222day.year
Roman emperor Elagabalus is murdered alongside his mother, Julia Soaemias. He is replaced by his 14-year old cousin, Severus Alexander.
Roman emperor Elagabalus was assassinated alongside his mother, Julia Soaemias, in 222 AD, and his 14-year-old cousin Severus Alexander was proclaimed emperor.
Emperor Elagabalus ascended the Roman throne in 218 AD after the assassination of his cousin Caracalla. His unconventional religious practices, which prioritized the worship of the Syrian sun god Elagabal, provoked distrust among the Roman Senate and the Praetorian Guard. Rumors of extravagant banquets and controversial ceremonies further alienated the ruling class. On March 13, 222 AD, a palace conspiracy culminated in his assassination alongside his mother, Julia Soaemias. Following the coup, the Praetorian Guard proclaimed Severus Alexander, Elagabalus’s 14-year-old cousin, as the new emperor. Alexander’s accession marked a return to more traditional Roman governance and efforts to stabilize the empire. His youth and inexperience, however, presented new challenges for the Roman state.
222
Elagabalus
Julia Soaemias
Severus Alexander
624day.year
The Battle of Badr, the first major battle between the Muslims and Quraysh.
The Battle of Badr in 624 CE was the first major pitched battle between Muhammad’s followers and the Quraysh of Mecca.
In 624 CE, the nascent Muslim community under the Prophet Muhammad faced a formidable Quraysh army near the wells of Badr. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Muslim force demonstrated exceptional discipline and tactical skill. The battle was fought over control of vital water sources and trade routes. Its outcome was a decisive victory for the Muslims and a turning point in the early Islamic expansion. News of the triumph at Badr boosted the morale of the Muslim community and attracted new converts. The battle’s legacy endures as a foundational event in Islamic history and is commemorated annually by many Muslim traditions.
624
Battle of Badr
1323day.year
Siege of Warangal: Sultan Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq sends an expeditionary army led by his son, Muhammad bin Tughluq, to the Kakatiya capital Warangal – after ruler Prataparudra has refused to make tribute payments. He besieges the city and finally, after a campaign of 8 months, Prataparudra surrenders on November 9.
Sultan Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq dispatched an army led by his son Muhammad bin Tughluq to besiege the Kakatiya capital Warangal in 1323 after the ruler Prataparudra refused to pay tribute, leading to an eight-month siege and eventual surrender.
In early 1323, Sultan Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq of the Delhi Sultanate aimed to secure tribute payments from the wealthy Kakatiya kingdom of Warangal. He appointed his son, Muhammad bin Tughluq, to lead the expeditionary force southward. Prataparudra, the Kakatiya ruler, refused to remit tribute, prompting a protracted siege of the fortified capital. The Delhi forces surrounded Warangal, cut off supplies, and engaged in artillery bombardment lasting eight months. On November 9, 1323, the exhausted defenders surrendered and agreed to pay tribute to the Sultan. The fall of Warangal expanded the Delhi Sultanate’s influence deeper into peninsular India. This campaign foreshadowed Muhammad bin Tughluq’s later ambitious but controversial rule.
1323
Siege of Warangal
Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq
Muhammad bin Tughluq
Warangal
Prataparudra
tribute
November 9
1567day.year
The Battle of Oosterweel, traditionally regarded as the start of the Eighty Years' War.
The 1567 Battle of Oosterweel, often seen as the opening engagement of the Eighty Years’ War, pitted Dutch rebels against Spanish Habsburg forces in the Low Countries.
In March 1567, a small force of Dutch rebels under Hendrik van Pallandt faced a larger army of Spanish troops near Oosterweel, close to Antwerp. The clash marked the first major military encounter of the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule. Despite initial resistance, the lightly armed rebels were overwhelmed by the disciplined Spanish infantry and cavalry. The defeat at Oosterweel signaled the beginning of open warfare in the Low Countries. It galvanized support for the rebel cause among local Protestant communities. The brutal suppression by Spanish authorities further inflamed tensions and led to wider uprisings. The Eighty Years’ War that followed would eventually result in the independence of the Dutch Republic.
1567
Battle of Oosterweel
Eighty Years' War
1591day.year
At the Battle of Tondibi in Mali, Moroccan forces of the Saadi dynasty, led by Judar Pasha, defeat the Songhai Empire, despite being outnumbered by at least five to one.
At the Battle of Tondibi in 1591, Moroccan Saadi forces led by Judar Pasha defeated the larger Songhai Empire, demonstrating superior tactics and gunpowder weaponry.
In March 1591, the Saadi dynasty of Morocco launched an expedition across the Sahara to challenge the wealthy Songhai Empire. Judar Pasha commanded a force equipped with firearms and light cavalry at the battle of Tondibi near Gao. Although outnumbered at least five to one by the traditional Songhai troops, the Moroccans leveraged superior firepower and disciplined tactics. The Songhai forces, lacking comparable guns and artillery, were unable to withstand the volleys of muskets and cannon. The decisive Moroccan victory led to the collapse of the Songhai political structure. Following the battle, the Saadi dynasty established control over key trans-Saharan trade routes. The fall of the Songhai Empire marked the end of one of Africa’s greatest medieval kingdoms.
1591
Battle of Tondibi
Mali
Moroccan
Saadi dynasty
Judar Pasha
Songhai Empire
1639day.year
Harvard College is named after clergyman John Harvard.
Harvard College was named in 1639 in honor of clergyman John Harvard, establishing the first enduring institution of higher education in the American colonies.
In 1639, the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony formally named its new institution Harvard College after the young minister John Harvard. John Harvard had bequeathed half his estate and his library of 400 books to the college upon his death in 1638. The naming honored his generous gift, which was vital to the school’s early survival and growth. Harvard College welcomed its first classes the following year under the leadership of President Henry Dunster. It became the first long-standing college in what would become the United States. Over the centuries, Harvard has grown into a world-renowned university with a profound impact on education, research, and public life.
1639
Harvard College
John Harvard
1697day.year
Nojpetén, capital of the last independent Maya kingdom, falls to Spanish conquistadors, the final step in the Spanish conquest of Guatemala.
In 1697, Spanish conquistadors captured Nojpetén, the last independent Maya capital, completing the conquest of the Petén region in Guatemala.
Nojpetén, located on an island in Lake Petén Itzá, served as the capital of the final independent Maya kingdom. In March 1697, a Spanish expedition led by Martín de Urzúa Ataíde launched an amphibious assault on the city. The conquest involved a combination of naval bombardment and a direct landing, overcoming the Maya defenders. With the fall of Nojpetén, the Spanish crown asserted full control over the Petén region. This marked the end of over sixteen centuries of classic Maya civilization in the Guatemalan lowlands. The conquest also opened the interior jungles to Spanish missionary activity and colonial settlement.
1697
Nojpetén
Maya
conquistadors
Spanish conquest of Guatemala
1741day.year
The Battle of Cartagena de Indias (part of the War of Jenkins' Ear) begins.
The Battle of Cartagena de Indias began in 1741 as part of the War of Jenkins’ Ear, featuring a major British siege against Spanish defenses in present-day Colombia.
In March 1741, a large British fleet commanded by Admiral Edward Vernon arrived off the fortified port of Cartagena de Indias on the Caribbean coast of New Granada. The siege aimed to break Spanish control over this vital trading hub during the War of Jenkins’ Ear. Despite overwhelming numerical superiority, the British forces struggled against well-prepared Spanish defenses designed by engineer Blas de Lezo. Tropical diseases, logistical challenges, and fierce resistance inflicted heavy casualties on the attackers. After several weeks of intense fighting, the British abandoned the siege and withdrew. The failure at Cartagena secured Spain’s colonial holdings in the region and bolstered the reputation of Blas de Lezo. The battle remains a celebrated episode in Colombian and Spanish military history.
1741
Battle of Cartagena de Indias
War of Jenkins' Ear
1781day.year
William Herschel discovers Uranus.
On March 13, 1781, astronomer William Herschel discovered Uranus, the first planet found with a telescope, expanding the known solar system.
William Herschel, a German-born British musician-turned-astronomer, was conducting telescopic surveys of the night sky in Bath, England. On the evening of March 13, 1781, he observed what he initially believed to be a comet. Further observations revealed the object followed a nearly circular orbit, distinguishing it from comets and confirming its planetary nature. Herschel proposed the name 'Georgium Sidus' in honor of King George III, though the name 'Uranus' later gained acceptance. This discovery was the first addition to the known planets since antiquity. It expanded humanity’s understanding of the solar system and propelled Herschel to international scientific fame.
1781
William Herschel
Uranus
1809day.year
Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden is deposed in the Coup of 1809.
King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden was deposed in the coup of March 13, 1809, leading to significant constitutional reforms and the end of his reign.
After a series of military defeats and unpopular domestic policies, Gustav IV Adolf’s rule became increasingly contested by Swedish nobles and military officers. On March 13, 1809, officers led by General Carl Johan Adlercreutz arrested the king in Stockholm. The coup was bloodless and swiftly organized, reflecting widespread dissatisfaction among Sweden’s elite. Gustav IV Adolf was forced into abdication, and his uncle, Duke Charles, assumed the throne as Charles XIII. The new government enacted a liberal constitution limiting royal power and establishing a more parliamentary system. This political shift set the stage for Sweden’s modern constitutional monarchy and eventual union with Norway.
1809
Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden
Coup of 1809
1811day.year
A French and Italian fleet is defeated by a British squadron off the island of Vis in the Adriatic during the Napoleonic Wars.
During the Napoleonic Wars in 1811, a British squadron defeated a French and Italian fleet near the island of Vis in the Adriatic.
The battle took place on March 13, 1811, in the Adriatic Sea near the island of Vis. A British squadron under Admiral William Hoste engaged a combined French and Italian fleet commanded by Commodore Bernard Dubourdieu. Using superior tactics and gunnery, the British forces managed to rout the enemy and capture several vessels. This victory further solidified British control of the Adriatic and disrupted Napoleonic supply routes in the region. It demonstrated the Royal Navy’s naval prowess and hindered French attempts to reinforce their positions in the Balkans. The outcome bolstered Allied morale and contributed to the eventual decline of French influence in the Adriatic.
1811
is defeated
Vis
Adriatic
Napoleonic Wars
1815day.year
Participants at the Congress of Vienna declare Napoleon an outlaw following his escape from Elba
At the Congress of Vienna in 1815, delegates declared Napoleon Bonaparte an outlaw after his escape from exile on Elba.
On March 13, 1815, delegates at the Congress of Vienna formally declared Napoleon Bonaparte an outlaw after his escape from exile on the island of Elba. This move reflected the restored monarchies’ determination to prevent his return to power. By branding him an outlaw, the European powers authorized any nation to detain or kill him if encountered. The decree underscored the fragile peace in Europe following the Napoleonic Wars and the challenges of the Vienna settlement. Despite the outlaw status, Napoleon returned to France and briefly regained control before his final defeat at Waterloo in June 1815. The decision at Vienna shaped diplomatic relations and set the stage for the final chapter of Napoleonic history.
1815
Congress of Vienna
Napoleon
outlaw
Elba