A Daily Dose of History: Events on this Day in History
We examine the significant events that occurred on this day in history. Get smarter about our history in less than 10 minutes per day! Presented by Amalia Dupray and Montgomery Jones.
All episodes(48)
- StandardSummaries onlyAssault on Tang Dynasty: Nomadic Threat (+ 10 more historical events on this day!)
Published May 19, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (19 May 2026) Today's historical events: Ashina Jiesheshuai and his tribesmen assaulted Emperor Taizong at Jiucheng Palace. Pope Gregory II is elected. John II of Castile defeats the Infantes of Aragon at the First Battle of Olmedo. French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships, 110 men, and Chief Donnacona's two sons (whom Cartier had kidnapped during his first voyage). Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII of Engla
- StandardSummaries onlyEmperor Constantine's Free Food Announcement (+ 11 more historical events on this day!)
Published May 18, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (18 May 2026) Today's historical events: Emperor Constantine the Great announces free distributions of food to the citizens in Constantinople. Louis II of Italy is crowned for the second time as Holy Roman Emperor at Rome, at the age of 47. His first coronation was 28 years earlier, in 844, during the reign of his father Lothair I. First Crusade: Around 800 Jews are massacred in Worms, Germany. The future Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. He would become k
- StandardSummaries onlyWallachian Triumph: Battle of Rovine 1395 (+ 13 more historical events on this day!)
Published May 17, 2026
Wallachian TriumphA Daily Dose of History (17 May 2026) Today's historical events: Battle of Rovine: The Wallachians defeat an invading Ottoman army. Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for treason. Pánfilo de Narváez departs Spain to explore Florida with 600 men - by 1536 only 4 survive. George Boleyn, 2nd Viscount Rochford and four other men are executed for treason. Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn's marriage is annulled. Anne of Denmark is crowned Queen of Scotland. Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maiso
- StandardSummaries onlyEmperor Suzaku's Historic Abdication in Japan (+ 12 more historical events on this day!)
Published May 16, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (16 May 2026) Today's historical events: Emperor Suzaku abdicates the throne in favor of his brother Murakami who becomes the 62nd emperor of Japan. Having been elected on May 9, Baldwin IX, Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. Gov. Thado of Mohnyin becomes king of Ava. The Florentines drive out the Medici for a second time and Florence re-establishes itself as a republic. Sir Thomas More resigns as Lord Chancellor of England. Mary, Queen
- StandardSummaries onlyEmperor Liu Bei: Shaping Ancient China (+ 9 more historical events on this day!)
Published May 15, 2026
Emperor Liu BeiA Daily Dose of History (15 May 2026) Today's historical events: Liu Bei, Chinese warlord, proclaims himself emperor of Shu Han, the successor of the Han dynasty. Emperor Valentinian II is assassinated while advancing into Gaul against the Frankish usurper Arbogast. He is found hanging in his residence at Vienne. King Authari marries Theodelinda, daughter of the Bavarian duke Garibald I. A Catholic, she has great influence among the Lombard nobility. Abd al-Rahman I, the founder of the Arab dyna
- StandardSummaries onlyRobert II names son Henry I as junior King of Franks (+ 10 more historical events on this day!)
Published May 14, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (14 May 2026) Today's historical events: Robert II of France names his son Henry I as junior King of the Franks. The Siege of Nicaea begins during the First Crusade. Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured and forced to sign the Mise of Lewes, making Simon de Montfort the effective ruler of England. Battle of Agnadello: In northern Italy, French forces defeat the Republic of Venice. English colonists establish "James Fort," which would become Jamestown, Virginia
- StandardSummaries onlyPope Stephen I vs. Novatianism: Early Church Authority (+ 13 more historical events on this day!)
Published May 12, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (12 May 2026) Today's historical events: Pope Stephen I succeeds Pope Lucius I, becoming the 23rd pope of the Catholic Church, and immediately takes a stand against Novatianism. Zhu Wen forces Emperor Ai into abdicating, ending the Tang dynasty after nearly three hundred years of rule. Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre in Cyprus; she is crowned Queen consort of England the same day. Jagiellonian University, the oldest university in Poland, is founded in K
- StandardSummaries onlyConstantinople: Birth of a Christian Empire (+ 8 more historical events on this day!)
Published May 11, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (11 May 2026) Today's historical events: Constantinople is consecrated. A copy of the Diamond Sutra is printed in China, making it the oldest known dated printed book. War of the Austrian Succession: French forces defeat an Anglo-Dutch-Hanoverian army. Robert Gray commands the first expedition to sail into the Columbia River. Prime Minister Spencer Perceval is assassinated by John Bellingham in the lobby of the British House of Commons. William Lawson, Gregory Blaxland an
- StandardSummaries onlyScottish Nobles Recognize Edward I: Prelude to Independence (+ 12 more historical events on this day!)
Published May 10, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (10 May 2026) Today's historical events: Scottish nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England pending the selection of a king. Christopher Columbus visits the Cayman Islands and names them Las Tortugas after the numerous turtles there. Jacques Cartier visits Newfoundland. King Narai nominates Phetracha as regent, leading to the revolution of 1688 in which Phetracha becomes king of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. Rioting occurs in London after John Wilkes is imprisoned fo
- StandardSummaries onlyAthanasius: Defender of Nicene Creed (+ 10 more historical events on this day!)
Published May 9, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (09 May 2026) Today's historical events: Athanasius is elected Patriarch of Alexandria. England and Portugal formally ratify their alliance with the signing of the Treaty of Windsor, making it the oldest diplomatic alliance in the world which is still in force. 'Abd al-Latif (Timurid monarch) is assassinated. Hernando de Alarcón sets sail on an expedition to the Gulf of California. The figure who later became Mr. Punch makes his first recorded appearance in England. Thoma
- StandardSummaries onlyReccared I: The Third Council of Toledo (+ 11 more historical events on this day!)
Published May 8, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (08 May 2026) Today's historical events: Reccared I opens the Third Council of Toledo, marking the entry of Visigothic Spain into the Catholic Church. Treaty of Brétigny drafted between King Edward III of England and King John II of France (the Good). Julian of Norwich, a Christian mystic and anchoress, experiences the deathbed visions described in her Revelations of Divine Love. Joan of Arc lifts the Siege of Orléans, turning the tide of the Hundred Years' War. Kentishme
- StandardSummaries onlyJewish Revolt Against Constantius Gallus in 351 AD (+ 9 more historical events on this day!)
Published May 7, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (07 May 2026) Today's historical events: The Jewish revolt against Constantius Gallus breaks out after his arrival at Antioch. In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses, twenty years after its construction. Justinian I immediately orders that the dome be rebuilt. In France, the Second Council of Lyon opens to regulate the election of the Pope. The Siege of Málaga commences during the Spanish Reconquista. The Burning of Edinburgh by an English army is the f
- StandardSummaries onlySack of Rome: End of Renaissance Era (+ 13 more historical events on this day!)
Published May 6, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (06 May 2026) Today's historical events: Spanish and German troops sack Rome; many scholars consider this the end of the Renaissance. The Siege of Cuzco commences, in which Incan forces attempt to retake the city of Cuzco from the Spanish. Francis Xavier reaches Old Goa, the capital of Portuguese India at the time. The Dutch city of Coevorden held by the Spanish, falls to a Dutch and English force. English Restoration: A faction of the British Army removes Richard Cromwel
- StandardSummaries onlySecond Council of Constantinople: Christological Controversies (+ 9 more historical events on this day!)
Published May 5, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (05 May 2026) Today's historical events: The Second Council of Constantinople begins. Rebel barons renounce their allegiance to King John of England — part of a chain of events leading to the signing of the Magna Carta. On his second voyage to the New World, Christopher Columbus sights Jamaica, landing at Discovery Bay and declares Jamaica the property of the Spanish crown. Daimyō (Lord) Shimazu Tadatsune of the Satsuma Domain in southern Kyūshū, Japan, completes his succ
- StandardSummaries onlyAugustinian Order: Origins and Influence (+ 10 more historical events on this day!)
Published May 4, 2026
Augustinian OrderA Daily Dose of History (04 May 2026) Today's historical events: The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV issues a papal bull Licet ecclesiae catholicae. Religious reformers John Wycliffe and Jan Hus are condemned as heretics at the Council of Constance. Assassination of the Swedish rebel (later national hero) Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson Wars of the Roses: The Battle of Tewkesbury: Edward IV defeats a Lancastrian Army and kills Edward of Westmin
- StandardSummaries onlyMayan King Bird Jaguar IV's Ascension: A Historic Moment (+ 13 more historical events on this day!)
Published May 3, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (03 May 2026) Today's historical events: Mayan king Bird Jaguar IV of Yaxchilan in modern-day Chiapas, Mexico, assumes the throne. The largest of three earthquakes strikes the island of Rhodes and causes an estimated 30,000 casualties. Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries, adopting the baptismal name of João I. Angered by the brutal onslaught of Spanish troops at Fort Caroline, a French force has burned the San Mateo fort and massacred hundred
- StandardSummaries onlyPortsmouth's Royal Charter: Key Maritime History (+ 12 more historical events on this day!)
Published May 2, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (02 May 2026) Today's historical events: King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. William de Braose is hanged by Prince Llywelyn the Great. Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, is arrested and imprisoned on charges of adultery, incest, treason and witchcraft. John Knox returns from exile to Scotland to become the leader of the nascent Scottish Reformation. Mary, Queen of Scots, escapes from Loch Leven Castle. The King James Version of the Bible is pub
- StandardSummaries onlyRoman Emperors' Historic Retirement: Impact on Empire (+ 10 more historical events on this day!)
Published May 1, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (01 May 2026) Today's historical events: Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman emperor. The Nea Ekklesia is inaugurated in Constantinople, setting the model for all later cross-in-square Orthodox churches. Norman mercenaries land at Bannow Bay in Leinster, marking the beginning of the Norman invasion of Ireland. Wars of Scottish Independence end: By the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton, England recognises Scotland as an independent state. The Act of Union
- StandardSummaries onlyEnd of Diocletianic Persecution: Turning Point in Christianity (+ 11 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 30, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (30 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: The Diocletianic Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire ends. Enguerrand de Marigny is hanged at the instigation of Charles, Count of Valois. Spain gives Christopher Columbus his commission of exploration. He is named admiral of the ocean sea, viceroy and governor of any territory he discovers. Mapuche leader Lautaro is killed by Spanish forces at the Battle of Mataquito in Chile. Juan de Oñate begins the conquest of Santa F
- StandardSummaries onlyByzantine Triumph: Battle of Levounion (+ 9 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 29, 2026
Byzantine TriumphA Daily Dose of History (29 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: Battle of Levounion: The Pechenegs are defeated by Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos.[citation needed] Battle of the Vikhra River: The Principality of Smolensk is defeated by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and becomes its vassal. Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orléans. Gran Canaria, the main island of the Canary Islands, is conquered by the Kingdom of Castile. Swedish War of Liberation: Swedish troops defeat a Danish
- StandardSummaries onlyBattle of Hormozdgan: Rise of Sassanian Empire (+ 12 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 28, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (28 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: The Battle of Hormozdgan is fought. Ardashir I defeats and kills Artabanus V effectively ending the Parthian Empire. Emperor Constantius II enters Rome for the first time to celebrate his victory over Magnus Magnentius. Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I), King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title to the throne is confirmed by election. The killing is carried out by Hashshashin. Nichiren, a Japanese Buddhist
- StandardSummaries onlyPhilip the Arab: Rome's Millennium Celebration (+ 11 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 27, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (27 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: Philip the Arab marks the millennium of Rome with a celebration of the ludi seaculares. Emperor Arcadius marries Aelia Eudoxia, daughter of the Frankish general Flavius Bauto. She becomes one of the more powerful Roman empresses of Late Antiquity. Islamic conquest of Hispania: Moorish troops led by Tariq ibn Ziyad land at Gibraltar to begin their invasion of the Iberian Peninsula (Al-Andalus). First War of Scottish Independence: Jo
- StandardSummaries onlyCharles University: European Education Milestone (+ 10 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 26, 2026
Charles UniversityA Daily Dose of History (26 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: Czech king Karel IV founds the Charles University in Prague, which was later named after him and was the first university in Central Europe. Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ascends Mont Ventoux. The Pazzi family attack on Lorenzo de' Medici kills his brother Giuliano during High Mass in Florence Cathedral. Playwright William Shakespeare is baptized in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England (date of birth is unknown). The Virginia
- StandardSummaries onlyBagrevand 775: Turning Point in South Caucasus (+ 7 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 25, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (25 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: The Battle of Bagrevand puts an end to an Armenian rebellion against the Abbasid Caliphate. Muslim control over the South Caucasus is solidified and its Islamization begins, while several major Armenian nakharar families lose power and their remnants flee to the Byzantine Empire. After mistreatment and disfigurement by the citizens of Rome, pope Leo III flees to the Frankish court of king Charlemagne at Paderborn for protection. Ei
- StandardSummaries onlyMühlberg 1547: Turning Point in Reformation (+ 12 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 24, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (24 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: Battle of Mühlberg. Duke of Alba, commanding Spanish-Imperial forces of Charles I of Spain, defeats the troops of Schmalkaldic League. Mary, Queen of Scots, marries the Dauphin of France, François, at Notre Dame de Paris. The first regular newspaper in British Colonial America, The Boston News-Letter, is published. French revolutionary Jean-Paul Marat is acquitted by the Revolutionary Tribunal of charges brought by the Girondin in
- StandardSummaries onlyMaya King's Ruthless Attack: Calakmul vs. Palenque (+ 9 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 23, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (23 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: Maya king Uneh Chan of Calakmul attacks rival city-state Palenque in southern Mexico, defeating queen Yohl Ik'nal and sacking the city. Battle of Clontarf: High King of Ireland Brian Boru defeats Viking invaders, but is killed in battle. Edmund Ironside succeeds his father Æthelred the Unready as King of England. St. George's Night Uprising commences in the Duchy of Estonia. The founding of the Order of the Garter by King Edward II
- StandardSummaries onlySenate's Bold Move: Ousting Maximinus Thrax (+ 13 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 22, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (22 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: Year of the Six Emperors: The Roman Senate outlaws emperor Maximinus Thrax for his bloodthirsty proscriptions in Rome and nominates two of its members, Pupienus and Balbinus, to the throne. Portuguese navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral lands in Brazil. Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés establishes a settlement at Veracruz, Mexico. Treaty of Zaragoza divides the eastern hemisphere between Spain and Portugal along a line 297.5 leagues (
- StandardSummaries onlyPisa's Rise: From Diocese to Archdiocese (+ 10 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 21, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (21 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: The Diocese of Pisa is elevated to the rank of metropolitan archdiocese by Pope Urban II The three-day Lisbon Massacre comes to an end with the slaughter of over 1,900 suspected Jews by Portuguese Catholics. Henry VIII ascends the throne of England on the death of his father, Henry VII. The last ruler of the Lodi dynasty, Ibrahim Lodi is defeated and killed by Babur in the First Battle of Panipat. The Wignacourt Aqueduct is inaugur
- StandardSummaries onlySapienza University: A Medieval Center of Learning (+ 9 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 20, 2026
Sapienza UniversityA Daily Dose of History (20 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: The Sapienza University of Rome is instituted by a bull of Pope Boniface VIII. Three Genoese galleys and a Byzantine blockade runner fight their way through an Ottoman blockading fleet a few weeks before the fall of Constantinople. Jacques Cartier begins his first voyage to what is today the east coast of Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador. The sun dog phenomenon is observed over Stockholm, as later depicted in the famous painting V
- StandardSummaries onlyBetrayal of Milichus: Nero's Reign Saved (+ 10 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 19, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (19 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: The freedman Milichus betrays Piso's plot to kill the Emperor Nero and all the conspirators are arrested. Battle of Callinicum: A Byzantine army under Belisarius is defeated by the Persians at Raqqa (northern Syria). Empress Irene organizes a conspiracy against her son, the Byzantine emperor Constantine VI. He is deposed and blinded. Shortly after, Constantine dies of his wounds; Irene proclaims herself basileus. The Lisbon Massacr
- StandardSummaries onlyMurder of King Æthelred I: Northumbria's Turmoil (+ 10 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 18, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (18 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: King Æthelred I of Northumbria is murdered in Corbridge by a group led by his ealdormen, Ealdred and Wada. The patrician Osbald is crowned, but abdicates within 27 days. Peace of Ferrara between Republic of Venice, Duchy of Milan, Republic of Florence and House of Gonzaga: ending of the second campaign of the Wars in Lombardy fought until the Treaty of Lodi in 1454, which will then guarantee the conditions for the development of th
- StandardSummaries onlyCanute IV: Denmark's Saintly Ruler (+ 13 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 17, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (17 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: Harald III of Denmark dies and is succeeded by Canute IV, who would later be the first Dane to be canonized. The rule of the Bavand dynasty in Mazandaran is brought to an end by the murder of Hasan II. Kaunas Castle falls to the Teutonic Order after a month-long siege. Spain and Christopher Columbus sign the Capitulations of Santa Fe for his voyage to Asia to acquire spices. Trial of Martin Luther over his teachings begins during t
- StandardSummaries onlyOtho's Suicide: Fall of a Roman Emperor (+ 14 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 16, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (16 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: Defeated by Vitellius' troops at Bedriacum, Otho commits suicide. Masada, a Jewish fortress, falls to the Romans after several months of siege, ending the First Jewish-Roman War. Stefan Dušan, "the Mighty", is crowned Emperor of the Serbs at Skopje, his empire occupying much of the Balkans. The Revolt of the Comuneros begins in Spain against the rule of Charles V. Spanish conquistador Hernando de Lerma founds the settlement of Salt
- StandardSummaries onlyLateran Council 769: Iconoclasm Condemned (+ 10 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 15, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (15 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: The Lateran Council condemns the Council of Hieria and anathematizes its iconoclastic rulings. Timur defeats Tokhtamysh of the Golden Horde at the Battle of the Terek River. The Golden Horde capital city, Sarai, is razed to the ground and Timur installs a puppet ruler on the throne. Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English forces, ending English domination in Nort
- StandardSummaries onlyYear of Four Emperors: Battle of Bedriacum (+ 7 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 14, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (14 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: Vitellius, commander of the Rhine armies, defeats Emperor Otho in the Battle of Bedriacum to take power over Rome. After his marriage to the Christian Doubravka of Bohemia, the pagan ruler of the Polans, Mieszko I, converts to Christianity, an event considered to be the founding of the Polish state. Co-Emperor Otto II, a son of Otto I (the Great), marries the Byzantine princess Theophanu. She is crowned empress by Pope John XIII at
- StandardSummaries onlyFall of Constantinople: Fourth Crusade's Impact (+ 11 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 13, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (13 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: Constantinople falls to the Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade, temporarily ending the Byzantine Empire. Miyamoto Musashi defeats Sasaki Kojirō at Funajima island. Samuel Argall, having captured Pocahontas in Passapatanzy, Virginia, sets off with her to Jamestown with the intention of exchanging her for English prisoners held by her father. The Sikh religion was formalised as the Khalsa – the brotherhood of Warrior-Saints – by Guru Go
- StandardSummaries onlyShapur I: Rise to Power in Sasanian Empire (+ 8 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 12, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (12 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: Shapur I becomes co-emperor of the Sasanian Empire with his father Ardashir I. Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. King Edwin of Northumbria is converted to Christianity by Paulinus, bishop of York. Duke Oldřich of Bohemia deposes and blinds his brother Jaromír, who flees to Poland. The Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade breach the walls of Constantinople and enter the city, which they completely occupy the f
- StandardSummaries onlyAnastasius I: Byzantine Emperor & Financial Reformer (+ 11 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 11, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (11 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. Batu Khan defeats Béla IV of Hungary at the Battle of Mohi. War of the League of Cambrai: Franco-Ferrarese forces led by Gaston de Foix and Alfonso I d'Este win the Battle of Ravenna against the Papal-Spanish forces. Italian War of 1542-46: A French army defeats Habsburg forces at the Battle of Ceresole, but fails to exploit its victory. William III and Ma
- StandardSummaries onlyNestorius: Controversial Patriarch of Constantinople (+ 11 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 10, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (10 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: Nestorius becomes the Patriarch of Constantinople. Three years later, he would be deposed due to alleged heresy. Halley's Comet makes its closest approach to Earth at a distance equal to 0.0342 AU (5.1 million kilometres/3.2 million miles). Deshin Shekpa, 5th Karmapa Lama visits the Ming dynasty capital at Nanjing. He is awarded the title "Great Treasure Prince of Dharma". Ludovico Sforza is captured by Swiss troops at Novara and i
- StandardSummaries onlyDong Zhuo's Burning of Luoyang: A Turning Point (+ 12 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 9, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (09 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: Dong Zhuo has his troops evacuate the capital Luoyang and burn it to the ground. The distinguished soldier Septimus Severus is proclaimed emperor by the army in Illyricum. Byzantine Emperor Basiliscus issues a circular letter (Enkyklikon) to the bishops of his empire, supporting the Monophysite christological position. Siege of Rome: The Byzantine general Belisarius receives his promised reinforcements, 1,600 cavalry, mostly of Hun
- StandardSummaries onlyAssassination of Roman Emperor Caracalla (+ 10 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 8, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (08 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: Roman emperor Caracalla is assassinated and is succeeded by his Praetorian Guard prefect, Marcus Opellius Macrinus. The Battle of Dayr al-'Aqul saves Baghdad from the Saffarids. Roger II of Sicily is excommunicated by Innocent II for supporting Anacletus II as pope for seven years, even though Roger had already publicly recognized Innocent's claim to the papacy. Pope Eugene III takes refuge in the castle of Ptolemy II of Tusculum.
- StandardSummaries onlyAttila the Hun's Siege of Metz: A Brutal Conquest (+ 13 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 7, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (07 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: Attila the Hun captures Metz in France, killing most of its inhabitants and burning most of the town. First Corpus Juris Civilis, a fundamental work in jurisprudence, is issued by Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I. Empress Matilda becomes the first female ruler of England, adopting the title 'Lady of the English'. Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV charters Prague University. Felix V abdicates his claim to the papacy, ending the reign o
- StandardSummaries onlyScottish Declaration of Arbroath: Defiance and Freedom (+ 8 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 6, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (06 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: The Scots reaffirm their independence by signing the Declaration of Arbroath. Mehmed II begins his siege of Constantinople. The city falls on May 29, and is renamed Istanbul. One of the largest earthquakes recorded in the history of England, Flanders, or Northern France, takes place. At the Cape of Good Hope, Dutch sailor Jan van Riebeeck establishes a resupply camp that eventually becomes Cape Town. The New York Slave Revolt of 17
- StandardSummaries onlyLothair I Crowned King of Italy: Carolingian Power (+ 8 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 5, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (05 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: Lothair I is crowned King of Italy by Pope Paschal I. The second Fatimid invasion of Egypt begins, when the Fatimid heir-apparent, al-Qa'im bi-Amr Allah, sets out from Raqqada at the head of his army. During the Battle on the Ice of Lake Peipus, Russian forces, led by Alexander Nevsky, rebuff an invasion attempt by the Teutonic Knights. Charles V makes a Royal Entry into Rome, demolishing a swath of the city to re-enact a Roman tri
- StandardSummaries onlyMaya King Uneh Chan's Conquest: Turning Point (+ 8 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 4, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (04 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: Maya king Uneh Chan of Calakmul sacks rival city-state Palenque in southern Mexico. King Louis the Pious captures Barcelona from the Moors after a siege of several months. A five-year Byzantine-Venetian peace treaty is concluded between Venetian envoys and Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos. Death of the Venetian Doge Tommaso Mocenigo, under whose rule victories were achieved against the Kingdom of Hungary and against the Ottoman Emp
- StandardSummaries onlyMaya King Yuknoom Yich'aak K'ahk' of Calakmul (+ 12 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 3, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (03 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: Maya king Yuknoom Yich'aak K'ahk' assumes the crown of Calakmul. Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England. The Patriarchate of Friûl, the first Friulian state, is created. The second of two the treaties making up the Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis is signed, ending the Italian Wars. Robert Walpole becomes, in effect, the first Prime Minister of Great Britain, though he himself denied that title. Rama IV is crowned King of Thailan
- StandardSummaries onlyBritish Victory at Suvarnadurg in 1755 (+ 11 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 2, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (02 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: Commodore William James captures the Maratha fortress of Suvarnadurg on the west coast of India. The Coinage Act is passed by Congress, establishing the United States Mint. Ludwig van Beethoven leads the premiere of his First Symphony in Vienna. French Revolutionary Wars: In the Battle of Copenhagen a British Royal Navy squadron defeats a hastily-assembled, smaller, mostly-volunteer Dano-Norwegian Navy at high cost, forcing Denmark
- StandardSummaries onlyJesus Christ's Last Supper: A Moment of Sacrifice and Love (+ 8 more historical events on this day!)
Published Apr 1, 2026
A Daily Dose of History (01 Apr 2026) Today's historical events: According to one historian's account, Jesus Christ's Last Supper is held. Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne. In the Eighty Years' War, the Watergeuzen capture Brielle from the Seventeen Provinces, gaining the first foothold on land for what would become the Dutch Republic. In New York City, the United States House of Representatives achieves its first quorum and elects F