811day.year
Byzantine emperor Nikephoros I plunders the Bulgarian capital of Pliska and captures Khan Krum's treasury.
In 811, Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros I sacked the Bulgarian capital of Pliska, seizing Khan Krum's vast treasury.
In the summer of 811, Emperor Nikephoros I mounted a bold campaign against the First Bulgarian Empire.
His forces marched to Pliska, the kingdom's fortified capital, surprising its defenders.
The Byzantines breached the walls and looted the royal palace, capturing Krum's treasury of gold and silver.
This wealthy haul was transported back to Constantinople as both spoils and a political message.
While the raid demonstrated Byzantine military prowess, it also steeled Bulgarian determination for future conflicts.
Historians view the attack as a turning point in the protracted Byzantine-Bulgarian wars of the early 9th century.
811
Byzantine
Nikephoros I
Bulgarian
Pliska
Krum
1319day.year
A Knights Hospitaller fleet scores a crushing victory over an Aydinid fleet off Chios.
In 1319, a Knights Hospitaller fleet routed the Aydinid navy off the coast of Chios, delivering a decisive Crusader victory.
On July 23, 1319, the Knights Hospitaller mobilized their galleys to engage the Aydinid flotilla near Chios.
The Hospitallers, seasoned maritime warriors of the Crusader period, leveraged superior tactics and firepower.
After fierce combat, they overwhelmed the Aydinids and captured several enemy vessels.
This triumph secured critical sea lanes in the eastern Mediterranean.
It also bolstered the Hospitaller Order's reputation as a formidable naval power.
The defeat dealt a serious setback to Aydinid ambitions and piracy in the region.
The battle exemplified the strategic importance of naval warfare during the 14th century Crusader conflicts.
1319
Knights Hospitaller
crushing victory
Aydinid
Chios
1632day.year
Three hundred colonists bound for New France depart from Dieppe, France.
In 1632, three hundred French colonists set sail from Dieppe to reinforce the settlement of New France in North America.
On July 23, 1632, a group of three hundred settlers departed Dieppe aboard ships bound for New France.
Their voyage was organized by French colonial authorities aiming to strengthen France’s North American claims.
This expedition followed the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, which returned the territory to French control.
The colonists carried provisions, tools, and seeds to establish farms and communities along the St. Lawrence River.
The Atlantic crossing tested the settlers with harsh weather and cramped conditions.
Upon arrival, they laid the foundations for new villages that would evolve into modern Quebec and Montreal.
This migration marked a vital step in the expansion of French culture in the New World.
1632
New France
Dieppe
1677day.year
Scanian War: Denmark–Norway captures the harbor town of Marstrand from Sweden.
During the Scanian War in 1677, Denmark–Norway captured the strategic Swedish harbor town of Marstrand.
On July 23, 1677, Danish–Norwegian forces launched an assault on Marstrand, a key port on Sweden’s western coast.
The allied troops combined land and naval maneuvers to breach the town’s defenses.
After intense fighting, the Swedish garrison capitulated, and the harbor fell under Allied control.
This victory provided a vital naval base for further operations against Swedish supply lines.
The occupation of Marstrand disrupted regional trade and pressured King Charles XI of Sweden.
Though brief, the conquest demonstrated evolving siege techniques and joint-force coordination in Northern European warfare.
1677
Scanian War
Denmark–Norway
captures
Marstrand
1793day.year
Kingdom of Prussia re-conquers Mainz from France.
In 1793, Prussian forces reconquered the city of Mainz from revolutionary France during the War of the First Coalition.
On July 23, 1793, the Kingdom of Prussia joined Austrian allies in besieging Mainz to expel French revolutionary troops.
The city had been under French control since the prior year, serving as a revolutionary stronghold along the Rhine.
Prussian artillery and infantry encircled Mainz, cutting off supplies and bombarding its fortifications.
After weeks of stern resistance, the French garrison surrendered to coalition forces.
Reclaiming Mainz restored a critical fortress and symbolized a major victory for the First Coalition.
This success bolstered anti-French morale and influenced the wider struggle against revolutionary expansion.
1793
Kingdom of Prussia
Mainz
1813day.year
Sir Thomas Maitland is appointed as the first Governor of Malta, transforming the island from a British protectorate to a de facto colony.
Sir Thomas Maitland was appointed the first Governor of Malta in 1813, transitioning the island from a protectorate to British colonial rule.
On July 23, 1813, Sir Thomas Maitland assumed office as Malta’s inaugural British governor.
Under his administration, the island shifted from a mere protectorate to an organized colony in the Mediterranean.
Maitland enacted stringent regulations, reformed the legal system, and upgraded coastal defenses.
He centralized authority in Valletta, earning him the nickname 'King Tom' among the Maltese.
His tenure laid the administrative and infrastructural groundwork for nearly a century of British rule.
Maitland’s reforms deeply influenced Malta’s political and social evolution under colonial governance.
1813
Thomas Maitland
Governor of Malta
British protectorate
colony
1821day.year
While the Mora Rebellion continues, Greeks capture Monemvasia Castle. Turkish troops and citizens are transferred to Asia Minor's coasts.
In 1821, Greek revolutionaries captured Monemvasia Castle, advancing the cause of the Greek War of Independence.
During the early stages of the Greek War of Independence, rebel forces focused on the strategic stronghold of Monemvasia.
On July 23, they launched coordinated attacks that compelled the Ottoman garrison to surrender.
Turkish soldiers and civilians were then evacuated across the Aegean to Asia Minor.
Securing Monemvasia gave the Greeks control of the southern Peloponnese coastline.
The victory bolstered rebel morale and encouraged further uprisings against Ottoman authority.
Monemvasia’s fall underscored the importance of fortified positions in the unfolding revolt.
1821
Mora Rebellion
Monemvasia Castle
1829day.year
In the United States, William Austin Burt patents the typographer, a precursor to the typewriter.
William Austin Burt patented the typographer in 1829, an early mechanical writing device that paved the way for the modern typewriter.
On July 23, 1829, American inventor William Austin Burt was granted U.S. Patent No. 6412 for his typographer.
This apparatus used a revolving dial and mechanical striking mechanism to imprint characters one at a time on paper.
Despite its cumbersome design and slow operation, it represented a major innovation in writing technology.
Burt’s invention highlighted the potential for mechanical assistance in clerical work and communication.
Although it did not achieve widespread commercial success, the typographer inspired future inventors.
Historians regard Burt’s patent as a key precursor to the typewriters that transformed office work later in the 19th century.
1829
William Austin Burt
typographer
typewriter
1840day.year
The Province of Canada is created by the Act of Union.
The Province of Canada was established in 1840 by the Act of Union, merging Upper and Lower Canada into a single colony.
On July 23, 1840, the British Parliament passed the Act of Union, forming the Province of Canada.
This measure united Upper Canada (now Ontario) and Lower Canada (now Quebec) under one legislative assembly.
The union aimed to streamline governance and encourage the assimilation of French-speaking subjects.
Representation in the new legislature was equal, despite demographic disparities between regions.
The Act set the stage for the development of responsible government and later Confederation.
The Province of Canada would become a cornerstone of the Dominion of Canada in 1867.
1840
Province of Canada
Act of Union
1862day.year
American Civil War: Henry Halleck becomes general-in-chief of the Union Army.
In 1862, Henry Halleck was appointed general-in-chief of the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Amid the challenges of the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln appointed Major General Henry W. Halleck as general-in-chief on July 23, 1862.
Nicknamed 'Old Brains,' Halleck was renowned for his logistical expertise and scholarly approach to military science.
From his Washington headquarters, he centralized Union command structures and prioritized supply lines.
Halleck’s cautious operational style aimed to minimize casualties and secure strategic positions.
His conservative tactics, however, frustrated battlefield commanders seeking more aggressive action.
By mid-1864, Lincoln replaced Halleck in favor of leaders who could deliver decisive victories.
Halleck’s tenure nonetheless shaped early Union strategy and administrative organization during the war.
1862
American Civil War
Henry Halleck
general-in-chief
Union Army
1874day.year
Aires de Ornelas e Vasconcelos is appointed the Archbishop of the Portuguese colonial enclave of Goa, India.
In 1874, Aires de Ornelas e Vasconcelos was appointed Archbishop of Goa, strengthening the Catholic Church's influence in the Portuguese colony.
In July 1874, the Vatican and Portuguese authorities installed Aires de Ornelas e Vasconcelos as Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Goa. Goa, a strategic port on India's western coast, had long served as the center of Catholic missionary work in Asia. Archbishop Vasconcelos was charged with overseeing church affairs, education, and local clergy during a period of shifting colonial power balances. His tenure reinforced the union of religious leadership and colonial administration in Goa. The appointment highlights the role of the Catholic Church in shaping society and politics in 19th-century colonial India.
1874
Aires de Ornelas e Vasconcelos
Archbishop
Portuguese
Goa
1881day.year
The Boundary Treaty of 1881 between Chile and Argentina is signed in Buenos Aires.
On July 23, 1881, Chile and Argentina signed a treaty in Buenos Aires, defining borders in Patagonia and easing decades of dispute.
Diplomacy prevailed on July 23, 1881, when representatives of Chile and Argentina convened in Buenos Aires to sign the Boundary Treaty. The agreement settled long-standing claims over vast Patagonian territories by defining clear border lines. It established commissions to survey and demarcate disputed areas. The treaty reduced military tensions and encouraged peaceful resolution of future conflicts. It set a diplomatic precedent that shaped bilateral relations in South America for decades to come.
1881
Boundary Treaty of 1881 between Chile and Argentina
Buenos Aires