1346    Hundred Years’ War: the military supremacy of the English longbow over the French combination of crossbow and armoured knights is established at the Battle of Crécy. 1349    Thomas Bradwardine (died), English archbishop, mathematician, and physicist (born 1290) 1466    A conspiracy against Piero di Cosimo de’ Medici in Florence, led by Luca Pitti, is discovered…. Continue reading →

79        Pliny the Elder (died), Roman commander and philosopher (born 23) 1270    Louis IX of France (died) (born 1214) 1530    Ivan the Terrible (born), Russian ruler (died 1584) 1537    The Honourable Artillery Company, the oldest surviving regiment in the British Army, and the second most senior, is formed. 1561    Philippe van Lansberge (born), Dutch astronomer… Continue reading →

410      The Visigoths under King Alaric I begin to pillage Rome. 455      The Vandals, led by King Genseric, begin to plunder Rome. Pope Leo I requests Genseric not destroy the ancient city or murder its citizens. He agrees and the gates of Rome are opened. However, the Vandals loot a great amount of treasure. 79       … Continue reading →

30 BCCaesarion (died), Egyptian king (born 47 BC) 406     Gothic king Radagaisus is executed after he is defeated by Roman general Stilicho and 12,000 “barbarians” are incorporated into the Roman army or sold as slaves. 79        Mount Vesuvius begins stirring, on the feast day of Vulcan, the Roman god of fire. 1305    Sir William Wallace… Continue reading →

564      Columba reports seeing a monster in Loch Ness, Scotland. 1138    Battle of the Standard between Scotland and England. 1241    Pope Gregory IX (died), (born 1143) 1358    Isabella of France (died) (born 1295) 1412    Frederick II, Elector of Saxony (born) (died 1464) 1485    Richard III of England (died) (born 1452) 1559    Bartolomé Carranza, Spanish archbishop,… Continue reading →