477 BC
Battle of the Cremera as part of the Roman–Etruscan Wars. Veii ambushes and defeats the Roman army.
In 477 BC, the Etruscan city of Veii ambushed a Roman army at the Cremera River during the Roman–Etruscan Wars. The sudden attack led to a decisive defeat for Rome's forces.
The Battle of the Cremera began in 477 BC when forces from the Etruscan city of Veii executed a well-planned ambush along the Cremera River. The Roman army, largely composed of the Fabian family's contingent, marched into the trap underestimating their enemy. According to later accounts, nearly 306 Roman soldiers were slain, effectively wiping out one of Rome's most prominent families. This crushing defeat exposed vulnerabilities in Rome's early military organization and challenged its growing influence in the region. It took several years for Rome to muster the strength and resolve to retaliate against Veii. The battle became a cautionary tale of overconfidence and the importance of strategic reconnaissance in ancient warfare.
477 BC
Battle of the Cremera
Roman–Etruscan Wars
Veii
Roman
387 BC
Roman-Gaulish Wars: Battle of the Allia: A Roman army is defeated by raiding Gauls, leading to the subsequent sacking of Rome.
In 387 BC, a Roman army suffered a catastrophic defeat by a Gaulish force at the Battle of the Allia, leading to the infamous sack of Rome.
Fought on July 18, 387 BC, the Battle of the Allia saw a large contingent of the Senone Gauls clash with a hastily assembled Roman force. The Romans, poorly organized and outmatched, broke ranks and fled. The Gauls then marched on Rome unopposed, entering the city and looting for several days. The fall of Rome following the battle shocked the ancient world and challenged Rome's perceived invincibility. This event prompted significant military and political reforms, including the strengthening of the city's defenses. It also cemented the Gauls' reputation as formidable foes in subsequent Roman campaigns. The sack at the Allia became a defining moment of crisis and resilience in Roman memory.
387 BC
Roman
Gaulish
Battle of the Allia
Gauls
Rome
362day.year
Roman–Persian Wars: Emperor Julian arrives at Antioch with a Roman expeditionary force (60,000 men) and stays there for nine months to launch a campaign against the Persian Empire.
In 362 AD, Roman Emperor Julian arrived at Antioch with a 60,000-strong expeditionary force, delaying for nine months to prepare his campaign against the Sasanian Persian Empire.
Emperor Julian, later known as Julian the Apostate, reached the eastern city of Antioch in 362 AD at the head of approximately 60,000 troops. The city served as the main logistical base for his ambitious invasion of Persia. During the nine-month stay, Julian consolidated supplies, constructed siege equipment, and established supply lines. He negotiated with local authorities and sought alliances with neighboring kingdoms to bolster his forces. The prolonged buildup demonstrated Rome's strategic depth but also exposed the challenges of sustaining a large army far from the capital. Eventually, Julian crossed the Euphrates and advanced toward the Persian capital of Ctesiphon. Though initially successful, his campaign ended abruptly when he died in battle, forcing a retreat and the signing of an unfavorable peace treaty.
362
Roman–Persian Wars
Julian
Antioch
Persian Empire
452day.year
Sack of Aquileia: After an earlier defeat on the Catalaunian Plains, Attila lays siege to the metropolis of Aquileia and eventually destroys it.
In 452 AD, after defeat at the Catalaunian Plains, Attila the Hun besieged and destroyed the city of Aquileia, marking one of the most brutal sackings of his Italian campaign.
Following his setback at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains, Attila the Hun targeted the wealthy city of Aquileia in 452 AD. The city's formidable walls withstood months of siege, but relentless assault and famine weakened the defenders. Attila's forces eventually breached the fortifications, unleashing widespread looting and destruction. Contemporary chronicles describe brutal massacres of the civilian population and the city's complete desolation. The fall of Aquileia triggered a large-scale refugee crisis as survivors fled in all directions. Though the Western Roman Empire managed to stabilize after this event, Aquileia never regained its former prominence. The siege highlighted the empire's vulnerability and foreshadowed the shifts leading to the early medieval period.
452
Sack of Aquileia
defeat on the Catalaunian Plains
Attila
Aquileia
645day.year
Chinese forces under general Li Shiji besiege the strategic fortress city of Anshi (Liaoning) during the Goguryeo–Tang War.
In 645 AD, Tang general Li Shiji besieged the fortress city of Anshi in modern Liaoning during the Goguryeo–Tang War, a pivotal clash on the Korean frontier.
During the Goguryeo–Tang War, General Li Shiji led a Tang dynasty army against the strategic fortress of Anshi in 645 AD. Employing siege towers, battering rams, and mining tactics, the Tang forces pressed the city's defenses for months. The Goguryeo garrison, though outnumbered, mounted fierce resistance and repelled multiple assaults. Persistent shortages of food and ammunition eventually forced the defenders to capitulate. The fall of Anshi opened the way for further Tang incursions into the Korean peninsula. Despite this victory, Tang advances stalled due to logistical challenges and counterattacks by Goguryeo forces. The siege demonstrated both the military prowess and the supply vulnerabilities of early medieval Asian empires.
645
Li Shiji
Anshi
Liaoning
Goguryeo–Tang War
1195day.year
Battle of Alarcos: Almohad forces defeat the Castilian army of Alfonso VIII and force its retreat to Toledo.
In 1195, Almohad Caliph Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur led his forces to a decisive victory over King Alfonso VIII of Castile at the Battle of Alarcos.
On July 18, 1195, near the Guadiana River, the Almohad army commanded by Caliph Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur faced the Castilian forces of Alfonso VIII. The Christian knights launched a bold cavalry charge but were encircled by the more numerous Almohad troops. Once isolated, the Castilian army suffered heavy casualties and was forced into a disorderly retreat. King Alfonso narrowly escaped to Toledo, where he bolstered the city's defenses against further attacks. The victory at Alarcos signified the peak of Almohad power in Iberia and dealt a severe blow to the Reconquista momentum. However, this dominance was temporary; the Christian kingdoms later regrouped and triumphed at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212. Alarcos remains a key example of medieval warfare tactics and cross-cultural conflict in Spain.
1195
Battle of Alarcos
Almohad
Castilian
Alfonso VIII
Toledo
1290day.year
King Edward I of England issues the Edict of Expulsion, banishing all Jews (numbering about 16,000) from England.
On July 18, 1290, King Edward I of England issued the Edict of Expulsion, banning all Jews from the realm and seizing their property.
The Edict of Expulsion represented the culmination of mounting anti-Jewish laws and social pressures in 13th-century England. Jews were ordered to leave by All Saints' Day 1290, facing harsh penalties if they remained. The crown confiscated Jewish assets and debts, transferring significant wealth to the royal treasury. Displaced Jewish families traveled across Europe, encountering varying degrees of welcome and persecution. The expulsion remained in effect for over three centuries, only lifted by Oliver Cromwell in 1656. This decree had lasting economic and cultural impacts, altering trade networks and communal life. Historians view the edict as a stark example of medieval intolerance and state-sanctioned discrimination.
1290
Edward I of England
Edict of Expulsion
1334day.year
The bishop of Florence blesses the first foundation stone for the new campanile (bell tower) of the Florence Cathedral, designed by the artist Giotto di Bondone.
On July 18, 1334, the bishop of Florence blessed the cornerstone for Giotto di Bondone’s bell tower at the Florence Cathedral, marking the start of its construction.
Bishop Francesco Silvestri led the ceremonial blessing of the foundation stone for the new campanile adjacent to the Florence Cathedral on July 18, 1334. Renowned artist Giotto di Bondone designed the tower, blending Gothic style with emerging Florentine artistry. Giotto oversaw the early construction phases until his death in 1337, after which other masters continued his vision. The campanile features white, green, and red marble panels decorated with intricate reliefs and sculptures. Rising over 84 meters, it complements Brunelleschi’s later dome and enhances Florence's skyline. The bell tower became a symbol of the city's artistic ambition and civic pride. Centuries later, Giotto's Campanile remains a landmark of medieval Italian architecture.
1334
Florence
campanile
Florence Cathedral
Giotto di Bondone
1389day.year
France and England agree to the Truce of Leulinghem, inaugurating a 13-year peace, the longest period of sustained peace during the Hundred Years' War.
On July 18, 1389, the Truce of Leulinghem was signed between England and France, initiating a 13-year pause in the Hundred Years’ War.
Negotiated near Ardres on July 18, 1389, the Truce of Leulinghem brought a temporary halt to active hostilities between Charles VI of France and Richard II of England. Both kingdoms sought relief from war-weariness, financial strain, and internal political unrest. The agreement allowed for prisoner exchanges, regulated trade, and a cessation of border raids. During the truce, affected regions experienced relative stability and a modest revival of commerce. Nevertheless, underground skirmishes and raids periodically violated the terms. The peace held until 1402, making it the longest uninterrupted lull in the protracted conflict. The truce demonstrated the occasional triumph of diplomatic negotiation over martial ambition in medieval Europe.
1389
France
England
Truce of Leulinghem
Hundred Years' War
1507day.year
In Brussels, Prince Charles I is crowned Duke of Burgundy and Count of Flanders, a year after inheriting the title.
On July 18, 1507, Prince Charles of Habsburg was crowned Duke of Burgundy and Count of Flanders in Brussels, consolidating his inherited titles.
The investiture ceremony in Brussels on July 18, 1507, formally recognized Prince Charles of Habsburg as Duke of Burgundy and Count of Flanders. He had inherited these titles from his grandmother, Mary of Burgundy, five years earlier. The extravagant celebrations included pageants, feasts, and the attendance of local nobility and foreign envoys. The event underscored the importance of the Burgundian territories within Charles's expanding domains. Securing loyalty among Flemish cities and nobles was crucial for his future aspirations. Charles would later become King of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor, using Burgundy as the core of his European power. The 1507 coronation marked a key moment in the ascent of the Habsburg dynasty.
1507
Brussels
Prince Charles I
Duke of Burgundy and Count of Flanders
1555day.year
The College of Arms is reincorporated by Royal charter signed by Queen Mary I of England and King Philip II of Spain.
Queen Mary I and King Philip II granted a royal charter reinstating the College of Arms, England's official heraldic authority.
On 18 July 1555, Queen Mary I of England and her husband King Philip II of Spain signed a Royal charter reincorporating the College of Arms.
The College served as the crown's official heraldic authority, regulating coats of arms and genealogies among the English nobility.
The charter restored and expanded its powers, cementing its role in overseeing heraldic grants and ceremonial protocol.
Based in London, the College of Arms became an enduring institution charged with maintaining the official register of pedigrees and coats of arms.
Its officers, known as Kings of Arms, heralds, and pursuivants, held special privileges in state ceremonies and tournaments.
The 1555 charter remains a foundational legal document for the modern College and its continuing function.
1555
College of Arms
Royal charter
Mary I of England
Philip II of Spain
1723day.year
Johann Sebastian Bach leads the first performance of his cantata Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz, BWV 136, in Leipzig on the eighth Sunday after Trinity.
Johann Sebastian Bach conducted the premiere of his cantata BWV 136 in Leipzig, showcasing his early Leipzig style.
On 18 July 1723, Johann Sebastian Bach premiered his cantata Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz (BWV 136) at the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig.
The work was part of his first cycle of cantatas composed during his initial months as Thomaskantor.
Scored for choir, soloists and orchestra, BWV 136 explores themes of divine wisdom and self-examination.
Bach led the musicians and vocalists in a lavish liturgical performance for the eighth Sunday after Trinity.
The cantata's intricate counterpoint and expressive arias exemplify Bach's early Leipzig style.
This premiere solidified his reputation in one of Europe's leading musical centers.
Today, BWV 136 remains a cherished example of Bach's sacred vocal music.
1723
Johann Sebastian Bach
Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz, BWV 136
Trinity