January 9 in History 475 – Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople, and his general, Basiliscus gains control of the empire. 681 – Twelfth Council of Toledo: King Erwig of the Visigoths initiates a council in which he implements diverse measures against the Jews in Spain. 1127 – Jin–Song Wars:…
January 8 in History 307 – Jin Huaidi becomes emperor of China in succession to his father, Jin Huidi, despite a challenge from his uncle, Sima Ying 871 – Alfred the Great leads a West Saxon army to repel an invasion by Danelaw Vikings. 1297 – François Grimaldi, disguised as a monk, leads his men to…
January 6 in History 1066 – Following the death of Edward the Confessor on the previous day, the Witan meets to confirm Harold Godwinson as the new King of England; Harold is crowned the same day, sparking a succession crisis that will eventually lead to the Norman conquest…
January 4 in History 46 BC – Julius Caesar fights Titus Labienus in the Battle of Ruspina. 871 – Battle of Reading: Æthelred of Wessex and his brother Alfred are defeated by a Danish invasion army. 1649 – English Civil War: The Rump Parliament votes to put Charles I on trial. 1717 – The Netherlands, Great Britain, and…
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…
January 1 in History During the Middle Ages under the influence of the Catholic Church, many countries in western Europe decided to move the start of the year to one of several important Christian festivals – December 25 (the Nativity of Jesus), March…
Ellsworth Huntington Quiz Questions Ellsworth Huntington. Picture taken in 1920 and publicly available online at Yale’s Manuscripts and Archives. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) 1. When was Ellsworth Huntington born? a) 5 February 1884 b) 2 April 1882 c) 16 September 1876…
Herbert Henry Asquith Quiz Questions 1. When was Herbert Henry Asquith Prime Minister of UK? a) 1901-1905 b) 1908-1916 c) 1918-1922 d) 1895-1900 2. When was Herbert Henry Asquith born? a) 1 March 1853 b) 2 June 1854 c) 12…
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 :…