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

A Daily Dose of History (16 Oct 2023) Today's historical events: Ricimer defeats Avitus at Piacenza and becomes master of the Western Roman Empire. Empress Wu Zetian ascends to the throne of the Tang dynasty and proclaims herself ruler of the Chinese Empire. Abd ar-Rahman III becomes the eighth Emir of Córdoba. King Otto I defeats a Slavic revolt in what is now Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The Council...

A Daily Dose of History (15 Oct 2023) Today's historical events: Battle of the Rhyndacus: The Latin emperor Henry of Flanders defeats the Nicaean emperor Theodore I Laskaris. Adoption of the Gregorian calendar begins, eventually leading to near-universal adoption. The Montgolfier brothers' hot air balloon makes the first human ascent, piloted by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier. Queen Marie Antoine...

A Daily Dose of History (12 Oct 2023) Today's historical events: Battle of Hatfield Chase: King Edwin of Northumbria is defeated and killed by an alliance under Penda of Mercia and Cadwallon of Gwynedd. In the Treaty of Salynas, Lithuania cedes Samogitia to the Teutonic Knights. Christopher Columbus's first expedition makes landfall in the Caribbean, specifically on San Salvador Island. (Julian ca...

A Daily Dose of History (11 Oct 2023) Today's historical events: A massive earthquake strikes Aleppo; it is one of the most destructive earthquakes ever. A peace treaty ends the Jin-Song wars. The New Netherland Company applies to the States General of the Netherlands for exclusive trading rights in what is now the northeastern United States. The Burchardi flood kills around 15,000 in North Friesl...

A Daily Dose of History (10 Oct 2023) Today's historical events: Sten Sture the Elder, the Regent of Sweden, with the help of farmers and miners, repels an attack by King Christian I of Denmark. Roman Catholic forces under Henry I, Duke of Guise, defeat the Protestants, capturing Philippe de Mornay among others. Over 600 Papal troops land in Ireland to support the Second Desmond Rebellion. Thirty...

A Daily Dose of History (09 Oct 2023) Today's historical events: James I of Aragon founds the Kingdom of Valencia. The first known mention of the Prague astronomical clock. The Hangul alphabet is published in Korea. Troops of the Portuguese Empire are defeated on Sri Lanka, bringing an end to the Campaign of Danture. Kepler's Supernova is the most recent supernova to be observed within the Milky W...

A Daily Dose of History (08 Oct 2023) Today's historical events: The first session of the Council of Chalcedon begins. Dmitar Zvonimir is crowned King of Croatia. Mladen II Šubić of Bribir is deposed as the Croatian Ban after the Battle of Bliska. The Great Stand on the Ugra River puts an end to Tartar rule over Moscow End of the Spanish siege of Alkmaar, the first Dutch victory in the Eighty Year...

A Daily Dose of History (07 Oct 2023) Today's historical events: Venetian-Genoese wars: The Genoese fleet under a French admiral is defeated by a Venetian fleet at the Battle of Modon. The Battle of Lepanto is fought, and the Ottoman Navy suffers its first defeat. The charter for the Province of Massachusetts Bay is issued. King George III issues the Royal Proclamation of 1763, closing Indigenous...

A Daily Dose of History (06 Oct 2023) Today's historical events: Spain's DeSoto expedition takes over the Apalachee capital of Anhaica for their winter quarters. Euridice, the earliest surviving opera, receives its première performance, beginning the Baroque period. Immigrant families found Germantown, Pennsylvania in the first major immigration of German people to America. Seven Years' War: The B...

A Daily Dose of History (05 Oct 2023) Today's historical events: King Louis the Pious is crowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by the Pope. The Fourth Council of Constantinople is convened to depose patriarch Photios I. With the signing of the Treaty of Zamora, King Alfonso VII of León and Castile recognises Portugal as a Kingdom. Assassins attempt to kill Venetian statesman and scientist Paolo...

A Daily Dose of History (04 Oct 2023) Today's historical events: Otto IV is crowned Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by Pope Innocent III. The Byzantine-Venetian War comes to an end. Battle of Lake Poyang: In one of the largest naval battles in history, Zhu Yuanzhang's rebels defeat rival Chen Youliang. Formation of the Holy League of Aragon, the Papal States and Venice against France. The Coverda...

A Daily Dose of History (04 Oct 2023) Today's historical events: Otto IV is crowned Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by Pope Innocent III. The Byzantine-Venetian War comes to an end. Battle of Lake Poyang: In one of the largest naval battles in history, Zhu Yuanzhang's rebels defeat rival Chen Youliang. Formation of the Holy League of Aragon, the Papal States and Venice against France. The Coverda...

A Daily Dose of History (02 Oct 2023) Today's historical events: Theophilos succeeds his father Michael II as Byzantine Emperor. Battle of Andernach: Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, crushes a rebellion against his rule, by a coalition of Eberhard of Franconia and other Frankish dukes. The Battle of Largs is fought between Norwegians and Scots. The Earl of Warwick's rebellion forces King Edward IV of E...

A Daily Dose of History (01 Oct 2023) Today's historical events: Pope Damasus I is consecrated. Pope John XIII is consecrated. Coronation of Queen Mary I of England. Ahmed III is forced to abdicate as the Ottoman sultan. The city of Tampere, Finland (belonging to Sweden at this time) is founded by King Gustav III of Sweden. Russians under Alexander Suvorov defeat the Turks at Kinburn. First sessio...

A Daily Dose of History (30 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: Henry IV is proclaimed king of England. Suleiman the Magnificent is proclaimed sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto and his forces enter Tula territory in present-day western Arkansas, encountering fierce resistance. France's National Constituent Assembly is dissolved, to be replaced the next day by the...

A Daily Dose of History (29 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: Danes capture Canterbury after a siege, taking Ælfheah, archbishop of Canterbury, as a prisoner. Investiture Controversy: Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, is excommunicated by Pope Gregory IX for his failure to participate in the Crusades. The Treaty of Montgomery recognises Llywelyn ap Gruffudd as Prince of Wales, but only as a vas...

A Daily Dose of History (28 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: Pope Pontian resigns. He is exiled to the mines of Sardinia, along with Hippolytus of Rome. Constantius II defeats the usurper Magnentius. Duke Wenceslaus I of Bohemia is murdered by a group of nobles led by his brother Boleslaus I, who succeeds him. Boleslaus II, Duke of Bohemia, kills most members of the rival Slavník dynasty. Will...

A Daily Dose of History (27 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: William the Conqueror and his army set sail from the mouth of the Somme river, beginning the Norman conquest of England. The Battle of Płowce is fought, between the Kingdom of Poland and the Teutonic Order. The Poles are defeated but their leaders escape capture. After the brief Gollub War, the Teutonic Knights sign the Treaty of Mel...

A Daily Dose of History (26 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: Ragenfrid defeats Theudoald at the Battle of Compiègne. William II is crowned King of England, and reigns until 1100. The Golden Bull of Sicily is issued to confirm the hereditary royal title in Bohemia for the Přemyslid dynasty. Friso-Hollandic Wars: Frisians defeat Holland in the Battle of Warns. Serbian-Turkish wars: Ottoman Turks...

A Daily Dose of History (25 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: For the last time, the Roman Senate chooses an emperor; they elect 75-year-old Marcus Claudius Tacitus. In the Battle of Stamford Bridge, Harald Hardrada, the invading King of Norway, is defeated by King Harold II of England. England and Scotland sign the Treaty of York, establishing the location of their common border. Ottoman Emper...

A Daily Dose of History (24 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: The Battle of Rowton Heath is a Parliamentarian victory over a Royalist army commanded in person by King Charles. Second Tantrik Coronation of Shivaji. Jacobite rising of 1745: Bonnie Prince Charles beats British government army in the Battle of Prestonpans. The United States Congress passes the Judiciary Act, creating the office of...

A Daily Dose of History (22 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: The Samogitians defeat the Livonian Brothers of the Sword in the Battle of Saule. The Treaty of Basel concludes the Swabian War. The Battle of Zutphen is a Spanish victory over the English and Dutch. The last hanging of those convicted of witchcraft in the Salem witch trials; others are all eventually released. The Tuscarora War begi...

A Daily Dose of History (21 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: Emperor Avitus enters Rome with a Gallic army and consolidates his power. The Kingdom of Dublin falls to Norman invaders. Livonian Crusade: The Estonian leader Lembitu and Livonian leader Kaupo the Accursed are killed in the Battle of St. Matthew's Day. The Congress of Arras causes Burgundy to switch sides in the Hundred Years' War....

A Daily Dose of History (20 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: Saladin begins the Siege of Jerusalem. The Great Prussian Uprising among the old Prussians begins against the Teutonic Knights. Cardinal Robert of Geneva is elected as Pope Clement VII, beginning the Papal schism. Ferdinand Magellan sets sail from Sanlúcar de Barrameda with about 270 men on his expedition which ultimately culminated...

A Daily Dose of History (19 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: Nerva, suspected of complicity of the death of Domitian, is declared emperor by Senate. The Senate then annuls laws passed by Domitian and orders his statues to be destroyed. Siege of Damascus: The Rashidun Arabs under Khalid ibn al-Walid capture Damascus from the Byzantine Empire. Battle of Poitiers: An English army under the comman...