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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

1380    Catherine of Siena (died), Italian saint (born 1347) 1429    Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans. 1483    Gran Canaria, the main island of the Canary Islands is conquered by the Kingdom of Castile. 1587    Francis Drake leads a raid in the Bay of Cádiz, sinking at least 23 ships of the… Continue reading →