307day.year
After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, daughter of the retired Roman emperor Maximian.
In 307 AD, Constantine the Great ends his marriage to Minervina and weds Fausta, daughter of former emperor Maximian, to strengthen his dynastic ties.
Constantine the Great, emerging as a dominant figure in the Tetrarchic Roman Empire, dissolves his union with Minervina. He marries Fausta, thereby allying himself with the retired Emperor Maximian. This marriage serves both political and personal ambitions, helping to legitimize Constantine’s claim to power. It highlights the importance of imperial marriages in securing support among rival factions. While Minervina’s later life remains obscure, Fausta’s elevated status shapes Constantine’s domestic and foreign policies. The alliance foreshadows Constantine’s eventual ascendancy to sole emperor and his pivotal role in Christianizing the empire.
307
Minervina
Constantine
Fausta
Roman emperor
Maximian
1146day.year
Bernard of Clairvaux preaches his famous sermon in a field at Vézelay, urging the necessity of a Second Crusade. Louis VII is present, and joins the Crusade.
In 1146, Bernard of Clairvaux’s stirring sermon at Vézelay ignites Europe’s call for a Second Crusade, with King Louis VII pledging his support.
Cistercian abbot Bernard of Clairvaux addresses a vast assembly in a Burgundian field, framing the liberation of Jerusalem as a holy duty. His eloquence moves King Louis VII of France to swear an oath and lead the expedition. The sermon effectively launches the Second Crusade, rallying knights, nobles, and commoners alike. Thousands pledge to journey to the Holy Land, inspired by Bernard’s vision of chivalry and Christian duty. Despite high hopes for a swift victory, the crusading armies later face severe hardships and strategic setbacks. Bernard’s oration remains a defining moment in medieval religious and military history.
1146
Bernard of Clairvaux
Vézelay
Second Crusade
Louis VII
1174day.year
A conspiracy against Saladin, aiming to restore the Fatimid Caliphate, is revealed in Cairo, involving senior figures of the former Fatimid regime and the poet Umara al-Yamani. Modern historians doubt the extent and danger of the conspiracy reported in official sources, but its ringleaders will be publicly executed over the following weeks.
In 1174, a plot to overthrow Saladin and reinstate the Fatimid Caliphate is exposed in Cairo, leading to the execution of its alleged ringleaders.
Cairo becomes the scene of a purported conspiracy by former Fatimid officials and poet Umara al-Yamani to dethrone Saladin. Chroniclers portray the scheme as a significant threat to the newly established Ayyubid dynasty. Modern scholarship, however, questions how organized or dangerous the plot truly was. Regardless, Saladin orders swift justice, staging public executions of the accused leaders. This crackdown consolidates his rule and deters further dissent. The incident underscores the turbulent transition from Shiite Fatimid to Sunni Ayyubid governance in Egypt.
1174
conspiracy
Saladin
Fatimid Caliphate
Cairo
Umara al-Yamani
1492day.year
Queen Isabella of Castile issues the Alhambra Decree, ordering her 150,000 Jewish and Muslim subjects to convert to Christianity or face expulsion.
On March 31, 1492, Queen Isabella issues the Alhambra Decree, forcing Spain’s Jews and Muslims to convert or be expelled.
Isabella I of Castile proclaims the Alhambra Decree, demanding that 150,000 Jewish and Muslim residents adopt Christianity or leave her kingdoms by midsummer. The edict follows the completion of the Reconquista and aims to forge religious homogeneity. Those who stay face baptism, while others embark on arduous exiles across the Mediterranean. The decree devastates communities, scattering scholars, artisans, and merchants. Economies and cultures suffer as centuries-old traditions vanish. The Alhambra Decree stands as a stark example of early modern religious intolerance and centralized state power.
1492
Isabella of Castile
Alhambra Decree
Jewish
Muslim
Christianity
1521day.year
Ferdinand Magellan and fifty of his men came ashore to present-day Limasawa to participate in the first Catholic mass in the Philippines.
In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan lands on Limasawa and celebrates the first recorded Catholic mass in the Philippines.
Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan arrives on the shores of Limasawa island, marking the first European contact with the Philippine archipelago. Accompanied by fifty crew members, he attends the inaugural Catholic mass, led by Father Pedro de Valderama. Local chiefs observe the ritual, initiating cultural and religious exchanges. This event heralds the spread of Christianity and the beginning of Spanish colonial influence in Southeast Asia. The mass becomes a cornerstone of Philippine religious identity and national memory. Magellan’s expedition thus reshapes the region’s history, bridging worlds across the Pacific.
1521
Ferdinand Magellan
fifty of his men
Limasawa
first Catholic mass in the Philippines
1657day.year
The Long Parliament presents the Humble Petition and Advice offering Oliver Cromwell the British throne, which he eventually declines.
In 1657, England’s Long Parliament proposes the Humble Petition and Advice to make Oliver Cromwell king, a title he ultimately refuses.
During the Interregnum, the republican-dominated Long Parliament seeks stability by restoring a form of monarchy. They draft the Humble Petition and Advice, offering Oliver Cromwell the hereditary crown while preserving certain republican principles. Presented at Hampton Court, the proposal sparks intense debate among political factions. Royalists hope for monarchical revival, while die-hard republicans resist any kingly restoration. Cromwell, wary of alienating supporters yet aware of governance challenges, delays and ultimately rejects the crown in May 1657. His decision sustains the Protectorate until his death, highlighting the era’s constitutional experiments.
1657
Long Parliament
Humble Petition and Advice
Oliver Cromwell
1706day.year
The last session of history of the Catalan Courts, the parliamentary body of the Principality of Catalonia, ends. Catalonia's constitutional modernisation passed by the Courts aims to improve the guarantee of individual, political and economic rights (among them, the secrecy of correspondence).
On March 31, 1706, the Catalan Courts meet for the final time, approving reforms to strengthen civil and economic rights.
The Corts Catalanes convene their last session under the Habsburg rule, seeking to modernize Catalonia’s constitutional framework. Members enact measures to guarantee individual liberties such as the secrecy of correspondence and municipal self-governance. The reforms reflect Enlightenment influences and local demands for fairer legal processes. However, the ongoing War of the Spanish Succession soon undermines regional institutions. Bourbon forces suppress the Courts, centralizing authority in Madrid. Despite their short-lived impact, the 1706 statutes symbolize Catalonia’s enduring quest for political and economic autonomy.
1706
Catalan Courts
Principality of Catalonia
Catalonia
constitutional
secrecy of correspondence
1717day.year
A sermon on "The Nature of the Kingdom of Christ" by Benjamin Hoadly, the Bishop of Bangor, preached in the presence of King George I of Great Britain, provokes the Bangorian Controversy.
Bishop Benjamin Hoadly’s 1717 sermon before King George I sparks the Bangorian Controversy over church authority and state power.
Delivered at St James’s Court Chapel, Hoadly’s discourse challenges the necessity of ecclesiastical hierarchy by asserting that Christ’s kingdom is purely spiritual. Preached in front of King George I, it questions the legitimacy of church courts and clerical jurisdiction. The sermon ignites the Bangorian Controversy as pamphlet wars and sermons flood print shops. Clergy and laymen debate the balance between spiritual faith and institutional authority. Parliament intervenes, yet Hoadly retains royal support, illustrating the era’s church-state tensions. The dispute influences later Enlightenment thought on religious tolerance and governance.
1717
Benjamin Hoadly
Bishop of Bangor
George I of Great Britain
Bangorian Controversy
1761day.year
The 1761 Lisbon earthquake strikes off the Iberian Peninsula with an estimated magnitude of 8.5, six years after another quake destroyed the city.
A powerful earthquake of estimated magnitude 8.5 shakes Lisbon’s coast in 1761, reopening wounds from the catastrophic 1755 tremor.
Centered near the Azores-Gibraltar fault, the quake sends shockwaves across the Iberian Peninsula and into North Africa. its intensity causes widespread damage in Lisbon, where reconstruction efforts from the 1755 disaster are still underway. Coastal communities face additional harm from tsunami waves generated by the tremor. While casualty figures remain uncertain, the event deepens the psychological impact of recurring seismic threats. Scholars note its role in advancing seismology and urban planning techniques. The 1761 earthquake underscores the region’s persistent vulnerability to natural disasters.
1761
1761 Lisbon earthquake
Iberian Peninsula
magnitude
1774day.year
American Revolution: The Kingdom of Great Britain orders the port of Boston, Massachusetts closed pursuant to the Boston Port Act.
In 1774, Parliament enacts the Boston Port Act, sealing Boston Harbor and escalating colonial unrest on the eve of revolution.
As part of the Intolerable Acts, the Boston Port Act punishes Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party by blocking all trade until damages are paid. The closure cripples the city’s economy, affecting merchants, sailors, and laborers. Colonists decry the measure as an assault on their rights and liberties. Solidarity committees form across the Thirteen Colonies, sending supplies and political support to Boston. The crisis propels delegates to convene the First Continental Congress later that year. The Act thus transforms local protest into a united movement for independence.
1774
American Revolution
Kingdom of Great Britain
Boston
Massachusetts
Boston Port Act
1814day.year
The Sixth Coalition occupies Paris after Napoleon's Grande Armée capitulates.
After the Grande Armée capitulated, the Sixth Coalition occupied Paris, marking the end of Napoleon's rule.
In March 1814, after weeks of fierce campaigning across Europe, Napoleon's Grande Armée was forced to capitulate. The armies of the Sixth Coalition, comprised of Russia, Prussia, Austria, Sweden, the United Kingdom and other allies, marched into Paris. This occupation signified the collapse of Napoleon's first empire. Paris fell without significant resistance, and Coalition troops took control of the city. The occupation led directly to Napoleon's abdication and his exile to Elba. It also set the stage for the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy under Louis XVIII. This event marked a decisive turning point in European history.
1814
Sixth Coalition
occupies Paris
Napoleon
Grande Armée
1854day.year
Commodore Matthew Perry signs the Convention of Kanagawa with the Tokugawa Shogunate, opening the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate to American trade.
Commodore Perry negotiated the Convention of Kanagawa, opening Japanese ports Shimoda and Hakodate to American ships.
In March 1854, US Commodore Matthew Perry secured a landmark treaty with the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Convention of Kanagawa ended over two centuries of Japanese isolation (sakoku). Under its terms, Shimoda and Hakodate were opened to US vessels for refueling and provisioning. It also granted better treatment to shipwrecked American sailors. This treaty paved the way for increased Western influence and further trade agreements. The Convention marked the beginning of Japan's rapid modernization and eventual emergence as a global power. It remains a crucial moment in US-Japan diplomatic history.
1854
Commodore
Matthew Perry
Convention of Kanagawa
Tokugawa Shogunate
Shimoda
Hakodate