February 1 in History 1327 – The teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer. 1411 – The First Peace of Thorn is signed in Thorn (Toruń), Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights (Prussia). 1662 – The Chinese…
January 31 in History 314 – Pope Sylvester I is consecrated, as a successor to the late Pope Miltiades. 1208 – The Battle of Lena takes place between King Sverker II of Sweden and his rival, Prince Eric, whose victory puts him on the throne…
January 29 in History 904 – Sergius III is consecrated pope, after coming out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed antipope Christopher. 946 – Caliph Al-Mustakfi is blinded and deposed by Emir Mu’izz al-Dawla, ruler of the Buyid Empire. He is succeeded by Al-Muti as caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate.…
January 26 in History 661 – The Rashidun Caliphate is effectively ended with the assassination of Ali, the last caliph. 945 – The co-emperors Stephen and Constantine are overthrown and forced to become monks by Constantine VII, who becomes the sole emperor of the…
January 15 in History 69 – Otho seizes power in Rome, proclaiming himself Emperor of Rome, beginning a reign of only three months. 1541 – King Francis I of France gives Jean-François Roberval a commission to settle the province of New France (Canada) and provide for the spread of the “Holy Catholic…
January 12 in History 1528 – Gustav I of Sweden is crowned King of Sweden, having already reigned since his election in June 1523. 1554 – Bayinnaung, who would go on to assemble the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia, is crowned King of Burma. 1616 –…
January 11 in History 532 – Nika riots in Constantinople: A quarrel between supporters of different chariot teams—the Blues and the Greens—in the Hippodrome escalates into violence. 630 – Conquest of Mecca: The prophet Muhammad and his followers conquer the city, Quraysh surrender. 947 – Emperor Tai Zong of the Khitan-led Liao Dynasty invades the Later Jin, resulting in the destruction…
January 3 in History 250 – Emperor Decius orders everyone in the Roman Empire (except Jews) to make sacrifices to the Roman gods. 1521 – Pope Leo X excommunicates Martin Luther in the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem. 1653 – By the Coonan Cross Oath, the Eastern Church in India cuts itself off from colonial Portuguese tutelage.…
January 2 in History AD 69 – The Roman legions in Germania Superior refuse to swear loyalty to Galba. They rebel and proclaim Vitellius as emperor. 366 – The Alemanni cross the frozen Rhine in large numbers, invading the Roman Empire. 533 – Mercurius becomes Pope John II, the first pope to adopt a new name upon elevation…
Inventions and Inventors A Air Brake : George Westinghouse, U.S.A. 1911. Air Conditioning : Willis Carrier, U.S.A. 1911. Airplane : engine-powered, Wilbur and Orville Wright, U.S.A., 1903. Airship : Henri Giffard, France, 1852; Ferdin von Zeppelin, Germany, 1900. Antibiotics :…