437day.year
Emperor Valentinian III begins his reign over the Western Roman Empire. His mother Galla Placidia ends her regency, but continues to exercise political influence at the court in Rome.
Emperor Valentinian III officially begins his rule over the Western Roman Empire in 437, ending his mother Galla Placidia’s formal regency while she continues to wield power behind the scenes.
At just six years old, Valentinian III was proclaimed emperor of the Western Roman Empire, succeeding his father Constantius III.
His mother, Galla Placidia, formally ended her regency on this day but remained a powerful figure in Roman politics and administration.
The transition marked a pivotal moment in the empire’s late history as factions vied for control over the young emperor.
Galla Placidia’s political acumen ensured stability during Valentinian’s minority, enabling her to negotiate with barbarian leaders and secure grain supplies for Rome.
Valentinian’s reign would later face pressures from Visigoths, Vandals, and internal power struggles that shaped the empire’s trajectory.
437
Valentinian III
Western Roman Empire
Galla Placidia
regency
political
Rome
626day.year
Li Shimin, the future Emperor Taizong of Tang, ambushes and kills his rival brothers Li Yuanji and Li Jiancheng in the Xuanwu Gate Incident.
In 626, Prince Li Shimin executed the Xuanwu Gate coup against his brothers, securing his path to become Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty.
Fearing he would be sidelined in the line of succession, Li Shimin launched a preemptive ambush at Xuanwu Gate on July 2, 626.
He personally led forces that killed his elder brother Li Jiancheng and younger brother Li Yuanji.
The decisive action eliminated his main rivals and forced their supporters into submission.
With the court in shock, Li Shimin ascended the throne as Emperor Taizong and embarked on reforms that would usher in a golden age of the Tang Dynasty.
The incident remains one of the most dramatic palace coups in Chinese history and shaped the future of imperial rule.
626
Li Shimin
Emperor Taizong of Tang
Li Yuanji
Li Jiancheng
Xuanwu Gate Incident
936day.year
King Henry the Fowler dies in his royal palace in Memleben. He is succeeded by his son Otto I, who becomes the ruler of East Francia.
On July 2, 936, King Henry the Fowler passed away at Memleben, and his son Otto I succeeded him as ruler of East Francia, founding the Ottonian dynasty.
Henry the Fowler, known for uniting the German duchies and defending against Magyar raids, died in his Memleben palace.
His death marked the end of a reign characterized by military reform and consolidation of royal power.
Otto I, his eldest son, was immediately recognized as king and inherited his father’s political and military agenda.
Under Otto’s leadership, East Francia would evolve into the Holy Roman Empire and achieve new heights of authority.
The transition underscored the continuity and stability of the Saxon-Liudolfing dynasty in medieval Europe.
936
Henry the Fowler
royal palace
Memleben
Otto I
East Francia
963day.year
The Byzantine army proclaims Nikephoros II Phokas Emperor of the Romans on the plains outside Cappadocian Caesarea.
In 963, troops of the Byzantine Empire acclaimed General Nikephoros II Phokas as emperor during a ceremony outside Caesarea in Cappadocia.
After successful campaigns in the East, Nikephoros II Phokas was celebrated by his soldiers and proclaimed emperor on July 2, 963.
The proclamation took place on the plains near Cappadocian Caesarea, amid fanfare and military honors.
His rise marked the dominance of the military elite in Byzantine politics and a renewed focus on frontier defense.
Emperor Nikephoros would continue aggressive offensives against Arab forces and fortify the empire’s eastern borders.
His reign combined martial vigor with strict fiscal policies to sustain long-term military engagement.
963
Byzantine army
Nikephoros II Phokas
Emperor of the Romans
Cappadocian Caesarea
1494day.year
The Treaty of Tordesillas is ratified by Spain.
In 1494, Spain formally ratified the Treaty of Tordesillas, dividing newly discovered lands between Spain and Portugal along a meridian in the Atlantic.
Originally signed on June 7, 1494, the Treaty of Tordesillas was ratified by the Spanish crown on July 2.
The agreement, mediated by Pope Alexander VI, drew an imaginary line 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands.
Territories west of the line were assigned to Spain, while Portugal received lands to the east, including parts of Africa and Asia.
This demarcation shaped the pattern of European colonial expansion and competition in the New World.
The treaty’s legacy endures in the linguistic and cultural divisions of the Americas centuries later.
1494
Treaty of Tordesillas
1504day.year
Bogdan III the One-Eyed becomes Voivode of Moldavia.
On July 2, 1504, Bogdan III the One-Eyed ascended as Voivode of Moldavia, inheriting a principality caught between Ottoman and Polish-Lithuanian ambitions.
Bogdan III, son of the famed Stephen the Great, took the Moldavian throne despite his moniker earned in battle.
His accession followed the death of his father and occurred amid pressures from the Ottoman Empire and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Bogdan sought to maintain Moldavia’s autonomy through strategic marriages and cautious diplomacy.
He balanced tributary obligations to the Ottomans while safeguarding the rights of the local boyar class.
His reign set the stage for the principality’s continued struggle to preserve independence in Eastern Europe.
1504
Bogdan III the One-Eyed
Voivode
Moldavia
1776day.year
American Revolution: The Continental Congress adopts the Lee Resolution severing ties with the Kingdom of Great Britain, although the wording of the formal Declaration of Independence is not adopted until July 4.
Two days before July 4, the Continental Congress adopts the Lee Resolution, formally breaking ties with Britain and paving the way for American independence.
On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress passed the Lee Resolution, declaring the Thirteen Colonies to be free and independent states separate from the Kingdom of Great Britain. This decisive vote empowered American delegates to draft a formal Declaration of Independence. Although the wording of the formal declaration was not finalized until July 4, the Lee Resolution marked the irreversible commitment to nationhood. This momentous act set in motion the creation of a new political entity and inspired revolutionary movements around the world.
1776
American Revolution
Continental Congress
Lee Resolution
Kingdom of Great Britain
Declaration of Independence
July 4
1822day.year
Thirty-five slaves, including Denmark Vesey, are hanged in South Carolina after being accused of organizing a slave rebellion.
After being accused of planning a major slave revolt, Denmark Vesey and thirty-four others were executed in Charleston, South Carolina.
On July 2, 1822, authorities in Charleston, South Carolina, executed Denmark Vesey and 34 alleged co-conspirators following accusations of planning an extensive slave uprising.
Denmark Vesey, a free Black carpenter and former slave, was accused of mobilizing enslaved people across the region to seize arms and overthrow white rule.
The conspiracy was uncovered by informants, leading to swift military trials and harsh punishments to deter similar rebellions.
Despite questions about the scale of the plot, the executions intensified the restrictions on both free and enslaved African Americans.
This event highlighted the deep fears of slave revolts in the post-Revolutionary United States and shaped subsequent state laws that further curtailed the rights of Black people.
1822
Denmark Vesey
South Carolina
slave rebellion
1823day.year
Bahia Independence Day: The end of Portuguese rule in Brazil, with the final defeat of the Portuguese crown loyalists in the province of Bahia.
The province of Bahia marks the end of Portuguese authority and joins Brazil’s independence movement.
On July 2, 1823, the province of Bahia celebrated its successful revolt against Portuguese colonial forces, effectively ending five centuries of European rule in the region.
The final defeat of royalist loyalists in Salvador secured Bahia’s place in the newly independent Empire of Brazil.
Local leaders and militias, inspired by earlier independence movements, organized a series of sieges that weakened the Portuguese hold on the province.
Brazilian patriots hoisted the national flag over Salvador, symbolizing the consolidation of Brazilian sovereignty.
Today, Bahia Independence Day is celebrated with parades, cultural performances, and traditional ceremonies across the state.
1823
Bahia
Portuguese rule in Brazil
the final defeat
1853day.year
The Russian Army crosses the Prut river into the Danubian Principalities (Moldavia and Wallachia), providing the spark that will set off the Crimean War.
Russian forces invade the Danubian Principalities, marking the opening clash that would lead to the Crimean War.
On July 2, 1853, Russian troops under Count Alexander Menshikov crossed the Prut River into Moldavia and Wallachia, defying Ottoman sovereignty.
This bold incursion into the Danubian Principalities triggered diplomatic protests and mobilizations across Europe.
The Ottoman Empire declared war on Russia in October, setting the stage for the wider Crimean War involving Britain, France, and Sardinia.
The conflict would become infamous for its brutal siege battles, medical advances, and the Charge of the Light Brigade.
The Prut crossing symbolized the unchecked expansion of Russian influence and the fragile balance of power within the Concert of Europe.
1853
Danubian Principalities
Moldavia
Wallachia
set off the Crimean War
1871day.year
Victor Emmanuel II of Italy enters Rome after having conquered it from the Papal States during the Capture of Rome.
Italian King Victor Emmanuel II triumphantly enters Rome, marking the final act of Italian unification.
On July 2, 1871, King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy rode into Rome after the capture of the city from the Papal States during the Risorgimento.
The occupation of Rome completed the political and territorial unification of Italy, making Rome the nation’s capital.
The breach of the Aurelian Walls at Porta Pia on September 20, 1870, had paved the way for this decisive entry.
Pope Pius IX retreated into the Vatican, beginning the Roman Question over the pope’s temporal power.
Italy’s annexation of Rome reshaped European diplomacy and inspired nationalist movements across the continent.
1871
Victor Emmanuel II of Italy
Papal States
Capture of Rome
1881day.year
Charles J. Guiteau shoots and fatally wounds U.S. President James A. Garfield (who will die of complications from his wounds on September 19).
Charles J. Guiteau shoots President James A. Garfield at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station.
On July 2, 1881, disgruntled office-seeker Charles J. Guiteau shot President James A. Garfield in the back at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington, D.C.
Garfield survived initial surgery but succumbed to infections and complications on September 19, 1881.
Guiteau believed he was owed a political appointment and hoped that assassinating the president would advance his cause.
The assassination shocked the nation and led to reforms in civil service and presidential security.
Garfield’s death underscored the perils of the spoils system and prompted the eventual passage of the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act.
1881
Charles J. Guiteau
James A. Garfield