September 14 in History: McKinley's Death, Roosevelt's Rise, and Other Milestones

September 14 marks the anniversary of several pivotal moments in world history, most notably the passing of the US presidency in 1901. On that day, President William McKinley succumbed to gunshot wounds inflicted by an assassin eight days earlier in Buffalo, New York. His death elevated Vice President Theodore Roosevelt to the Oval Office, making him the youngest person to assume the US presidency at the age of 42.

The date also holds significance for military history. In 1847, during the Mexican-American War, US forces commanded by General Winfield Scott captured Mexico City. Fourteen years later, in 1861, the USS Colorado engaged and sank the Confederate private schooner Judah off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, marking the first naval clash of the American Civil War.

The arts lost two iconic figures on this day. In 1927, modern dance pioneer Isadora Duncan died in Nice, France, after her scarf became entangled in the wheel of a moving sports car. Decades later, in 1982, Princess Grace of Monaco—formerly the acclaimed film star Grace Kelly—passed away at the age of 52 from injuries sustained in a car crash the previous day.

More recent events on this date include a 1991 peace pact signed between the South African government, the African National Congress, and the Inkatha Freedom Party. In 1994, acting Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig declared the end of the 1994 season amid a players' strike. The date also saw Americans gather for remembrance services following the September 11 attacks in 2001, with President George W. Bush visiting the World Trade Center site. In 2012, violent protests erupted across the Muslim world over an anti-Muslim film. Hurricane Florence made landfall in the Carolinas in 2018, causing widespread flooding and dozens of fatalities. Finally, in 2024, the USS New Jersey was commissioned as the first US Navy submarine designed with separate quarters for its coed crew.