December 1914

[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.
• Maritz rebellion — Boer rebel leader Christiaan de Wet was captured by South African forces.
• The South African Irish Regiment for the South African Army was established in Johannesburg.
• Luxury car manufacturer Maserati was founded in Bologna.
• The U1 of the Hamburg U-Bahn line opened in Hamburg with stations at Alsterdorf, Buchenkamp, Hudtwalckerstraße, Lattenkamp, Meiendorfer Weg and Osterstraße.
• The Central Rail Station replaced the Arcade Depot in Los Angeles.
• The daily newspaper Porsgrunns Dagblad was first published in Porsgrunn, Norway.
• Daily newspaper Diario Panorama released its first edition in Maracaibo, Venezuela.
• Born:
• * William Holmes Crosby Jr., American medical researcher, credited as one of the first to develop the field of hematology; in Wheeling, West Virginia, United States
• *Choo Seng Quee, Singaporean association football player and coach, centre-half for the Singapore national football team from 1936 to 1939, and five-time coach of the team in the 1960s and 1970s; as Joseph Choo Sing Quee, in Singapore, Straits Settlements
• * Carl W. McIntosh, American academic, 8th president of Montana State University; in Redlands, California, United States
• Died: Alfred Thayer Mahan, 74, American naval officer, introduced the concept of sea power in The Influence of Sea Power upon History which influenced many naval strategies in the 20th-century; died from heart failure

  [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 of Serbia accompanying his nation's army to the front to boost morale.
• The 6th, 8th, and 14th Australian Battalions arrived in Egypt and would participate in the Gallipoli campaign the following April.
• 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: Adolph Green, American composer, known for musical hits including Singin' in the Rain, On the Town, The Band Wagon, and Hallelujah, Baby!; in New York City, United States

  [December 3], 1914 (Thursday)

• Italian Prime Minister Giovanni Giolitti argued in Parliament for Italy to continue remaining neutral during World War I.
• 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.
• The 44th Division of the British Army was effectively disbanded while stationed in British India.
• Honor society Omicron Delta Kappa was established at Washington and Lee University.
• William S. Hart made his film debut in The Bargain, becoming the first Western movie star. The film is now preserved by the National Film Registry.

  [December 4], 1914 (Friday)

• Mexican Revolution — Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata met in Xochimilco, Mexico to negotiate an alliance against Venustiano Carranza.
• The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association was established in Ottawa. It merged with Hockey Canada in 1994.
• Born:
• * Claude Renoir, French cinematographer, nephew to film director Jean Renoir, known for his cinematography in The River, Cleopatra, and Barbarella; in Paris, France
• * Rudolf Hausner, Austrian painter, co-founder of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism; in Vienna, Austria-Hungary
• * George Swindin, British association football player and manager, 35-year career notable with Arsenal, as goalkeeper from 1936 to 1954 and manager from 1958 to 1962; in Campsall, England
• * Avelin P. Tacon Jr., American air force pilot, commander of the 123d Airlift Wing during World War II and deputy commander of Twelfth Air Force from 1960 to 1962, recipient of Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Croix de Guerre, and Air Medal; in Mobile, Alabama, United States

  [December 5], 1914 (Saturday)

• The caretaker government of Nikola Pašić for Serbia was dissolved in accordance with the Treaty of Niš, allowing Pašić to form a new cabinet.
• Tashi Namgyal became the ruling Chogyal 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 Toronto Varsity Blues 14-2 at Varsity Stadium in Toronto.
• The current Santa Cruz Wharf opened in Santa Cruz, California.
• Born:
• *Lina Bo Bardi, Italian-born Brazilian architect, designer of the São Paulo Museum of Art, advocate for sustainable architecture; as Achillina Bo, in Rome, Kingdom of Italy
• * Edgar Humphreys, British air force officer, member of No. 107 Squadron and the escape party from the German POW camp Stalag Luft III during World War II, in Exmouth, England

  [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 center 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.
• Mexican revolutionary leader Álvaro Obregón confirmed Pancho Villa had executed Scottish expatriate William S. Benton in February, as part of a 14-point statement to the news media on why he opposed Villa.
• The Fujikoshi railroad opened in Toyama Prefecture, Japan, with stations Fujikoshi, Inarimachi, Minami, and Sagoshi serving the line.
• The village of Broadview, Illinois was established.
• Born:
• * Cyril Washbrook, British cricketer, played for the Lancashire County Cricket Club from 1933 to 1959, including 37 Tests; in Barrow, Lancashire, England
• * Kou Voravong, Laotian politician, cabinet minister for the Souvanna Phouma administratio; in Khathabouri, French Indochina

  [December 7], 1914 (Monday)

• The National Assembly of the Kingdom of Serbia publicly released a set of objectives for World War I known as the Niš Declaration, which include a proposal to unify the Balkan nations into Yugoslavia.
• Pope Benedict XV called for an official truce between the warring nations of World War I by Christmas, asking "that the guns may fall silent at least upon the night the angels sang."
• 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.
• The ship Endurance encountered pack ice further north than expected and was forced to maneuver, creating delays for the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.
• 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 Supreme Court of the United States rejected a final plea by Leo Frank, sentenced to death for the murder of 13-year old Mary Phagan in Georgia.
• Norwegian cargo ship Nygaard, formerly the SS Belle of Spain, sank in a storm while being towed to Esbjerg, Denmark. All crew had abandoned ship days earlier and were safely transported to port.
• The 44th Indian Brigade of the British Indian Army was established.
• The new building for the Barnes-Jewish Hospital opened on its present site in St. Louis.
• 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 Kwakwakaʼwakw 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 members of the Kwakwakaʼwakw. It was an inductee to the National Film Registry list.
• 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 when his contract came up for renewal at the end of the year, but Keystone producer Mack Sennett refused for being too large.
• The Grocio Prado District was established in Chincha Province, Peru.
• Born: Winston Place, British cricketer, played for the Lancashire County Cricket Club from 1937 to 1955 and played three Tests in 1948; in Rawtenstall, England
• Died: Persis Foster Eames Albee, American entrepreneur, considered the first "Avon Lady" of Avon Products, then known as the California Perfume Company