Today in history

Today in History on This Day in History

This Day in History for Saturday 9th August 2014

Historical Events

Events 1 - 15 of 144
48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus and Pompey flees to Egypt.
378 - Battle of Adrianople, Goth army defeats Roman forces under Emperor Valens
681 - Bulgaria is founded as a Khanate on the south bank of the Danube, after defeating the Byzantine armies of Emperor Constantine IV south of the Danube delta.
1173 - Construction of the Tower of Pisa begins, and it takes two centuries to complete.
1253 - Clare of Assisi's rules confirmed by Pope Innocent IV for Clare's Order of Poor Ladies
1329 - Quilon the first Indian Diocese was erected by Pope John XXII and Jordanus was appointed the first Bishop
1378 - Cardinals declare pope Urbanus VI lawless (anti christian/devil)
1483 - Opening of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican
1559 - Willem of Orange becomes viceroy of Holland/Zealand/Utrecht
1596 - Henry van Cuyk becomes bishop of Roermond
1638 - Jonas Bronck of Holland becomes 1st European settler in Bronx
1655 - Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell divides England into 11 district

 1666 - Rear Admiral Robert Holmes leads a raid on the Dutch island of Terschelling, destroying 150 merchant ships in the Vlie estuary, and pillaging the town of West-Terschelling, an act later known as "Holmes's Bonfire".
1673 - Dutch under Admiral Cornelis Evertsen de Jonge recapture NY from English; regained by English in 1674
1726 - Netherlands signs Covenant of Hannover

Famous Birthdays

Born Today

Birthdays 1 - 15 of 221                                              
                                                                                    Composer Johann Michael Bach

                                                                                                           (1648)

1201 - Arnold Fitz Thedmar, English chronicler (d. 1274)
1593 - Izaak Walton, England, biographer/fisherman/writer (Compleat Angler)
1611 - Henry earl of Nassau-Siegen, colonel/governor of Hulst Neth
1631 - John Dryden, English poet/playwright (Heroic Stanzas) [NS=Aug 19]
1648 - Johann Michael Bach, Arnstadt Germany, composer (In Dulci Jubilo), (d. 1694)
1653 - John Oldham, English poet (d. 1683)
1669 - Eudoxia Lopukhina, Tsarina of Russia (d. 1731)
1674 - František Maxmilián Kaňka, Czech architect
1677 - Jacob Campo Weyerman, South Neth's adventurer/painter/writer
1690 - Lorenzo Gaetano Zavateri, composer
1696 - Jozef Wenceslas, monarch of Liechtenstein/general
1718 - Placidus Cajetan von Camerloher, composer
1722 - Augustus William, Prince of Prussia (d. 1758)
1726 - Francesco Cetti, Italian Jesuit scientist (d. 1778)
1757 - Thomas Telford, Scottish civil engineer (d. 1834)

Famous Deaths

Passed Away Today

Deaths 1 - 15 of 139

117 - Trajan, Roman Emperor, dies from edema at 63
378 - Flavius Valens, emperor of Byzantium (364-78), dies in battle at 50
803 - Irene, Byzantine empress/wife of emperor Leo IV, dies
1048 - Pope Damasus II [Poppo] dies in Rome, after reigning for only 23 days
1107 - Emperor Horikawa of Japan (b. 1079)
1173 - Najm ad-Din Ayyub, father of Saladin
1250 - King Eric IV of Denmark (b. 1216)
1420 - Pierre d'ailly/Peter de Alliaco, French theologist/cardinal, dies
1516 - Jeroen Bosch, painter (Garden of the Lusten), dies at 66
1534 - Cardinal Cajetan, Italian theologian (b. 1470)
1601 - Michael the Brave, Prince of Wallachia (b. 1558)
1612 - Ottavio M Frangipani, Pope elect, dies
1613 - Giovanni Righi, composer, dies at 36
1634 - Pieter I de Jode, Flemish publisher, dies
1634 - William Noy, English jurist (b. 1577)