1040day.year
King Duncan I is killed in battle against his first cousin and rival Macbeth. The latter succeeds him as King of Scotland.
In 1040, King Duncan I of Scotland was slain in battle by his cousin Macbeth, who then assumed the Scottish throne in a sudden change of leadership.
In 1040, the forces of King Duncan I clashed with those commanded by his cousin Macbeth in a decisive battle. Duncan's army was overwhelmed, and he was slain on the field, plunging the Scottish monarchy into turmoil. Taking advantage of the victory, Macbeth immediately seized the crown and was crowned King of Scotland. His sudden rise to power would inspire dramatic retellings in literature and folklore, most famously by Shakespeare. Contemporary accounts suggest Macbeth's reign brought a period of relative stability despite its violent ascent. The event revealed the fragile loyalties of the Scottish nobility in the 11th century. Duncan's death ended his five-year rule and ushered in a new dynastic chapter in Scotland's history.
1040
Duncan I
Macbeth
King of Scotland
1183day.year
Taira no Munemori and the Taira clan take the young Emperor Antoku and the three sacred treasures and flee to western Japan to escape pursuit by the Minamoto clan.
In 1183, Taira no Munemori led the fleeing Taira clan, carrying Emperor Antoku and Japan's sacred treasures westward to evade the pursuing Minamoto forces.
In the summer of 1183, as the Genpei War raged, Taira no Munemori gathered the young Emperor Antoku and the Three Sacred Treasures and retreated from the capital's threat. The precious regalia—symbolizing imperial legitimacy—were carried through mountainous terrain toward the Taira stronghold in western Japan. This dramatic flight aimed to shield the emperor from the rival Minamoto clan's advance. The Minamoto forces pursued relentlessly, seeking to capture the emperor and end Taira rule. The Taira's departure marked a pivotal shift in Japan's civil conflict, as the imperial family became a strategic prize. These events set the stage for the later naval Battle of Dan-no-ura, which would decide Japan's future. The sacred treasures' fate would influence the nation's imperial continuity for generations.
1183
Taira no Munemori
Taira clan
Emperor Antoku
three sacred treasures
Minamoto clan
1264day.year
After tricking the Venetian galley fleet into sailing east to the Levant, the Genoese capture an entire Venetian trade convoy at the Battle of Saseno.
In 1264, the Republic of Genoa ambushed and captured a Venetian trade convoy at the Battle of Saseno, striking a blow in their fierce medieval rivalry.
In August 1264, Genoese ships lured a Venetian galley fleet eastward under the guise of trade, drawing them into the Levantine waters near Saseno. Once isolated, the Genoese naval commanders launched a surprise attack, overwhelming the unsuspecting Venetians. The entire trade convoy, laden with valuable goods, fell into Genoese hands without a protracted battle. This audacious victory intensified the maritime rivalry between Genoa and Venice, two of Italy's most powerful maritime republics. The loss dealt a heavy economic and psychological blow to Venetian commerce in the eastern Mediterranean. Genoa's success at Saseno underscored the era's cutthroat naval warfare and the strategic importance of intelligence and deception. The result strengthened Genoa's position as a dominant sea power during the 13th century.
1264
Venetian
galley
Levant
Genoese
Battle of Saseno
1352day.year
War of the Breton Succession: Anglo-Bretons defeat the French in the Battle of Mauron.
In 1352, Anglo-Breton forces defeated the French army at the Battle of Mauron, a key engagement during the War of the Breton Succession.
On August 14, 1352, the allied troops of England and the de Montfort faction of Brittany confronted a French royal force near Mauron. The Anglo-Breton army deployed longbowmen and dismounted knights to counter the French cavalry charge. After fierce fighting, the Franco-Breton contingent was routed, suffering heavy casualties and numerous high-ranking prisoners. This triumph bolstered the claim of John de Montfort over the ducal throne of Brittany. The battle demonstrated the effectiveness of English military tactics in continental warfare. It also shifted momentum in the protracted Breton civil war, influencing regional politics and feudal alliances. The outcome at Mauron would resonate in subsequent campaigns of the Hundred Years' War.
1352
War of the Breton Succession
French
Battle of Mauron
1385day.year
Portuguese Crisis of 1383–85: Battle of Aljubarrota: Portuguese forces commanded by John I of Portugal defeat the Castilian army of John I of Castile.
In 1385, Portuguese forces under John I defeated the Castilian army at the Battle of Aljubarrota, securing Portugal's independence.
On August 14, 1385, the Portuguese army led by King John I faced the much larger Castilian forces commanded by King John I of Castile near Aljubarrota. Employing defensive tactics and longbowmen allied from England, the Portuguese army inflicted a decisive rout on the invaders. The victory ended Castile's bid to annex Portugal following the Crisis of 1383–85. It solidified John I's reign and inaugurated the Aviz dynasty. The battlefields' terrain was skillfully used to channel the enemy into narrow fronts, enhancing Portuguese defensive strength. Aljubarrota's triumph preserved Portugal's sovereignty and became a foundational legend of national identity. The outcome shifted the balance of power on the Iberian Peninsula for generations.
1385
Portuguese Crisis of 1383–85
Battle of Aljubarrota
John I of Portugal
Castilian
John I of Castile
1598day.year
Nine Years' War: Battle of the Yellow Ford: Irish forces under Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, defeat an English expeditionary force under Henry Bagenal.
In 1598, Irish Gaelic forces led by Hugh O'Neill defeated an English army at the Battle of the Yellow Ford, marking a major victory in the Nine Years' War.
On August 14, 1598, during the Irish Nine Years' War, Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, ambushed English troops under Sir Henry Bagenal at the Yellow Ford on the River Blackwater. Utilizing terrain and surprise, the Irish forces inflicted heavy casualties on the English vanguard. The defeat was one of the English army's worst losses in Ireland, with Bagenal among the fallen officers. Tyrone's victory bolstered Gaelic resistance and prompted a strategic reevaluation by the English crown. It demonstrated the effectiveness of Irish infantry and light cavalry tactics against traditional English formations. The battle intensified the conflict, drawing more resources and reinforcements from England. The Yellow Ford became a symbol of Irish defiance in the struggle for sovereignty.
1598
Nine Years' War
Battle of the Yellow Ford
Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone
Henry Bagenal
1720day.year
The Spanish military Villasur expedition is defeated by Pawnee and Otoe warriors near present-day Columbus, Nebraska.
A Spanish expedition led by Villasur is ambushed and defeated by Pawnee and Otoe warriors near present-day Columbus, Nebraska.
On August 14, 1720, the Spanish Villasur expedition, aiming to explore and assert control over the Great Plains, encountered fierce resistance from local Native American tribes. Led by Lieutenant General Pedro de Villasur, the party ventured west from New Mexico into territory claimed by the French. Near the Platte River close to modern Columbus, Nebraska, an alliance of Pawnee and Otoe warriors launched a surprise attack. The Spanish troops, outnumbered and unprepared for the ambush, suffered heavy casualties. Most of the expedition members were killed, and their mission to secure Spain's northern frontier collapsed. The defeat marked the end of Spain's ambitions to expand into the central plains and highlighted the strength of indigenous alliances.
1720
Villasur expedition
Pawnee
Otoe
Columbus, Nebraska
1784day.year
Russian colonization of North America: Awa'uq Massacre: The Russian fur trader Grigory Shelikhov storms a Kodiak Island Alutiit refuge rock on Sitkalidak Island, killing 500+ Alutiit.
Russian fur trader Grigory Shelikhov stages the brutal Awa'uq Massacre on Sitkalidak Island, killing over 500 Alutiit refugees in 1784.
On August 14, 1784, Russian fur trader Grigory Shelikhov led a violent assault on an Alutiit refuge at Awa'uq, Sitkalidak Island. Intent on securing prime hunting grounds and establishing dominance in Kodiak Island, Shelikhov's party attacked families sheltering in a rock fortress. Over 500 Alutiit men, women, and children were slaughtered in one of the bloodiest events of Russian colonization in North America. Survivors were taken captive and forced into the fur trade, marking the beginning of systematic exploitation of indigenous communities. The Awa'uq Massacre instilled fear across the archipelago and sparked prolonged resistance by the Alutiit people. This atrocity revealed the darker side of early colonial expansion and its devastating impact on native populations.
1784
Russian colonization of North America
Awa'uq Massacre
Grigory Shelikhov
Kodiak Island
Alutiit
Sitkalidak Island
1791day.year
Slaves from plantations in Saint-Domingue hold a Vodou ceremony led by houngan Dutty Boukman at Bois Caïman, marking the start of the Haitian Revolution.
Enslaved people led by Dutty Boukman hold a Vodou ceremony at Bois Caïman, igniting the Haitian Revolution in 1791.
At dawn on August 14, 1791, a gathering of enslaved Africans and Creoles convened at Bois Caïman in Saint-Domingue under the leadership of houngan Dutty Boukman. The secret Vodou ceremony united participants in a shared pledge to revolt against brutal plantation conditions. Flames lit the night as they called upon ancestral spirits for guidance and strength. This spiritual and strategic meeting set in motion the largest slave uprising in the Americas. Within days, insurgents attacked plantations across the region, dismantling the colonial order. The Haitian Revolution would go on to challenge European colonialism and lead to the first independent Black republic in 1804.
1791
Saint-Domingue
Vodou
houngan
Dutty Boukman
Bois Caïman
Haitian Revolution
1842day.year
American Indian Wars: Second Seminole War ends, with the Seminoles forced from Florida.
The Second Seminole War concludes as Seminole warriors are forced out of Florida in 1842.
After six years of fierce resistance, the Second Seminole War officially ended on August 14, 1842. The conflict, rooted in Seminole opposition to forced relocation, had seen guerrilla warfare in Florida's swamps and marshes. Despite early setbacks for U.S. forces, relentless campaigns and strategic treaties gradually undermined Seminole strongholds. By 1842, most surviving Seminoles had been captured or relocated to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River. A small number remained in the Everglades, where their descendants live to this day. The war proved costly for both sides and highlighted the tragic consequences of American expansion policies toward Native Americans.
1842
American Indian Wars
Second Seminole War
Seminoles
Florida
1900day.year
Battle of Peking: The Eight-Nation Alliance occupies Beijing, China, in a campaign to end the bloody Boxer Rebellion in China.
The Eight-Nation Alliance captures Beijing in the Battle of Peking, hastening the end of the Boxer Rebellion in China.
In response to the Boxer Rebellion’s siege of foreign legations, eight nations formed an allied force to relieve embattled diplomats and civilians in Beijing.
On August 14, 1900, allied troops breached city defenses, occupying the capital and forcing the Boxer forces into retreat.
The occupation ended a series of brutal clashes and marked a decisive blow against the anti-foreigner uprising.
However, the aftermath saw widespread looting and clashes with locals, leaving a controversial legacy.
The battle influenced subsequent treaties that expanded foreign influence and reshaped China’s relationship with Western powers.
1900
Battle of Peking
Eight-Nation Alliance
Boxer Rebellion
1914day.year
World War I: Start of the Battle of Lorraine, an unsuccessful French offensive.
France launches the Battle of Lorraine, an offensive against German lines in World War I, which ultimately fails to break through.
As part of Plan XVII, French forces attacked German positions in the Lorraine region on August 14, 1914, aiming to reclaim lost territory.
The offensive encountered fierce resistance, fortified trenches, and well-coordinated German defenses.
French troops suffered heavy casualties without securing their objectives, highlighting the deadly stalemate of trench warfare.
The battle’s failure underscored the limitations of pre-war tactics when confronted with modern machine guns and artillery.
Lorraine remained contested, setting a grim precedent for the prolonged attrition that defined the Western Front.
1914
World War I
Battle of Lorraine