538         Vitiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving the city in the hands of the victorious Byzantine general, Belisarius. 1622       Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier, founders of the Jesuits, are canonized as saints by the Catholic Church. 1864       American Civil War: The Red River Campaign begins… Continue reading →

1198       Marie of France (died), Countess of Champagne (born 1145) 1514       Donato Bramante (died), Italian architect, designed the San Pietro in Montorio (born 1444) 1702       The Daily Courant, England’s first national daily newspaper is published for the first time. 1819       Henry Tate (born), English businessman and philanthropist, founded Tate & Lyle (died 1899) 1820      Benjamin… Continue reading →

298         Roman Emperor Maximian concludes his campaign in North Africa against the Berbers, and makes a triumphal entry into Carthage. 1315       Agnes Blannbekin (died), Austrian mystic (born 1244) 1503       Ferdinand I (born), Holy Roman Emperor (died 1564) 1513       John de Vere (died), 13th Earl of Oxford, English commander (born 1443) 1584       Thomas Norton (died), English… Continue reading →

1500      The fleet of Pedro Álvares Cabral leaves Lisbon for the Indies. The fleet will discover Brazil which lies within boundaries granted to Portugal in the Treaty of Tordesillas. 1566       David Rizzio, private secretary to Mary, Queen of Scots, is murdered in the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh, Scotlandied 1765       After a campaign by Voltaire, judges… Continue reading →

1576 – Spanish explorer Diego García de Palacio first sights the ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Copán. 1618 – Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion. 1655 – John Casor becomes the first legally-recognized slave in England’s North American colonies. 1702 – Anne Stuart, sister of Mary II, becomes Queen regnant… Continue reading →