On This Day in History: March 20 In 1345, scholars at the University of Paris believed that the conjunction of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn caused the Black Death. In reality, the plague was spread by the Yersinia pestis bacterium through fleas, rats and other animals. In 1648, King Charles I of England attempted to escape…
Tag: historical milestones
Historical Events on March 17
On This Day in History: March 17 In 432, at the age of about 16, St. Patrick was captured by Irish pirates from his home in Great Britain and taken as a slave to Ireland (traditional date). In 1580, Prince William I of Orange was welcomed in Amsterdam. In 1762, New York City hosted its…
Historical Events on March 16
On This Day in History: March 16 In 1079 Iran adopted the Solar Hijri calendar, which is still in use today. In 1322, the Battle of Boroughbridge took place during the First War of Scottish Independence. In 1527, the Mughal army led by Babur defeated the Rajput confederacy led by Rana Sanga in the Battle…
Historical Events on March 14
On This Day in History: March 14 In 1590, King Henry IV of France defeated the Catholic League at the Battle of Ivry during the French Wars of Religion. In 1743, the first American town meeting was held at Boston’s Faneuil Hall. In 1812, the US Congress approved war bonds to finance the War of…
Historical Events on March 10
On This Day in History: March 10 In 1624, England declared war on Spain, motivated by political, religious, and trade conflicts. This marked a significant shift in European power dynamics, reshaping future alliances and warfare. In 1801, Great Britain conducted its first official census, recording a population of nearly 10 million. In 1849, Abraham Lincoln…
Historical Events on March 9
On This Day in History: March 9 In 1522, Martin Luther began delivering his Invocavit sermons in Wittenberg, in which he urged citizens to rely on God’s word rather than violence, helping to end the revolutionary phase of the Reformation. In 1562, Naples imposed a strict ban on kissing in public, with violations punishable by…
Historical Events on March 5
On This Day in History: March 5 In 1496, King Henry VII of England issued a royal commission to John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto), giving him authority to discover and claim new territories on behalf of the English Crown. This was a pivotal moment in the Age of Exploration, as Cabot’s voyages later contributed to England’s…
Historical Events on March 3
On This Day in History: March 3 In 1575, the Mughal emperor Akbar won a decisive victory over Bengali forces at the Battle of Tukaroi, further expanding his empire’s influence in the region. In 1585, the Olympic Theatre in Vicenza was officially inaugurated, designed by the renowned architect Andrea Palladio, showcasing a masterpiece of…
Historical Events on March 2
On This Day in History: March 2 In 1657, the Great Fire of Meireki devastated Edo, the capital of Japan, destroying 60–70% of the city and killing an estimated 100,000 people. In 1717, The Loves of Mars and Venus was staged as the first ballet performance in England, marking an important milestone in the country’s…
Historical Events on March 1
On This Day in History: March 1 In 743, the Roman Council at Astinnes issued a decree banning Jews from owning Christian slaves, citing concern over possible conversions to Judaism. In 1562, the bloodshed of Wassy occurred when troops led by François de Guise fired on a Huguenot congregation, marking the beginning of the French…