July 17

Events

180day.year

Twelve inhabitants of Scillium (near Kasserine, modern-day Tunisia) in North Africa are executed for being Christians. This is the earliest record of Christianity in that part of the world.

In 180 CE, twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa were executed for being Christians, marking the earliest record of the faith in the region.
In 180 CE, a group of twelve residents of Scillium (near modern-day Kasserine, Tunisia) were arrested and charged with practicing Christianity. They were executed under Roman authority, making it the earliest documented case of Christian martyrdom in that part of North Africa. This incident highlights the tense relationship between emerging Christian communities and the Roman state. The executions would echo through history as a poignant example of early persecution. Over time, these martyrs became symbols of steadfast faith in the face of harsh suppression.
180 Twelve inhabitants Scillium Tunisia Christianity in that part of the world
1048day.year

Damasus II is elected pope, and dies 23 days later.

In 1048, Damasus II was elected pope but died just 23 days into his papacy.
Damasus II ascended to the papal throne in July 1048, taking office during a turbulent period for the medieval Church. His brief tenure of just 23 days remains one of the shortest papacies in history. Despite its brevity, his election was part of the broader struggle between secular and ecclesiastical powers over control of the papacy. Very little of his policy or leadership style is documented due to the sudden nature of his death. His passing paved the way for continued contestation over papal succession in the years that followed.
1048 Damasus II
1203day.year

The Fourth Crusade assaults Constantinople. The Byzantine emperor Alexios III Angelos flees from his capital into exile.

In 1203, forces of the Fourth Crusade attacked Constantinople, leading to the exile of Emperor Alexios III Angelos.
The Fourth Crusade, originally intended to reclaim Jerusalem, diverted to Constantinople in July 1203. Crusader armies landed on the outskirts of the Byzantine capital and began a siege that shocked Christendom. Emperor Alexios III Angelos, facing overwhelming odds, fled the city and sought refuge abroad. The assault marked a critical turning point in Byzantine history and weakened the empire’s defenses. It set the stage for the eventual sack of Constantinople in 1204 and deepened the rift between Eastern and Western Christianity.
1203 Fourth Crusade Constantinople Byzantine emperor Alexios III Angelos
1402day.year

Zhu Di, better known by his era name as the Yongle Emperor, assumes the throne over the Ming dynasty of China.

In 1402, Zhu Di seized the throne of the Ming dynasty and became known as the Yongle Emperor.
After leading a rebellion against his nephew, Jianwen Emperor, Zhu Di captured Nanjing and declared himself the Yongle Emperor in July 1402. His accession inaugurated one of the most dynamic reigns of the Ming dynasty, marked by major construction projects and administrative reforms. He moved the capital to Beijing and commissioned the building of the Forbidden City. Yongle also sponsored the famous maritime expeditions of Zheng He, expanding China’s influence across the Indian Ocean. His rule left an enduring legacy on Chinese culture, governance, and foreign relations.
1402 era name Yongle Emperor Ming dynasty
1429day.year

Hundred Years' War: Charles VII of France is crowned the King of France in the Reims Cathedral after a successful campaign by Joan of Arc.

In 1429, Charles VII was crowned King of France at Reims Cathedral following Joan of Arc’s pivotal military support.
During the Hundred Years’ War, French forces, inspired by Joan of Arc, marched triumphantly towards Reims in July 1429. Joan’s leadership lifted the siege of Orléans and shifted the momentum in favor of Charles VII. On July 17, Charles VII was officially crowned at Reims Cathedral, solidifying his claim to the throne. The coronation served as a powerful symbol of French resistance and national unity against English domination. Joan of Arc’s involvement forever cemented her status as a heroine of France and changed the course of the conflict.
1429 Hundred Years' War Charles VII of France crowned Reims Cathedral Joan of Arc
1453day.year

Battle of Castillon: The last battle of the Hundred Years' War, the French under Jean Bureau defeat the English under the Earl of Shrewsbury, who is killed in the battle in Gascony.

In 1453, the Battle of Castillon marked the final engagement of the Hundred Years’ War, ending English rule in southwestern France.
Fought on July 17, 1453, the Battle of Castillon was characterized by the French army’s innovative use of field artillery under Jean Bureau. English forces led by the Earl of Shrewsbury attempted to relieve the besieged town but were overwhelmed by well-positioned cannon fire. The Earl of Shrewsbury himself was killed during the assault, delivering a devastating blow to English morale. This defeat effectively ended the Hundred Years’ War and solidified French control over Gascony. The battle is often cited as a turning point in medieval warfare, demonstrating the growing importance of artillery on the battlefield.
1453 Battle of Castillon Hundred Years' War Jean Bureau Earl of Shrewsbury Gascony
1489day.year

Sikandar Lodi succeeds Bahlul Khan Lodi as Sultan of Delhi.

In 1489, Sikandar Lodi succeeded his father Bahlul Khan Lodi as Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate.
Following the death of his father, Bahlul Khan Lodi, Sikandar Lodi ascended to the throne of the Delhi Sultanate in July 1489. His reign was marked by efforts to consolidate central authority and suppress regional rebellions. Sikandar strengthened the administrative machinery and implemented fiscal reforms to increase state revenue. He also promoted Islamic scholarship and built several mosques and madrassas in the capital. Under his leadership, the Lodi dynasty reached new heights before its eventual decline in the early 16th century.
1489 Sikandar Lodi Bahlul Khan Lodi Sultan of Delhi
1717day.year

King George I of Great Britain sails down the River Thames with a barge of 50 musicians, where George Frideric Handel's Water Music is premiered.

In 1717, King George I travelled down the Thames in a musical barge to debut Handel’s Water Music.
On July 17, 1717, King George I of Great Britain commissioned a floating concert aboard a royal barge on the River Thames. A fifty-piece ensemble performed George Frideric Handel’s newly composed Water Music for the monarch and his guests. The event was both a display of royal pageantry and a promotional spectacle for the composer. It helped establish Handel’s reputation in London and inspired a lifelong engagement between the king and the arts. Water Music remains one of Handel’s most celebrated orchestral works and a landmark in Baroque music history.
1717 George I of Great Britain River Thames George Frideric Handel Water Music
1762day.year

Former emperor Peter III of Russia is murdered.

In 1762, the deposed Russian Emperor Peter III was murdered shortly after his overthrow.
After being forced to abdicate in June 1762, Peter III was detained at the palace of his brother-in-law, Prince Dolgorukov. On July 17, his captors carried out his murder, ending his life at the age of 34. His death removed any immediate threat to the reign of his wife, Catherine the Great, who succeeded him. The circumstances of his assassination remain shrouded in intrigues and court conspiracies. Peter’s brief reign and violent end have fueled centuries of speculation about palace politics in imperial Russia.
1762 Peter III of Russia
1771day.year

Bloody Falls massacre: Chipewyan chief Matonabbee, traveling as the guide to Samuel Hearne on his Arctic overland journey, massacres a group of unsuspecting Inuit.

In 1771, during Samuel Hearne’s expedition, Matonabbee led the massacre of Inuit at Bloody Falls in present-day Canada.
As part of an Arctic overland exploration, Chipewyan chief Matonabbee guided Samuel Hearne across the Canadian tundra. On July 17, 1771, the party arrived at Bloody Falls on the Coppermine River, where Matonabbee and his warriors attacked a camp of sedentary Inuit. The massacre of men, women, and children shocked Hearne and became one of the darkest episodes in early Canadian exploration. Hearne documented the event in his journals, providing one of the first written accounts of the massacre. The incident remains a significant and tragic moment in the history of Indigenous and European encounters in North America.
1771 Bloody Falls massacre Chipewyan Matonabbee Samuel Hearne Inuit
1791day.year

Members of the French National Guard under the command of General Lafayette open fire on a crowd of radical Jacobins at the Champ de Mars, Paris, during the French Revolution, killing scores of people.

During the tense early years of the French Revolution, Lafayette's troops fire on protesting Jacobins at the Champ de Mars, resulting in many casualties.
On July 17, 1791, political tension in Paris erupted when General Lafayette ordered the National Guard to disperse a gathering of radical Jacobins at the Champ de Mars. The crowd, demonstrating for a republic and the removal of King Louis XVI, was met with musket fire. Estimates of those killed vary, but scores perished in the incident. This massacre deepened divisions within revolutionary factions and tarnished Lafayette's reputation. The event highlighted the fragility of revolutionary ideals and the lengths leaders would go to maintain order amid political unrest.
1791 French National Guard General Lafayette open fire Jacobins Champ de Mars French Revolution
1794day.year

The 16 Carmelite Martyrs of Compiègne are executed ten days prior to the end of the French Revolution's Reign of Terror.

A group of 16 Carmelite nuns at Compiègne are guillotined at the climax of the Reign of Terror just days before its end.
On July 17, 1794, sixteen Carmelite nuns imprisoned in Compiègne for their faith faced the guillotine. Despite offers to renounce their vows, they chose to remain steadfast, singing hymns on the way to their execution. Their sacrifice occurred ten days before the fall of Maximilien Robespierre and the end of the Reign of Terror. The public was moved by their unwavering devotion, and the event fueled growing opposition to the revolutionary government's harsh measures. Today, the Carmelite Martyrs are remembered as beacons of faith during one of France's bloodiest chapters.
1794 Carmelite Martyrs of Compiègne Reign of Terror