192day.year
Dong Zhuo is assassinated by his adopted son Lü Bu.
In 192, Chinese warlord Dong Zhuo was assassinated by his adopted son Lü Bu, shaking the Han dynasty’s court.
Dong Zhuo rose to power controlling Emperor Xian and ruling through intimidation. His tyranny provoked a coalition of warlords, yet it was Lü Bu who struck the decisive blow. Lü Bu infiltrated Dong Zhuo’s inner circle and murdered him in a daring palace plot. The assassination plunged the Han dynasty into further chaos and factional warfare. This event accelerated the fragmentation of imperial authority, paving the way for the Three Kingdoms period. Historians view the act as both a personal betrayal and a turning point in Chinese history.
192
Dong Zhuo
Lü Bu
1200day.year
King John of England and King Philip II of France sign the Treaty of Le Goulet.
In 1200, King John of England and King Philip II of France signed the Treaty of Le Goulet, redefining their feudal relationship.
After military setbacks in Normandy, John of England negotiated terms with his feudal lord, Philip II. The Treaty of Le Goulet confirmed John’s possession of key territories in exchange for homage and a substantial annual tribute. It granted Philip recognition of his claims in France and established clear boundaries. The agreement temporarily eased Anglo-French tensions but sowed the seeds of future conflict. John’s financial burdens increased as he met treaty obligations. Historians view the treaty as a prelude to the loss of Normandy and the broader struggles that culminated in Magna Carta. Its signing illustrates the complexities of feudal diplomacy.
1200
John of England
Philip II of France
Treaty of Le Goulet
1246day.year
Henry Raspe is elected anti-king of the Kingdom of Germany in opposition to Conrad IV.
In 1246, Henry Raspe was proclaimed anti-king of Germany, challenging Emperor Conrad IV.
The papacy, seeking to weaken the Hohenstaufen dynasty, backed Henry Raspe’s election at Frankfurt. He was declared anti-king in opposition to the legitimate ruler, Conrad IV, son of Frederick II. Henry held court, minted coins, and rallied support among dissatisfied princes. The rivalry plunged the empire into civil war, with shifting alliances and regional skirmishes. His reign lasted less than a year before his sudden death. Although brief, Henry Raspe’s kingship underscored the intense papal-imperial struggle. It highlighted the vulnerability of medieval kingship to factional politics and church influence.
1246
Henry Raspe
anti-king
Kingdom of Germany
Conrad IV
1254day.year
Serbian King Stefan Uroš I and the Republic of Venice sign a peace treaty.
In 1254, King Stefan Uroš I of Serbia and the Republic of Venice concluded a peace treaty, easing Adriatic tensions.
As Venice sought to secure its maritime trade, clashes with Serbian forces threatened key ports. Stefan Uroš I negotiated terms granting Venetian merchants safe passage and trade privileges along the Dalmatian coast. Venice recognized Serbian authority in disputed territories in return. The treaty fostered a period of stability and economic growth for both states. It marked a diplomatic achievement for Serbia’s young monarchy and expanded Venetian influence. The agreement is seen as an early example of balancing regional power through commerce. It shaped Balkan-Adriatic relations for decades.
1254
Serbian King
Stefan Uroš I
Republic of Venice
1377day.year
Pope Gregory XI issues five papal bulls to denounce the doctrines of English theologian John Wycliffe.
In 1377, Pope Gregory XI condemned John Wycliffe’s reformist teachings by issuing five papal bulls.
John Wycliffe challenged the wealth and authority of the Church, advocating scripture in the vernacular. Pope Gregory XI responded with a series of formal bulls denouncing Wycliffe’s propositions as heretical. The documents reaffirmed clerical privileges and doctrinal orthodoxy. Wycliffe’s followers, later called Lollards, faced excommunication and suppression. The conflict marked an early clash between emerging reformist ideas and papal power. Wycliffe’s critiques foreshadowed aspects of the Protestant Reformation. The 1377 bulls solidified the schism between English reformers and Rome.
1377
Pope Gregory XI
papal bulls
doctrines
theologian
John Wycliffe
1629day.year
Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II and Danish King Christian IV sign the Treaty of Lübeck ending Danish intervention in the Thirty Years' War.
Emperor Ferdinand II and King Christian IV sign the Treaty of Lübeck to end Danish involvement in the Thirty Years' War.
In 1629, after years of Danish military campaigns failed to secure advantage in the Thirty Years' War, Ferdinand II and Christian IV agreed to negotiate at Lübeck. The Treaty of Lübeck officially ended Denmark’s intervention and restored conquered territories to the Holy Roman Empire. Christian IV renounced claims in Northern Germany and withdrew his forces, while Ferdinand II made concessions to prevent further Danish aggression. The treaty shifted the balance of power, consolidating Habsburg authority in the Empire. This agreement marked a turning point in the war, paving the way for France and Sweden to become primary contestants.
1629
Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II
Danish King
Christian IV
Treaty of Lübeck
Thirty Years' War
1762day.year
Sweden and Prussia sign the Treaty of Hamburg.
Sweden and Prussia sign the Treaty of Hamburg, realigning alliances in the later stages of the Seven Years' War.
On May 22, 1762, representatives of Sweden and Prussia met in Hamburg to formalize peace after years of intermittent conflict. The Treaty of Hamburg restored peace between the two powers and confirmed Sweden's neutrality in the Seven Years' War. Prussia agreed to withdraw troops from Swedish Pomerania, and Sweden recognized Prussian control over Silesia. Though virtually a secondary front, this agreement allowed Frederick the Great to concentrate resources against Austria and Russia. The treaty also highlighted the shifting alliances of the era and foreshadowed the diplomatic realignments at the conclusion of the war.
1762
Prussia
Treaty of Hamburg
1807day.year
A grand jury indicts former Vice President of the United States Aaron Burr on a charge of treason.
Former Vice President Aaron Burr is indicted for treason by a grand jury in a sensational legal case.
On May 22, 1807, a grand jury in Richmond, Virginia, formally charged Aaron Burr with treason. Burr, who had served as Vice President under Thomas Jefferson, was accused of plotting to establish an independent empire in the western territories. The indictment followed Burr's arrest on charges of conspiring with military leaders and foreign powers. His trial, presided over by Chief Justice John Marshall, became a landmark in American jurisprudence, testing the constitutional definition of treason. Ultimately, Burr was acquitted due to lack of concrete evidence, but his political career was irreparably damaged. The case highlighted tensions over federal authority and territorial expansion in the early republic.
1807
grand jury
Vice President of the United States
Aaron Burr
treason
1840day.year
The penal transportation of British convicts to the New South Wales colony is abolished.
Britain ends penal transportation of convicts to New South Wales, marking a shift in criminal justice policy.
On May 22, 1840, the British Parliament officially abolished the transportation of convicts to the New South Wales colony.
The practice, which had begun in 1788, had sent thousands of prisoners to Australia as forced labor.
Opposition to the system grew due to its high costs, harsh conditions, and questionable deterrent effect.
Colonial authorities had also pressured for the change, citing economic and social challenges in the growing settlements.
The cessation of convict shipments transformed Australian society and paved the way for a free settler population.
1840
penal transportation
convicts
New South Wales
colony
1848day.year
Slavery is abolished in Martinique.
Slavery is abolished in Martinique, liberating thousands of enslaved people in the French colony.
On May 22, 1848, France’s provisional government decreed the abolition of slavery in Martinique.
The colony’s enslaved population, which had endured centuries of forced labor on sugar plantations, was set free.
The decree followed revolutionary uprisings and pressure from abolitionist movements in France.
Formerly enslaved individuals gained civil rights and access to educational and economic opportunities.
The emancipation in Martinique marked a key moment in the broader movement to end slavery across the French Empire.
1848
Slavery is abolished
Martinique
1856day.year
Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina severely beats Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts with a cane in the hall of the United States Senate for a speech Sumner had made regarding Southerners and slavery.
Rep. Preston Brooks of South Carolina brutally canes Senator Charles Sumner on the Senate floor, heightening national tensions over slavery.
On May 22, 1856, Congressman Preston Brooks attacked Senator Charles Sumner in the U.S. Senate chamber.
Brooks used a heavy cane to beat Sumner in retaliation for a fiery anti-slavery speech Sumner had delivered days earlier.
The assault left Sumner seriously injured and shocked the nation, illustrating the deep divisions over slavery.
Southerners hailed Brooks as a hero, while Northerners condemned the violence and rallied against the ‘Slave Power.’
The incident further polarized public opinion and pushed the United States closer to civil war.
1856
Congressman
Preston Brooks
South Carolina
severely beats
Senator
Charles Sumner
Massachusetts
United States Senate
Southerners
slavery
1872day.year
Reconstruction Era: President Ulysses S. Grant signs the Amnesty Act into law, restoring full civil and political rights to all but about 500 Confederate sympathizers.
President Ulysses S. Grant signs the Amnesty Act, restoring the political rights of most former Confederates.
On May 22, 1872, President Grant signed the Amnesty Act into law during the Reconstruction era.
The legislation reinstated civil and political rights to nearly all ex-Confederates except a few high-ranking leaders.
Originally disenfranchised after the Civil War, many Southern whites regained the right to vote and hold office.
The act aimed to promote national reconciliation but also bolstered conservative political power in the South.
By easing restrictions on former Confederates, the Amnesty Act reshaped the post-war political landscape.
1872
Reconstruction Era
Ulysses S. Grant
Amnesty Act
civil and political rights