1343     Pope Clement VI issues the papal bull Unigenitus to justify the power of the pope and the use of indulgences. Nearly 200 years later, Martin Luther would protest this. 1596     Francis Drake (died), English captain and explorer (born 1540) 1606     Gunpowder Plot: The trial of Guy Fawkes and other conspirators begins, ending with their… Continue reading →

1340       King Edward III of England is declared King of France. 1500      Vicente Yáñez Pinzón becomes the first European to set foot on Brazil. 1541       Florent Chrestien (born), French poet (died 1596) 1564       The Council of Trent issues its conclusions in the Tridentinum, establishing a distinction between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. 1565       Battle of Talikota,… Continue reading →

41            After a night of negotiation, Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate. 1348       A strong earthquake strikes the South Alpine region of Friuli in modern Italy, causing considerable damage to buildings as far away as Rome. 1477       Anne of Brittany (born) (died 1514) 1533       Henry VIII of England secretly marries his second… Continue reading →

41            Roman Emperor Caligula (died), known for his eccentricity and cruel despotism, is assassinated by his disgruntled Praetorian Guards. The Guard then proclaims Caligula’s uncle Claudius as Emperor (born 12). 76           Hadrian (born), Roman emperor  (died 138) 1679       King Charles II of England dissolves the Cavalier Parliament. 1712       Frederick the Great (born), Prussian king (died… Continue reading →

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 →