Thursday, March 13, 2025
Today: 624 – The Battle of Badr, the first major battle in Islamic history, takes place between the Prophet Muhammad’s followers and the Quraysh tribe of Mecca. 1639 – Harvard College is named for John Harvard, a clergyman who bequeathed his library and half his estate to the institution. 1781 – English astronomer William Herschel […]
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Today: 538 – Vitiges, king of the Ostrogoths, ends his siege of Rome, retreating from the Byzantine army led by Belisarius. 1622 – Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier, founders of the Jesuits, are canonized as saints by Pope Gregory XV. 1664 – New Jersey is founded as a British colony when King Charles II […]
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
Today: 222 – Roman Emperor Elagabalus is assassinated, along with his mother, Julia Soaemias, by the Praetorian Guard. He is replaced by his 13-year-old cousin, Alexander Severus. 1702 – The first English-language newspaper, The Daily Courant, is published in London. 1818 – Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is published anonymously in London. 1861 – The Constitution of […]
Monday, March 10, 2025
Today: 241 BCE – The Roman Republic defeated Carthage in the Battle of the Aegates, effectively ending the First Punic War. 1535 – Spanish explorer Tomás de Berlanga, the Bishop of Panama, discovered the Galápagos Islands. 1629 – King Charles I of England dissolved Parliament, beginning the period of personal rule that lasted until 1640. […]
Sunday, March 9, 2025
Today: 141 BC – Liu Che, posthumously known as Emperor Wu of Han, ascends the throne of the Han dynasty in China, beginning a reign that would last 54 years. 1522 – Martin Luther preaches his “Invocavit Sermons” in Wittenberg, urging peace and patience during the early days of the Protestant Reformation. 1566 – David […]
Saturday, March 8, 2025
Today: 1618 – Johannes Kepler formulated his third law of planetary motion, which describes the relationship between a planet’s orbital period and its distance from the Sun. 1702 – Anne became Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland following the death of her brother-in-law, King William III. 1782 – The Gnadenhutten massacre occurred in Ohio, where […]
Friday, March 7, 2025
Today: 321 – Roman Emperor Constantine I decreed that Sunday would be a day of rest throughout the Roman Empire. 1274 – The Second Council of Lyon convened under Pope Gregory X to discuss church reunification and other matters. 1799 – Napoleon Bonaparte captured the city of Jaffa during his campaign in Egypt and Syria, […]
Thursday, March 6, 2025
Today: 1521 – Ferdinand Magellan and his fleet arrived at Guam, marking the first European landing on the island. 1788 – The First Fleet, carrying British convicts, arrived at Norfolk Island to establish a penal colony. 1836 – The Battle of the Alamo ended when Mexican forces, led by General Antonio López de Santa Anna, […]
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Today: 1770 – The Boston Massacre occurs when British soldiers fire into a crowd of American colonists, killing five people and escalating tensions leading to the American Revolution. 1821 – James Monroe is inaugurated for his second term as the fifth president of the United States. 1836 – Samuel Colt patents his revolver, revolutionizing firearm […]
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
Today: 1789 – The United States Constitution goes into effect as the first Congress meets in New York City. However, due to a lack of quorum, the Congress is unable to take immediate action. 1791 – Vermont is admitted as the 14th state of the United States, becoming the first state to join after the […]