Monday, December 30, 2024
Today: 1460 – Richard, Duke of York, was killed in the Battle of Wakefield during the Wars of the Roses in England. 1703 – Tokyo, then known as Edo, was struck by a major earthquake that caused widespread devastation and thousands of deaths. 1813 – British soldiers burned Buffalo, New York, during the War of […]
Sunday, December 29, 2024
Today: 1170 – Archbishop Thomas Becket is murdered in Canterbury Cathedral by four knights, believed to have been acting on the orders of King Henry II of England. 1778 – British forces under Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell capture Savannah, Georgia, during the American Revolutionary War. 1845 – Texas becomes the 28th state of the United […]
Saturday, December 28, 2024
Today: 1065 – Westminster Abbey is consecrated in London, England. 1492 – The Alhambra Decree is issued by Ferdinand and Isabella, expelling Jews from Spain. 1612 – Galileo Galilei observes the planet Neptune, but mistakenly identifies it as a star. 1832 – The first US railroad accident occurs in South Carolina, killing several passengers. 1851 […]
Friday, December 27, 2024
Today: 546 – The Ostrogoths, under King Totila, capture Rome by bribing the Byzantine garrison, during the Gothic War. 1538 – Pope Paul III excommunicates King Henry VIII of England for his role in separating the Church of England from papal authority. 1777 – France formally recognizes the United States as an independent nation, following […]
Thursday, December 26, 2024
Today: 1776 – George Washington and the Continental Army achieved a crucial victory in the American Revolutionary War by defeating the Hessian forces at the Battle of Trenton. 1792 – Charles Babbage, the English mathematician and inventor credited with conceiving the first mechanical computer, was born. 1862 – The largest mass execution in United States […]
Wednesday, December 25, 2024
Today: 336 CE – The first recorded celebration of Christmas takes place in Rome, marking one of the earliest Christian commemorations of the holiday. 800 – Charlemagne, King of the Franks, is crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III in St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome. 1066 – William the Conqueror is crowned King of England […]
Tuesday, December 24, 2024
Today: 563 CE – The Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) is dedicated for the second time after being rebuilt following a fire. 1294 – Pope Boniface VIII is elected, succeeding Celestine V, who had abdicated the papacy earlier that month. 1777 – Kiritimati (Christmas Island) is discovered by Captain James Cook during his third […]
Monday, December 23, 2024
Today: 558 – The dome of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople collapses and is immediately rebuilt under the order of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. 962 – Byzantine Emperor Otto I’s forces recapture Capua, an important city in southern Italy. 1672 – Giovanni Cassini discovers Saturn’s moon Rhea. 1783 – George Washington resigns his commission as […]
Sunday, December 22, 2024
Today: 401 – Vandals, Alans, and Suebi tribes crossed the Rhine River, invading the Roman Empire’s territory in what is now modern Germany. 1216 – Pope Honorius III officially approved the Dominican Order, also known as the Order of Preachers. 1715 – James Stuart, the “Old Pretender,” landed at Peterhead, Scotland, in an attempt to […]
Tuesday, December 17, 2024
Today: 497 BC: The first Saturnalia festival was celebrated in ancient Rome, honoring the god Saturn with feasting and merriment. 546 AD: Ostrogoth King Totila captured Rome during the Gothic War. 1398: Timur (Tamerlane) led his army in the capture of Delhi, marking a brutal sack of the city. 1538: Pope Paul III excommunicated King […]