May 14 - Four-year-old Becomes King!

Posted on May 14, 2017

Today's historical anniversary was fairly common, back in the day: a young child becoming the "ruler" of a nation or kingdom. 

It was fairly common because kings and emperors commonly transferred power only when they died, and transferred it to their oldest offspring or, even more commonly, to their oldest MALE offspring.

And sometimes that oldest male offspring wasn't very old at all!

In this case, Louis XIV became King of France when he was just four years old, on this date in 1643. Of course, that didn't mean that he actually started ruling then. Four year olds then weren't so very different from four year olds now! As in other times and places when a child becomes the head of state, a regent did the actual decision making and ruling.

Louis XIII - Louis XIV's father - had established a regency council headed by Louis XIV's mother, Queen Anne. But when the old king died, Queen Anne quickly moved to annul his will and dissolve the council. In so doing, she became the sole regent.

Louis XIV took over the rule of France in his early twenties. He had been taught by his mother that he was appointed to rule his country by God. This concept is called "the divine right of kings." He was so convinced of his God-given right to rule every aspect of his peoples' lives, he became an absolute ruler. 

Louis XIV also moved to make France a nation of more centralized rule. He took an old hunting lodge of his father's and made it into an incredible, lavish palace - the famous Palace of Versailles. And he got a lot of the nobles to come live in that posh place, making them feel more positive about supporting their king. In this way, Louis XIV became one of the most powerful French monarchs ever...and he ruled the longest of any European monarch in recorded history!

Louis XIV ruled for 72 years and 110 days, until his death just short of his 77th birthday.

Today we still marvel at the lavish palace that he built:

  

Also on this date:

Anniversary of William Close playing his Earth Harp on TV 

National Dance Like a Chicken Day

National Miniature Gold Day

Windmill Day

Movie producer George Lucas's birthday

Underground America Day

Botanist Mikhail Tsvett's birthday

Mathematician John C. Fields's birthday

Mother's Day in the U.S.

(Second Sunday in May)









Flag Day

Plan ahead:

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• May holidays 
• May birthdays 
• Historical anniversaries in May

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• June holidays
• June birthdays
• Historical anniversaries in June
  
  

September 11 - The French Blue Is Stolen

– 1792

A huge blue diamond was one of the many jewels owned by French King Louis XIV and his wife, Marie Antoinette. But on this date in 1792, while the king and his family were trapped in the palace during the beginning of the French Revolution (not long before they lost their heads), a group of thieves broke into the Royal Storehouse and stole the Crown Jewels, including the French Blue.

Later, when things calmed down, some of these jewels were recovered, but the French Blue never was.

However, almost exactly twenty years after the theft, a blue diamond was recorded as being in the possession of a diamond merchant in London. In 1839 a diamond of the same size, color, and shape appeared in the published catalog of a gem collector named Henry Philip Hope. This Hope Diamond was long thought to have been cut from the French Blue—and in 2005 evidence was published that, indeed, this theory is true.

The Hope Diamond now resides in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.

Learn more about diamonds from Science Kids. 

Can you discover from this earlier post what makes the Hope Diamond blue? 

Also on this date:

Anniversary of the recording of the first Beatle's single 

Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance (U.S.)

This day commemorates the tragic deaths and injury and loss that most Americans know as 9-11.