4 May

1436    Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson (died), Swedish rebel leader (born 1390) 1471     Edward of Westminster (died), Prince of Wales (born 1453) 1519     Lorenzo de’ Medici (died), Duke of Urbino (born 1492) 1566    Luca Ghini (died), Italian physician and botanist (born 1490) 1604    Claudio Merulo (died), Italian organist and composer (born 1533) 1615     Adriaan van Roomen (died), Flemish… Continue reading

3 May

752      Mayan king Bird Jaguar IV of Yaxchilan in modern-day Chiapas, Mexico assumes the throne. 1469    Niccolò Machiavelli (born), Italian historian and philosopher (died 1527) 1481    Mehmed the Conqueror (died), Ottoman sultan (born 1432) 1481    The largest of three earthquakes strikes the island of Rhodes and causes an estimated 30,000 casualties. 1632    Catherine of St…. Continue reading

2 May

1194    King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. 1335    Otto the Merry, Duke of Austria, becomes Duke of Carinthia. 1519    Leonardo da Vinci (died), Italian painter, sculptor, and architect (born 1452) 1536    Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, is arrested and imprisoned on charges of adultery, incest, treason and witchcraft. 1559    John… Continue reading

1 May

1707    The Act of Union joins the Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. 1731    Johann Ludwig Bach (died), German violinist and composer (born 1677) 1751     The first cricket match is played in America. 1753    Publication of Species Plantarum by Linnaeus, and the formal start date of plant… Continue reading

30 April

65        Luca (died), Roman poet (born 39) 313       Battle of Tzirallum: Emperor Licinius defeats Maximinus II and unifies the Eastern Roman Empire. 1245    Philip III of France (born) (died 1285) 1492    Spain gives Christopher Columbus his commission of exploration. 1513     Edmund de la Pole, Yorkist pretender to the English throne, is executed on the orders… Continue reading