A Daily Dose of History: Events on this Day in History

A Daily Dose of History (28 Jan 2025) Today's historical events: On the death of Nerva, Trajan is declared Roman emperor in Cologne, the seat of his government in lower Germany. The death of Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor, brings about the accession of his son Louis the Pious as ruler of the Frankish Empire. Robert de Comines, appointed Earl of Northumbria by William the Conqueror, ride...

A Daily Dose of History (27 Jan 2025) Today's historical events: Trajan succeeds his adoptive father Nerva as Roman emperor; under his rule the Roman Empire will reach its maximum extent. The co-emperors Stephen and Constantine are overthrown and forced to become monks by Constantine VII, who becomes sole emperor of the Byzantine Empire. Henry VI, the son and heir of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederi...

A Daily Dose of History (26 Jan 2025) Today's historical events: The Rashidun Caliphate is effectively ended with the assassination of Ali, the last caliph. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania defeats the Tsardom of Russia in the Battle of Ula during the Livonian War. For the first time, the Ottoman Empire permanently cedes territory to the Christian powers. The 8.7-9.2 Mw Cascadia earthquake takes place...

A Daily Dose of History (25 Jan 2025) Today's historical events: After a night of negotiation, Claudius is accepted as Roman emperor by the Senate. In the Battle of the Zab, the Abbasid rebels defeat the Umayyad Caliphate, leading to the overthrow of the dynasty. Alfonso II becomes King of Naples. Coronation of Francis I of France takes place at Reims Cathedral, where the new monarch is anointed w...

A Daily Dose of History (24 Jan 2025) Today's historical events: Claudius is proclaimed Roman emperor by the Praetorian Guard after they assassinate the previous emperor, his nephew Caligula. The Council of Basel suspends Pope Eugene IV. Matthias Corvinus is elected King of Hungary. King Henry VIII of England suffers an accident while jousting, leading to a brain injury that historians say may hav...

A Daily Dose of History (23 Jan 2025) Today's historical events: Roman emperor Theodosius I proclaims his eight-year-old son Honorius co-emperor. Using crossbows, Song dynasty troops soundly defeat a war elephant corps of the Southern Han at Shao. In the conflict between King Henry III of England and his rebellious barons led by Simon de Montfort, King Louis IX of France issues the Mise of Amiens,...

A Daily Dose of History (22 Jan 2025) Today's historical events: Eight-month-old Constantine is crowned as co-emperor (Caesar) by his father Heraclius at Constantinople. Battle of Basing: The West Saxons led by King Æthelred I are defeated by the Danelaw Vikings at Basing. The first contingent of 150 Swiss Guards arrives at the Vatican. The Ottoman Empire under Selim I defeats the Mamluk Sultanate...

A Daily Dose of History (21 Jan 2025) Today's historical events: The Swiss Anabaptist Movement is founded when Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, George Blaurock, and about a dozen others baptize each other in the home of Manz's mother in Zürich, breaking a thousand-year tradition of church-state union. Sweden and Prussia sign the Treaty of Stockholm. The Teatro Filarmonico in Verona is destroyed by fire,...

A Daily Dose of History (20 Jan 2025) Today's historical events: Pope Fabian is martyred during the Decian persecution. Finnish peasant Lalli kills English clergyman Henry, the Bishop of Turku, on the ice of Lake Köyliö. The first English parliament to include not only Lords but also representatives of the major towns holds its first meeting in the Palace of Westminster, now commonly known as the...

A Daily Dose of History (19 Jan 2025) Today's historical events: Conquest of Kucha: The forces of Kucha surrender after a forty-day siege led by Tang dynasty general Ashina She'er, establishing Tang control over the northern Tarim Basin in Xinjiang. Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England, completing his reconquest of Normandy. The Italian Duchy of Mirandola surrenders to the Po...

A Daily Dose of History (18 Jan 2025) Today's historical events: Seven-year-old Leo II succeeds his maternal grandfather Leo I as Byzantine emperor. He dies ten months later. Nika riots in Constantinople fail. Emperor Huizong abdicates the Chinese throne in favour of his son Emperor Qinzong. King Henry VII of England marries Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV, uniting the House of Lancaster...

A Daily Dose of History (17 Jan 2025) Today's historical events: Saint Marcellus' flood kills at least 25,000 people on the shores of the North Sea. Pope Gregory XI reaches Rome, after deciding to move the Papacy back to Rome from Avignon. Giovanni da Verrazzano sets sail westward from Madeira to find a sea route to the Pacific Ocean. During the French Wars of Religion, Henry IV of France declares...

A Daily Dose of History (16 Jan 2025) Today's historical events: General Siyaj K'ak' conquers Tikal, enlarging the domain of King Spearthrower Owl of Teotihuacán. Gothic War: The Ostrogoths, under King Totila, conquer Rome after a long siege, by bribing the Isaurian garrison. Emir Abd-ar-Rahman III establishes the Caliphate of Córdoba. Saint Marcellus's flood kills at least 25,000 people on the sh...

A Daily Dose of History (15 Jan 2025) Today's historical events: Otho seizes power in Rome, proclaiming himself Emperor of Rome, beginning a reign of only three months. King Francis I of France gives Jean-François Roberval a commission to settle the province of New France (Canada) and provide for the spread of the "Holy Catholic faith". Elizabeth I is crowned Queen of England in Westminster Abbey,...

A Daily Dose of History (14 Jan 2025) Today's historical events: King Henry III of England marries Eleanor of Provence. Andrew III of Hungary dies, ending the Árpád dynasty in Hungary. The "Fundamental Orders", the first written constitution that created a government, is adopted in Connecticut. The Third Battle of Panipat is fought in India between the Afghans under Ahmad Shah Durrani and the Mara...

A Daily Dose of History (13 Jan 2025) Today's historical events: The Nika riots break out, during the racing season at the Hippodrome in Constantinople, as a result of discontent with the rule of the Emperor Justinian I. Sicut Dudum, forbidding the enslavement of the Guanche natives in Canary Islands by the Spanish, is promulgated by Pope Eugene IV. Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, is sentenced to de...

A Daily Dose of History (12 Jan 2025) Today's historical events: Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople, and his general, Basiliscus gains control of the empire. Gustav I of Sweden is crowned King of Sweden, having already reigned since his election in June 1523. Bayinnaung, who would go on to assemble the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia, is crowned...

A Daily Dose of History (11 Jan 2025) Today's historical events: Nika riots in Constantinople: A quarrel between supporters of different chariot teams—the Blues and the Greens—in the Hippodrome escalates into violence. Emperor Tai Zong of the Khitan-led Liao Dynasty invades the Later Jin, resulting in the destruction of the Later Jin. Vladislaus II, Duke of Bohemia becomes King of Bohemia. First r...

A Daily Dose of History (10 Jan 2025) Today's historical events: The Western Han dynasty ends when Wang Mang claims that the divine Mandate of Heaven called for the end of the dynasty and the beginning of his own, the Xin dynasty. Lucius Calpurnius Piso Licinianus is appointed by Galba as deputy Roman Emperor. Pope Fabian succeeds Anterus to become the twentieth pope of Rome. Robert Guiscard conqu...

A Daily Dose of History (09 Jan 2025) Today's historical events: Twelfth Council of Toledo: King Erwig of the Visigoths initiates a council in which he implements diverse measures against the Jews in Spain. Jin-Song Wars: Invading Jurchen soldiers from the Jin dynasty besiege and sack Bianjing (Kaifeng), the capital of the Song dynasty of China, and abduct Emperor Qinzong of Song and others, endin...

A Daily Dose of History (08 Jan 2025) Today's historical events: Jin Huaidi becomes emperor of China in succession to his father, Jin Huidi, despite a challenge from his uncle, Sima Ying. François Grimaldi, disguised as a monk, leads his men to capture the fortress protecting the Rock of Monaco, establishing his family as the rulers of Monaco. The papal bull Romanus Pontifex awards the Kingdom of...

A Daily Dose of History (07 Jan 2025) Today's historical events: Alfonso IV becomes King of Portugal. French troops, led by Francis, Duke of Guise, take Calais, the last continental possession of England. Fire destroys Jamestown, Virginia. Galileo Galilei makes his first observation of the four Galilean moons: Ganymede, Callisto, Io and Europa, although he is not able to distinguish the last two u...

A Daily Dose of History (06 Jan 2025) Today's historical events: Following the death of Edward the Confessor on the previous day, the Witan meets to confirm Harold Godwinson as the new King of England; Harold is crowned the same day, sparking a succession crisis that will eventually lead to the Norman conquest of England. Philip of Swabia undergoes a second coronation as King of the Romans. Stephe...

A Daily Dose of History (05 Jan 2025) Today's historical events: Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is defeated and killed in a conflict with René II, Duke of Lorraine; Burgundy subsequently becomes part of France. Battle of Colmar: The French army beats Brandenburg. Louis XV of France survives an assassination attempt by Robert-François Damiens, the last person to be executed in France by drawing...

A Daily Dose of History (04 Jan 2025) Today's historical events: Battle of Reading: Æthelred of Wessex and his brother Alfred are defeated by a Danish invasion army. English Civil War: The Rump Parliament votes to put Charles I on trial. The Netherlands, Great Britain, and France sign the Triple Alliance in an attempt to maintain the Treaty of Utrecht; Britain having signed a preliminary alliance...