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

A Daily Dose of History (14 Nov 2024) Today's historical events: German astronomer Gottfried Kirch discovers the Great Comet of 1680, the first comet to be discovered by telescope. James Bruce discovers what he believes to be the source of the Nile. Napoleonic Wars: At the Battle of Smoliani, French Marshals Victor and Oudinot are defeated by the Russians under General Peter Wittgenstein. Moby-Dic...

A Daily Dose of History (13 Nov 2024) Today's historical events: English king Æthelred II orders the killing of all Danes in England, known today as the St. Brice's Day massacre. Battle of Alnwick: in an English victory over the Scots, Malcolm III of Scotland, and his son Edward, are killed. Louis VII of France marries Adela of Champagne. First English Civil War: Battle of Turnham Green: The Royal...

A Daily Dose of History (12 Nov 2024) Today's historical events: The 13-year-old Lothair III is crowned at the Abbey of Saint-Remi as king of the West Frankish Kingdom. Future Byzantine empress Zoe takes the throne as empress consort to Romanos III Argyros. Battle of Posada ends: Wallachian Voievode Basarab I defeats the Hungarian army by ambush. Construction is completed on the Wilberforce Monume...

A Daily Dose of History (11 Nov 2024) Today's historical events: Constantine VIII died, ending his uninterrupted reign as emperor or co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire of 66 years. The Fourth Council of the Lateran meets, defining the doctrine of transubstantiation, the process by which bread and wine are, by that doctrine, said to transform into the body and blood of Christ. Treaty of Granada: Lo...

A Daily Dose of History (10 Nov 2024) Today's historical events: Emperor Leo II dies after a reign of ten months. He is succeeded by his father Zeno, who becomes sole ruler of the Byzantine Empire. Ten Kingdoms: Li Bian usurps the throne and deposes Emperor Yang Pu. The Wu State is replaced by Li (now called "Xu Zhigao"), who becomes the first ruler of Southern Tang. Fourth Crusade: Despite letter...

A Daily Dose of History (09 Nov 2024) Today's historical events: At the Seventeenth Council of Toledo, Egica, a king of the Visigoths of Hispania, accuses Jews of aiding Muslims, sentencing all Jews to slavery. The Treaty of Aberconwy, a humiliating settlement forced on Llywelyn ap Gruffudd by King Edward I of England, brings a temporary end to the Welsh Wars. Louis the Bavarian defeats his cousin...

A Daily Dose of History (08 Nov 2024) Today's historical events: Battle of Andrassos: Byzantines under Leo Phokas the Younger score a crushing victory over the Hamdanid Emir of Aleppo, Sayf al-Dawla. Trần Thánh Tông, the second emperor of the Trần dynasty, decides to pass the throne to his crown prince Trần Khâm and take up the post of Retired Emperor. The Republic of Venice enacts a law confining...

A Daily Dose of History (07 Nov 2024) Today's historical events: Athanasius is banished to Trier, on the charge that he prevented a grain fleet from sailing to Constantinople. The Sixth Ecumenical Council commences in Constantinople. Treaty of Bonn: The Frankish kings Charles the Simple and Henry the Fowler sign a peace treaty or 'pact of friendship' (amicitia) to recognize their borders along the...

A Daily Dose of History (06 Nov 2024) Today's historical events: A powerful earthquake destroys large portions of the Walls of Constantinople, including 57 towers. Synod of Rome: Emperor Otto I calls a council at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Pope John XII is deposed on charges of an armed rebellion against Otto. The Charter of the Forest is sealed at St Paul's Cathedral, London by King Henry III,...

A Daily Dose of History (05 Nov 2024) Today's historical events: Lý Anh Tông is enthroned as emperor of Vietnam at the age of two, beginning a 37-year reign. Second Battle of Panipat: Fighting begins between the forces of Hem Chandra Vikramaditya, the Hindu king at Delhi and the forces of the Muslim emperor Akbar. Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes is arrested. William III of England lands with a Dutch fl...

A Daily Dose of History (04 Nov 2024) Today's historical events: Armagnac-Burgundian Civil War: Joan of Arc liberates Saint-Pierre-le-Moûtier. Christopher Columbus reaches Leeward Island and Puerto Rico. Catherine of Aragon (later Henry VIII's first wife) meets Arthur Tudor, Henry VIII's older brother - they would later marry. Eighty Years' War: In Flanders, Spain captures Antwerp (which is nearly...

A Daily Dose of History (03 Nov 2024) Today's historical events: Emperor Constantius II dies of a fever at Mopsuestia in Cilicia; on his deathbed he is baptised and declares his cousin Julian rightful successor. Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim caliph, is assassinated by a Persian slave in Medina. The River Arno floods causing massive damage in Florence as recorded by the Florentine chronicl...

A Daily Dose of History (02 Nov 2024) Today's historical events: A qaghan of the Western Turkic Khaganate is assassinated in a Chinese palace by Eastern Turkic rivals after the approval of Tang emperor Gaozu. Plymouth Colony governor Josiah Winslow leads a colonial militia against the Narragansett during King Philip's War. The French Directory, a five-man revolutionary government, is created. Time...

A Daily Dose of History (01 Nov 2024) Today's historical events: The Alemanni cross the Rhine and invade Gaul. Emperor Valentinian I moves to Paris to command the army and defend the Gallic cities. Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk, Bishop of Freising, which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi (Austria in Old High German). Empress Matilda's reign as 'Lady of the Engli...

A Daily Dose of History (31 Oct 2024) Today's historical events: Romulus Augustulus is proclaimed Western Roman Emperor. Empress Irene is deposed and banished to Lesbos. Conspirators place Nikephoros, the minister of finance, on the Byzantine throne. Abbasid caliph al-Muqtadir is killed while fighting against the forces of general Mu'nis al-Muzaffar. Al-Muqtadir's brother al-Qahir is chosen to suc...

A Daily Dose of History (30 Oct 2024) Today's historical events: Arab-Byzantine wars: Antioch surrenders to the Rashidun Caliphate after the Battle of the Iron Bridge. Guangzhou is sacked by Arab and Persian pirates. Ranulf of Apulia defeats Roger II of Sicily at the Battle of Rignano, securing his position as duke until his death two years later. The Eighth Crusade ends by an agreement between Ch...

A Daily Dose of History (29 Oct 2024) Today's historical events: Constantine the Great enters Rome after his victory at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, stages a grand adventus in the city, and is met with popular jubilation. Maxentius' body is fished out of the Tiber and beheaded. Valentinian III, Western Roman Emperor, marries Licinia Eudoxia, daughter of his cousin Theodosius II, Eastern Roman...

A Daily Dose of History (27 Oct 2024) Today's historical events: Constantine is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross. Æthelstan, the first king of all England, dies and is succeeded by his half-brother, Edmund I. Traditional founding of the city of Amsterdam. French troops lay siege to Pavia. Condemned as a heretic, Michael Servetus is burned at the stake just outside Geneva. Secon...

A Daily Dose of History (26 Oct 2024) Today's historical events: The Uprising of Asen and Peter begins on the feast day of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki and ends with the creation of the Second Bulgarian Empire. The Byzantine civil war of 1341-1347 formally begins with the proclamation of John VI Kantakouzenos as Byzantine Emperor. Tvrtko I is crowned the first king of Bosnia. Charles V is crowned...

A Daily Dose of History (25 Oct 2024) Today's historical events: Execution of Saints Crispin and Crispinian during the reign of Diocletian, now the patron saints of leather workers, curriers, and shoemakers. Emperor Leo I acclaims his grandson Leo II as Caesar of the East Roman Empire. Seljuk Turks defeat German crusaders under Conrad III at the Battle of Dorylaeum. Reconquista: After a siege of f...

A Daily Dose of History (24 Oct 2024) Today's historical events: In the Second Battle of Bedriacum, troops loyal to Vespasian defeat those of Emperor Vitellius. Chartres Cathedral is dedicated in the presence of King Louis IX of France. The Treaty of Brétigny is ratified, marking the end of the first phase of the Hundred Years' War. John White, the governor of the second Roanoke Colony, returns to...

A Daily Dose of History (23 Oct 2024) Today's historical events: Valentinian III is elevated as Roman emperor at the age of six. The Synodus Palmaris, called by Gothic king Theoderic, absolves Pope Symmachus of all charges, thus ending the schism of Antipope Laurentius. Spanish Reconquista: At the Battle of Sagrajas, the Almoravids defeats the Castilians, but are unable to take advantage of their...

A Daily Dose of History (22 Oct 2024) Today's historical events: The Chalcedonian Creed, regarding the divine and human nature of Jesus, is adopted by the Council of Chalcedon, an ecumenical council. Emperor Kanmu relocates the Japanese capital to Heian-kyō (now Kyoto). Ahmad ibn Kayghalagh leads a raid against the Byzantine Empire, taking 4,000-5,000 captives. The male line of the Portuguese Hous...

A Daily Dose of History (21 Oct 2024) Today's historical events: A Seljuk Turkish army successfully fights off the People's Crusade. First Crusade: Crusaders led by Godfrey of Bouillon, Bohemund of Taranto, and Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse, begin the Siege of Antioch. Japanese Emperor Go-Kameyama abdicates in favor of rival claimant Go-Komatsu. Ferdinand Magellan discovers a strait now known as t...

A Daily Dose of History (20 Oct 2024) Today's historical events: The Spanish Duke of Alba defeats a Dutch rebel force under William the Silent. Eighty Years' War: Three thousand Spanish soldiers wade through fifteen miles of water in one night to effect the relief of Goes. France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony refuse to honour the Pragmatic Sanction, and the War of the Austrian Succession begins. Am...