363day.year
Roman emperor Julian leaves Antioch with an army of 90,000 to attack the Sasanian Empire, in a campaign which would bring about his own death.
In AD 363, Emperor Julian led 90,000 troops from Antioch to launch a major offensive against the Sasanian Empire, a campaign that ultimately resulted in his death.
Emperor Julian, known for his Hellenic revival, departed Antioch in 363 AD at the head of a formidable army of 90,000 soldiers. His objective was to strike at the heart of the Sasanian Empire and restore Roman dominance in the East. The campaign encountered logistical difficulties as the army traversed harsh Mesopotamian terrain and faced fierce resistance. Despite initial successes, Julian’s forces became isolated from their supply lines and were ambushed near Samarra. During the skirmish, Julian was mortally wounded by enemy archers, causing disarray among his troops. His death led to a hasty peace treaty that ceded territory and ended Roman expansion in the east. The failed expedition underscored the perils of overextension and marked a turning point in Roman-Persian relations.
363
Roman emperor
Julian
Antioch
attack
Sasanian Empire
1279day.year
The Livonian Order is defeated in the Battle of Aizkraukle by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
In 1279, the Livonian Order suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the Battle of Aizkraukle.
During the Livonian Crusade, the Livonian Order faced the expanding power of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In March 1279, near Aizkraukle on the Daugava River, a Lithuanian army ambushed the crusader knights. The Order’s forces were overwhelmed by superior Lithuanian tactics and intimate knowledge of local terrain. Many knights were killed or captured, severely weakening the Order’s military presence in the Baltic. The victory bolstered Lithuanian influence and delayed further crusader advances. It also encouraged other Baltic tribes to resist Germanic conquest. The battle is seen as a turning point in the struggle for control of Livonia and the Christianization of the region.
1279
Livonian Order
Battle of Aizkraukle
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
1770day.year
Boston Massacre: Five Americans, including Crispus Attucks, are fatally shot by British troops in an event that would contribute to the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War (also known as the American War of Independence) five years later.
In 1770, British troops killed five colonists in the Boston Massacre, an incident that fueled growing unrest leading to the American Revolution.
On March 5, 1770, tensions between British soldiers and Boston residents erupted when colonists began harassing a sentry near the custom house. Amid confusion and verbal abuse, troops fired into the crowd, killing five men, including Crispus Attucks, a man of African and Native American descent. The event was quickly labeled the Boston Massacre by patriot leaders like Samuel Adams to inflame anti-British sentiment. Trials later acquitted most soldiers, but colonial propaganda and engravings by Paul Revere spread outrage throughout the Thirteen Colonies. The massacre became a rallying cry for American patriots, symbolizing British tyranny and injustice. It accelerated the formation of Committees of Correspondence and unified colonial resistance. The incident’s legacy endures as a pivotal moment on the road to the Declaration of Independence.
1770
Boston Massacre
Crispus Attucks
American Revolutionary War
1811day.year
Peninsular War: A French force under the command of Marshal Victor is routed while trying to prevent an Anglo-Spanish-Portuguese army from lifting the Siege of Cádiz in the Battle of Barrosa.
In 1811, during the Peninsular War, Allied forces achieved a key victory at the Battle of Barrosa against Napoleon’s troops.
As part of the Allied effort to lift the Siege of Cádiz, an Anglo-Spanish-Portuguese corps confronted Marshal Victor’s French division at Barrosa Hill on March 5, 1811. Despite being outnumbered and cut off from supplies, the Allies launched a determined assault under General Thomas Graham’s command. Fierce close-quarters combat ensued, and Franco-Spanish coordination faltered when some Spanish units failed to support the attack. The British troops seized Barrosa Hill and held off multiple counterattacks until reinforcements arrived. The French retreat allowed the besieged garrison at Cádiz to remain supplied and resist the siege. Although the victory did not immediately break the siege, it boosted Allied morale and demonstrated the effectiveness of multinational cooperation. The Battle of Barrosa is celebrated as one of the Peninsular War’s most gallant engagements.
1811
Peninsular War
Marshal Victor
Siege of Cádiz
Battle of Barrosa
1824day.year
First Anglo-Burmese War: The British officially declare war on Burma.
In 1824, the British East India Company formally declared war on the kingdom of Burma, initiating the First Anglo-Burmese War.
On March 5, 1824, the British East India Company issued a proclamation of war against the Konbaung dynasty of Burma, citing Burmese incursions and border disputes in Assam and Arakan. It marked the beginning of the largest and most costly conflict in British Indian history. British forces soon attacked Burmese positions along the Bengal frontier, while indigenous levies and Sikh regiments joined the campaign. The war saw fierce fighting in dense jungle terrain and harsh tropical conditions, leading to heavy casualties from combat and disease. The conflict concluded with the Treaty of Yandabo in 1826, forcing Burma to cede Assam, Manipur, Arakan, and Tenasserim to British control. The war had profound effects, reshaping Southeast Asian politics and expanding British influence in the region. The legacy of the First Anglo-Burmese War endures as a testament to imperial rivalry and its human cost.
1824
First Anglo-Burmese War
Burma
1825day.year
Roberto Cofresí, one of the last successful Caribbean pirates, is defeated in combat and captured by authorities.
In 1825, the notorious pirate Roberto Cofresí was defeated in combat and captured, marking one of the last major engagements of Caribbean piracy.
Roberto Cofresí, known as El Tigre del Caribe, had terrorized shipping lanes in the Caribbean during the early 19th century with his swift schooner and daring raids. On March 5, 1825, a coalition of Colombian and Puerto Rican naval forces cornered his vessel off Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. In the ensuing battle, Cofresí’s crew was outgunned and outmaneuvered, forcing him to surrender to authorities. His capture ended a brief but prolific career that had disrupted maritime commerce and challenged Spanish colonial rule. Cofresí was transported to San Juan, tried by court martial, and executed later that year. His legend grew into folklore, with tales of buried treasure and ghostly sightings. The fall of Cofresí symbolized the waning age of piracy in the Caribbean and the region’s transition to more formal naval control.
1825
Roberto Cofresí
pirates
defeated in combat
1906day.year
Moro Rebellion: United States Army troops bring overwhelming force against the native Moros in the First Battle of Bud Dajo, leaving only six survivors.
U.S. troops overwhelm Moro fighters at the First Battle of Bud Dajo, leaving only six survivors.
As part of the Moro Rebellion in the Philippines, U.S. Army troops launched an assault on a fortified village at Bud Dajo on March 5, 1906.
The First Battle of Bud Dajo saw American forces use overwhelming firepower against Moro fighters entrenched on a volcanic crater.
The attack resulted in nearly total casualties for the defenders, with only six survivors recorded.
The engagement sparked controversy over the use of force and the impact on civilians during American colonial rule.
It highlighted the challenges of insurgency warfare and the U.S. military's adaptation to irregular combat.
The battle remains a contentious episode in the history of U.S. involvement in the Philippines.
1906
Moro Rebellion
United States Army
Moros
First Battle of Bud Dajo
1912day.year
Italo-Turkish War: Italian forces are the first to use airships for military purposes, employing them for reconnaissance behind Turkish lines.
Italian forces conduct the first military reconnaissance using airships during the Italo-Turkish War.
During the Italo-Turkish War, Italian forces became the first in history to deploy airships for military reconnaissance on March 5, 1912.
Using dirigibles, they conducted aerial observation behind Ottoman lines in Libya, gathering valuable intelligence on troop movements.
This pioneering use of airships demonstrated the strategic potential of aerial warfare.
Although the airships were vulnerable to weather and lacked armaments, they marked a significant tactical innovation.
The success of these missions influenced military planners and foreshadowed the expanded role of aircraft in World War I.
Italy's experiments with airships signaled the beginning of modern aerial reconnaissance.
1912
Italo-Turkish War
Italian
airships
reconnaissance
Turkish
1939day.year
Spanish Civil War: The National Defence Council seizes control of the republican government in a coup d'etat, with the intention of negotiating an end to the war.
Republican leaders stage a coup aiming to negotiate peace in the Spanish Civil War.
Amid dissent within Republican ranks during the Spanish Civil War, the National Defence Council seized control of the government on March 5, 1939.
The coup, led by Colonel Segismundo Casado, aimed to negotiate peace with Franco's Nationalists.
Casado and his allies opposed continued resistance by Premier Juan Negrín's government.
Despite hopes for a negotiated settlement, Franco refused to compromise and demanded unconditional surrender.
The internal revolt hastened the collapse of Republican resistance and the fall of Madrid days later.
The event marked the final collapse of the Republic and set the stage for Franco's long dictatorship.
1939
Spanish Civil War
National Defence Council
republican
coup d'etat
1940day.year
Six high-ranking members of the Soviet politburo, including Joseph Stalin, sign an order for the execution of 25,700 Polish intelligentsia, including 14,700 Polish POWs, in what will become known as the Katyn massacre.
In 1940, six senior Soviet politburo members led by Joseph Stalin ordered the execution of over 25,000 Polish intellectuals and prisoners in the Katyn massacre.
In March 1940, the Soviet politburo authorized the NKVD to execute 25,700 Polish officers, professors, and clergy. Victims were taken to mass graves in the Katyn forest and other sites. For decades, the Soviet Union falsely blamed Nazi Germany for the atrocity. In 1990, Soviet leadership officially admitted Stalin’s regime was responsible. The massacre remains a symbol of Soviet repression and a defining tragedy in Polish–Russian relations.
1940
Soviet politburo
Joseph Stalin
intelligentsia
POWs
Katyn massacre
1942day.year
World War II: Japanese forces capture Batavia, capital of Dutch East Indies, which is left undefended after the withdrawal of the KNIL garrison and Australian Blackforce battalion to Buitenzorg and Bandung.
During World War II in 1942, Japanese forces captured Batavia, the capital of the Dutch East Indies, meeting little resistance as colonial troops withdrew.
In early March 1942, Japanese troops advanced into the Dutch East Indies aiming to secure vital colonial centers. The KNIL garrison and Australian Blackforce withdrew from Batavia to Buitenzorg and Bandung, leaving the city undefended. Japanese forces entered the administrative capital unopposed, consolidating control over critical ports and infrastructure. The fall of Batavia marked a significant milestone in Japan’s southern expansion. This occupation tightened Japan’s grip on Southeast Asia and altered the region’s wartime dynamics.
1942
World War II
Japanese
Batavia
Dutch East Indies
KNIL
battalion
Buitenzorg
Bandung
1943day.year
World War II: General strike and protest march in Athens against rumours of forced mobilization of Greek workers for work in Germany, resulting in clashes with the Axis occupation forces and collaborationist police. The decree is withdrawn on the next day.
In 1943, Athenians staged a general strike and protest march against forced labor mobilization rumors, clashing with Axis occupation forces.
On March 5, 1943, workers and students in Athens organized a general strike to oppose rumors of forced conscription into labor camps in Germany. Thousands took to the streets, confronting German soldiers and Greek collaborationist police. Violent skirmishes broke out in central districts before authorities attempted to suppress the demonstrations. The occupation administration, alarmed by the unrest, withdrew the mobilization decree the following day. This act of civilian defiance energized the Greek resistance and bolstered morale under harsh occupation.
1943
General strike and protest march