Thursday, January 16, 2025
Today: 622 – The Islamic calendar begins with the Hijra, the migration of Muhammad and his followers to Medina. 1054 – Michael I Cerularius, Patriarch of Constantinople, is excommunicated by papal legates, contributing to the East-West Schism in Christianity. 1212 – The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa: Christian forces defeat the Almohads, marking a […]
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Today: 69 – Otho seized power in Rome after defeating Emperor Galba in a coup, becoming Roman Emperor. 1535 – King Henry VIII of England declared himself Supreme Head of the Church of England. 1559 – Elizabeth I of England was crowned Queen of England in Westminster Abbey. 1582 – Russia ceded Livonia and Estonia […]
Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Today: 1129 – Formal approval of the Order of the Templars is granted at the Council of Troyes. 1526 – King Francis I of France, held captive in Spain, signs the Treaty of Madrid, renouncing claims to Italian territories and Burgundy. 1639 – The Fundamental Orders, considered by some as the first written constitution that […]
Monday, January 13, 2025
Today: 532: The Nika riots broke out in Constantinople, sparked by tensions between supporters of rival chariot racing teams. These riots lasted for several days and resulted in widespread destruction. 888: Odo, Count of Paris, became King of the West Franks following the death of Charles the Fat, marking a shift in Carolingian dynasty power. […]
Sunday, January 12, 2025
Today: 1528 – Gustav I of Sweden, often called Gustav Vasa, was crowned King of Sweden, marking the establishment of an independent Swedish monarchy and the start of the Vasa dynasty. 1616 – The city of Belém in Brazil was founded by Portuguese explorer Francisco Caldeira Castelo Branco, becoming a major center of trade and […]
Saturday, January 11, 2025
Today: 532 – The Nika riots begin in Constantinople during the reign of Emperor Justinian I, leading to widespread destruction and unrest. 1055 – Theodora becomes the sole empress of the Byzantine Empire after the death of her sister Zoe. 1569 – The first recorded lottery in England is drawn at St. Paul’s Cathedral. 1759 […]
Friday, January 10, 2025
Today: 49 BCE – Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon River, signaling the start of a civil war in Rome. 1072 – Norman forces led by Robert Guiscard captured Palermo, completing the conquest of Sicily from Islamic rule. 1645 – Archbishop William Laud, an advisor to King Charles I, was executed during the English Civil War. […]
Thursday, January 9, 2025
Today: 1349 – The Jewish population of Basel, Switzerland, was accused of poisoning wells and burned alive during the Black Death persecutions. 1431 – Judges’ investigations for the trial of Joan of Arc began in Rouen, France. 1768 – Philip Astley opened the first modern circus in London, establishing the format of equestrian performances and […]
Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Today: 1198: Lotario de’ Conti is elected Pope Innocent III, becoming one of the most influential popes of the Middle Ages. 1297: François Grimaldi, disguised as a monk, leads a surprise attack on the fortress of Monaco and establishes Grimaldi rule over the region. 1790: George Washington delivers the first State of the Union address […]
Tuesday, January 7, 2025
Today: 1325 – Alfonso IV became King of Portugal, succeeding his father, King Denis. 1558 – The French forces captured Calais, the last English stronghold on the mainland of France. 1608 – Fire destroyed Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in America. 1610 – Galileo Galilei discovered the first three moons of Jupiter: Io, […]