Tuesday, October 22, 2024
Today: 1746 – The College of New Jersey (later Princeton University) receives its charter. 1797 – The first successful parachute jump is made by André-Jacques Garnerin from a hot air balloon in Paris. 1836 – Sam Houston is inaugurated as the first President of the Republic of Texas. 1879 – Thomas Edison tests the first […]
Monday, October 21, 2024
Today: 1096 – The People’s Crusade, led by Peter the Hermit, is defeated by the Seljuk forces at the Battle of Civetot. 1520 – Ferdinand Magellan enters the strait now known as the Strait of Magellan, a navigable sea route in southern Chile. 1600 – Tokugawa Ieyasu wins the Battle of Sekigahara in Japan, marking […]
Sunday, October 20, 2024
Today: 1548 – The city of La Paz, Bolivia, was founded by Spanish conquistadors. 1740 – Maria Theresa became the ruler of Austria, Hungary, and Bohemia, initiating the War of Austrian Succession. 1803 – The United States Senate ratified the Louisiana Purchase, expanding the territory of the United States. 1818 – The United Kingdom and […]
Saturday, October 19, 2024
Today: 202 BC – Second Punic War: The Battle of Zama results in a decisive Roman victory, ending Hannibal’s command of Carthaginian forces. 1216 – King John of England dies at Newark-on-Trent and is succeeded by his nine-year-old son, Henry III. 1469 – Ferdinand II of Aragon marries Isabella I of Castile, a major step […]
Friday, October 18, 2024
Today: 1009 – The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is destroyed by the Fatimid caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah. 1356 – The Basel earthquake, the most significant seismological event to have occurred in Central Europe, devastates the Swiss town of Basel. 1540 – Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto reaches the Mississippi River. 1775 – […]
Thursday, October 17, 2024
Today: 1091 – A tornado strikes the heart of London, causing significant damage to the city and the London Bridge. 1346 – The Battle of Neville’s Cross takes place during the Second War of Scottish Independence; the English defeat the Scots. 1448 – The Second Battle of Kosovo occurs, with the Ottoman Empire defeating the […]
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
Today: 456 – Magister militum Ricimer defeats Emperor Avitus at the Battle of Placentia, leading to Avitus’ resignation from the Roman throne. 1384 – Jadwiga is crowned King of Poland, a unique designation for a female monarch. 1793 – Marie Antoinette, former Queen of France, is guillotined during the French Revolution. 1813 – The Battle […]
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Today: 1529 – The Siege of Vienna ends as Ottoman forces withdraw, marking the end of Suleiman the Magnificent’s expansion into Europe. 1582 – The Gregorian calendar is introduced in Spain, Portugal, and parts of Italy, replacing the Julian calendar. 1783 – Frenchman Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier makes the first manned flight in a hot […]
Monday, October 14, 2024
Today: 1066 – The Battle of Hastings: William the Conqueror’s Norman forces defeated King Harold II’s Anglo-Saxon army, leading to the Norman conquest of England. 1322 – Robert the Bruce of Scotland defeated King Edward II of England at the Battle of Byland, consolidating Scotland’s independence. 1586 – Mary, Queen of Scots, went on trial […]
Sunday, October 13, 2024
Today: 1307 – French King Philip IV orders the arrest of the Knights Templar, beginning the persecution of the order. 1775 – The Continental Congress authorizes the establishment of the Continental Navy, later to become the United States Navy. 1792 – The cornerstone of the White House is laid in Washington, D.C. 1843 – Henry […]