March 28

Events

AD 37day.year

Roman emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, bestowed on him by the Senate.

Caligula formally accepted the supreme titles of the Principate from the Senate, marking his consolidation of power as Roman emperor.
On March 28, AD 37, the Roman Senate officially bestowed the titles of the Principate upon Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, known as Caligula. This act affirmed his position as sole ruler and perpetuated the imperial system established by Augustus. The Principate blended republican forms with monarchical authority, granting emperors vast powers while maintaining nominal senatorial oversight. Caligula’s acceptance was seen as a ceremonial affirmation of stability after Tiberius’s reign. Despite the Senate’s endorsement, his subsequent rule would become infamous for extravagance and autocracy. This event highlighted the evolving relationship between the emperor and the Senate. It also set the stage for Caligula’s dramatic and controversial leadership. Historians view this moment as pivotal in the transition from principled republican façade to overt imperial rule.
AD 37 Roman emperor Caligula Principate Senate
193day.year

After assassinating the Roman Emperor Pertinax, his Praetorian Guards auction off the throne to Didius Julianus.

Praetorian Guards assassinated Emperor Pertinax and infamously auctioned the imperial throne to the highest bidder, Didius Julianus.
On March 28, 193, discontented members of the Praetorian Guard stormed the imperial palace and murdered Emperor Pertinax. In a shocking display of power, they held an auction for the Roman throne, inviting bids from prominent senators and nobles. Didius Julianus emerged as the highest bidder, offering a massive donative to the guard. His accession underscored the Guard’s unprecedented influence in imperial politics. The Senate reluctantly confirmed Julianus as emperor, but his reign was met with widespread outrage and instability. The episode plunged Rome into chaos and undermined the legitimacy of the imperial office. It also prompted rival generals, including Septimius Severus, to challenge Julianus’s rule. This infamous auction became a lasting symbol of the excesses of Roman militarized politics.
193 assassinating Pertinax Praetorian Guards Didius Julianus
364day.year

Roman Emperor Valentinian I appoints his brother Flavius Valens co-emperor.

Emperor Valentinian I elevated his brother Flavius Valens to co-emperor, securing imperial rule over the Eastern provinces.
On March 28, 364, Valentinian I appointed his younger brother Flavius Valens as co-emperor. The decision aimed to strengthen administrative control over the vast Roman Empire and deter usurpation. Valentinian remained based in the western capital, Milan, while Valens governed from Constantinople in the East. This arrangement established the permanent division of imperial authority between east and west. Both emperors pledged mutual support to defend the frontiers against external threats such as Germanic tribes and Sassanid Persia. Their cooperation laid groundwork for coordinated military campaigns and internal stability. However, rivalries and external pressures would later test this joint rule. The co-emperorship model persisted throughout the later empire, shaping its political structure.
364 Valentinian I Flavius Valens emperor
1065day.year

The Great German Pilgrimage, which had been under attack by Bedouin bandits for three days, is rescued by the Fatimid governor of Ramla.

After three days of Bedouin attacks, a large German pilgrimage en route to Jerusalem was rescued by the Fatimid governor in Ramla, restoring safe passage for Christian travelers.
In 1065, the Great German Pilgrimage, a large group of Christian pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem, came under repeated assault by Bedouin bandits near the city of Ramla. Facing dire shortages of food and water, the exhausted pilgrims feared for their lives. Eyewitness accounts describe a tense standoff at the city gates until the Fatimid governor, observing the crisis, intervened with armed forces. He drove off the bandits and provided shelter and provisions to the beleaguered travelers. This act of protection by a Muslim ruler highlighted occasional moments of cooperation across religious lines during the Crusader era. The rescue boosted the reputation of Ramla and fostered diplomatic channels between Christian pilgrims and the Fatimid state. The pilgrimage continued safely, and the episode became a celebrated example of interfaith hospitality. Historians note its significance in the fraught landscape of 11th-century Levantine politics.
1065 Great German Pilgrimage Bedouin Fatimid Ramla
1566day.year

The foundation stone of Valletta, Malta's capital city, is laid by Jean Parisot de Valette, Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

Jean Parisot de Valette lays the foundation stone for Valletta, setting the stage for Malta’s storied capital.
On March 28, 1566, Jean Parisot de Valette, Grand Master of the Order of Malta, ceremonially laid the cornerstone of Valletta on the Sciberras Peninsula. The new city was designed by military engineers to withstand future Ottoman sieges after the Order’s victory in 1565. Built with a grid street plan and massive bastioned fortifications, Valletta represented cutting-edge defensive architecture of the Renaissance. Construction attracted masons, artisans, and laborers from across Europe, transforming the rocky peninsula into a strategic stronghold. Over the following decades, the city grew with grand palaces, churches, and public squares at its core. Valletta’s planning and construction symbolized the Order’s resilience and maritime power in the Mediterranean. Today, the city stands as a UNESCO World Heritage site and a testament to 16th-century military ingenuity. Valette himself passed away before its completion, but his legacy endures in Malta’s enduring capital.
1566 Valletta Malta Jean Parisot de Valette Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
1745day.year

War of the Austrian Succession: In the Battle of Vilshofen, Austrian forces defeat French forces.

Austrian forces achieve victory over the French at the Battle of Vilshofen during the War of the Austrian Succession.
On March 28, 1745, Austrian troops under Field Marshal Ludwig Andreas von Khevenhüller defeated a French contingent at the Battle of Vilshofen in Bavaria. The engagement was part of the wider War of the Austrian Succession, which pitted Austria against France, Prussia, and other powers over the right of Maria Theresa to inherit the Habsburg lands. At Vilshofen, the Austrians executed a well-coordinated flanking maneuver that shattered the French defensive lines. The victory secured Austrian supply lines and bolstered morale after a series of setbacks. It also disrupted French plans to advance deeper into Bavarian territory. Contemporaries praised Khevenhüller’s leadership and the discipline of the Austrian infantry. Although a relatively small battle, Vilshofen had strategic implications in the southern German theater. The success contributed to Austria’s eventual retention of most of its territories at the war’s end.
1745 War of the Austrian Succession Battle of Vilshofen
1776day.year

Juan Bautista de Anza finds the site for the Presidio of San Francisco.

Explorer Juan Bautista de Anza selects the site for the Presidio of San Francisco, laying the groundwork for the future city’s military and colonial presence.
On March 28, 1776, Spanish colonial official Juan Bautista de Anza led an expedition north from Monterey and identified a defensible hill overlooking San Francisco Bay as the ideal location for a presidio. This strategic site offered commanding views of the Golden Gate and access to freshwater springs. De Anza’s recommendation led to the construction of the Presidio of San Francisco, the first European military installation in the region. Adjacent to the military post, the Mission San Francisco de Asís (Mission Dolores) was soon established to serve local Native American communities. The combination of religious mission and military fort became the nucleus of what would evolve into one of America’s most iconic cities. The presidio played a key role in Spain’s efforts to secure its northern frontier against Russian and British encroachment. Its foundation marked the beginning of continuous European settlement in the San Francisco area. Many of de Anza’s expedition members later became the city’s first civilian residents.
1776 Juan Bautista de Anza Presidio of San Francisco
1795day.year

Partitions of Poland: The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, a northern fief of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, ceases to exist and becomes part of Imperial Russia.

The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia is absorbed into Imperial Russia during the final Partition of Poland, ending its autonomy.
On March 28, 1795, amid the Third Partition of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the northern duchy of Courland and Semigallia ceased to exist as a Polish fief and was formally annexed by the Russian Empire. This act followed earlier partitions by Russia, Prussia, and Austria, which had progressively dismantled the commonwealth. The absorption of Courland ended centuries of semi-independent rule under local dukes. Russian administrators swiftly integrated the region into their provincial system, imposing new laws, taxes, and officials. Many local nobles fled or swore allegiance to Catherine the Great to retain some privileges. The loss of Courland symbolized the final collapse of Polish sovereignty and a shift in Baltic power dynamics. Peasant communities faced serfdom reforms and changes in land ownership under Russian governance. The former duchy became the Courland Governorate, reshaping the region’s political and cultural landscape.
1795 Partitions of Poland Duchy of Courland and Semigallia fief Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Imperial Russia
1801day.year

Treaty of Florence is signed, ending the war between the French Republic and the Kingdom of Naples.

The Treaty of Florence is signed, officially ending the war between the French Republic and the Kingdom of Naples.
On March 28, 1801, representatives of the French Republic and the Kingdom of Naples concluded the Treaty of Florence, bringing an end to hostilities in southern Italy. The agreement followed the French occupation of Naples under General Championnet and a subsequent Neapolitan revolt. Under the treaty’s terms, King Ferdinand IV recognized the loss of certain territories and agreed to pay indemnities to France. In return, France promised to withdraw its forces and respect the remaining Neapolitan kingdom. The treaty marked a momentary stabilization in the Italian peninsula during the turbulent French Revolutionary Wars. However, Naples would soon be reshaped by the rise of Napoleon and the creation of the Parthenopean Republic. International observers saw the Treaty of Florence as emblematic of France’s dominant position in Europe at the time. The agreement influenced later diplomatic negotiations leading up to the Treaty of Amiens in 1802.
1801 Treaty of Florence French Republic Kingdom of Naples
1802day.year

Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers discovers 2 Pallas, the second asteroid ever to be discovered.

German astronomer Olbers discovers 2 Pallas, the second asteroid to be identified, expanding knowledge of the solar system.
On March 28, 1802, Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers observed 2 Pallas, making it the second asteroid discovered after Ceres. Using a refracting telescope in Bremen, Olbers detected this faint moving object against the backdrop of stars. He named it after Pallas Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare. The discovery confirmed that the gaps between Mars and Jupiter contained multiple small bodies, leading to the concept of an asteroid belt. Olbers’s work inspired further systematic searches for minor planets, opening a new chapter in observational astronomy. His identification techniques and calculations of Pallas’s orbit set methodological standards for future astronomers. 2 Pallas remains one of the largest asteroids in the belt and a subject of ongoing study. This finding underscored the vast diversity of objects orbiting the Sun beyond the traditional planets.
1802 Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers 2 Pallas asteroid
1809day.year

Peninsular War: France defeats Spain in the Battle of Medellín.

In 1809 during the Peninsular War, French forces secured a decisive victory over Spain at the Battle of Medellín.
On March 28, 1809, the Battle of Medellín saw French troops under Marshal Victor defeat a larger Spanish army near Medellín, Spain. The engagement was marked by aggressive French cavalry charges that overwhelmed Spanish defensive positions. Spanish forces suffered heavy casualties, with thousands killed or captured, weakening resistance on the Iberian Peninsula. This victory allowed France to consolidate control over Extremadura and threatened other Spanish provinces. The battle underscored the effective use of combined arms tactics by Napoleonic forces and contributed to the prolonged conflict in the region.
1809 Peninsular War Battle of Medellín
1814day.year

War of 1812: In the Battle of Valparaíso, two American naval vessels are captured by two Royal Navy vessels.

During the War of 1812, British ships captured two American naval vessels off the coast of Valparaíso in 1814.
On March 28, 1814, the Royal Navy’s HMS Phoebe and HMS Cherub engaged USS Essex and USS Essex Junior near Valparaíso, Chile. Despite bold American resistance under Captain David Porter, superior British firepower and tactics led to the capture of both U.S. vessels. The action ended American privateering operations in the Pacific and demonstrated British naval dominance across global sea lanes. The battle highlighted the strategic reach of the War of 1812 and its impact on neutral ports. It remains a notable example of naval warfare during the age of sail.
1814 War of 1812 Battle of Valparaíso