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

A Daily Dose of History (13 Dec 2023) Today's historical events: Saint Celestine V resigns the papacy after only five months to return to his previous life as an ascetic hermit. The Council of Trent begins as the embodiment of the Counter-Reformation. Sir Francis Drake sets sail from Plymouth, England, on his round-the-world voyage. The Massachusetts Bay Colony organizes three militia regiments to...

A Daily Dose of History (12 Dec 2023) Today's historical events: Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II's Persian forces, commanded by General Rhahzadh. Maria of Enghien sells the lordship of Argos and Nauplia to the Republic of Venice. Pennsylvania becomes the 2nd state to ratify the US Constitution. American Civil War: USS Cairo sinks on the Yazoo...

A Daily Dose of History (11 Dec 2023) Today's historical events: Emperor Xian of Han is forced to abdicate the throne by Cao Cao's son Cao Pi, ending the Han dynasty. Julian enters Constantinople as sole Roman Emperor. Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas is assassinated by his wife Theophano and her lover, the later Emperor John I Tzimiskes. Michael V, adoptive son of Empress Zoë of Byzantium,...

A Daily Dose of History (10 Dec 2023) Today's historical events: The "Nyköping Banquet": King Birger of Sweden treacherously seizes his two brothers Valdemar, Duke of Finland and Eric, Duke of Södermanland, who were subsequently starved to death in the dungeon of Nyköping Castle. The League of Cambrai is formed by Pope Julius II, Louis XII of France, Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor and Ferdinand...

A Daily Dose of History (09 Dec 2023) Today's historical events: Gothic War: The Byzantine general Belisarius enters Rome unopposed; the Gothic garrison flees the capital. The Virgin of Guadalupe first appears to Juan Diego at Tepeyac, Mexico City. Patriot forces led by General Antonio José de Sucre defeat a Royalist army in the Battle of Ayacucho, putting an end to the Peruvian War of Independenc...

A Daily Dose of History (08 Dec 2023) Today's historical events: Du Fu returns to Chang'an as a member of Emperor Xuanzong's court, after having escaped the city during the An Lushan Rebellion. Louis the Stammerer (son of Charles the Bald) is crowned king of the West Frankish Kingdom at Compiègne. The first battle between the forces of Švitrigaila and Sigismund Kęstutaitis is fought near the town...

A Daily Dose of History (07 Dec 2023) Today's historical events: The Royal Opera House opens at Covent Garden, London, England. First concert of the New York Philharmonic, founded by Ureli Corelli Hill. Comparative fuel trials begin between warships HMS Spiteful and HMS Peterel: Spiteful was the first warship powered solely by fuel oil, and the trials led to the obsolescence of coal in ships of th...

A Daily Dose of History (06 Dec 2023) Today's historical events: Béla I is crowned king of Hungary. Mongol invasion of Rus': Kyiv under Daniel of Galicia and Voivode Dmytro falls to the Mongols under Batu Khan. After exploring island of Cuba for gold, surmising it for Japan, Columbus lands on island similar to Castile, naming it Hispaniola. The city of Quito in Ecuador is founded by Spanish settle...

A Daily Dose of History (05 Dec 2023) Today's historical events: Fourth Council of Toledo takes place. Ramon Berenguer II, Count of Barcelona is assassinated. Emir Edigu of Golden Horde reaches Moscow. Pope Innocent VIII issues the Summis desiderantes affectibus, a papal bull that deputizes Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger as inquisitors to root out alleged witchcraft in Germany. King Manuel I o...

A Daily Dose of History (03 Dec 2023) Today's historical events: American Revolutionary War: USS Alfred becomes the first vessel to fly the Grand Union Flag (the precursor to the Stars and Stripes); the flag is hoisted by John Paul Jones. War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Wiesloch: Austrian Lieutenant Field Marshal Anton Sztáray defeats the French at Wiesloch. War of the Second Coalition: Bat...

A Daily Dose of History (02 Dec 2023) Today's historical events: Pope Innocent IV arrives at Lyon for the First Council of Lyon. The University of Leipzig opens. St Paul's Cathedral, rebuilt to the design of Sir Christopher Wren following the Great Fire of London, is consecrated. Swedish parliament approves the Swedish Freedom of the Press Act and implements it as a ground law, thus being first in...

A Daily Dose of History (01 Dec 2023) Today's historical events: A council is convened in the Vatican, at which Charlemagne is to judge the accusations against Pope Leo III. Henry V of England enters Paris alongside his father-in-law King Charles VI of France. Courtiers Christopher Hatton and Thomas Heneage are knighted by Queen Elizabeth I of England. End of the Iberian Union: Portugal acclaims a...

A Daily Dose of History (30 Nov 2023) Today's historical events: Great Northern War: King Charles XII of Sweden dies during a siege of the fortress of Fredriksten in Norway. The Grand Duchy of Tuscany, under Pietro Leopoldo I, becomes the first modern state to abolish the death penalty (later commemorated as Cities for Life Day). The Balmis Expedition starts in Spain with the aim of vaccinating mi...

A Daily Dose of History (29 Nov 2023) Today's historical events: Following the death of King Chlothar I at Compiègne, his four sons, Charibert I, Guntram, Sigebert I and Chilperic I, divide the Frankish Kingdom. The papal conclave of 1549-50 begins. The Battle of Swally takes place, which loosens the Portuguese Empire's hold on India. Natchez Indians massacre 138 Frenchmen, 35 French women, and 56...

A Daily Dose of History (28 Nov 2023) Today's historical events: Treaty of Andelot: King Guntram of Burgundy recognizes Childebert II as his heir. Shi Jingtang is enthroned as the first emperor of the Later Jin by Emperor Taizong of Liao, following a revolt against Emperor Fei of Later Tang. Skanderbeg and his forces liberate Kruja in central Albania and raise the Albanian flag. Champa-Đại Việt Wa...

A Daily Dose of History (27 Nov 2023) Today's historical events: Luoyang is declared capital of the Eastern Han dynasty by Emperor Guangwu of Han. Rufinus, praetorian prefect of the East, is murdered by Gothic mercenaries under Gainas. Pope Urban II declares the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont. The Berners Street hoax is perpetrated by Theodore Hook in the City of Westminster, London. Ado...

A Daily Dose of History (26 Nov 2023) Today's historical events: The Asturian queen Adosinda is held at a monastery to prevent her king from retaking the throne from Mauregatus. Battle of Caishi: A Song dynasty fleet fights a naval engagement with Jin dynasty ships on the Yangtze river during the Jin-Song Wars. In the Hawaiian Islands, Captain James Cook becomes the first European to visit Maui. A...

A Daily Dose of History (25 Nov 2023) Today's historical events: Máel Coluim mac Cináeda, King of Scots, dies. His grandson, Donnchad, son of Bethóc and Crínán of Dunkeld, inherits the throne. The White Ship sinks in the English Channel, drowning William Adelin, son and heir of Henry I of England. King Minkhaung I becomes king of Ava. Elizabeth of York is crowned Queen of England. The siege of Gra...

A Daily Dose of History (24 Nov 2023) Today's historical events: Theodosius I makes his adventus, or formal entry, into Constantinople. Conrad of Montferrat becomes King of Jerusalem upon his marriage to Isabella I of Jerusalem. Gąsawa massacre: At an assembly of Piast dukes at Gąsawa, Polish Prince Leszek the White, Duke Henry the Bearded and others are attacked by assassins while bathing. Peter...

A Daily Dose of History (23 Nov 2023) Today's historical events: Conquest of Seville by Christian troops under King Ferdinand III of Castile. Pretender to the throne Perkin Warbeck is hanged for reportedly attempting to escape from the Tower of London. He had invaded England in 1497, claiming to be the lost son of King Edward IV of England. The Second War of Kappel results in the dissolution of th...

A Daily Dose of History (22 Nov 2023) Today's historical events: After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Palace, while Laurentius is elected Pope in Santa Maria Maggiore. The first duke of Brittany, Nominoe, defeats the Frankish king Charles the Bald at the Battle of Ballon near Redon. Pope Clement V issues the papal bull Pastoralis Praeeminentiae which instructe...

A Daily Dose of History (21 Nov 2023) Today's historical events: Pope Anterus succeeds Pontian as the nineteenth pope. During the persecutions of emperor Maximinus Thrax he is martyred. Lý Công Uẩn is enthroned as emperor of Đại Cồ Việt, founding the Lý dynasty. Timur of Samarkand captures and sacks the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, taking King Bagrat V of Georgia captive. The Danish astronomer Ole...

A Daily Dose of History (20 Nov 2023) Today's historical events: Diocletian is chosen as Roman emperor. During the An Shi Rebellion, the Tang dynasty, with the help of Huihe tribe, recaptures Luoyang from the rebels. Palermo is conquered by Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor. The Peace of Cremona ends the war between the Republic of Venice and the Duchy of Milan, after the victorious Venetian enterprise...

A Daily Dose of History (19 Nov 2023) Today's historical events: The Rashidun Caliphate defeats the Sasanian Empire at the Battle of al-Qādisiyyah in Iraq. Christopher Columbus goes ashore on an island called Borinquen he first saw the day before. He names it San Juan Bautista (later renamed again Puerto Rico). The United States and the Kingdom of Great Britain sign Jay's Treaty, which attempts to...

A Daily Dose of History (17 Nov 2023) Today's historical events: Genpei War: The Battle of Mizushima takes place off the Japanese coast, where Minamoto no Yoshinaka's invasion force is intercepted and defeated by the Taira clan. John Balliol becomes King of Scotland. Henry VIII of England concludes the Treaty of Westminster, a pledge of mutual aid against the French, with Ferdinand II of Aragon. E...