Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Today: 1607 – English settlers established the first permanent English colony in America at Jamestown, Virginia. 1619 – Dutch statesman Johan van Oldenbarnevelt was executed for treason in The Hague. 1787 – Captain Arthur Phillip left England with the First Fleet, carrying convicts to Australia. 1846 – The United States declared war on Mexico, starting […]
Monday, May 12, 2025
Today: 1551 – The National University of San Marcos, the oldest university in the Americas, is founded in Lima, Peru. 1780 – The Cumberland Compact is signed by American settlers in what is now Nashville, Tennessee, establishing a provisional government. 1797 – Napoleon Bonaparte conquers Venice, ending over 1,000 years of Venetian independence. 1820 – […]
Sunday, May 11, 2025
Today: 868 – The Diamond Sutra, the world’s oldest known printed book, is dated in China. 1745 – French forces defeat the British at the Battle of Fontenoy during the War of the Austrian Succession. 1792 – The Columbia River is named by American captain Robert Gray, who becomes the first recorded European to sail […]
Saturday, May 10, 2025
Today: 1774 – Louis XVI ascended to the throne of France following the death of his grandfather, Louis XV. 1775 – The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia, with John Hancock elected president. 1863 – Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson died of pneumonia after being wounded by friendly fire at the Battle of Chancellorsville. 1865 […]
Friday, May 9, 2025
Today: 1671 – Thomas Blood attempted to steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London but was caught in the act. 1864 – The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House began during the American Civil War in Virginia. 1873 – The Vienna Stock Exchange crashed, starting the Panic of 1873 in Europe. 1901 – Australia […]
Thursday, May 8, 2025
Today: 558 – The dome of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople collapses and is rebuilt by order of Emperor Justinian I. 1274 – In France, the Second Council of Lyon opens to regulate papal elections. 1429 – Joan of Arc ends the siege of Orléans, leading French forces to victory. 1664 – King Louis XIV […]
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
Today: 1429 – Joan of Arc leads French forces in lifting the siege of Orléans, marking a turning point in the Hundred Years’ War. 1664 – King Louis XIV of France inaugurates the Palace of Versailles as his official residence. 1824 – Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 is premiered in Vienna, Austria. 1832 – […]
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Today: 1527 – Spanish and German troops sack Rome, marking the end of the Renaissance in Italy. 1682 – Louis XIV of France moves his court to Versailles. 1757 – Battle of Prague: Frederick the Great defeats an Austrian army during the Seven Years’ War. 1840 – The Penny Black, the world’s first postage stamp, […]
Monday, May 5, 2025
Today: 1260 – Kublai Khan becomes ruler of the Mongol Empire. 1494 – Christopher Columbus lands on the island of Jamaica and claims it for Spain. 1809 – Mary Kies becomes the first woman awarded a U.S. patent, for a method of weaving straw with silk and thread. 1821 – Napoleon Bonaparte dies in exile […]
Sunday, May 4, 2025
Today: 1471 – The Battle of Tewkesbury occurs during the Wars of the Roses, with the Yorkists defeating the Lancastrians decisively. 1675 – King Charles II of England orders the construction of the Royal Greenwich Observatory. 1776 – Rhode Island becomes the first American colony to renounce allegiance to King George III. 1814 – Emperor […]