1546       Having published nothing for eleven years, François Rabelais publishes the Tiers Livre, his sequel to Gargantua and Pantagruel. 1556       The deadliest earthquake in history, the Shaanxi earthquake, hits Shaanxi province, China. The death toll may have been as high as 830,000. 1570       James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, regent for the infant King James… Continue reading →

613        Constantine (8 months old) is crowned as co-emperor (Caesar) by his father Heraclius at Constantinople. 1506      The first contingent of 150 Swiss Guards arrives at the Vatican. 1552      Sir Walter Raleigh (born), English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy and explorer (died 1618) 1561       Francis Bacon (born), English philosopher (died 1626) 1767      Johann Gottlob Lehmann… Continue reading →

1338               Charles V of France (born) (died 1380) 1519               Vasco Núñez de Balboa (died), Spanish explorer (born 1475) 1525               The Swiss Anabaptist Movement is founded when Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, George Blaurock, and about a dozen others baptize each other in the home of Manz’s mother in Zürich, breaking a thousand-year tradition of church-state union…. Continue reading →

250 Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Pope Fabian is martyred. 1265       In Westminster, the first English parliament conducts its first meeting held by Simon de Montfort in the Palace of Westminster, now also known colloquially as the “Houses of Parliament”. 1573       Simon Marius (born), German astronomer (died 1624) 1649       Charles… Continue reading →

1576      Hans Sachs (died), German poet and playwright (born 1494) 1736      James Watt (born), Scottish engineer (died 1819) 1764      John Wilkes is expelled from the British House of Commons for seditious libel. 1788      The second group of ships of the First Fleet arrive at Botany Bay. 1798      Auguste Comte (born), French philosopher (died 1857) 1806     … Continue reading →