585 BC A solar eclipse occurs, as predicted by the Greek philosopher and scientist Thales. This is one of the cardinal dates from which other dates can be calculated. 1371    John the Fearless (born), French husband of Margaret of Bavaria (died 1419) 1503   James IV of Scotland and Margaret Tudor are married according to a… Continue reading →

1199    John is crowned King of England. 1332   Ibn Khaldun (born), Tunisian historian (died 1406) 1564   John Calvin (died), French pastor and theologian (born 1509) 1610   François Ravaillac (died) French assassin of Henry IV of France (born 1578) 1703   Tsar Peter the Great founds the city of Saint Petersburg. 1794   Cornelius Vanderbilt (born), American businessman… Continue reading →

47 BC Julius Caesar visits Tarsus on his way to Pontus, where he meets enthusiastic support, but where, according to Cicero, Cassius is planning to kill him at this point. 604     Augustine of Canterbury, Benedictine monk and archbishop 735     Bede (died), English monk, historian, and theologian (born 672) 818     Ali Al-Ridha (died), Saudi Arabian 8th… Continue reading →

240 BC First recorded perihelion passage of Halley’s Comet. 615      Pope Boniface IV (died) (born 550) 1085   Pope Gregory VII (died) (born 1020) 1261    Pope Alexander IV (died) (born 1185) 1458   Mahmud Begada (born), Indian sultan (died 1511) 1521    The Diet of Worms ends when Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, issues the Edict of Worms,… Continue reading →

1351    Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Othman (died), Moroccan sultan (born 1297) 1487 – The ten-year-old Lambert Simnel is crowned in Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland, with the name of Edward VI in a bid to threaten King Henry VII’s reign. 1543   Nicolaus Copernicus (died), Polish mathematician and astronomer (born 1473) 1544   William Gilbert (born),… Continue reading →