1479: Treaty of Alcáçovas: Portugal cedes the Canary Islands to Castile in exchange for claims in West Africa 1836: Battle of the Alamo: After 13 days of fighting, 1,500 to 3,000 Mexican soldiers overwhelm the Texan defenders, killing 182 to 257 Texans, including William Travis, Jim Bowie, and Davy Crockett 1857: Dred Scott Decision: US […]
363: Roman Emperor Julian moves from Antioch with an army of 90,000 to attack the Sassanid Empire in a campaign that leads to his death 1046: Persian scholar Naser Khosrow begins a seven-year Middle Eastern journey, which he later describes in his book “Safarnama” 1496: English King Henry VII grants John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) a […]
1238: Battle of the Sit River: Mongol forces of Batu Khan overcome Russians under Yuri II of Vladimir-Suzdal near Yaroslavl in Russia, ending Russian resistance 1801: Thomas Jefferson is the first US President to be inaugurated in Washington, D.C. 1861: Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated as the 16th US President 1902: American Automobile Association (AAA) founded […]
1575: Indian Mughal Emperor Akbar defeats Bengali army at the Battle of Tukaroi 1857: Second Opium War: France and the United Kingdom declare war on China 1861: Alexander II of Russia signs the Emancipation Manifesto, freeing serfs and granting them full rights as free citizens [O.S. Feb 19] 1887: Anne Sullivan begins teaching 6-year-old blind-deaf […]
1791: Long-distance communication speeds up with the unveiling of a semaphore machine in Paris 1796: Napoléon Bonaparte is appointed Commander-in-Chief of the French Army in Italy 1807: US Congress bans the slave trade within the US, effective January 1, 1808 1888: The Convention of Constantinople is signed, guaranteeing free maritime passage through the Suez Canal […]
1565: Portuguese soldier Estácio de Sá founds the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 1642: Georgeana (York) in Maine becomes the first incorporated American city 1780: Pennsylvania becomes first US state to abolish slavery (for newborns only) 1847: Michigan becomes the first English-speaking jurisdiction to abolish the death penalty (except for treason against the state) […]
1693: The first women’s magazine “Ladies’ Mercury”, is published in London 1900: The Trades Union Congress and the Independent Labour Party (formed in 1893) meet in London, resulting in a Labour Representative Committee and eventually the modern UK Labour Party in 1906 1933: Nazi Germany’s parliament building, the Reichstag, is destroyed by fire; possibly set […]
1616: The Roman Inquisition delivers injunction to Galileo demanding he abandon his belief in heliocentrism, which states the Earth and planets revolve around the Sun 1797: Bank of England issues first £1 note 1815: Napoléon Bonaparte and his supporters leave Elba to start a 100-day reconquest of France 1885: Berlin Conference gives Congo to Belgium […]
By Martin Banks If you’re into military history, an upcoming event will be right up your street. It is the 209th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo this summer and a great weekend is planned to mark this milestone. Throughout one weekend in June, the 210th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo will be commemorated. […]
1570: Pius V excommunicates Queen Elizabeth I of England for heresy and persecution of English Catholics during her reign and absolves her subjects from allegiance to the crown 1862: First Legal Tender Act of 1862 is passed by the US Congress, authorizing the United States note (greenback) into circulation, the first fiat paper money that […]
