that spanned 24 years, from 1933 with the Celtic F.C. and ending in 1957 with Elgin City F.C., in Cleland, North Lanarkshire, Scotland (d. 1989)

Died: Albéric Magnard, French composer, known for symphonies and operas including Guercœur and Bérénice (b. 1865)

September 4, 1914 (Friday)

Battle of Rawa – The Russian 3rd Army seized Lemberg in Galicia (now Poland) from Austria-Hungary.

Battle of Grand Couronné — The German 6th Army attacked the regrouping French Second Army in northeastern France following the Battle of the Frontiers.

Siege of Antwerp — Spurred by news that 40,000 British troops had landed in Belgium, German forces attacked captured fortresses and blew up bridges from the Scheldt towards Termonde north of the city.

A coal mine collapsed in Adamson, Oklahoma, killing 14 miners.

Captain Robert Bartlett of the Karluk met fur trader Olaf Swenson in Nome, Alaska who had chartered the schooner King and Winge for a seasonal trade run to Siberia. Bartlett requested Swensen have the ship stop by Wrangel Island in the Bering Sea and look for the stranded survivors of the Karluk shipwreck. Barlett's charter ship Bear left Nome a few days after King and Winge.

Enlistee William Henry Strahan wrote the poem "The Bugle Call" before he left for military training at Blackboy Hill, Western Australia. Following his death during the first day of the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915, many newspapers published the verses.

Died: Charles Péguy, French poet and essayist, author of "Portico of the Mystery of the Second Virtue", killed in action near Villeroy, Seine-et-Marne, France (b. 1873); William Ramsay, Australian manufacturer, maker of the Kiwi shoe polish, the most popular shoe polish brand (b. 1868)

September 5, 1914 (Saturday)

The Australian Labor Party led by Andrew Fisher won the Federal election of 1914 winning 42 out of 75 seats in the Australian House of Representatives and 31 out of 36 seats in the Australian Senate.

Early general elections were held in Sweden for the second time that year.

The First Battle of the Marne began when the French Sixth Army left Paris to the east and engaged cavalry patrols with the German 6th Army at the River Ourcq, in what was referred to as the Battle of the Ourcq.

French general Noël de Castelnau was ordered to hold the French city of Nancy as long as possible while French troops on the Grand Couronné repulsed German attacks.

British Royal Navy scout cruiser HMS Pathfinder was sunk by German submarine U-21 in the Firth of Forth (Scotland), with the loss of 261 sailors. It was the first ship ever to be sunk by a locomotive torpedo fired from a submarine.

During the Siege of Tsingtao, the Imperial Japanese Navy carried out its first air combat mission. A three-seat Farman seaplane from the Wakamiya bombed German fortifications at Tsingtao, China, and conducted a reconnaissance of Kiaochow Bay.

The German light cruiser SMS Emden, under command of Karl von Müller, was spotted in the Bay of Bengal.

The cover of magazine London Opinion first carried the iconic drawing by Alfred Leete of Lord Kitchener with the recruiting slogan Your Country Needs You.

The VRA Amsterdam cricket club was established after three separate crickets clubs merged, being Volharding, RAP and Amstel, thus retaining the title of oldest active cricket club in the Netherlands.

Born: Isolina Ferré, Puerto Rican Roman Catholic nun, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her humanitarian work, in Ponce, Puerto Rico (d. 2000); Nicanor Parra, Chilean poet, known for the collected works published as Poems and Anti-poems, in San Fabián de Alico, Chile (still alive as of 2014); Gerry Davey, Canadian-British hockey player, played right wing for the Great Britain men's national ice hockey team when it won the gold medal in the 1936 Winter Olympics, in Port Arthur, Ontario (d. 1977)

Born: Stuart Freeborn, British make-up artist, best known for his alien make-up work in the original Star Wars trilogy, particularly Yoda, in Leytonstone, East London, England (d. 2013); Floyd Burdette, American college basketball coach, coached the Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball team from 1946 to 1952 and Tennessee–Martin Skyhawks men's basketball team from 1952 to 1971, in Martin, Tennessee (d. 1995)

September 6, 1914 (Sunday)

First Battle of the Marne – Troops from the British Expeditionary Force and the French Fifth Army crossed the Grand Morin and Petit Morin rivers in France to engage German forces in the start to the Battle of the Two Morins.

Battle of Drina – The Serbian Second Army repelled an initial offense by the Fifth Army of Austria-Hungary at the Drina River, but the stronger Sixth Army managed to surprise the Serbian Third Army and gained a foothold into Serbian territory.

The Siege of Maubeuge in France ended when the fortress's defenders surrendered to German forces after several days of shelling.

German colonial forces attack British troops defending Nsanakong in Kamerun, forcing them to retreat over the border into Nigeria with 100 casualties.

The first air-sea battle in history occurred between Imperial Japanese Navy seaplanes and German and Austro-Hungarian ships in Kiaochow Bay during the Siege of Tsingtao.

The Bohemian National Alliance was established in Chicago to advocate support of the independent state of Czechoslovakia from Austria-Hungary.

The Indonesian Islamic organization Al-Irshad Al-Islamiya was established with the first Al-Irshad school in Batavia.

Died: Alfred Mayssonnié, French rugby player, played for the France national rugby union team from 1908 to 1910, killed at the First Battle of the Marne (b. 1884)

September 7, 1914 (Monday)

Battle of Grand Couronné – German attacks drove French defenders back south of Verdun, which threatened to separate the Second and Third armies. General Noël Castelnau requested to retreat from Nancy again but ordered to hold the city for another 24 hours.

General Joseph Gallieni gathered about 600 taxicabs in central Paris to carry soldiers to the front fifty kilometers away. With each taxi carried five soldiers, four in the back and one next to the driver, the fleet was able to provide 6,000 reinforcements to the front at a crucial point in the Battle of the Marne. Most taxis returned to civilian service that day after some remained longer to carry back the wounded and refugees. The French treasury reimbursed all taxis with a total fare of 70,012 francs.

First Battle of the Masurian Lakes – The German 8th Army under command of Paul von Hindenburg began attacking the Russian First Army under command of Paul von Rennenkampf in East Prussia.

The German cruiser SMS Nürnberg destroyed a cable relay station on Fanning Island (now Tabuaeran) in the Pacific Ocean, in what became known as the Fanning Raid.

The trading schooner King and Winge reached Wrangel Island in the Bering Sea and found 14 of the original 25 survivors of the Karluk shipwreck onshore to meet them. They were rapidly transferred to the ship and then sailed to Herald Island to search for another party that had ventured out there in February, but were forced to turn back because of ice. The ship rendezvoused with the Bear days later and the crew was reunited with Captain Robert Bartlett.

Actor Dustin Farnum reprised his successful 1904 stage role of The Virginian, based upon the 1902 novel by Owen Wister, in the first screen adaptation of the western directed by Cecil B. DeMille.

The Tombense Futebol Clube was established in Tombos, Brazil.

The novel Aunt Jane's Nieces in the Red Cross by L. Frank Baum opens on September 7, 1914, where main characters Patsy Doyle and Beth De Graf of the Aunt Jane's Nieces series and their uncle John Merrick read a newspaper account of the end of the Siege of Maubeuge and the German victory. The German victory concern the girls and motivates them to help out with the war effort.

Born: James Van Allen, American physicist, detected the existence of the Van Allen radiation belt surrounding Earth, in Mount Pleasant, Iowa (d. 2006); Eugene S. Pulliam, American newspaper publisher, publisher of the Indianapolis Star and the Indianapolis News from 1975 until 1999 (d. 1999)

Born: Jean Blackwell Hutson, American librarian and curator, chief of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, in Sommerfield, Florida (d. 1998); Joseph R. Holzapple, American air force officer, served as Commander in Chief of U.S. Air Forces in Europe from 1969 to 1971, in Peoria, Illinois (d. 1973)

Died: William Erasmus Darwin, son of Charles Darwin, major subject in Darwin's studies on infant psychology (b. 1839); Peter O'Brien, Irish judge, Lord Chief Justice of Ireland from 1889 to 1913 (b. 1842)

September 8, 1914 (Tuesday)

First Battle of the Marne – The French Fifth Army launched a surprise attack against the German 2nd Army, further widening the 50-kilometer gap between the 1st and 2nd armies. With the two German command posts now unable to communicate with each other, both commanding officers met and agreed 2nd Army was in danger of encirclement and should retreat immediately.

Battle of Grand Couronné – The German offensive began to wane and French forces were able to start retaking lost ground.

Pope Benedict XV held his first consistory in the Vatican.

Major General Julian Byng was replaced by General J. Maxwell to command the Force in Egypt, whose primary objective was to protect the Suez Canal from the Central Powers.

Private Thomas Highgate became the first British soldier to be executed for desertion during World War One.

The British ocean liner RMS Oceanic ran aground on a reef at off the island of Foula of the Shetland Islands due to a navigational error. All passengers and crew were rescued but the ship was swallowed by the sea during a storm the following day. The wreck received little public exposure due to the controversy of crew incompetence surrounding the wreck.

John D. Rockefeller and his wife Laura Spelman Rockefeller celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at their home in Pocantico Hills, New York, two days before Laura's 75th birthday. It would be their last anniversary as Laura would pass away March 12, 1915.

Born: Denys Lasdun, British architect, best known for the Royal National Theatre in London (d. 2001); Hillary Brooke, American actress, best known for her regular appearances on the The Abbott and Costello Show, in New York City (d. 1999); Odd Øyen, Norwegian resistance fighter during World War Two, chief organizer of arms to resistance partisan groups against occupying German forces from 1940 to 1945, in Oslo (d. 1997); Arch West, American businessman, credited for developing and marketing Doritos, in Indianapolis (d. 2011)

Died: Hans Leybold, German expressionist poet, influenced the Dada movement and German expressionism (b. 1892); William T. Poague, American military officer, artillery officer for the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War (b. 1835); John Henniker Heaton, British politician, Member of Parliament for Canterbury from 1884 to 1914 (b. 1848)

September 9, 1914 (Wednesday)

German Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg laid out Germany's war aims in the Septemberprogramm, as drafted by his private secretary, Kurt Riezler. Assuming a quick and decisive victory over France, the plan proposed making vassal states of Belgium and France and seizing much land from Imperial Russia in Eastern Europe.

Chief of the Imperial German General Staff Helmuth von Moltke suffered a nervous breakdown upon hearing German forces were retreating from the Marne. It was alleged later that he told Kaiser Wilhelm II "Your Majesty, we have lost the war!" although historians including Winston Churchill were uncertain that it had actually happened.

Siege of Antwerp — Belgian troops attacked Germany's eastern flank, capturing key river crossings and the town of Aarschot east of the city.

Battle of Bita Paka – Australian occupation of German New Guinea began with HMAS Melbourne capturing instead of destroying a wireless station on Nauru after it was found abandoned.

The Canadian Automobile Machine Gun Brigade was established, the first fully mechanized unit in the British Army.

Hilaire Belloc was contracted to write regular articles on the War in the new British weekly Land and Water.

The period drama Break, Break, Break was released, starring William Garwood and Louise Lester as mid-Victorian lovers, and directed by Harry A. Pollard.

Born: John Passmore, Australian philosopher, author of Man's Responsibility for Nature, in Sydney (d. 2004); Marjorie Lee Brown, American mathematician, one of the first African-American women to receive a doctorate in mathematics (d. 1979)

Born: Victor Tennekoon, Sri Lankan judge, 35th Chief Justice of Sri Lanka, in Central Province, Sri Lanka (d. 2007); Alexander Cordell, Welsh writer, author of the Mortymer Saga which included Rape of the Fair Country, The Hosts of Rebecca and Song of the Earth, in Colombo, Ceylon (d. 1997)

Born: Seymour Heller, American talent agent, best known for being the agent for Liberace, in Cleveland (d. 2001); Charles Rycroft, British psychiatrist, leading practitioner of dream analysis, in Dummer, Hampshire, England (d. 1998)

Died: Charles Fyshe Roberts, Australian naval officer and politician, Under-Secretary of Defence in New South Wales, Australia (b. 1837)

September 10, 1914 (Thursday)

German forces retreated from Verdun to the Aisne River in northeastern France.

Siege of Antwerp — Belgian cavalry reach the city of Leuven, Belgium.

Rebel forces captured the city of Durrës, capital of Albania, a week after Prince William abdicated the throne.

The 6th Bavarian Reserve Division was formed as a unit of the Royal Bavarian Army. Adolf Hitler was a member of the unit during World War One.

The German light cruiser SMS Emden moved into the main shipping route between India and Ceylon began capturing or sinking half a dozen merchant ships. The Royal Navy began ordering ships in the Indian Ocean to hunt down the cruiser.

Born: Robert Wise, American film director and producer, Oscar winner for Best Director and Best Picture for West Side Story and The Sound of Music, in Winchester, Indiana (d. 2005); Terence O'Neill, Irish politician, 4th Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, in London (d. 1990)

Born: Raúl Adolfo Ringuelet, Argentine biologist, prolific researcher on insects and marine life in South America with over 100 published scientific papers, in La Plata, Argentina (d. 1982); Dmitry Lavrinenko, Soviet tank commander during World War Two, recipient of the title Hero of the Soviet Union for destroying 52 German tanks in two and a half months in 1941 that remained unbroken throughout the war (d. 1941, killed in action)

Born: Ross Hutchinson, Australian association football player and politician, Member of the Parliament of Western Australia from 1950 to 1977, in Worsley, Western Australia (d. 1999); Ken Snakehips Johnson, British musician, pioneer of British Black music in the 1930s (d. 1941, killed during the The Blitz); Frederic Bartter, American medical researcher, key researcher in kidney diseases, in Manila (d. 1983)

September 11, 1914 (Friday)

Austro-Hungarian forces were defeated at the Battle of Rawa, sustaining some 50,000 casualties and 70,000 men taken prisoner, while the victorious Russian force sustained 60,000 casualties. However, the Central Powers retook Rawa on June 21, 1915.

First Battle of the Masurian Lakes – Reinforcements bolstered the German 8th Army, allowed them to push the Russian First Army back to a line running from Insterburg to Angerburg in East Prussia.

Battle of Bita Paka – Australian troops from the cruiser HMAS Sydney landed at the port Rabaul in German New Guinea while the destroyer HMAS Warrego landed small parties to capture other small settlements with strategically place wireless stations.

Born: Serbian Patriarch Pavle, 44th Serbian Patriarch, in Kućanci in the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia (d. 2009); By Saam, American sportscaster, the "voice of baseball" in Philadelphia, in Fort Worth, Texas (d. 2000)

Died: Ismail Gasprinski, Crimean Tatar intellectual, one of the first Muslim intellectuals in the Russian Empire (b. 1851)

September 12, 1914 (Saturday)

The First Battle of the Marne ended after the German armies retreated 90 kilometres (56 mi) to the River Aisne. French forces in pursuit captured 11,717 German soldiers, 30 artillery pieces and 100 machine-guns while British forces captured another 3,500 German soldiers. The defeat was so complete that many historians believed it forced the German Army to abandon its Schlieffen Plan.

First Battle of the Masurian Lakes – German forces captured Gumbinnen (now Gusev) as Russian forces retreated.

Born: Desmond Llewelyn, Welsh actor, best known for his role as Q in 17 of the James Bond films, in Newport, Wales (d. 1999, killed in an auto accident); Eddy Howard, American singer and bandleader, known for such hits as "To Each His Own", in Woodland, California (d. 1963); Janusz Żurakowski, Polish-Canadian fighter and test pilot, first test pilot of the Avro Arrow, in Ryzawka, Russian Empire (d. 2004); Johnny Long, American musician, band leader of the Johnny Long Orchestra, best known for his hit "In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town" in Newell, North Carolina (d. 1972)

September 13, 1914 (Sunday)

Although the General Electoral League received the most votes in the Swedish general election, the Swedish Social Democratic Party emerged as the largest party, winning 87 of the 230 seats in the Second Chamber.

First Battle of the Aisne – The British Expeditionary Force and French Fifth Army crossed the Aisne at night under the cover of fog to partially demolish bridges and capture key ridges for an offensive against German forces.

French forces recaptured the villages Pont-à-Mousson and Lunéville without opposition to end the Battle of Grand Couronné in France. With the French armies closing up to the Seille river, the Battle of the Frontiers ended with the north-east segment of the Western Front stabilized until 1918.

First Battle of the Masurian Lakes – The town of Stallupönen (now Nesterov) fell to German forces in East Prussia as Russian resistance deteriorated.

Siege of Antwerp — Successful campaigns and German troops regrouping to bolster offensives in northern France allowed Belgian forces to return to Antwerp.

The British sub HMS E9 sank the German aviso SMS Hela with all but two of her 178 crew captured. It was the first German ship sunk by a British submarine for World War One.

Former British diplomat and Irish nationalist Roger Casement met with German diplomat Franz von Papen in Washington D.C. to seek Germany's support in an independent Ireland from Great Britain.

The British 2nd Cavalry Division was established after merging the 5th Cavalry Brigade and 3rd Cavalry Brigade, along with members of the Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Engineers.

The last survivors of the Karluk arrived in Nome, Alaska with most of the town out to greet them. In all 14 out of the 25 that survived the sinking in January were accounted for. Three men were confirmed dead during the wait on Wrangel Island in the Bering Sea, another four were believed to have perished on the ice after leaving the main party, and another four were unaccounted but believed to have been on Herald Island (although no one could get near it). It was not until an American expedition to the island in 1924 found human remains and equipment that confirmed the missing party had made it to land before perishing.

Born: Ralph Rapson, American architect, head of architecture at the University of Minnesota, in Alma, Michigan (d. 2008); Henri Curiel, Egyptian-French political activist, leader of the Democratic Movement for National Liberation, in Cairo (d. 1978, assassinated)

Born: Michael F. Kitt, Irish politician, Fianna Fáil leader who served as Teachta Dála from 1948 to 1974, in Mountbellew, Ireland (d. 1974); Max Rosenberg, American film producer, best known for Tales from the Crypt and The Birthday Party based on the Harold Pinter play, in New York City (d. 2004); Leonard Feather, British-American jazz pianist and music journalist, co-editor of Metronome magazine and jazz critic for the Los Angeles Times, in London (d. 1994)

Died: Charles N. Felton, American politician, U.S. Senator from California from 1891 to 1893 (b. 1832); Robert Hope-Jones, English inventor, designed the first theatre organ (b. 1859); James Ben Ali Haggin, American businessman, co-owner of the mining company Hearst, Haggin, Tevis and Co. (b. 1822)

September 14, 1914 (Monday)

First Battle of the Masurian Lakes – The Russian First Army of the Neman withdrew from East Prussia with over 100,000 casualties plus 45,000 prisoners, allowing the victorious German 8th Army near complete control of the territory.

The German cruiser SMS Cap Trafalgar was sunk by the British cruiser RMS Carmania at Trindade and Martim Vaz, off the coast of Brazil, with a loss of up to 50 crew and another 279 captured.

The Australian submarine HMAS AE1 lost with all 35 men while patrolling New Britain.

Born: Clayton Moore, American actor, played The Lone Ranger on television from 1949 to 1957, in Chicago (d. 1999); G. P. Sippy, Indian film producer and director, served three times as President of the Film Federation of India (d. 2007); Mae Boren Axton, American songwriter, co-writer of the Elvis Presley hit "Heartbreak Hotel", in Bardwell, Texas (d. 1997); Pietro Germi, Italian film-maker, best known for international hits such as Divorce Italian Style, in Genoa (d. 1974)

Died: Hippolyte Laroche, French naval officer and politician, abolished slavery while Resident General of Madagascar (b. 1848); Theodore Wright, British soldier, recipient of the Victoria Cross, killed at Vailly, Aube, France (b. 1883); Sir Evelyn Bradford, British army officer, killed in action near Bucy-le-Long in Picardy, France while commanding 2nd Battalion (b. 1869)

September 15, 1914 (Tuesday)

The first trenches of the Western Front were dug at the First Battle of the Aisne, as the conflict ended indecisively.

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson formally ordered all American troops to leave the Mexican port of Veracruz after nearly five months of occupation in an effort to appease relations with Mexican provisional government leader Venustiano Carranza.

Maritz Rebellion – Christiaan Beyers, Commandant-General of the Union Defence Force in South Africa, resigned from his commission in protest of the South African government's decision to provide military support to the British Commonwealth during World War One. Along with General Koos de la Rey, who served in the Boer War and was nominated to the Senate, Beyers traveled to an armory in Potchefstroom to meet with commanding officer Major Jan Kemp. Major Kemp and some 2,000 men under his command were supposedly sympathetic to Beyer's ideas. On the way to the meeting, De la Rey's car was fired upon by a policeman after it failed to stop at a road block set up to look for a fugitive criminal gang. De la Rey was hit and killed.

A train crash near Lebanon, Missouri killed 27 passengers and injured 18 others.

Born: Creighton Abrams, American military officer, commanded military operations in the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1972, in Springfield, Massachusetts (d. 1974); Adolfo Bioy Casares, Argentine writer, author of the novella The Invention of Morel, in Buenos Aires (d. 1999)); Subandrio, Indonesian politician, 10th Foreign Minister of Indonesia until removed from office following the failed 1965 coup after which he was imprisoned for 29 years, in Malang, Indonesia (d. 2004)

Born: Jens Otto Krag, Danish politician, Prime Minister of Denmark from 1962 to 1968 and again from 1971 to 1972, in Randers, Denmark (d. 1978); Robert McCloskey, American children's author/illustrator, best known of Make Way for Ducklings, in Hamilton, Ohio (d. 2003); Orhan Kemal, Turkish writer, author of Baba Evi and Ekmek Kavgası, in Ceyhan, Turkey (d. 1970)

Died: David Wolffsohn, Lithuanian-Jewish leader, second president of the Zionist Organization (b. 1856)

September 16, 1914 (Wednesday)

Russian forces began the Siege of Przemyśl in East Prussia where a garrison of Austrian-Hungarian forces held out for 133 days before surrendering, the longest siege in World War One.

The Canadian Aviation Corps was formed in an attempt for Canada to provide trained pilots for the Royal Air Force during World War One, but the organization dissolved by the spring of next year.

Born: Allen Funt, American television producer, creator and host of Candid Camera, in New York City (d. 1999)

Died: James Edward Sullivan, American sports official, one of the founders of the Amateur Athletic Union (b. 1862); C. X. Larrabee, American businessman, co-founder of the town of Fairhaven, Washington (b. 1843)

September 17, 1914 (Thursday)

Essad Pasha Toptani of the Ottoman Empire and Nikola Pašić of Serbia sign a secret alliance known as the Treaty of Niš.

Andrew Fisher became Prime Minister of Australia for the third time.

The German 6th Army attempted to outflank French forces to the north in Belgium but met stiff-counter resistance, further entrenching the Western Front.

Siege of Toma – German New Guinea governor Eduard Haber surrendered to Australian forces after determining there were few troops to defend the Pacific colony.

The British battleship HMS Invincible sank during a storm in the English Channel off the coast of Isle of Portland, with a loss of 21 of her 64 crew.

Born: Thomas J. Bata, Czech-Canadian businessman, CEO of Bata Shoes, in Prague (d. 2008)

Died: Eugen Binder von Krieglstein, Austrian journalist, famous for his war correspondence for major late 19th-century and early 20th-century conflicts including the Spanish–American War, the Boxer Rebellion, and the Russo-Japanese War, killed in combat at Galicia (b. 1873)

September 18, 1914 (Friday)

The Government of Ireland Act received Royal Assent (although George V has contemplated refusing it). However, the Act is postponed for the duration of World War One by the simultaneous Suspensory Act and in practice never came into effect in its original form.

Born: Jack Cardiff, British cinematographer, director, and photographer, his work outlined in the 2010 documentary Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff, in Great Yarmouth, England (d. 2009); Harry Townes, American actor, best known for reoccurring roles in popular 1960s TV series including Bonanza, Gunsmoke and The Fugitive, in Huntsville, Alabama (d. 2001); Jean Dubuisson, French architect, designer of many modern post-World War Two buildings in France including the Shape Village in Saint-Germain-en-Laye and La Caravelle in Villeneuve-la-Garenne, in Lille, France (d. 2011)

Died: Miriam Leslie, American publisher and author, wife of publisher Frank Leslie (b. 1836)

September 19, 1914 (Saturday)

The German 9th Army was established in Breslau near the German-Polish border to command troops on the Eastern Front.

The British 6th Cavalry Brigade, famous for its role at the Battle of Waterloo, was re-established with the 3rd Cavalry Division.

The 17th Battalion of Nova Scotia Highlanders for the Canadian Expeditionary Force was established and deployed for Europe on September 29. The battalion became a reserve unit April 1915 and earned battle honors in 1917. The battalion was disbanded in 1917 and reestablished in 1954 in its present form as the The Nova Scotia Highlanders.

Port Adelaide 13.15 (93) defeated North Adelaide 1.8 (14) for their second successive South Australian National Football League (SAFL) flag and eighth overall. They were the only SAFL football team to finish with a perfect season, overall winning thirty consecutive matches.

Born: Ky Fan, Chinese-American mathematician, lead contributor to fixed point theory, professor of Mathematics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in Hangzhou, China (d. 2010)

September 20, 1914 (Sunday)

With support from Serbia and Italy, Ottoman general Essad Pasha Toptani organized an armed force of 10,000 men to invade Albania.

The German cruiser SMS Königsberg sank the British cruiser HMS Pegasus at the Battle of Zanzibar, with a loss of 38 British sailors.

In a speech at Woodenbridge, County Wicklow, John Redmond called on members of the Irish Volunteers to go "wherever the firing line extends". The majority did so, fighting in the 10th and 16th (Irish) Division alongside their volunteer counterparts from the 36th (Ulster) Division; the rump Irish Volunteers split off on 24 September.

Born: Ken Hechler, American politician, U.S. Representative for West Virginia from 1959 to 1977 and West Virginia Secretary of State from 1985 to 2001; in Roslyn, New York (d. 2016); Gerhard Homuth, German Luftwaffe fighter pilot during World War Two, recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for the North Africa campaigns, in Kiel, Germany (d. 1943, missing in action); Francis Steinmetz, Dutch naval officer, escaped from the German POW camp Oflag IV-C at Colditz Castle during World War Two, in Batavia, Dutch East Indies (d. 2006)

Born: Glen Robinson, American special effects artist, winner of six Academy Awards for films including Earthquake and Logan's Run (d. 2002); Kenneth More, English actor, known for roles such as Doctor in the House, in Gerrards Cross, England (d. 1982); A. S. Rao, Indian physicist, founder of Electronics Corporation of India Limited, in Mogallu, India (d. 2003)

Died: Charles Allix Lavington Yate, British military officer, recipient of the Victoria Cross, escaped from a German POW camp and died while eluding capture (b. 1872)

September 21, 1914 (Monday)

First Battle of Picardy – German forces marched from Rheims and engaged French forces the following day.

All German armed forces in German New Guinea surrendered to the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force.

German forces laid siege to Osowiec Fortress in the Russian Empire (now north-eastern Poland), using up to 60 artillery pieces to bombard the fort.

Battle of Ukoko – The British ship Surprise bombarded the town German colonial port of Ukoko in the central African territory of Neukamerun (now Gabon) before French soldiers landed and took the town.

Laurence Binyon's poem For the Fallen, containing his Ode of Remembrance, was published in The Times (London).

Born: Bob Lido, American singer and violinist, regularly appeared on The Lawrence Welk Show, in Jersey City, New Jersey (d. 2000); Slam Stewart, American jazz bass player, best known for his work with Dizzy Gillespie, in Englewood, New Jersey (d. 1987); John Kluge, German-American TV mogul, owner of Metromedia from 1958 to 1986, in Chemnitz, Germany (d. 2010)

Born: Bodo Sandberg, Dutch fighter pilot for the Royal Netherlands Air Force during World War Two, recipient of the Cross of Merit and Airman's Cross, in Rotterdam (d. 2005); Günther Krech, German U-boat commander during World War Two, recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, in Wilhelmshaven, Germany (d. 2000)

September 22, 1914 (Tuesday)

Action of 22 September 1914 – German submarine U-9 torpedoed three British Royal Navy armoured cruisers, HMS Aboukir, Cressy and Hogue, with the deaths of more than 1,400 men, in the North Sea.

The German light cruiser SMS Emden bombarded Madras, the only Indian city to be attacked by the Central Powers in World War One.

In the first British air raid against Germany in history, Royal Naval Air Service BE.2 aircraft of No. 3 Squadron based at Antwerp, Belgium, attacked German airship hangars at Cologne and Düsseldorf, Germany, but failed to inflict damage due to bad weather and the failure of bombs to explode.

Bombardment of Papeete – German armoured cruisers SMS Scharnhorst and Gneisenau entered the port of Papeete on the island of Tahiti and sank the French gunboat Zélée and freighter Walkure before bombarding the town's fortifications.

French novelist Alain-Fournier (Lieutenant Henri-Alban Fournier), aged 27, was killed in action near Vaux-lès-Palameix (Meuse) a month after enlisting, leaving his second novel, Colombe Blanchet, unfinished. His body wasn't identified until 1991.

T. S. Eliot met fellow American poet Ezra Pound for the first time at Pound's flat in London, starting a professional relationship that encouraged Eliot to focus on a serious career in poetry.

The association football club Club Martín Ledesma was established in Capiatá, Paraguay.

Born: Dick Heyward, Australian UN executive, deputy executive director for UNICEF from 1949 to 1981 (d. 2005); Siegfried Lowitz, German television actor, best known for the role Chief Inspector Erwin Köster in the German television drama The Old Fox, in Berlin (d. 1999); Maurice Limat, French science fiction author, most known for space operas and futuristic procedural series featuring detectives Robin Muscat and Chevalier Coqdor (d. 2002)

September 23, 1914 (Wednesday)

Born: Bethsabée de Rothschild, English philanthropist and patron of dance, established the Batsheva Dance Company and the Bat-Dor Dance Company, in London (d. 1999); Omar Ali Saifuddien III, 28th Paramount Ruler and Sultan of Brunei, in Brunei Town, Brunei (d. 1986)

Born: James Henry Deese, American space engineer, manager of NASA at the Kennedy Space Centre from 1960 to 1973, in Graceville, Florida (d. 2001); Annely Juda, born Anneliese Brauer, German-born art dealer, founder of the Annely Juda Fine Arts gallery in London, in Kassel, Germany (d. 2006); Sverre Midtskau, Norwegian resistance fighter during World War Two, worked with the Skylark groups to establish secret Allied radio communications in German occupied Norway (d. 1987)

Died: Alexander Winterberger, German composer, best known for the Fantasy and Fugue themes specific to the organ for the Merseburg Cathedral in Germany (b. 1834)

September 24, 1914 (Thursday)

German naval officer Wilhelm Souchon was commissioned into the Ottoman Navy with the rank of Vice-Admiral.

The French Air Force squadron Escadrille 31 was established at the Dijon Air Base near Longvic, France.

Born: Andrzej Panufnik, Polish-British musician and composer, reestablished the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra after World War Two before defecting to Great Britain, in Warsaw (d. 1991); John Kerr, Australian politician, 18th Governor-General of Australia, in Sydney (d. 1991)

Born: Esther Eng, Chinese-American filmmaker, first female director to direct Chinese-language films in the United States, in San Francisco (d. 1970) Nand Singh, Indian soldier during World War Two, recipient of the Victoria Cross, in Bathinda, India (d. 1947, killed in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947)

Died: Samuel Swinfin Burdett, American politician, U.S. Representative from Missouri from 1869 to 1873 (b. 1836); Dimitrije T. Leko, Serbian architect, designer of Belgrade landmarks including the Belgrade Meteorological Station, Vučo House on Slavija Square, and the New Military Academy on Nemanjina Street (now the Belgrade City Museum) (b. 1863)

September 25, 1914 (Friday)

The French Second Army fought the German 6th Army in the First Battle of Albert.

Battle of Buggenhout — The Belgian launched a major offensive against German forces at Buggenhout between Antwerp and Brussels.

The first attempt by the New Zealand Expeditionary Force to depart New Zealand for Europe was aborted due to concerns about the presence of German SMS Emden capturing or sinking merchant vessels in the Indian Ocean.

Born: Elena Lucena, Argentine film actress, major movie star during the Golden Age of Argentine Cinema, in Buenos Aires (d. 2015); Robert Wright, American composer, best known for the Broadway musical Kismet, in Daytona Beach, Florida (d. 2005)

Born: Helen Johns, American swimmer, gold medal winner at the 1932 Summer Olympics, in Sumter, South Carolina (d. 2014); John Manners, British cricketer and naval officer, played for the Hampshire County Cricket Club in the 1930s and 1940s while also serving the Royal Navy, in Exeter, England (still alive in 2014)

Died: James Whitney, Canadian politician, 6th Premier of Ontario (b. 1843); Alfred Lichtenstein, German Expressionist writer, best known for the short story "The Winner", killed in action in France (b. 1889); Harry Ranken, Scottish army medic during World War One, recipient of the Victoria Cross, tended to the wounded at his own expense at Haute-Avesnes, France (b. 1883)

September 26, 1914 (Saturday)

The German Southwest Africa army defeated forces from the Union of South Africa at the Battle of Sandfontein in what is now Namibia.

Battle of Buggenhout — Belgian troops and cavalry engaged and attempted to cut off the retreat of the German Landwehr Brigade, but the brigade managed to escape encirclement and rejoin the main body of forces the following day.

The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) was established by the Federal Trade Commission Act.

Carlton won the 18th VFL Premiership, defeating South Melbourne 6.9 (45) to 4.15 (39) in the 1914 VFL Grand Final.

Born: Jack LaLanne, American fitness, exercise and nutritional expert, producer and host of the The Jack LaLanne Show from 1951 to 1985, in San Francisco (d. 2011); Achille Compagnoni, Italian mountaineer, scaled and reached the summit of K2 with Lino Lacedelli, the first climbers to do it, in Santa Caterina di Valfurva, Italy (d. 2009)

Died: August Macke, German painter, one of the leading members of the German Expressionist group Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) (killed in action) (b. 1887)

September 27, 1914 (Sunday)

Battle of Albert – German forces pushed back French reserve armies around the Somme River east of Albert, France.

Battle of Buggenhout — A Belgian volunteer regiment clashed with German troops, but out-manned and outgunned retreated to Mol, Belgium where some volunteer recruits managed to frustrate German troops from taking its railway station (the rail was blown up later to slow the German advance).

Russian forces regrouped and forced back German artillery away from Osowiec Fortress in Russian-held Polish territory, ending Germany's first attempt to take the fort.

Komagata Maru incident – Passengers of the Japanese ship Komagata Maru arrived back in Calcutta after being forced to return from Canada. British authorities attempted to arrest Baba Gurdit Singh and 20 other men deemed as leaders for organizing the voyage. Singh resisted arrest, causing a general riot to break out. British officers opened fire and killed 19 passengers. Most of the survivors were arrested, but Singh escaped along with a few others and remained underground until 1920.

The first Neutral Socialist Conference was held in Lugano, Switzerland by representatives of the Swiss Social Democratic Party and the Italian Socialist Party. Two more conferences for socialist parties n Europe would be held throughout World War One.

Born: Bill Jackowski, American baseball umpire, officiated in the National League from 1952 to 1968, including three World Series and three All-Star Games, in North Walpole, New Hampshire (d. 1996); Catherine Marshall, American writer, wife of minister Peter Marshall and author of inspirational works such as Christy, in Johnson City, Tennessee (d. 1983)

Died: Carlos María Herrera, Uruguayan portrait painter, best known for such portrait works such as Congreso de Abril de 1813 and Artigas en el Hervidero (b. 1875)

September 28, 1914 (Monday)

The Germans began bombarding the fortresses protecting Antwerp.

Battle of Albert – French forces halted the German advance around Arras in the Somme valley.

The German cruiser SMS Cormoran was scuttled off the coast of Tsingtau, China to prevent capture by the British.

The Oz Film Manufacturing Company, founded by L. Frank Baum, author of the bestselling fantasy novels set in the Land of Oz, released the first film adaptations of his books – The Patchwork Girl of Oz and The Magic Cloak of Oz. Unfortunately, neither movie was a success and subsequent films failed to translate Baum's success with the books into movies. The film company would fold within a year.

The U.S. railroad Bevier and Southern Railroad (BVS) was established when the rail company Missouri and Louisiana Railroad divided the Missouri portion to become BVS until it was shut down in 1982.

Born: Kyaw Hlaing, Burmese painter, landscape painter famous for his cloud-filled sky depictions, in Bogale, British Burma (d. 1996)

Died: Richard Warren Sears, American businessman, founder of Sears, Roebuck and Company (b. 1863); Christian Fleetwood, American military non-commissioned officer, noted African-American to receive the Medal of Honor for actions at the Battle of Chaffin's Farm during the American Civil War (b. 1840)

September 29, 1914 (Tuesday)

Battle of the Vistula River – The German 9th Army advanced on Vistula River where Russian forces regrouped following their defeat at the First Battle of the Masurian Lakes.

Siege of Antwerp — German bombardments rendered several forts useless to defense, forcing the Belgian army to evacuate all wounded, non-combative men, prisoners of war, equipment and ammunition to Antwerp. Belgian Prime Minister Charles de Broqueville informed the British the Belgian field army of 65,000 men would withdraw to Ostend if the outer fortresses fell and leave a garrison of 80,000 troops to hold Antwerp for as long as possible.

Battle of Albert – A German reserve division attacked and captured the French village of Fricourt but was prevented by a French barrage from advancing further. France counter-attacked the following day and almost recaptured Fricourt.

The German cruiser SMS Emden moored at the Maldives in the Indian Ocean to restock its coal supplies using a captured merchant vessel.

Arthur Machen's short story The Bowmen, origin of the legend of the Angels of Mons, is published in The Evening News (London).

Born: Moni Guha, Indian politician, co-founder of the Unity Centre of Communist Revolutionaries of India (Marxist–Leninist) in 1975, in Madaripur, British India (d. 2009); Herschel L. Roman, Polish-American geneticist, advocated the use of yeast in genetic research, in Szumsk, Poland (d. 1989); D. J. Opperman, South African poet, leading poet in the Afrikaans language, in Dundee, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (d. 1985)

Died: Thomas Fergus, New Zealand politician, Member of Parliament for Wakatipu from 1881 to 1893 (b. 1850); Jane Maria Atkinson, New Zealand community leader, first Pakeha woman to climb Mt Taranaki (b. 1824); John Kiggins, American soldier, recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions at Battle of Lookout Mountain during the American Civil War (b. 1837)

September 30, 1914 (Wednesday)

French forces arrived at Arras in an attempt to outflank the advancing German armies in what was the start of the Battle of Arras.

The Wakamiya was damaged by a naval mine and forced to retire from the Siege of Tsingtao, ending the first combat deployment of an aviation ship in history.

The two Curtiss Model H prototypes, originally prepared for the Daily Mail sponsored transatlantic contest in August, were shipped to Great Britain aboard RMS Mauretania for the Royal Naval Air Service. This spawned a fleet of aircraft which saw extensive military service during World War One, where they were developed extensively for anti-submarine patrol and air-sea rescue.

Frank Hanly, Governor of Indiana, established the Flying Squadron of America to promote the temperance movement.

Born: Tom Eckersley, British graphic artist, known for design works for various organizations including Austin Reed, British Petroleum, and Guinness, in Lancashire, England (d. 1997); Baby Ray, American football player, played tackle for the Green Bay Packers from 1938 to 1948, in Davidson County, Tennessee (d. 1986)

Died: Henry Littlejohn, Scottish surgeon, pioneer of modern forensics (b. 1826)