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
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
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
1854day.year
Crimean War: France and Britain declare war on Russia.
France and Britain formally declared war on Russia in 1854, marking the start of the Crimean War.
On March 28, 1854, France and Great Britain issued formal declarations of war against the Russian Empire, launching the Crimean War. This alliance aimed to curb Russian expansion and protect the territorial integrity of the Ottoman Empire. British and French troops deployed to the Crimean Peninsula, setting the stage for key engagements at Inkerman, Balaclava, and Sevastopol. The conflict introduced technological advances such as rail transport and the telegraph alongside notorious logistical failures. The war exposed the brutal realities of trench warfare and inspired literary and artistic works like the Charge of the Light Brigade. Its conclusion reshaped power dynamics in Europe and prompted significant military and medical reforms.
1854
Crimean War
1860day.year
First Taranaki War: The Battle of Waireka begins.
The Battle of Waireka kicked off the First Taranaki War in New Zealand on March 28, 1860.
On March 28, 1860, British colonial forces clashed with Māori defenders at the Battle of Waireka near New Plymouth, New Zealand. The engagement arose from disputes over land sales following the controversial purchase of Māori territory. Māori warriors utilized guerrilla tactics and fortified pā positions, inflicting casualties on advancing British troops. Although colonial forces ultimately pushed the defenders back, both sides suffered significant losses. The battle marked the beginning of a prolonged conflict that would shape New Zealand’s colonial and indigenous relations. Its legacy influenced subsequent land policies and remains a pivotal chapter in the nation’s history.
1860
First Taranaki War
1862day.year
American Civil War: In the Battle of Glorieta Pass, Union forces stop the Confederate invasion of the New Mexico Territory. The battle began on March 26.
At the Battle of Glorieta Pass in 1862, Union troops halted the Confederate advance through New Mexico Territory.
Between March 26 and 28, 1862, Union and Confederate forces fought at Glorieta Pass in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico Territory. Known as the 'Gettysburg of the West,' this battle saw Union volunteers and Colorado infantry destroy Confederate supply trains. Although Confederate troops held the field tactically, the loss of vital provisions forced their retreat over Raton Pass. The Union victory ended Confederate ambitions to control the Southwest and reach Pacific ports. The engagement underscored the critical role of logistics and terrain in Civil War campaigns. It also demonstrated the national scope of the conflict, extending far beyond the eastern battlefields.
1862
American Civil War
Battle of Glorieta Pass
Union
Confederate
New Mexico Territory
March 26
1918day.year
General John J. Pershing, during World War I, cancels 42nd 'Rainbow' Division's orders to Rolampont for further training and diverted it to the occupy the Baccarat sector. Rainbow Division becomes "the first American division to take over an entire sector on its own, which it held longer than any other American division-occupied sector alone for a period of three months".
In 1918, General Pershing ordered the 42nd 'Rainbow' Division to occupy the Baccarat sector, making it the first U.S. unit to hold an entire front independently during WWI.
On March 28, 1918, General John J. Pershing redirected the 42nd 'Rainbow' Division away from training in Rolampont to take over the Baccarat sector on the Western Front. This move made the division the first American unit to assume full responsibility for a stretch of trench lines. Over the next three months, the Rainbow Division held the sector longer than any other American division, facing artillery bombardments and infantry assaults. Their successful defense boosted Allied morale and validated the effectiveness of the American Expeditionary Forces. The action demonstrated the growing role of U.S. troops in the war effort. It also marked a key moment in America's emergence as a major military power in Europe.
1918
General
John J. Pershing
World War I
42nd 'Rainbow' Division
Rolampont
training
Baccarat
American
division
1918day.year
Finnish Civil War: On the so-called "Bloody Maundy Thursday of Tampere", the Whites force the Reds to attack the city center, where the city's fiercest battles being fought in Kalevankangas with large casualties on both sides. During the same day, an explosion at the Red headquarters of Tampere kills several commanders.
During the Finnish Civil War’s Bloody Maundy Thursday in 1918, Whites and Reds clashed fiercely in Tampere, culminating in deadly explosions at Red headquarters.
On March 28, 1918, Tampere became the focal point of the Finnish Civil War as White Guard forces pressed the Red side into a fierce urban battle. Known as the 'Bloody Maundy Thursday,' fighting centered in the Kalevankangas district, with heavy artillery fire and street combat resulting in significant casualties on both sides. An explosion at the Red headquarters killed several key Red commanders and further weakened their defense. The intensity of the conflict underscored deep social and political divides within Finland. Tampere fell to the Whites shortly thereafter, marking a turning point in the war. The events left a lasting scar on Finnish national memory and influenced post-war reconciliation efforts.
Finnish Civil War
Tampere
Whites
Reds
city's fiercest battles
1939day.year
Spanish Civil War: Generalissimo Francisco Franco conquers Madrid after a three-year siege.
In 1939, General Francisco Franco's Nationalist forces captured Madrid after a prolonged three-year siege, effectively ending the Spanish Civil War.
After the civil war erupted in 1936, Madrid endured one of the longest sieges in modern history.
By March 1939, Nationalist troops under Francisco Franco had encircled the city and severed supply lines.
The fall of Madrid on March 28 marked a decisive victory for Franco and a collapse of Republican resistance.
Thousands of civilians faced reprisals, and many fled into exile or were imprisoned.
Franco's triumph ushered in nearly four decades of authoritarian rule in Spain.
The siege and subsequent dictatorship left deep political and cultural scars that resonate in Spain to this day.
1939
Spanish Civil War
Generalissimo
Francisco Franco
Madrid
a three-year siege
1941day.year
World War II: First day of the Battle of Cape Matapan in Greece between the navies of the United Kingdom and Australia, and the Royal Italian navy.
On March 28, 1941, Allied naval forces engaged the Italian fleet at the Battle of Cape Matapan in the Mediterranean Sea.
In late March 1941, the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy teamed up against the Italian Regia Marina off Cape Matapan in Greece.
Utilizing advanced radar technology, the Allies achieved surprise and coordinated night actions.
Over the course of the battle, British forces sank several Italian cruisers and destroyers.
The engagement severely weakened Italian naval power in the Mediterranean.
The Allied victory ensured safer convoy routes and bolstered morale following earlier setbacks.
The Battle of Cape Matapan became a textbook example of combined naval operations and the effective use of technology.
1941
World War II
Battle of Cape Matapan
Greece
1942day.year
World War II: A British combined force permanently disables the Louis Joubert Lock in Saint-Nazaire in order to keep the German battleship Tirpitz away from the mid-ocean convoy lanes.
In 1942, British commandos carried out Operation Chariot, disabling the Louis Joubert Lock at Saint-Nazaire to blockade the German battleship Tirpitz.
Operation Chariot was a daring Combined Operations raid launched on March 28, 1942, against the German-held lock at Saint-Nazaire.
A flotilla of modified destroyers and motor launches rammed the lock gates, while commandos landed to secure demolition charges.
Explosions detonated deep within the lock, rendering it unusable for years.
The raid prevented Germany from relocating the battleship Tirpitz into the Atlantic Ocean via the Loire estuary.
Although casualties were heavy among the raiding force, the mission achieved its strategic objective.
Operation Chariot remains one of the most audacious amphibious raids of World War II.
1942
combined force
permanently disables
Louis Joubert Lock
Saint-Nazaire
German battleship Tirpitz