Friday, May 30, 2025
Today: 1431 – Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in Rouen, France, after being convicted of heresy. 1539 – Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto landed in Florida with 600 soldiers in search of gold. 1631 – The Gazette de France, the first French newspaper, was published. 1806 – Future U.S. President Andrew Jackson […]
Thursday, May 29, 2025
Today: 1453 – Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Empire under Sultan Mehmed II, marking the end of the Byzantine Empire. 1660 – Charles II was restored to the English throne, marking the beginning of the English Restoration. 1790 – Rhode Island became the 13th U.S. state after ratifying the Constitution, the last of the original […]
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Today: 585 BC – A solar eclipse occurred as predicted by Greek philosopher Thales of Miletus, reportedly ending a battle between the Lydians and the Medes. 1533 – The Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, declared the marriage of Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn valid. 1588 – The Spanish Armada set sail from Lisbon, Portugal, on […]
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Today: 1703 – Tsar Peter the Great founded the city of Saint Petersburg in Russia. 1813 – During the War of 1812, American forces captured Fort George in Ontario, Canada. 1905 – The Battle of Tsushima began during the Russo-Japanese War, resulting in a decisive Japanese naval victory. 1927 – The Ford Motor Company ceased […]
Monday, May 26, 2025
Today: 1085 – Alfonso VI of Castile took Toledo, Spain, from the Moors, marking a key victory in the Reconquista. 1521 – The Diet of Worms concluded with Emperor Charles V issuing the Edict of Worms, declaring Martin Luther an outlaw and banning his writings. 1787 – The Constitutional Convention opened in Philadelphia to draft […]
Sunday, May 25, 2025
Today: 240 BC – The first recorded perihelion passage of Halley’s Comet was observed by Chinese astronomers. 1085 – Alfonso VI of León and Castile captured Toledo, Spain, from the Moors, marking a major event in the Reconquista. 1521 – The Diet of Worms ended, with Emperor Charles V issuing the Edict of Worms, declaring […]
Saturday, May 24, 2025
Today: 1626 – Peter Minuit bought Manhattan Island from local Native Americans for goods valued at 60 guilders, traditionally said to be worth $24. 1689 – The English Parliament passed the Act of Toleration, granting freedom of worship to Protestant dissenters. 1844 – Samuel Morse sent the first official telegraph message, “What hath God wrought,” […]
Friday, May 23, 2025
Today: 1430 – Joan of Arc was captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve the siege of Compiègne during the Hundred Years’ War. 1533 – The marriage of King Henry VIII of England and Anne Boleyn was declared valid by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer. 1568 – The Netherlands declared independence from Spain with […]
Thursday, May 22, 2025
Today: 1455 – The First Battle of St Albans was fought, marking the beginning of the Wars of the Roses in England. 1807 – Former U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr was tried for treason in Richmond, Virginia. 1819 – The SS Savannah departed from Savannah, Georgia on the first successful transatlantic voyage by a steamship. […]
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Today: 1881 – The American Red Cross was established by Clara Barton in Washington, D.C. 1904 – The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was founded in Paris. 1927 – Charles Lindbergh completed the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight, landing in Paris. 1932 – Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo nonstop across […]