630day.year
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.
After recovering the True Cross during campaigns against the Sassanian Persians, Emperor Heraclius made a triumphant entry into Jerusalem in 630. The cross had been seized by the Persians in 614 and its recovery became a symbol of divine favor. Heraclius’s procession through the city was marked by solemn ceremonies and widespread rejoicing among Christian inhabitants. The restored relic was placed in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, reaffirming Jerusalem’s status as a center of Christian pilgrimage. The event reinforced Heraclius’s legitimacy and strengthened relations between the Byzantine state and its church. Historians view this moment as a defining episode in Byzantine religious and political history.
630
Heraclius
True Cross
relics
Jerusalem
1152day.year
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.
King Louis VII of France and Eleanor of Aquitaine were married in 1137, uniting two of the most powerful domains in western Europe. After fifteen years and no surviving male heir, their marriage was annulled by the Church on grounds of consanguinity. Eleanor immediately married Henry Plantagenet, future Henry II of England, transferring her vast Aquitaine lands under English control. This shift dramatically expanded English influence in France and sowed the seeds of centuries-long conflict between the two kingdoms. The annulment illustrates the medieval interplay between dynastic marriages, papal authority, and territorial politics. It remains a landmark event that reshaped the map of Western Europe and led to the Angevin Empire’s rise.
1152
Louis VII of France
Eleanor of Aquitaine
1180day.year
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.
Emperor Antoku became Japan’s 81st emperor at the age of two following the death of his grandfather Emperor Takakura. He was placed on the throne by his maternal relatives, the Taira clan, who sought to strengthen their political power. Antoku’s reign saw the intensification of rivalry between the Taira and Minamoto clans, culminating in the Genpei War (1180–1185). The young emperor was a symbol of Taira authority and was later taken into battle at the naval Battle of Dan-no-ura. His tragic death in 1185 marked the end of Taira dominance and the rise of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto no Yoritomo. Antoku’s story is remembered as a poignant episode in Japan’s imperial and military history.
1180
Emperor Antoku
1556day.year
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.
Thomas Cranmer, the first Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury, was arrested under Mary I’s Catholic restoration and forced to recant his reformist beliefs. Sentenced to death for heresy, he was burned at the stake in Oxford on March 21, 1556. During his sermon on the morning of his execution, Cranmer withdrew his coerced recantations and declared his refusal of papal authority, calling the Pope the Antichrist. His dramatic act of conscience cemented his reputation as a key figure in the English Reformation. According to eyewitness accounts, he publicly thrust his hand into the fire first, emphasizing his unwavering faith. Cranmer’s martyrdom inspired later Protestant writers and contributed to the Elizabethan Religious Settlement. His legacy endures as a symbol of religious conviction and resistance to coercion.
1556
Oxford
archbishop of Canterbury
Thomas Cranmer
Antichrist
1800day.year
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.
After French revolutionary forces drove the papal leadership from Rome, the papal conclave convened in Venice in March 1800. Cardinal Barnaba Chiaramonti was elected as Pope Pius VII but lacked access to the traditional Papal Tiara. A provisional crown made of papier-mâché was fashioned for the ceremony held at St. Mark’s Basilica. Despite its improvised nature, the coronation affirmed the spiritual authority of the papacy during political upheaval. Pius VII later negotiated the Concordat of 1801 with Napoleon, restoring relations between France and the Church. His papacy set precedents for church-state relations in post-revolutionary Europe. The Venice coronation remains a singular event in papal history.
1800
church
Rome
Pius VII
crowned Pope
Venice
temporary papal tiara made of papier-mâché
1804day.year
Code Napoléon is adopted as French civil law.
On March 21, 1804, the Napoleonic Code was adopted as France’s civil law. The Code unified and modernized French legal principles.
The Code Napoléon, also known as the Civil Code of 1804, was enacted to replace the patchwork of feudal laws in post-Revolutionary France. Drafted under the supervision of Napoleon Bonaparte, it emphasized clear legal structure, equality before the law, and the protection of property rights. The Code abolished feudal privileges, codified family law, and regulated contracts and inheritance. It became a model for legal systems across Europe and the Americas, spreading Napoleonic legal principles worldwide. Its concise articles and secular approach marked a departure from ecclesiastical and customary laws. The Code’s enduring influence is evident in many modern civil law jurisdictions. Today, it is regarded as one of Napoleon’s most significant legacies.
1804
Code Napoléon
civil law
1829day.year
The Wellington–Winchilsea duel takes place in London involving the Prime Minister the Duke of Wellington.
A notorious duel between the Duke of Wellington and Lord Winchilsea took place in London over a political dispute.
On March 21, 1829, the Duke of Wellington, then Prime Minister, engaged in a pistol duel with Lord Winchilsea at Battersea Fields. The challenge arose after Winchilsea publicly criticized Wellington's stance on Catholic emancipation. Both participants fired deliberately wide and emerged uninjured. Despite its potential for bloodshed, the encounter defused political tensions and produced widespread public fascination. The duel underscored the fierce partisan debates gripping early 19th-century Britain.
1829
Wellington–Winchilsea duel
London
Prime Minister
Duke of Wellington
1861day.year
Alexander H. Stephens gives the Cornerstone Speech.
Alexander H. Stephens delivered the controversial Cornerstone Speech, asserting slavery as the foundational principle of the Confederacy.
On March 21, 1861, in Savannah, Georgia, Confederate Vice President Alexander H. Stephens delivered what became known as the Cornerstone Speech. He proclaimed that the Confederacy was founded on the principle of white supremacy and the natural condition of slavery among African Americans. His declarations shocked Northern audiences and crystallized the ideological divide that fueled the Civil War. The speech laid bare the racial doctrines underpinning the rebellion. It remains one of the most debated and studied addresses in American history.
1861
Alexander H. Stephens
Cornerstone Speech
1871day.year
Otto von Bismarck is appointed as the first Chancellor of the German Empire.
Otto von Bismarck became the first Chancellor of the newly unified German Empire, shaping its early policies.
On March 21, 1871, King Wilhelm I appointed Otto von Bismarck as the first Chancellor of the freshly proclaimed German Empire. Bismarck had engineered the unification of German states through a series of wars and diplomatic strategies known as Realpolitik. As Chancellor, he wielded sweeping authority over domestic and foreign affairs, implementing social reforms and forging alliances. His policies stabilized the new nation and secured its place as a European powerhouse. Bismarck's tenure set precedents for statecraft and balance of power that endured for decades.
1871
Otto von Bismarck
Chancellor of the German Empire
1919day.year
The Hungarian Soviet Republic is established becoming the first Communist government to be formed in Europe after the October Revolution in Russia.
Hungary proclaimed the Hungarian Soviet Republic, the first Communist government in Europe following the Russian Revolution.
On March 21, 1919, Béla Kun and his followers declared the Hungarian Soviet Republic, establishing Europe's first Communist state after 1917's revolution in Russia. The new regime nationalized industry, collectivized agriculture, and sought radical social reforms. Faced with armed opposition from neighboring nations and internal dissent, it struggled to maintain control. Economic hardships and foreign interventions led to its collapse by August of the same year. Though short-lived, the Hungarian Soviet Republic influenced subsequent socialist movements and left a lasting mark on Hungary's political landscape.
1919
Hungarian Soviet Republic
Communist
October Revolution
Russia
1925day.year
The Butler Act prohibits the teaching of human evolution in Tennessee.
In 1925, Tennessee passed the Butler Act, banning the teaching of human evolution in public schools and sparking nationwide controversy.
Named for legislator John W. Butler, the act was enacted by the Tennessee General Assembly on March 21. It prohibited teachers from teaching any theory that denied the divine creation of man. The law directly targeted Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution and set the stage for the famous Scopes Trial later that year. The Scopes 'Monkey Trial' became a landmark legal battle over academic freedom and religious beliefs. Although the Butler Act remained in force until 1967, its legacy continues to influence debates on science education in the United States. The act highlighted tensions between modernist and fundamentalist viewpoints during the Roaring Twenties.
1925
Butler Act
human evolution
Tennessee
1925day.year
Syngman Rhee is removed from office after being impeached as the President of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.
Syngman Rhee was impeached and removed as President of the Korean Provisional Government in exile, reflecting early dissent against his leadership.
Syngman Rhee served as the exiled Republic of Korea's president from 1919 to 1925. His leadership faced criticism for centralizing power and alleged mismanagement. In March 1925, the Provisional Assembly voted to impeach him on grounds of abuse of authority. Rhee relinquished office under mounting pressure and political infighting. This event marked a significant moment in Korea's independence movement in exile. Despite this setback, Rhee later returned to lead South Korea as its first president in 1948. His complex legacy still shapes Korean political history.
Syngman Rhee
impeached
Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea