March 21

Siege of Rome: King Vitiges attempts to assault the northern and eastern city walls, but is repulsed at the Praenestine Gate, known as the Vivarium, by the defenders under the Byzantine generals Bessas and Peranius.

In 537, King Vitiges of the Ostrogoths laid siege to Rome’s northern and eastern walls. His forces were repelled by Byzantine defenders led by Generals Bessas and Peranius at the Praenestine Gate.

Emperor Heraclius returns the True Cross, one of the holiest Christian relics, to Jerusalem.

In 630, Byzantine Emperor Heraclius returned the True Cross to Jerusalem after its capture by the Persians. This act restored one of Christianity’s holiest relics to the people of the Holy City.

Battle of Vincy between Charles Martel and Ragenfrid.

Frankish leader Charles Martel defeated the forces of Ragenfrid at the Battle of Vincy. This victory solidified Martel’s control over the Frankish realms.

Annulment of the marriage of King Louis VII of France and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine.

In 1152, the marriage of France’s King Louis VII and Eleanor of Aquitaine was annulled, reshaping medieval Europe’s balance of power. Eleanor’s subsequent marriage to Henry Plantagenet laid the foundation for the Angevin Empire.

Emperor Antoku accedes to the throne of Japan.

In 1180, Emperor Antoku ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne of Japan under the influence of the powerful Taira clan. His reign would be dominated by the rising conflict of the Genpei War.

On the day of his execution in Oxford, former archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer deviates from the scripted sermon by renouncing the recantations he has made and adds, "And as for the pope, I refuse him, as Christ's enemy, and Antichrist with all his false doctrine."

On the day of his execution in Oxford in 1556, former Archbishop Thomas Cranmer publicly recanted his previous recantations and denounced the Pope as Antichrist. His defiance made him a Protestant martyr.

A fire in New Orleans leaves most of the town in ruins.

A massive fire erupted in New Orleans in 1788, destroying the majority of the town’s buildings. The blaze paved the way for the city’s distinctive architecture during its subsequent reconstruction.

With the church leadership driven out of Rome during an armed conflict, Pius VII is crowned Pope in Venice with a temporary papal tiara made of papier-mâché.

With Rome under French occupation, Cardinal Barnaba Chiaramonti was crowned Pope Pius VII in Venice on a temporary papier-mâché tiara. The unusual coronation underscored the turmoil of the era.

The Battle of Alexandria is fought between British and French forces near the ruins of Nicopolis near Alexandria in Egypt.

During the French Revolutionary Wars, British forces led by Sir Ralph Abercromby defeated the French near Alexandria, Egypt. The Battle of Alexandria marked a critical step in the British campaign to expel French troops from Egypt.