1452 Ludovico Sforza (born), Italian son of Francesco I Sforza (died 1508) 1549 The Jesuit priest Francis Xavier’s ship reaches Japan. 1663 The English Parliament passes the second Navigation Act requiring that all goods bound for the American colonies have to be sent in English ships from English ports. 1667 Johann Bernoulli (born), Swiss mathematician… Continue reading
The 2013 International Word of the Year from the Oxford Dictionary is… selfie. It is defined as “a photograph of yourself that you take, typically with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social networking website.” Selfie won out over some tough competition, with twerk, showrooming, bitcoin, and binge-watch in the running. The earliest… Continue reading
920 Rout of an alliance of Christian troops from Navarre and Léon against the Muslims at Pamplona. 1309 Henry VII is recognized King of the Romans by Pope Clement V. 1471 Pope Paul II (died) (born 1417) 1711 Lorenz Christoph Mizler (born), German physician, mathematician, and historian (died 1778) 1745 The first recorded women’s cricket… Continue reading
306 Constantine I is proclaimed Roman emperor by his troops. 315 The Arch of Constantine is completed near the Colosseum in Rome to commemorate Constantine I’s victory over Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge. 864 The Edict of Pistres of Charles the Bald orders defensive measures against the Vikings. 1261 The city of Constantinople is recaptured… Continue reading
1148 Louis VII of France lays siege to Damascus during the Second Crusade. 1487 Citizens of Leeuwarden, Netherlands strike against a ban on foreign beer. 1534 French explorer Jacques Cartier plants a cross on the Gaspé Peninsula and takes possession of the territory in the name of Francis I of France. 1567 Mary, Queen of… Continue reading