491day.year
Odoacer makes a night assault with his Heruli guardsmen, engaging Theoderic the Great in Ad Pinetam. Both sides suffer heavy losses, but in the end Theoderic forces Odoacer back into Ravenna.
In 491, Odoacer launched a nighttime assault against Theoderic the Great near Pinetam, resulting in heavy losses on both sides.
In the summer of 491, Odoacer led his Heruli guardsmen in a surprise night attack on Theoderic's Ostrogothic forces at Ad Pinetam. The skirmish inflicted significant casualties but failed to break Theoderic's defensive lines. Theoderic regrouped his troops and launched a counterattack, forcing Odoacer back into the fortified city of Ravenna. The encounter demonstrated the fierce struggle for control of Italy after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. It set the stage for the protracted siege of Ravenna and eventual Gothic victory.
491
Odoacer
Heruli
Theoderic the Great
Ravenna
660day.year
Korean forces under general Kim Yu-sin of Silla defeat the army of Baekje in the Battle of Hwangsanbeol.
In 660, Silla forces under General Kim Yu-sin defeated Baekje at the Battle of Hwangsanbeol, a pivotal moment in Korean unification.
On July 9, 660, General Kim Yu-sin of the Silla kingdom led his troops to victory against the Baekje army at Hwangsanbeol. Despite facing a numerically superior force, Silla's disciplined soldiers executed strategic maneuvers that broke Baekje lines. The defeat shattered Baekje's military strength and opened the way for an alliance between Silla and Tang China. This victory became legendary in Korean history and folklore as a turning point in the struggle for the peninsula. It laid the groundwork for the eventual unification of the Three Kingdoms under Silla rule.
660
Kim Yu-sin
Baekje
Battle of Hwangsanbeol
969day.year
The Fatimid general Jawhar leads the Friday prayer in Fustat in the name of Caliph al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah, thereby symbolically completing the Fatimid conquest of Egypt.
Fatimid general Jawhar led Friday prayers in Fustat in 969, symbolizing the completion of Egypt's conquest under Caliph al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah.
In July 969, Jawhar al-Siqilli, the chief general of the Fatimid Caliphate, led the first Friday sermon in Fustat, declaring loyalty to Caliph al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah. This ceremony marked the formal end of the Ikhshidid dynasty and the establishment of Fatimid rule over Egypt. Fustat became the new administrative center, reflecting the political and religious shift from Sunni to Isma'ili Shi'a governance. The event consolidated the Fatimid Caliphate's presence in North Africa and the Near East. It initiated a period of cultural flourishing and architectural development in Cairo.
969
Fatimid
Jawhar
Friday prayer
Fustat
al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah
Fatimid conquest of Egypt
1386day.year
The Old Swiss Confederacy makes great strides in establishing control over its territory by soundly defeating the Duchy of Austria in the Battle of Sempach.
In 1386, the Old Swiss Confederacy achieved a decisive victory over the Duchy of Austria at the Battle of Sempach.
On July 9, 1386, Swiss confederate forces confronted the Habsburg army near Sempach in present-day Switzerland. Through the tactical use of pike formations and disciplined infantry, the Swiss overcame a feudal cavalry force. The death of Duke Leopold III during the battle demoralized the Austrian troops and secured Swiss autonomy. This victory halted Habsburg expansion into Swiss territories. The battle became a symbol of Swiss independence and military innovation.
1386
Old Swiss Confederacy
establishing control over its territory
Duchy of Austria
Battle of Sempach
1401day.year
Timur attacks the Jalairid Sultanate and destroys Baghdad.
In 1401, Timur's forces sacked and destroyed Baghdad, ending centuries of Abbasid power in the city.
In July 1401, the Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur advanced on Baghdad, then a major center of the Jalairid Sultanate and former Abbasid Caliphate seat. After a brief siege, his armies breached the city walls and unleashed widespread plunder. Grand libraries, mosques, and palaces were razed, and the population suffered massive casualties and enslavement. The sack marked the collapse of the region's political and cultural center and dispersed its intellectual legacy. Timur's campaign reshaped power dynamics across the Middle East for decades.
1401
Timur
Jalairid Sultanate
1572day.year
Nineteen Catholics suffer martyrdom for their beliefs, in the Dutch town of Gorkum.
Nineteen Dutch Catholics are executed in Gorkum for refusing to renounce their faith amid Reformation conflicts.
On July 9, 1572, nineteen Catholic clerics and laymen were hanged in Gorkum (present-day Gorinchem, Netherlands). They were captured by Calvinist forces and pressured to reject doctrines like transubstantiation and papal supremacy. Their steadfast refusal led to their execution, later commemorated as the Martyrs of Gorkum. This tragic event intensified religious tensions during the Dutch Revolt and the broader Reformation in Europe. In 1675, they were beatified, and in 1867, they were canonized by Pope Pius IX. Their sacrifice remains a poignant example of faith under persecution.
1572
Nineteen Catholics
Gorkum
1701day.year
A Bourbon force under Nicolas Catinat withdraws from a smaller Habsburg force under Prince Eugene of Savoy in the Battle of Carpi.
Marshal Catinat’s French army retreats before Prince Eugene’s Habsburg forces at the Battle of Carpi.
On July 9, 1701, the armies of France and the Holy Roman Empire clashed near Carpi in northern Italy during the War of the Spanish Succession. Marshal Nicolas Catinat led the Bourbon troops, while Prince Eugene of Savoy commanded the Habsburg forces. Facing the threat of being outmaneuvered, Catinat chose to withdraw to preserve his army. Though not a decisive engagement, the Battle of Carpi demonstrated Prince Eugene’s strategic acumen. The action secured vital territory for the Habsburgs in Italy. It also set the tone for the protracted struggle over European succession that would last more than a decade.
1701
Bourbon
Nicolas Catinat
Habsburg
Prince Eugene of Savoy
Battle of Carpi
1745day.year
French victory in the Battle of Melle allows them to capture Ghent in the days after.
French forces under Marshal de Saxe win at Melle, opening the road to Ghent during the Austrian Succession.
On July 9, 1745, during the War of the Austrian Succession, Marshal Maurice de Saxe led French troops to a key victory at Melle in the Austrian Netherlands. The French army outflanked Austrian defenders and broke their lines with superior coordination. This success cleared the path for a swift advance on the important city of Ghent, which fell shortly thereafter. The triumph at Melle highlighted France’s military innovation under Saxe’s leadership. It weakened Habsburg control and boosted French morale across Europe. The capture of Ghent further secured France’s strategic position in the Low Countries.
1745
Battle of Melle
Ghent
1755day.year
The Braddock Expedition is soundly defeated by a smaller French and Native American force in its attempt to capture Fort Duquesne in what is now downtown Pittsburgh.
General Braddock’s British expedition is ambushed and crushed by French and Native American forces near Fort Duquesne.
On July 9, 1755, during the French and Indian War, British troops under General Edward Braddock marched to seize Fort Duquesne at present-day Pittsburgh. Near the Monongahela River, they were ambushed by a smaller force of French soldiers and Native American allies hidden in the woods. The British suffered devastating losses, and Braddock himself was mortally wounded. The defeat, known as Braddock’s Defeat, exposed the vulnerability of European-style tactics in North American terrain. A young George Washington distinguished himself by organizing a retreat. The battle reshaped British military strategy and underscored the complexities of colonial warfare.
1755
Braddock Expedition
soundly defeated
Native American
Fort Duquesne
downtown Pittsburgh
1790day.year
The Swedish Navy captures one third of the Russian Baltic fleet.
In 1790, amid the Russo-Swedish War, the Swedish Navy secured a major victory by capturing one third of the Russian Baltic fleet.
The action took place in the Baltic Sea during the closing phase of the Russo-Swedish War. The Swedish fleet, under King Gustav III, outmaneuvered its Russian counterpart and seized several ships. Nearly one third of the Russian Baltic fleet was taken, delivering a severe blow to Russia’s naval strength in the region. This triumph boosted Swedish morale and influenced the subsequent peace negotiations at Värälä. The engagement highlighted Sweden’s naval capabilities and strategic surprise tactics. It remains a notable episode in 18th-century Northern European conflicts.
1790
Swedish Navy
captures one third
Russian Baltic fleet
1807day.year
The second Treaty of Tilsit is signed between France and Prussia, ending the War of the Fourth Coalition.
On July 9, 1807, France and Prussia signed the second Treaty of Tilsit, concluding the War of the Fourth Coalition.
Negotiated by Napoleon Bonaparte after his victories at Jena and Auerstädt, the treaty formalized peace terms between France and Prussia. Prussia ceded significant territories and accepted a French alliance that reshaped Central Europe’s political balance. The agreement also imposed commercial barriers against Britain and laid the groundwork for the Continental System. This settlement marked the zenith of Napoleonic power and influenced European diplomacy for years. The territorial reorganization diminished Prussian influence and enhanced French dominance. The Treaty of Tilsit set precedents for subsequent Napoleonic client states.
1807
Treaty of Tilsit
France
Prussia
War of the Fourth Coalition
1810day.year
Napoleon annexes the Kingdom of Holland as part of the First French Empire.
In 1810, Napoleon formally annexed the Kingdom of Holland into the French Empire, dissolving his brother’s rule.
After years of indirect control through his brother King Louis Bonaparte, Napoleon decided to incorporate Holland directly into France. The annexation secured Dutch ports and resources critical for the Continental blockade against Britain. Dutch institutions were reorganized under French administrative and legal systems, and mandatory conscription was introduced. The move faced resistance from local elites and sparked popular discontent. It aimed to fortify Napoleon’s northern frontier and strengthen the Continental System. Holland remained under French rule until the empire’s collapse in 1813.
1810
Napoleon
Kingdom of Holland