September 14, 407: Early church father John Chrysostom, the greatest preacher of his age, dies in exile.
September 14, 1321: Dante Alighieri, author of The Divine Comedy, dies.
September 14, 1741: George Frederick Handel finishes composing "The Messiah," begun only 24 days earlier.
September 14, 1814: Francis Scott Key, Episcopal layman and cofounder of the American Sunday School Union, is inspired to write "The Star-Spangled Banner" during the bombardment of Fort McHenry during the war of 1812.