379: Theodosius installed as co-emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire by Emperor Gratian 1812: Peninsular War: After a ten day siege, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, orders British soldiers of the Light and third divisions to storm Ciudad Rodrigo 1883: The first electric lighting system employing overhead wires, built by Thomas Edison, begins service […]
532: Nika uprising against Emperor Justinian I in Constantinople fails, 30,000 killed by troops loyal to the Emperor in the Hippodrome 1591: King Naresuan of Siam kills Crown Prince Minchit Sra of Burma in single combat, date is now observed as Royal Thai Armed Forces day 1788: First elements of the First Fleet carrying 736 […]
1773: Captain James Cook becomes the first to cross Antarctic Circle (66° 33′ S) 1873: Modoc warriors defeats the United States Army in the First Battle of the Stronghold, a part of the Modoc War 1912: Captain Robert Scott’s expedition arrives at the South Pole, one month after Roald Amundsen 1920: First day of prohibition […]
27 BC: The title Augustus is bestowed upon Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian by the Roman Senate 1412: The Medici family is appointed official banker of the Papacy 1547: Ivan the Terrible, aged 17, crowns himself the 1st tsar of Moscow 1605: The first edition of “El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha” (Book One […]
588 BC: Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah’s reign. The siege lasts until July 23, 586 BC. 1535: King Henry VIII declares himself head of the Church in England 1559: Elizabeth I crowned Queen of England in Westminster Abbey 1759: British Museum opens in Montague House, London 1902: Abdulaziz Ibn Saud […]
1526: Charles V and Francis I sign the Treaty of Madrid, forcing Francis to give up claims to Burgundy, Italy and Flanders 1641: Dutch East India Company conquers the city of Malacca, 7,000 killed 1724: Spanish King Philip V abdicates throne 1761: Third Battle of Panipat: In one of the largest battles of the century, […]
532: Nika riots begin in Constantinople, a revolt against Byzantine Emperor Justinian I that leaves half the city burned and thousands dead. The riots were prompted by the failed execution of chariot racing supporters and only stopped after Empress Theodora refused to flee, forcing her husband to act decisively. 1888: The National Geographic Society is […]
1528: Gustav I of Sweden crowned King of Sweden, rules for 37 years, and becomes known as the “father of the nation” 1554: Bayinnaung crowned King of Burma, assembles the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia 1872: Yohannes IV is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, 1st imperial coronation in Axum in over […]
1599: Jacob van Neck’s fleet leaves Bantam, Java in modern day Indonesia with 1 million pounds of pepper and cloves and a further half a ship full of nutmeg, mace and cinnamon 1838: First public demonstration of telegraph messages sent using dots and dashes at Speedwell Ironworks in Morristown, New Jersey by Samuel Morse and […]
49 BC: Julius Caesar defies the Roman Senate and crosses the Rubicon, uttering “alea iacta est” (the die is cast), signaling the start of civil war and his appointment as Roman dictator for life 1430: Catholic Order of the Golden Fleece is founded in Bruges in celebration of the prosperous and wealthy domains of Philip […]
