April 28

Events - Wars & Conflicts

224day.year

The Battle of Hormozdgan is fought. Ardashir I defeats and kills Artabanus V, effectively ending the Parthian Empire.

Ardashir I defeats Artabanus V at the Battle of Hormozdgan, bringing an end to the Parthian Empire.
On April 28, 224, the forces of Ardashir I overturned King Artabanus V at Hormozdgan. Utilizing superior tactics and disciplined cavalry, Ardashir secured a decisive victory. The death of Artabanus V marked the collapse of the centuries-old Parthian dynasty. This triumph allowed Ardashir I to found the Sassanian Empire, ushering in a new era in ancient Persia. The Sassanian rulers would later become Rome's formidable rivals. The battle's outcome reshaped power dynamics in the Near East.
224 Battle of Hormozdgan Ardashir I Artabanus V Parthian Empire
1192day.year

Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I), King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title to the throne is confirmed by election. The killing is carried out by Hashshashin.

King Conrad of Montferrat was assassinated by agents of the Hashshashin in Tyre just days after his election as King of Jerusalem in 1192.
Two days after his election as King of Jerusalem, Conrad of Montferrat was ambushed and killed by agents of the Hashshashin on April 28, 1192, in the city of Tyre. The secretive Nizari order targeted him as part of their wider campaign against perceived enemies. Conrad’s demise threw the Crusader leadership into disarray during the critical period of the Third Crusade. His military prowess and diplomatic skills had been instrumental in defending the Kingdom of Jerusalem against Saladin. The assassination highlighted the reach and ruthlessness of the Hashshashin network. Historians regard this event as a dramatic turning point that influenced subsequent crusader politics.
1192 Conrad of Montferrat King of Jerusalem Tyre Hashshashin
1503day.year

The Battle of Cerignola is fought. It is noted as one of the first European battles in history won by small arms fire using gunpowder.

Spanish forces won one of the first recorded European battles decided by gunpowder small arms at Cerignola in 1503.
On April 28, 1503, Spanish troops under Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba confronted a French army near the town of Cerignola in southern Italy. Employing a strategic combination of arquebusiers and pikemen, the Spanish defenders repelled repeated French cavalry charges. Historians often cite this engagement as the first significant European battle won through the use of gunpowder infantry. The decisive firepower advantage signaled a transformation in military tactics across the continent. Fernández de Córdoba’s innovations laid the groundwork for modern warfare formations. The victory at Cerignola solidified Spanish influence in the Italian Wars and heralded the dominance of firearms in battle.
1503 Battle of Cerignola gunpowder
1625day.year

A combined Spanish and Portuguese fleet of 52 ships commences the recapture of Bahia from the Dutch during the Dutch–Portuguese War.

A joint Spanish-Portuguese fleet began the campaign to recapture Bahia from the Dutch in 1625.
On April 28, 1625, fifty-two ships from Spain and Portugal set sail to retake the strategic Brazilian port of Salvador da Bahia from Dutch control. This operation was part of the larger Dutch–Portuguese War over lucrative sugar-producing colonies. Coordinated amphibious assaults and naval blockades caught the Dutch garrison off guard. Within weeks, the allied forces succeeded in recapturing the city and restoring Iberian authority in the region. The victory secured a key foothold for Portugal in South America and weakened Dutch ambitions. It stands as a remarkable example of early seventeenth-century colonial warfare.
1625 Spanish Portuguese recapture of Bahia Dutch–Portuguese War
1758day.year

The Marathas defeat the Afghans in the Battle of Attock and capture the city.

The Maratha Confederacy defeated Afghan forces and captured the fortress at Attock in 1758.
On April 28, 1758, Maratha commanders Raghunathrao and Malhar Rao Holkar led their forces to victory over Afghan troops at the Battle of Attock along the Indus River. The defeat of the Durrani Empire’s garrison allowed the Marathas to seize the strategic fortress city. This success extended Maratha influence into the northwestern frontier of the Indian subcontinent. The operation showcased the Marathas’ effective cavalry tactics and logistical capabilities. The capture of Attock opened new trade routes and military pathways. Although later reversals curtailed their expansion, the battle marked the high-water point of Maratha power.
1758 Marathas Afghans
1789day.year

Mutiny on the Bounty: Lieutenant William Bligh and 18 sailors are set adrift, and the rebel crew returns to Tahiti briefly before setting sail for Pitcairn Island.

Lieutenant William Bligh and his loyal sailors were cast adrift by the rebellious crew, who briefly returned to Tahiti before sailing to Pitcairn Island.
On April 28, 1789, Fletcher Christian and disaffected crewmen seized HMS Bounty in an infamous mutiny against Lieutenant William Bligh. They cast Bligh and 18 loyal sailors adrift in a small boat with limited provisions. Despite overwhelming odds, Bligh navigated over 3,600 nautical miles to safety at Timor. Meanwhile, the mutineers returned briefly to Tahiti before seeking refuge on Pitcairn Island. Their decision established one of the most remote and enduring settlements on earth. The saga became legendary, inspiring books, films, and scholarly debate over leadership and loyalty.
1789 Mutiny on the Bounty William Bligh Tahiti Pitcairn Island
1792day.year

France invades the Austrian Netherlands (present day Belgium and Luxembourg), beginning the French Revolutionary Wars.

French Revolutionary forces invaded the Austrian Netherlands, marking the beginning of the French Revolutionary Wars.
On April 28, 1792, forces of the French Republic crossed into the Austrian Netherlands, stamping the official start of the French Revolutionary Wars. The invasion aimed to spread revolutionary ideals and secure France's borders. Austrian troops were caught off guard by the sudden incursion. Skirmishes erupted near key towns such as Mons and Namur. This campaign signaled a shift in European power dynamics and sparked a decade of widespread conflict. The war profoundly reshaped political landscapes across the continent.
1792 Austrian Netherlands French Revolutionary Wars
1794day.year

Sardinians, headed by Giovanni Maria Angioy, start a revolution against the Savoy domination, expelling Viceroy Balbiano and his officials from Cagliari, the capital and largest city of the island.

Sardinians under Giovanni Maria Angioy revolted against Savoy rule, expelling officials from Cagliari in a struggle for greater autonomy.
On April 28, 1794, Sardinian patriots under the leadership of Giovanni Maria Angioy rose against the ruling House of Savoy in Cagliari. Angioy, a magistrate turned revolutionary, sought to end feudal privileges and improve local governance. His followers expelled Viceroy Balbiano and royal officials from the capital. The revolt gained momentum among peasants and artisans frustrated by heavy taxation. Though ultimately suppressed, the uprising galvanized Sardinian identity and demands for reform. Angioy's legacy endured as a symbol of resistance against external domination.
1794 Sardinians Giovanni Maria Angioy Savoy domination Cagliari
1796day.year

The Armistice of Cherasco is signed by Napoleon Bonaparte and Vittorio Amedeo III, King of Sardinia, expanding French territory along the Mediterranean coast.

Napoleon Bonaparte and King Vittorio Amedeo III signed the Armistice of Cherasco, extending French territory along the Mediterranean coast.
On April 28, 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte and King Vittorio Amedeo III of Sardinia signed the Armistice of Cherasco. This agreement ceded strategic territories such as the Duchy of Savoy and Sardinian Nice to France. It also secured French military passage through Piedmont. The armistice marked a key triumph in Napoleon's Italian campaign. It weakened Sardinia's role as a buffer against French expansion. The treaty laid groundwork for further French hegemony in Italy and contributed to the transformation of European politics.
1796 Armistice of Cherasco Napoleon Bonaparte Vittorio Amedeo III Sardinia
1858day.year

The Bawani Imli massacre, where 52 Indian freedom fighters were hanged to death on a tamarind tree by British colonial forces.

British colonial forces hanged 52 Indian freedom fighters from a tamarind tree in the brutal Bawani Imli massacre during the aftermath of the 1857 Rebellion.
On April 28, 1858, British colonial forces in India committed the Bawani Imli massacre, hanging 52 Indian freedom fighters from a tamarind tree. These rebels had participated in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 against East India Company rule. The executions were intended to instill fear and suppress further resistance. Eyewitnesses reported harrowing scenes that reverberated throughout the region. The brutality of the massacre became a rallying point for anti-colonial sentiment. It remains a poignant reminder of the human cost of imperial authority.
1858 Bawani Imli massacre
1941day.year

The Ustaše massacre nearly 200 Serbs in the village of Gudovac, the first massacre of their genocidal campaign against Serbs of the Independent State of Croatia.

The Ustaše carried out their first large-scale massacre of Serb villagers in Gudovac, initiating a brutal ethnic campaign. This atrocity signaled the start of widespread genocide in the Balkans.
On April 28, 1941, Ustaše militia forces entered the Croatian village of Gudovac and executed nearly 200 ethnic Serb inhabitants without warning. This massacre was the opening atrocity of the Independent State of Croatia’s genocidal campaign, led by the fascist Ustaše regime. Victims were rounded up, shot, and disposed of in mass graves, creating fear throughout the region. The brutality of Gudovac foreshadowed the systematic persecution and mass killings of Serbs, Jews, and Roma during World War II. Today, memorials in Gudovac serve as powerful reminders of the horrors of ethnic violence and the need for vigilance against hatred.
1941 Ustaše massacre Serbs Gudovac genocidal campaign Independent State of Croatia
1944day.year

World War II: Nine German E-boats attack US and UK units during Exercise Tiger, the rehearsal for the Normandy landings, killing 946.

During Exercise Tiger, a D-Day rehearsal off the English coast, German E-boats ambushed Allied landing ships, causing heavy losses. Nearly a thousand US servicemen were killed or missing.
On April 28, 1944, nine fast German E-boats intercepted Allied forces training at Slapton Sands during Exercise Tiger, the full-scale rehearsal for the Normandy invasion. Due to communication failures and misidentification, the landing craft were unprepared for the surprise attack. Torpedoes and gunfire struck multiple vessels, resulting in approximately 946 American casualties, making it one of the worst training disasters in US military history. The incident was kept secret to maintain the element of surprise for the actual D-Day landings and to protect morale. Exercise Tiger highlights the dangers faced by Allied forces long before they reached the beaches of Normandy.
1944 World War II E-boats Exercise Tiger Normandy landings