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, […]
Monday, January 6, 2025
Today: 1066 – Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England, succeeding Edward the Confessor. 1205 – Philip of Swabia becomes King of the Romans after being elected by German princes. 1540 – King Henry VIII of England marries Anne of Cleves, his fourth wife, though the marriage is later annulled. 1649 – The English Rump […]
Sunday, January 5, 2025
Today: 1477 – The Battle of Nancy takes place during the Burgundian Wars, leading to the death of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, and marking the end of Burgundy as an independent power. 1500 – Duke Ludovico Sforza recaptures Milan with the help of Swiss mercenaries during the Italian Wars. 1757 – Robert-François Damiens […]
Saturday, January 4, 2025
Today: 1493 – Christopher Columbus, on his first voyage, leaves the New World to return to Spain. 1642 – King Charles I of England attempts to arrest members of Parliament, leading to the English Civil War. 1762 – Great Britain declares war on Spain during the Seven Years’ War. 1790 – George Washington delivers the […]
Friday, January 3, 2025
Today: 1521 – Martin Luther was excommunicated by Pope Leo X in the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem for his role in the Protestant Reformation. 1777 – The Battle of Princeton occurred during the American Revolutionary War, with General George Washington’s forces defeating British troops. 1868 – The Tokugawa shogunate in Japan was abolished as […]