What Happened on September 14?

September 14 is National Cream-Filled Donut Day — a sweet celebration of surprise fillings — on the same date Francis Scott Key wrote the Star-Spangled Banner poem in 1814, Pop-Tarts hit shelves in 1964, and Luna 2 reached the Moon in 1959.

• 1812 — Napoleon's army enters Moscow

  On September 14, 1812, Napoleon's Grande Armée entered Moscow — only to find the city largely abandoned and soon burning. Read the full story →

• 1814 — Francis Scott Key writes the poem that becomes The Star-Spangled Banner

  On September 14, 1814, after watching the British bombard Fort McHenry, Francis Scott Key wrote the poem later set to music as America's national anthem. Read the full story →

• 1901 — President William McKinley dies after an assassination attempt

  On September 14, 1901, President William McKinley died in Buffalo, New York, eight days after being shot — and Theodore Roosevelt became president. Read the full story →

• 1959 — Luna 2 becomes the first spacecraft to reach the Moon

  On September 14, 1959, the Soviet probe Luna 2 crashed onto the Moon — the first human-made object to arrive there. Read the full story →

• 1960 — OPEC is founded in Baghdad

  On September 14, 1960, oil-producing nations founded OPEC in Baghdad to coordinate petroleum policies. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Sam Neill (1947) · Nas (1973) · Andrew Lincoln (1973) · Amy Winehouse (1983–2011)

Days & observances

National Cream-Filled Donut Day · National Live Creative Day · National Huarache Day · National Eat a Hoagie Day