Timeline September 2014

Events in September 2014 10

• 1926 – 2014 Ian Paisley (1926-2014) Died 12 September 2014, aged 88 Ian Paisley, the firebrand Protestant preacher and politician who became Northern Ireland's first minister after decades opposing power-sharing with Irish nationalists, died in Belfast. He founded the Democratic Unionist Party and the Free Presbyterian Church. His late-career political partnership with former IRA commander Martin McGuinness surprised many observers.
• 1933 – 2014 Joan Rivers (1933-2014) Died 4 September 2014, aged 81 Joan Rivers, the pioneering comedian and television personality known for her sharp-edged humor and red carpet commentary, died from complications during a throat procedure in New York. She had built a decades-long career breaking ground for women in stand-up comedy. She remained a fixture of American television until her death.
• 2014 Arrested Protesting the Maules Creek Coal Mine Locking On in Leard State Forest In September 2014, Pocock was arrested after locking himself to mining machinery at the Maules Creek coal mine site in the Leard State Forest, New South Wales, in protest against land clearing and fossil fuel expansion. The act, undertaken during the Australian rugby off-season, made headlines nationwide and marked one of the most visible instances of an elite Australian athlete engaging in direct-action environmental protest. It cemented his reputation as a genuine activist rather than a celebrity endorser of causes.
• 2014 The Raptor's first combat mission Strikes in Syria F-22s drop precision-guided bombs on Islamic State targets in Syria, the type's combat debut nine years after entering service.
• 2014 Apple unveils the Apple Watch Company enters the smartwatch market Apple announced its first wearable device, the Apple Watch, alongside the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus at an event in Cupertino. It marked the company's first new product category since the iPad. The watch went on sale the following year.
• 2014 U2 put Songs of Innocence in every iTunes library Apple launch An automatic download that backfires with many users.
• 2014 Amy Winehouse statue unveiled in Camden Stables Market A bronze statue on what would have been her 31st birthday.
• 2014 Scottish independence referendum Voters reject leaving the United Kingdom Scotland held a referendum on whether to become an independent country, with 55% voting to remain part of the United Kingdom. Turnout was exceptionally high at 84.6%. The vote led to promises of further devolved powers for the Scottish Parliament.
• 2014 Alibaba's record-breaking IPO Chinese e-commerce giant lists on the New York Stock Exchange Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group raised $25 billion in its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange, the largest IPO in history at the time. Founder Jack Ma became one of China's richest people. The listing underscored China's growing economic influence.
• 2014 Hong Kong Umbrella Movement Mass pro-democracy protests occupy the city center Protesters occupied major thoroughfares in Hong Kong for weeks, demanding open nominations for the territory's chief executive election. The movement took its name from umbrellas used to block police pepper spray. Police eventually cleared the last protest sites in mid-December without the demands being met.