1419day.year
First Defenestration of Prague: A crowd of radical Hussites kill seven members of the Prague city council.
In 1419, a mob of radical Hussites threw seven Prague city councilors from the New Town Hall windows, sparking the Hussite Wars.
The First Defenestration of Prague took place on July 30, 1419, when a group of radical Hussites led by Jan Želivský stormed the New Town Hall. They demanded the release of imprisoned Hussite protesters and reforms within the Catholic Church. When negotiations broke down, the mob forcibly removed council members and defenestrated them, killing seven officials. This dramatic act of rebellion escalated tensions between Hussites and Catholic authorities. It directly triggered the Hussite Wars, a decade-long conflict across Bohemia. The defenestration remains a powerful symbol of Czech resistance against religious oppression.
1419
First Defenestration of Prague
Hussites
Prague
1609day.year
Beaver Wars: At Ticonderoga (now Crown Point, New York), Samuel de Champlain shoots and kills two Iroquois chiefs on behalf of his native allies.
In 1609, Samuel de Champlain, allied with the Algonquin, killed two Iroquois chiefs at Ticonderoga during the Beaver Wars.
The Beaver Wars, fought over fur trade dominance in North America, saw French forces clash with the Iroquois confederacy. On July 30, 1609, Samuel de Champlain accompanied his Algonquin and Huron allies to Ticonderoga, now known as Crown Point, New York. During a skirmish, Champlain fired upon and killed two leading Iroquois chiefs. This action drew the French into a prolonged conflict against the Iroquois and reshaped power dynamics in the region. Champlain’s involvement secured Algonquin support for future French colonial ambitions. The event heightened tensions and ushered in decades of warfare over control of the fur trade. It also laid groundwork for French exploration and settlement in the Great Lakes region.
1609
Beaver Wars
Ticonderoga
Crown Point, New York
Samuel de Champlain
Iroquois
1635day.year
Eighty Years' War: The Siege of Schenkenschans begins; Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange, begins the recapture of the strategically important fortress from the Spanish Army.
Frederick Henry began the Siege of Schenkenschans on July 30, 1635, aiming to recapture the fortress from the Spanish during the Eighty Years' War.
The Siege of Schenkenschans commenced on July 30, 1635, when Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange, led Dutch forces against the Spanish-held fortress. Located at a strategic point near the Rhine and Waal rivers, Schenkenschans controlled key supply routes. The prince deployed artillery and constructed siege works to encircle the stronghold. After weeks of bombardment and cutting off reinforcements, the Spanish garrison surrendered. The capture of Schenkenschans bolstered the Dutch war effort and secured the eastern frontier of the United Provinces. This victory showcased Frederick Henry’s skillful coordination of infantry, cavalry, and engineering units. The siege’s success contributed to the eventual conclusion of the Eighty Years' War with Dutch independence.
1635
Eighty Years' War
Siege of Schenkenschans
Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
Spanish Army
1645day.year
English Civil War: Scottish Covenanter forces under the Earl of Leven launch the Siege of Hereford, a remaining Royalist stronghold.
Scottish Covenanter forces laid siege to the Royalist-held city of Hereford on July 30, 1645, during the English Civil War.
On July 30, 1645, Scottish Covenanter troops under the Earl of Leven encircled Hereford, one of the last Royalist bastions in western England. The Covenanters had allied with the English Parliamentarians against King Charles I. They established artillery positions around the city walls and cut off supply lines. Despite initial Royalist resistance, the siege eventually forced Hereford’s defenders into a defensive posture. This operation aimed to secure the Severn Valley and limit Royalist movements. The siege demonstrated the effectiveness of coordinated Anglo-Scottish forces in the broader civil war. Although Hereford held out until later engagements, its encirclement marked a turning point in Parliamentarian campaigns.
1645
English Civil War
Scottish
Covenanter
Earl of Leven
Siege of Hereford
Royalist
1656day.year
The Battle of Warsaw ends with a Swedish-Brandenburger victory over a larger Polish-Lithuanian force.
The Battle of Warsaw ended on July 30, 1656, with Swedish and Brandenburg forces defeating a larger Polish–Lithuanian army in the Second Northern War.
Fought on July 30, 1656, the Battle of Warsaw was a decisive engagement in the Second Northern War. A combined Swedish-Brandenburger army under King Charles X Gustav confronted Polish–Lithuanian forces led by King John II Casimir. Despite being outnumbered, the more disciplined Swedish and Brandenburg units executed a flanking maneuver that broke the Commonwealth lines. Heavy casualties forced the Polish–Lithuanian army to withdraw across the Vistula River. The victory solidified Swedish control over parts of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and strengthened Brandenburg’s position in European politics. However, logistical challenges prevented Charles X Gustav from capitalizing further. The battle remains one of the largest military engagements of the 17th century.
1656
Battle of Warsaw
Swedish
Brandenburger
Polish-Lithuanian
1676day.year
Nathaniel Bacon issues the "Declaration of the People of Virginia", beginning Bacon's Rebellion against the rule of Governor William Berkeley.
In 1676, Nathaniel Bacon issued the 'Declaration of the People of Virginia', igniting Bacon's Rebellion against Governor William Berkeley's administration.
Nathaniel Bacon’s Declaration, proclaimed on July 30, 1676, challenged the authority of Virginia’s Governor William Berkeley and colonial elites. Frustrated by frontier attacks, high taxes, and perceived favoritism toward established planters, Bacon rallied small farmers, servants, and freedmen. His manifesto accused Berkeley of corruption and failure to protect settlers from Indigenous raids. Bacon’s forces marched on Jamestown, burning the settlement and seizing political power. The insurrection highlighted deep social and economic divisions in early colonial society. Although Bacon’s sudden death and royal intervention quelled the rebellion, it exposed vulnerabilities in colonial governance. Historians view Bacon’s Rebellion as a precursor to later American revolutionary sentiment and an early test of colonial self-rule.
1676
Nathaniel Bacon
Bacon's Rebellion
William Berkeley
1811day.year
Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, leader of the Mexican insurgency, is executed by the Spanish in Chihuahua City, Mexico.
Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a key leader of Mexico's fight for independence, was executed by Spanish authorities in Chihuahua City in 1811.
On July 30, 1811, Spanish colonial forces captured and executed Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in Chihuahua City.
Hidalgo had sparked the Mexican War of Independence two years earlier with his famous Grito de Dolores.
After leading insurgent forces through central Mexico, he was betrayed, arrested, and put on trial by ecclesiastical authorities.
His execution turned him into a martyr and rallied support for continued resistance against Spanish rule.
Despite his death, the independence movement persisted under new leaders like José María Morelos.
Hidalgo is remembered today as the Father of Mexican Independence and a national hero.
1811
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla
Mexican insurgency
Chihuahua City
1864day.year
American Civil War: Battle of the Crater: Union forces attempt to break Confederate lines at Petersburg, Virginia by exploding a large bomb under their trenches.
During the American Civil War, Union forces blew up a mine beneath Confederate lines at Petersburg, Virginia, in the 1864 Battle of the Crater.
On the night of July 30, 1864, soldiers of the 48th Pennsylvania Infantry tunneled under Confederate earthworks near Petersburg.
They detonated 8,000 pounds of explosives, creating a massive crater and breaching enemy defenses.
Confederate troops quickly regrouped, and Union forces struggled to exploit the breach amid confusion.
The botched assault resulted in heavy casualties, with hundreds killed or wounded on both sides.
The battle highlighted innovation in siege warfare but exposed flaws in command and coordination.
It became one of the Civil War's most dramatic and tragic episodes at the Petersburg siege.
1864
American Civil War
Battle of the Crater
Union
Confederate
Petersburg, Virginia
1916day.year
The Black Tom explosion in New York Harbor kills four and destroys some $20,000,000 worth of military goods.
A massive wartime sabotage at New York Harbor's Black Tom terminal destroys millions in military supplies and kills four people.
On July 30, 1916, a massive explosion rocked the Black Tom munitions depot on New York Harbor, sending shockwaves across the city. The blast, later attributed to German agents seeking to undermine Allied arms supplies, shattered windows and crumbled buildings for miles. Four people were killed outright, and property damage exceeded $20 million in early 20th-century dollars. The event exposed vulnerabilities in domestic security during World War I. Investigations revealed coordinated sabotage efforts aimed at disrupting American support for the Allies. The disaster led to enhanced intelligence operations and stricter harbor security. It remains one of the largest acts of foreign sabotage on U.S. soil.
1916
Black Tom explosion
1945day.year
World War II: Japanese submarine I-58 sinks the USS Indianapolis, killing 883 seamen. Most die during the following four days, until an aircraft notices the survivors.
During World War II, the Japanese submarine I-58 torpedoes the USS Indianapolis, leading to one of the worst naval disasters at sea.
On July 30, 1945, the Japanese submarine I-58 attacked the USS Indianapolis in the Philippine Sea, delivering fatal torpedoes that sank the cruiser in minutes. Of the 1,196 men aboard, 300 went down with the ship and the remaining 883 faced shark-infested waters with minimal lifeboats. Due to the ship's secret mission, no immediate distress signal was sent, and the survivors drifted for four harrowing days. Exposure, dehydration, and shark attacks claimed hundreds more before a patrol plane spotted them. Only 316 men were rescued, making it one of the deadliest maritime losses in U.S. naval history. The tragedy highlighted communication failures and led to changes in Navy rescue procedures.
1945
World War II
Japanese submarine I-58
USS Indianapolis
1990day.year
Ian Gow, Conservative Member of Parliament, is assassinated at his home by the IRA in a car bombing after he assured the group that the British government would never surrender to them.
Conservative MP Ian Gow is assassinated by an IRA car bomb at his home in a politically motivated attack.
On July 30, 1990, British Conservative Member of Parliament Ian Gow was killed by an Irish Republican Army car bomb outside his home in East Sussex. Gow, a close ally of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, had been outspoken against concessions to the IRA. The attack underscored the IRA’s campaign to influence British policy through violence. His death shocked the political community and intensified security measures for public officials. Investigations linked the bombing to the Provisional IRA’s strategy of high-profile attacks. Gow’s assassination remains a stark reminder of the Troubles and the dangers faced by politicians during that period. The event contributed to ongoing debates over peace negotiations and counterterrorism efforts in the UK and Ireland.
1990
Ian Gow
IRA
2006day.year
An Israeli airstrike kills 28 Lebanese civilians, including 16 children.
An Israeli airstrike struck Lebanon, tragically killing 28 civilians, including 16 children.
During ongoing conflicts in 2006, an Israeli airstrike targeted an area in southern Lebanon.
The strike resulted in the deaths of 28 Lebanese civilians, among them 16 children.
Local reports and international observers raised concerns over the strike’s legality under humanitarian law.
The incident fueled further tensions between Israel and Hezbollah militants in the region.
Human rights groups called for investigations into civilian casualties and urged measures to protect non-combatants.
The event remains a somber reminder of the human cost of military operations in populated areas.
An Israeli airstrike