537day.year
Siege of Rome: The Ostrogoth army under king Vitiges begins the siege of the capital. Belisarius conducts a delaying action outside the Flaminian Gate; he and a detachment of his bucellarii are almost cut off.
In 537, Ostrogoth king Vitiges besieges Rome, facing a delaying defense led by the Byzantine general Belisarius.
In the spring of 537, King Vitiges of the Ostrogoths initiated a full-scale siege of Rome during the Gothic War against Byzantium.
Byzantine general Belisarius mustered a delaying force outside the Flaminian Gate to disrupt the Gothic encirclement.
His bucellarii, elite cavalry bodyguards, played a crucial role in harassing the besiegers and maintaining lines of communication.
The defenders nearly cut off Belisarius and his detachment, showcasing the volatility of siege warfare.
This engagement set the stage for a prolonged struggle that would determine control over Italy.
537
Siege of Rome
Ostrogoth
Vitiges
siege
Belisarius
Flaminian Gate
bucellarii
986day.year
Louis V becomes the last Carolingian king of West Francia after the death of his father, Lothaire.
Louis V ascends the throne of West Francia in 986 as the last ruler of the Carolingian dynasty.
Following the death of his father Lothaire, 18-year-old Louis V became king of West Francia in March 986.
His accession marked the end of Carolingian rule that had dominated Frankish lands for centuries.
Known as Louis the Do-Nothing, his brief reign lasted only a year before his untimely death.
With no heirs, his passing paved the way for the rise of the Capetian dynasty under Hugh Capet.
The dynastic transition reshaped the political landscape of medieval France.
986
Louis V
Carolingian
West Francia
Lothaire
1331day.year
Fall of Nicaea to the Ottoman Turks after a siege.
In 1331, after a determined siege, the Ottoman forces capture the city of Nicaea from Byzantine successors.
The fall of Nicaea in 1331 represented a significant milestone in Ottoman expansion into Byzantine territory.
For decades, Nicaea had served as the refuge of the exiled Byzantine imperial court following the Fourth Crusade.
Led by Sultan Orhan, the Ottomans encircled the city and severed its supply lines.
After intense bombardment and blockade, the defenders conceded, granting the Ottomans a strategic stronghold.
This victory facilitated further Ottoman incursions into western Asia Minor and foreshadowed the eventual conquest of Constantinople.
1331
siege
1444day.year
Skanderbeg organizes a group of Albanian nobles to form the League of Lezhë.
Skanderbeg unites Albanian nobles to form the League of Lezhë in 1444, launching organized resistance against the Ottomans.
On March 2, 1444, George Castrioti Skanderbeg convened Albanian chieftains at the Lezhë assembly.
They established the League of Lezhë, the first collective political and military alliance among Albanian principalities.
This coalition aimed to coordinate defense and resist the encroaching Ottoman Empire.
Skanderbeg's leadership provided a unifying figure for diverse regional lords and strengthened their military efforts.
The league endured for several decades, symbolizing early Albanian unity and national identity.
1444
Skanderbeg
Albanian
League of Lezhë
1458day.year
George of Poděbrady is chosen as the king of Bohemia.
George of Poděbrady is elected king of Bohemia in 1458, rising as a prominent Hussite leader.
Following the death of King Ladislaus the Posthumous, George of Poděbrady was chosen as Bohemia's ruler on March 2, 1458.
His election marked the first time a member of the Hussite nobility ascended to the Bohemian throne.
George sought to maintain religious peace between Catholic and Hussite factions within the kingdom.
His reign saw efforts to consolidate Bohemian lands and avert external threats, notably from the Habsburgs.
He later proposed a European peace congress, foreshadowing ideas of continental diplomacy.
1458
George of Poděbrady
Bohemia
1476day.year
Burgundian Wars: The Old Swiss Confederacy hands Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, a major defeat in the Battle of Grandson in Canton of Neuchâtel.
Swiss forces deliver a crushing defeat to Charles the Bold at the Battle of Grandson in 1476.
During the Burgundian Wars, the Old Swiss Confederacy clashed with Duke Charles the Bold at Grandson on March 2, 1476.
Charles had encamped near Neuchâtel, aiming to punish Swiss cantons for resisting Burgundian influence.
The Swiss launched a surprise assault that routed the Burgundian army and captured valuable artillery.
The defeat severely dented Charles's prestige and signaled Swiss military resilience.
Captured treasures from Grandson would later finance further Swiss campaigns in the conflict.
1476
Burgundian Wars
Old Swiss Confederacy
Charles the Bold
Burgundy
Battle of Grandson
Canton of Neuchâtel
1484day.year
The College of Arms is formally incorporated by Royal Charter signed by King Richard III of England.
King Richard III grants a royal charter incorporating the College of Arms in 1484, formalizing English heraldry.
On March 2, 1484, Richard III of England formalized the College of Arms by royal charter.
This institution unified officers of arms responsible for granting and maintaining coats of arms.
It provided an official heraldic authority for managing genealogical records and ceremonial functions.
The charter affirmed the crown's control over heraldry and established enduring traditions.
The College of Arms remains the centre of heraldic and genealogical practice in England to this day.
1484
College of Arms
Royal Charter
Richard III of England
1498day.year
Vasco da Gama's fleet visits the Island of Mozambique.
Vasco da Gama's fleet makes its first recorded visit to the Island of Mozambique in 1498 during the voyage to India.
As part of his pioneering sea route to India, Vasco da Gama reached the Island of Mozambique on March 2, 1498.
This stop provided fresh water and provisions before the fleet continued toward the Swahili Coast.
Da Gama's expedition established Portugal's presence in East African trade networks.
The visit marked the beginning of Portuguese influence in the Indian Ocean.
It foreshadowed an era of European maritime exploration and colonial commerce.
1498
Vasco da Gama
Island of Mozambique
1657day.year
The Great Fire of Meireki begins in Edo (now Tokyo), Japan, causing more than 100,000 deaths before it exhausts itself three days later.
The Great Fire of Meireki engulfs Edo in 1657, causing massive destruction and tens of thousands of deaths.
On March 2, 1657, a devastating fire known as the Great Fire of Meireki broke out in the city of Edo.
Fueled by densely packed wooden buildings and strong winds, the blaze raged for three days.
By the time it subsided, over 100,000 inhabitants had perished and much of the city lay in ruins.
The disaster prompted major urban reforms and reconstruction efforts under the Tokugawa shogunate.
Statues and memorials would later mark the memory of one of Japan's deadliest urban fires.
1657
Great Fire of Meireki
Edo
Tokyo
1776day.year
American Revolutionary War: Patriot militia units attempt to prevent capture of supply ships in and around the Savannah River by a small fleet of the Royal Navy in the Battle of the Rice Boats.
Patriot militias engage Royal Navy forces in the Battle of the Rice Boats on the Savannah River in 1776.
During the American Revolutionary War on March 2, 1776, Patriot militia attempted to intercept British supply boats on the Savannah River.
A small Royal Navy fleet had moved to secure rice shipments vital to the Continental Army.
Patriot forces set fire to boats and exchanged fire along the riverbanks.
Although the British succeeded in capturing the vessels, the action demonstrated colonial resolve.
The skirmish, known as the Battle of the Rice Boats, highlighted early naval dimensions of the conflict.
1776
American Revolutionary War
Patriot
Savannah River
Royal Navy
Battle of the Rice Boats
1791day.year
Claude Chappe demonstrates the first semaphore line near Paris.
In 1791, Claude Chappe successfully demonstrates the first semaphore telegraph line near Paris, pioneering long-distance visual communication.
In 1791, French engineer Claude Chappe unveils the first working semaphore telegraph system near Paris.
He sets up a network of towers with pivoting arms to relay messages over long distances in minutes.
This optical telegraph solves the slow pace of courier horseback mail and meets urgent communication demands.
The demonstration attracts government interest and leads to the rapid expansion of semaphore lines across France.
Chappe's invention lays the foundation for modern telecommunications and historic advances in information technology.
1791
Claude Chappe
semaphore
1797day.year
The Bank of England issues the first one-pound and two-pound banknotes.
The Bank of England introduces its first one-pound and two-pound banknotes in 1797, marking a milestone in British paper currency.
In 1797, facing a shortage of gold and silver coins during wartime, the Bank of England issues its inaugural one-pound and two-pound banknotes.
These early notes feature intricate designs and handwritten signatures to deter counterfeiters.
Their introduction modernizes Britain's currency system and eases the strain on metal reserves.
The move sets a precedent for paper money circulation and inspires other nations to adopt banknote practices.
Over time, printed standardized notes replace these early issues, but their legacy endures in modern banking.
1797
Bank of England
issues
one-pound
two-pound
banknotes