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

A Daily Dose of History (18 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: Battle of Kapetron between a combined Byzantine-Georgian army and a Seljuq army. Norwegian king Harald Hardrada lands with Tostig Godwinson at the mouth of the Humber River and begins his invasion of England. Philip Augustus becomes king of France at the age of fifteen. Thirteen Years' War: In the Battle of Chojnice, the Polish army...

A Daily Dose of History (17 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: Highest Galician nobility led by Pedro Fróilaz de Traba and the bishop Diego Gelmírez crown Alfonso VII as "King of Galicia". The Battle of Myriokephalon is the last attempt by the Byzantine Empire to recover central Anatolia from the Seljuk Turks. Thirteen Years' War: A Polish army under Piotr Dunin decisively defeats the Teutonic O...

A Daily Dose of History (16 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: Owain Glyndŵr is declared Prince of Wales by his followers. A determined band of 35 religious dissenters - Pilgrims set sail for Virginia from Plymouth, England in the Mayflower, jubilant at the prospect of practicing their unorthodox brand of worship in the New World. James Francis Edward Stuart, sometimes called the "Old Pretender"...

A Daily Dose of History (15 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: Gilles de Rais, one of the earliest known serial killers, is taken into custody upon an accusation brought against him by Jean de Malestroit, Bishop of Nantes. Departing from Vlissingen, ex-Holy Roman Emperor Charles V returns to Spain. The so-called "Invincible Armada" sent by Catholic King Philip II of Spain to overthrow Protestant...

A Daily Dose of History (14 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Emperor Heraclius enters Constantinople in triumph after his victory over the Persian Empire. Genpei War: Battle of Ishibashiyama in Japan. Battle of Homildon Hill results in an English victory over Scotland. Flight of the Earls from Lough Swilly, Doneg...

A Daily Dose of History (12 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the Battle of Muret. Battle of Portopí: The Aragonese army under the command of James I of Aragon disembarks at Santa Ponça, Majorca, with the purpose of conquering the island. The First Siege of Gibraltar takes place in the context of the Sp...

A Daily Dose of History (11 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends: The Roman Empire suffers the greatest defeat of its history and the Rhine is established as the border between the Empire and the so-called barbarians for the next four hundred years. Battle of Stirling Bridge: Scots jointly led by William Wallace and Andrew Moray defeat the English. Santiago,...

A Daily Dose of History (10 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy is assassinated by adherents of the Dauphin, the future Charles VII of France. An earthquake known as "The Lesser Judgment Day" hits Constantinople. Thomas Wolsey is invested as a Cardinal. The Battle of Pinkie, the last full-scale military confrontation between England and Scotland, resulting in a...

A Daily Dose of History (09 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: Yelü Dashi, the Liao dynasty general who founded the Qara Khitai, defeats the Seljuq and Kara-Khanid forces at the Battle of Qatwan. Christopher Columbus, with 17 ships and 1,200 men, sails on second voyage from Cadiz. The citizens of Lisbon celebrate the triumphal return of the explorer Vasco de Gama, completing his two-year journey...

A Daily Dose of History (08 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: Philip of Swabia, Prince of Hohenstaufen, is crowned King of Germany (King of the Romans) The Statute of Kalisz, guaranteeing Jews safety and personal liberties and giving battei din jurisdiction over Jewish matters, is promulgated by Bolesław the Pious, Duke of Greater Poland. Stefan Dušan declares himself king of Serbia. Battle of...

A Daily Dose of History (07 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: A Roman army under Titus occupies and plunders Jerusalem. Louis the Stammerer is crowned as king of West Francia by Pope John VIII. Third Crusade: Battle of Arsuf: Richard I of England defeats Saladin at Arsuf. Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II lands in Acre, Israel, and starts the Sixth Crusade, which results in a peaceful restoration...

A Daily Dose of History (06 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: Christopher Columbus sails from La Gomera in the Canary Islands, his final port of call before crossing the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. The Victoria returns to Sanlúcar de Barrameda in Spain, the only surviving ship of Ferdinand Magellan's expedition and the first known ship to circumnavigate the world. Thirty Years' War: In t...

A Daily Dose of History (05 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: Alexander Farnese's army forces Henry IV of France to lift the siege of Paris. A hurricane has overrun a Spanish fleet bound from Havana to Cadiz and sunk the price galleon Atocha. Only 5 men were rescued, but 260 passengers and 200 million pessos were buried with the Atocha under 50 feet of water. Fall of Nicolas Fouquet: Louis XIV'...

A Daily Dose of History (04 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: Romulus Augustulus is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself "King of Italy", thus ending the Western Roman Empire. Battle of Lenzen: Slavic forces (the Redarii and the Obotrites) are defeated by a Saxon army near the fortified stronghold of Lenzen in Brandenburg. The Sienese Ghibellines, supported by the forces of Manfred, King of S...

A Daily Dose of History (03 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: San Marino, one of the smallest nations in the world and the world's oldest republic still in existence, is founded by Saint Marinus. King Wamba of the Visigoths puts down a revolt by Hilderic, governor of Nîmes (France) and rival for the throne. Major Byzantine victory at the Battle of Lalakaon against an Arab raid. Richard I of Eng...

A Daily Dose of History (02 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: The Treaty of Jaffa is signed between Richard I of England and Saladin, leading to the end of the Third Crusade. Entry of Mary, Queen of Scots into Edinburgh, a spectacular civic celebration for the Queen of Scotland, marred by religious controversy. The Italian city of Castro is completely destroyed by the forces of Pope Innocent X,...

A Daily Dose of History (01 Sep 2023) Today's historical events: The main altar of Lund Cathedral, at the time seat of the archiepiscopal see of all the Nordic countries, is consecrated. King Tvrtko I of Bosnia writes In castro nostro Vizoka vocatum from the Old town of Visoki. The Spanish fort of Sancti Spiritu, the first one built in modern Argentina, is destroyed by natives. Adi Granth, now kno...

A Daily Dose of History (31 Aug 2023) Today's historical events: After a sudden illness a few days previously, Byzantine Empress Theodora dies childless, thus ending the Macedonian dynasty. Abdication of Byzantine Emperor Michael VI Bringas after just one year. King Henry V of England dies of dysentery while in France. His son, Henry VI becomes King of England at the age of nine months. Pope Paul...

A Daily Dose of History (31 Aug 2023) Today's historical events: Titus ends the siege of Jerusalem after destroying Herod's Temple. Peter III of Aragon lands at Trapani to intervene in the War of the Sicilian Vespers. The five-week Battle of Lake Poyang begins, in which the forces of two Chinese rebel leaders (Chen Youliang and Zhu Yuanzhang) meet to decide who will supplant the Yuan dynasty. Pope...

A Daily Dose of History (29 Aug 2023) Today's historical events: The city of Melite surrenders to an Aghlabid army following a siege, putting an end to Byzantine Malta. Mainz Cathedral suffers extensive damage from a fire, which destroys the building on the day of its inauguration. Pope Urban IV succeeds Pope Alexander IV, becoming the 182nd pope. Battle of Montecatini: The army of the Republic of...

A Daily Dose of History (28 Aug 2023) Today's historical events: The Roman general Orestes forces western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos to flee his capital city, Ravenna. Theodoric, king of the Ostrogoths, defeats Odoacer at the Battle of Isonzo, forcing his way into Italy. Fatimah, daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, dies, with her cause of death being a controversial topic among the Sunni Mus...

A Daily Dose of History (27 Aug 2023) Today's historical events: The sacking of Rome by the Visigoths ends after three days. The Battle of St. Quentin results in Emmanuel Philibert becoming Duke of Savoy. Pierre Barrière failed an attempt to assassinate Henry IV of France. The Treaty of Nerchinsk is signed by Russia and the Qing Empire (Julian calendar). Battle of Long Island: In what is now Brook...

A Daily Dose of History (26 Aug 2023) Today's historical events: The Seljuq Turks defeat the Byzantine army at the Battle of Manzikert, and soon gain control of most of Anatolia. Ladislaus IV of Hungary and Rudolf I of Germany defeat Ottokar II of Bohemia in the Battle on the Marchfeld near Dürnkrut in (then) Moravia. Chittorgarh falls to the Delhi Sultanate, after which thirty thousand Hindu inha...

A Daily Dose of History (25 Aug 2023) Today's historical events: The Roman general Germanicus dies near Antioch. He was convinced that the mysterious illness that ended in his death was a result of poisoning by the Syrian governor Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso, whom he had ordered to leave the province. The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III, the Archbishop of...

A Daily Dose of History (24 Aug 2023) Today's historical events: Gratian, son of Roman Emperor Valentinian I, is named co-Augustus at the age of eight by his father. The Visigoths under king Alaric I begin to pillage Rome. Sack of Thessalonica by the Normans. King John of England, signer of the first Magna Carta, marries Isabella of Angoulême in Angoulême Cathedral. Six thousand Jews are killed in...