1457 BC
Battle of Megido – the first battle to have been recorded in what is accepted as relatively reliable detail.
The Battle of Megido in 1457 BC is considered the earliest battle recorded in reliable detail.
Fought in ancient Canaan, this conflict pitted the forces of Egyptian pharaoh Thutmose III against a coalition of Canaanite vassal states. It is documented in hieroglyphic inscriptions that detail troop movements and tactics. The battle took place near the modern site of Tell el-Mutasellim in Palestine. Thutmose III's victory secured Egyptian dominance in the Levant for decades. The campaign provides valuable insight into Bronze Age warfare and statecraft.
1457 BC
Battle of Megido
battle
73day.year
Masada, a Jewish fortress, falls to the Romans after several months of siege, ending the First Jewish–Roman War.
In 73 AD, the Jewish fortress of Masada fell to the Romans, concluding the First Jewish–Roman War.
The siege of Masada lasted for several months as Roman legions built a massive earthen ramp to breach the stronghold. Jewish rebels led by Eleazar ben Ya’ir held out on the plateau above the Dead Sea. Upon entry, Roman soldiers discovered that the defenders had chosen mass suicide over capture. The fall of Masada symbolized both Roman military might and Jewish resistance. It has since become an enduring symbol of courage and tragic loss.
73
Masada
Romans
First Jewish–Roman War
1520day.year
The Revolt of the Comuneros begins in Spain against the rule of Charles V.
The Revolt of the Comuneros against Charles V began in Spain in 1520, challenging royal authority.
Discontent among Castilian nobles, towns, and clergy over taxation and foreign influence sparked the uprising. Leaders like Juan de Padilla and María Pacheco rallied citizens to defend local privileges against imperial centralization. Although initial battles saw rebel victories, royal forces eventually suppressed the revolt. The conflict exposed tensions in Charles V's vast Habsburg domains. It marked a significant moment of popular protest in early modern Spain.
1520
Revolt of the Comuneros
Charles V
1746day.year
The Battle of Culloden is fought between the French-supported Jacobites and the British Hanoverian forces commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, in Scotland.
The Battle of Culloden saw Jacobite forces clash with British government troops in Scotland in 1746.
On April 16, 1746, the French-backed Jacobite army under Charles Edward Stuart faced the Duke of Cumberland's Hanoverian forces near Inverness. The poorly coordinated Jacobite assault was repelled in under an hour. The decisive government victory ended the Jacobite rising and led to brutal reprisals in the Highlands. It effectively crushed hopes of restoring the Stuart monarchy. Culloden remains a poignant symbol of Scottish resistance and cultural loss.
1746
Battle of Culloden
Jacobites
Hanoverian
William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland
1799day.year
French Revolutionary Wars: The Battle of Mount Tabor: Napoleon drives Ottoman Turks across the River Jordan near Acre.
During the French Revolutionary Wars in 1799, Napoleon defeated Ottoman forces at Mount Tabor near Acre.
As part of his Egyptian campaign, Napoleon Bonaparte led French troops against the Ottoman army led by Jazzar Pasha. The fierce engagement on the slopes of Mount Tabor saw the French use cavalry charges to break enemy lines. This victory helped secure the French advance into Ottoman Syria, although progress stalled at Acre. Napoleon’s tactics at Mount Tabor became a textbook example of rapid maneuver warfare. The battle showcased his leadership and the mobility of Revolutionary armies.
1799
French Revolutionary Wars
Battle of Mount Tabor
Napoleon
Ottoman Turks
River Jordan
Acre
1838day.year
The French Army captures Veracruz in the Pastry War.
French forces seize the strategic port of Veracruz, marking a key victory in the Pastry War between France and Mexico.
In late 1838, mounting French demands over reparations led to military intervention in Mexico. The French Army landed forces on the Gulf coast and advanced on Veracruz. After a brief siege, French troops captured the fortified port on April 16. This action demonstrated European naval power in the Americas and pressured Mexico to settle claims. The capture of Veracruz ultimately forced the Mexican government to negotiate and pay damages, ending the so-called Pastry War by early 1839. Though limited in scale, the conflict underscored tensions between European powers and newly independent nations.
French Army
captures Veracruz
Pastry War
1847day.year
Shooting of a Māori by an English sailor results in the opening of the Wanganui Campaign of the New Zealand Wars.
An English sailor’s shooting of a Māori man triggers the Wanganui Campaign, a major conflict in the New Zealand Wars.
Tensions between British settlers and local Māori in the Wanganui region escalated when an English sailor shot a Māori in April 1847. Māori chiefs demanded justice, but British authorities failed to respond to their grievances. In retaliation, Māori forces attacked settler positions along the Wanganui River. The resulting Wanganui Campaign saw several engagements between colonial troops and Māori warriors over the next year. This campaign highlighted the broader struggle for land and sovereignty that defined the New Zealand Wars. It remains a significant chapter in New Zealand’s colonial history.
1847
Māori
Wanganui Campaign
New Zealand Wars
1862day.year
American Civil War: Battle at Lee's Mills in Virginia.
During the American Civil War, Union and Confederate forces clash at Lee’s Mills on the Warwick River in Virginia.
On April 16, 1862, Union forces under General George B. McClellan assaulted Confederate positions at Lee’s Mills along the Warwick River, aiming to secure a foothold for the Peninsula Campaign. Despite a fierce artillery duel and infantry advances, Confederate defenders held firm behind fortified earthworks. Although the Union troops failed to break the lines, the engagement demonstrated evolving Civil War siege tactics. Casualties were comparatively light, but the battle foreshadowed larger confrontations for Richmond. The skirmish at Lee’s Mills marked an early challenge in the Union’s push toward the Confederate capital.
1862
American Civil War
Battle at Lee's Mills
Virginia
1863day.year
American Civil War: During the Vicksburg Campaign, gunboats commanded by acting Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter run downriver past Confederate artillery batteries at Vicksburg.
Union gunboats under David Dixon Porter daringly steam past Confederate batteries at Vicksburg during the Vicksburg Campaign on the Mississippi River.
On the night of April 16, 1863, a flotilla of Union gunboats led by Acting Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter successfully navigated past heavily fortified Confederate artillery positions along the Mississippi River at Vicksburg. This bold maneuver allowed Union forces to move supplies and reinforcements south of the city, tightening the siege of Vicksburg. The operation tested naval engineering and command coordination under fire. Its success contributed to the eventual surrender of Vicksburg on July 4, 1863. Control of the river split the Confederacy and proved pivotal in the Union’s western theater strategy.
1863
Vicksburg Campaign
gunboats
David Dixon Porter
artillery batteries
1919day.year
Polish–Lithuanian War: The Polish Army launches the Vilna offensive to capture Vilnius in modern Lithuania.
The Polish Army launched the Vilna offensive on April 16, 1919, aiming to capture Vilnius during the Polish–Lithuanian War.
During the Polish–Lithuanian War, Polish forces under General Edward Rydz-Śmigły launched the Vilna offensive on April 16, 1919, to capture Vilnius, a city of deep historical significance. The operation involved coordinated infantry advances and armored units pushing through Lithuanian defenses. Within days, Polish troops occupied the city, intensifying the territorial dispute between Poland and Lithuania. The offensive escalated the conflict and complicated post–World War I border negotiations. The Vilna offensive remains a key episode in the turbulent relations of Eastern Europe after the Great War.
Polish–Lithuanian War
Polish Army
Vilna offensive
Vilnius
Lithuania
1925day.year
During the Communist St Nedelya Church assault in Sofia, Bulgaria, 150 are killed and 500 are wounded.
A bombing at St Nedelya Church in Sofia on April 16, 1925, killed around 150 people and wounded over 500.
On April 16, 1925, a powerful bomb hidden in St Nedelya Church in Sofia detonated during a funeral service, killing approximately 150 people and wounding over 500. Bulgarian Communist operatives carried out the assault aiming to eliminate military and political leaders attending the ceremony. The explosion caused widespread panic and destroyed much of the historic cathedral interior. The Bulgarian government responded with martial law and a severe crackdown on communist activities, executing numerous suspects. The St Nedelya Church assault remains one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in interwar Europe and shaped Bulgaria’s subsequent security policies.
1925
Communist
St Nedelya Church assault
Sofia
Bulgaria
1941day.year
World War II: The Italian-German Tarigo convoy is attacked and destroyed by British ships.
British naval forces attacked and destroyed the Italian-German Tarigo convoy on April 16, 1941, in the Mediterranean.
On April 16, 1941, British destroyers intercepted the Italian-German Tarigo convoy near the Kerkennah Islands off Tunisia during World War II. The Royal Navy launched a surprise night attack, employing torpedoes and gunfire to sink multiple troop transports and supply vessels. The destruction significantly hindered Axis logistical support to North Africa, affecting Rommel’s Afrika Korps. British commanders hailed the action as a textbook example of coordinated naval tactics under challenging conditions. The battle for the Tarigo convoy demonstrated the strategic importance of Mediterranean sea lanes in the North African Campaign.
1941
World War II
attacked and destroyed