853day.year
A Byzantine fleet sacks and destroys undefended Damietta in Egypt.
In 853, a Byzantine naval force attacked and razed the undefended port of Damietta in Egypt.
Under Emperor Michael III, the Byzantine Empire launched a surprise raid on Damietta, a strategic Abbasid port. The fleet sailed from Constantinople and caught the garrison unprepared on May 22. Byzantine sailors plundered goods, burned buildings, and took captives before retreating. The attack showcased Byzantine naval strength and struck a blow at Abbasid maritime commerce. It heightened tensions between the two powers along Mediterranean trade routes. Damietta’s destruction forced local authorities to strengthen coastal defenses. This raid is remembered as a daring episode in Arab-Byzantine conflicts.
853
sacks and destroys
Damietta
Egypt
1176day.year
The Hashshashin (Assassins) attempt to assassinate Saladin near Aleppo.
In 1176, Nizari Ismaili Assassins launched a bold plot to kill Saladin near Aleppo but failed.
The Hashshashin were a secretive sect famed for precise political killings across the Middle East. They targeted Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn, the rising Kurdish leader who unified Muslim forces against the Crusaders. Near Aleppo, an Assassin infiltrated Saladin’s entourage and attempted the murder. Saladin survived unharmed and later retaliated by besieging Assassin strongholds. The botched attempt enhanced the Order’s fearsome reputation. Stories of the event spread throughout Christendom and the Muslim world alike. It remains a striking example of medieval covert warfare and political intrigue.
1176
Assassins
Saladin
Aleppo
1455day.year
Start of the Wars of the Roses: At the First Battle of St Albans, Richard, Duke of York, defeats and captures King Henry VI of England.
On May 22, 1455, the First Battle of St Albans ignited the Wars of the Roses when Yorkist forces captured King Henry VI.
The long-standing rivalries between the Houses of Lancaster and York erupted into open conflict at St Albans. Richard, Duke of York, led his men in a surprise attack against Lancastrian forces loyal to Henry VI. Casualties were light but the symbolic victory was immense: King Henry himself was taken prisoner. The battle demonstrated the fragility of royal authority and the power of rival nobles. It marked the beginning of decades of dynastic warfare that tore England apart. Subsequent battles would see fortunes shift repeatedly between the two houses. The Wars of the Roses reshaped the English monarchy and paved the way for the Tudor dynasty.
1455
Wars of the Roses
First Battle of St Albans
Richard, Duke of York
Henry VI of England
1520day.year
The massacre at the festival of Tóxcatl takes place during the Fall of Tenochtitlan, resulting in turning the Aztecs against the Spanish.
Spanish forces violently disperse Aztec worshippers at the Tóxcatl festival, sparking a fierce backlash against the conquistadors.
In May 1520, tensions between Hernán Cortés's Spanish conquistadors and the Aztec Empire culminated in a brutal massacre at the Tóxcatl festival in Tenochtitlan. Spanish soldiers, fearing an uprising, opened fire on unarmed Aztec nobles and worshippers gathered at the market. Estimates of casualties vary, but the incident dramatically inflamed anti-Spanish sentiment among the Aztecs. The massacre marked a turning point in the Fall of Tenochtitlan, as many Aztecs who had been neutral or allied with the Spanish switched their allegiance. In the aftermath, Aztec forces laid siege to the Spanish and their Tlaxcalan allies, setting the stage for a prolonged and bloody conflict over control of the city.
1520
massacre at the festival of Tóxcatl
Fall of Tenochtitlan
1809day.year
On the second and last day of the Battle of Aspern-Essling (near Vienna, Austria), Napoleon I is defeated in a major battle for the first time in his career, and repelled by an enemy army for the first time in a decade.
Napoleon I suffers his first major battlefield defeat at the Battle of Aspern-Essling near Vienna.
On May 22, 1809, during the War of the Fifth Coalition, French and Austrian armies clashed at Aspern and Essling along the Danube River. Marshal André Masséna’s French troops became trapped on floodplain islands, enabling Archduke Charles of Austria to counterattack successfully. Heavy French losses and disrupted river crossings forced Napoleon to withdraw, marking his first significant defeat since rising to power. The battle demonstrated the resilience and tactical skill of the Austrian army. Though the French would rebound at the Battle of Wagram weeks later, the setback at Aspern-Essling shook the aura of invincibility surrounding Napoleon. Historians view it as a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars.
1809
Battle of Aspern-Essling
Vienna
Napoleon
1863day.year
American Civil War: Union forces begin the Siege of Port Hudson which lasts 48 days, the longest siege in U.S. military history.
Union forces commence the Siege of Port Hudson, the longest siege in U.S. military history during the Civil War.
On May 22, 1863, Union troops under Major General Nathaniel P. Banks began besieging Port Hudson, Louisiana.
The Confederate stronghold guarded one of the last Mississippi River bastions vital for Southern logistics.
Over the next 48 days, both sides endured intense bombardments, trench warfare, and supply shortages.
The fall of Port Hudson on July 9, 1863, gave the Union full control of the Mississippi River, splitting the Confederacy.
The siege’s prolonged nature and scale made it the longest in U.S. history, underscoring the war’s brutality.
1863
American Civil War
Union
Siege of Port Hudson
1864day.year
American Civil War: After ten weeks, the Union Army's Red River Campaign ends in failure.
The Union Army’s Red River Campaign ends in failure after ten weeks of operations in Louisiana.
On May 22, 1864, Major General Nathaniel P. Banks ordered the withdrawal that ended the Red River Campaign.
Launched earlier that spring, the operation aimed to capture Shreveport and assert Union control in western Louisiana.
Challenges such as low water levels, Confederate resistance, and command disputes undermined the effort.
The campaign’s failure highlighted strategic miscalculations and strained relations between Union commanders.
Despite some tactical successes, the Union forces retreated, leaving Confederate forces in place east of the Red River.
1864
Union Army
Red River Campaign
1939day.year
World War II: Germany and Italy sign the Pact of Steel.
Germany and Italy formalized their World War II alliance by signing the Pact of Steel, pledging mutual military support.
On May 22, 1939, Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini signed the Pact of Steel in Berlin, officially allying Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. The treaty, formally known as the Pact of Friendship and Alliance between Germany and Italy, bound the two nations to support each other militarily and economically. It reflected the deepening cooperation of Axis powers on the eve of World War II. Article clauses included joint strategic planning and coordination of armed forces. The pact strengthened the Axis bloc and signaled to other European powers the solidity of the German-Italian partnership. Despite initial euphoria, differences in military ambition and resource capacities later tested the alliance. The Pact of Steel remained in effect until Italy's armistice with the Allies in 1943.
1939
World War II
Pact of Steel
1941day.year
During the Anglo-Iraqi War, British troops take Fallujah.
British forces captured Fallujah in Iraq during the Anglo-Iraqi War, securing a key strategic position.
During the Anglo-Iraqi War on May 22, 1941, British troops advanced on and captured the city of Fallujah. This operation was part of a wider campaign to overthrow the pro-Axis government of Rashid Ali al-Gaylani in Baghdad. Securing Fallujah allowed British forces to protect the vital supply route from Habbaniya airbase to Baghdad. The successful assault showcased British military mobility and coordination across desert terrain. It also helped to maintain Allied control over Middle Eastern oil resources. The fall of Fallujah contributed to the eventual restoration of the pro-British Iraqi monarchy. The campaign is remembered as a turning point in the defense of British interests in the region.
1941
Anglo-Iraqi War
Fallujah
1942day.year
Mexico enters the Second World War on the side of the Allies.
Mexico declared war on the Axis powers, joining the Allies in World War II after German attacks on its ships.
On May 22, 1942, President Manuel Ávila Camacho signed Mexico's declaration of war against Germany, Italy, and Japan. This decision followed the sinking of Mexican oil tankers by German U-boats in the Gulf of Mexico. Mexico became the only Latin American country to send an air combat unit, the 201st Squadron 'Aztec Eagles,' to fight in the Pacific theater. The declaration strengthened diplomatic ties between Mexico and the United States under the "Good Neighbor" policy. Mexican industries also shifted to support Allied production, boosting the economy. The move represented a significant political and military commitment by Mexico on the global stage. Mexico's entry into the war is commemorated annually as a symbol of international solidarity.
1942
Mexico enters the Second World War
1972day.year
Over 400 women in Derry, Northern Ireland attack the offices of Sinn Féin following the shooting by the Irish Republican Army of a young British soldier on leave.
On May 22, 1972, over 400 women in Derry stormed the Sinn Féin offices in protest against the IRA's shooting of a British soldier on leave.
Following the shooting of a young British soldier by the Irish Republican Army, community tensions in Northern Ireland reached a peak on May 22, 1972.
In Derry, more than 400 local women organized spontaneously and marched on the Sinn Féin headquarters, blaming the political wing for IRA violence.
They forcibly entered the offices, damaging property and demanding an end to armed actions that endangered civilians.
The protest highlighted the deep sectarian wounds and the role of women in community mobilization during the Troubles.
Local authorities struggled to control the unrest, and the incident became emblematic of civilian outrage amid escalating conflict.
The event underscored the complexities of Northern Irish politics and the blurred lines between political activism and violent conflict.
Derry
Sinn Féin
Irish Republican Army
1987day.year
Hashimpura massacre occurs in Meerut, India.
On May 22, 1987, members of the Provincial Armed Constabulary carried out the Hashimpura massacre in Meerut, killing dozens of Muslim men.
In the early hours of May 22, 1987, armed personnel from the Provincial Armed Constabulary rounded up Muslim residents in the Hashimpura neighborhood of Meerut.
At least 42 unarmed men were taken to the banks of the Ganges River and shot dead, their bodies dumped in the water.
The massacre was triggered by communal tensions following reports of an attack on security forces.
Initial investigations were hindered, but survivors and human rights groups pressed for accountability.
Decades of legal battles ensued, with convictions and retrials tarnishing the credibility of law enforcement.
Hashimpura remains a dark chapter in India's history, symbolizing the lethal consequences of communal hatred.
1987
Hashimpura massacre
Meerut