This Day in History: March 14

1942: Penicillin saves a dying patient

For the first time in history, a dying patient's life is saved by penicillin. While some trials in Oxford, England had resulted in cures using penicillin, Orvan Hess and John Bumstead are generally credited with the first documented successful treatment.

1960: Germany and Israel leaders meet for the first time

West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion met at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York, 15 years after the end of World War II.

1979: Factory Plane Crash in China

At least 200 people are killed when a stolen plane crashes into a factory in China. The pilot was not qualified to fly it.

1991: The release of the Birmingham Six

Six men wrongly sentenced to life imprisonment in 1975 for the IRA Birmingham pub bombings are released.

1590: Battle of Ivry during French Wars of Religion

French King Henry IV beats Catholic League during French Wars of Religion.

1794: Eli Whitney patents the cotton gin machine

Eli Whitney patents the cotton gin machine, revolutionizing the cotton industry in the southern US states.

1900: Dutch botanist rediscovers Mendel's laws of genetics, and US currency goes on gold standard

Hugo de Vries, a Dutch botanist, rediscovers Gregor Mendel's laws of heredity and genetics. Also, the United States currency goes on gold standard after Congress passes the Currency Act.

1900: The Lakeview Gusher oil spill

The largest accidental oil spill in history occurs when the Lakeview Gusher releases 9 million barrels of crude oil over 18 months.

1943: Kraków Ghetto "liquidated" during World War II

The Kraków Ghetto is "liquidated" during World War II.

2013: Xi Jinping becomes President of China

Xi Jinping is named the new President of the People's Republic of China.