Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, was shot dead in Sarajevo together with his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, during a visit to the Bosnian capital. The assassin was Gavrilo Princip, a young Bosnian Serb and member of the Young Bosnia movement, who opposed Austro-Hungarian rule over the south Slav lands. Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia for backing the plot and, after a month of diplomatic crisis, issued an ultimatum and declared war. A chain of alliances then drew in Russia, Germany, France and Britain. The killing is regarded as the spark that started the First World War.
Before and after
- 31 March 1914Birth of Octavio Paz
- 20 April 1914Ludlow Massacre
- 29 May 1914Birth of Tenzing Norgay
- 2 June 1914Birth of Yuri Andropov
- 28 June 1914Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
- 21 July 1914Discovery of Sinope
- from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918World War I
- from 28 July 1914 to 3 November 1918Serbian campaign
- 31 July 1914Birth of Louis de Funès
More in Society, economy & sport
- 1919Founding of International Astronomical Union
- 7 September 1923Founding of Interpol
- 22 March 1928Founding of Muslim Brotherhood
- 1929Origins of Serie B
- from 1932 to 1933Holodomor
- 7 December 1944Founding of International Civil Aviation Organization
The era
This moment belongs to the Modern era (1914 CE to 1945 CE), world wars and a changing world. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.