Calendar Leaf: What Happened on April 14?

This entry from the "Kalenderblatt" (Calendar Leaf) series offers a daily historical snapshot, focusing on events, notable births, and significant deaths connected to April 14th. It serves as a brief historical reminder, curated by dpa, Germany's news agency.

On this day in history, 2024 saw Bayer Leverkusen clinch their first-ever German football championship, ending Bayern Munich's eleven-year streak. In 2021, the decision was made by the US and NATO to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, a move that began on May 1st and preceded the Taliban's rapid resurgence. A significant legal ruling occurred in 2011 when the European Court of Human Rights reiterated that retroactive security detention in Germany violated the European Convention on Human Rights.

Further back, 1986 is marked by a devastating hailstorm in Bangladesh, which produced the heaviest hailstone ever recorded at 1.02 kilograms and claimed at least 92 lives. A pivotal moment in international relations occurred in 1971 with the "Ping-Pong Diplomacy" between China and the USA reaching a high point, paving the way for President Nixon's historic visit to Beijing the following year.

The "Kalenderblatt" also commemorates birthdays and death anniversaries. Notable figures include German-Polish writer Margarete Stokowski (born 1986), German cabaret artist Rainald Grebe (born 1971), Berlin's Police President Barbara Slowik (born 1966), and British actor Robert Carlyle (born 1961). The day also marks the passing of influential French writer Simone de Beauvoir (died 1986).