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 […]
Monday, December 16, 2024
Today: 1497 – Vasco da Gama rounds the Cape of Good Hope, opening a sea route to India. 1653 – Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland. 1707 – The last eruption of Mount Fuji in Japan begins, lasting until January 1, 1708. 1773 – The Boston Tea Party takes place as […]
Sunday, December 15, 2024
Today: 533 – Byzantine General Belisarius defeats the Vandals at the Battle of Tricamarum, securing North Africa for the Byzantine Empire. 1161 – The Song dynasty of China defeats the Jin dynasty at the Battle of Tangdao. 1256 – The Mongols, under Hulagu Khan, capture and destroy the Alamut Castle, a stronghold of the Nizari […]
Friday, December 13, 2024
Today: 1545 – The Council of Trent, an important part of the Counter-Reformation, began in northern Italy, aiming to address church reform and clarify Catholic doctrine. 1577 – Sir Francis Drake set sail from Plymouth, England, on his voyage to circumnavigate the globe. 1642 – Dutch navigator Abel Tasman reached New Zealand, becoming the first […]