636day.year
Arab–Byzantine wars: The Battle of Yarmouk between the Byzantine Empire and the Rashidun Caliphate begins.
In 636, the Rashidun Caliphate delivered a decisive victory over Byzantine forces at the Battle of Yarmouk, securing control of the Levant.
In 636, the armies of the Rashidun Caliphate and the Byzantine Empire met at the Yarmouk River near modern-day Syria.
Under the command of Khalid ibn al-Walid, the Caliphate’s forces outmaneuvered the Byzantines with superior tactics.
The battle lasted six days and ended in a crushing victory for the Arab army.
This defeat forced Byzantine withdrawal from Syria and paved the way for Muslim control over the Levant.
It is remembered as one of the most decisive encounters in early Islamic military history.
The outcome reshaped the balance of power in the region for centuries to come.
636
Arab–Byzantine wars
Battle of Yarmouk
Byzantine Empire
Rashidun Caliphate
717day.year
Arab–Byzantine wars: Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik begins the Second Arab Siege of Constantinople, which will last for nearly a year.
Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik launched the Second Arab Siege of Constantinople in 717, aiming to breach the city’s formidable defenses.
In 717, Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik led a vast Arab fleet and army to lay siege to Constantinople, the formidable capital of the Byzantine Empire.
The siege aimed to breach the Theodosian Walls, renowned for their strength.
Despite initial successes, the Arab forces struggled against Byzantine defensive tactics and counterattacks.
Harsh winter conditions and Greek fire inflicted heavy losses on the besiegers.
Byzantine Emperor Leo III skillfully orchestrated the city’s defense and supply lines.
The protracted siege ultimately failed, marking a crucial defensive triumph for Byzantium.
717
Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik
Second Arab Siege of Constantinople
718day.year
Arab–Byzantine wars: Raising of the Second Arab Siege of Constantinople.
Following a protracted blockade, Byzantine defenders lifted the Second Arab Siege of Constantinople in 718, ending the year-long assault.
After months of relentless siege, Byzantine forces under Emperor Leo III capitalized on Arab fatigue and supply shortages.
The arrival of a relief fleet and fierce counterattacks pressured Maslama’s troops.
Severe winter weather and outbreaks of disease weakened the besiegers further.
Facing dwindling resources, the Arab army abandoned the siege in August 718.
This lifting of the blockade preserved Constantinople’s security and thwarted Arab expansion into Europe.
It stands as a testament to Byzantine resilience and military ingenuity.
718
Second Arab Siege of Constantinople
778day.year
The Battle of Roncevaux Pass takes place between the army of Charlemagne and a Basque army.
Charlemagne’s rear guard was ambushed and defeated by Basque forces at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass in 778, later immortalized in epic legend.
In 778, while retreating from a campaign in the Iberian Peninsula, Charlemagne’s army was ambushed at Roncevaux Pass by Basque fighters.
The Frankish rearguard, led by Roland, suffered a devastating defeat due to difficult mountain terrain.
Though a minor skirmish in military terms, the battle gained legendary status through the chanson de geste 'The Song of Roland.'
It highlighted the vulnerability of large medieval armies in narrow mountain passes.
The Battle of Roncevaux Pass became a symbol of heroism and feudal duty in Western literature.
Its legendary portrayal overshadowed its limited strategic impact.
778
Battle of Roncevaux Pass
Charlemagne
927day.year
The Saracens conquer and destroy Taranto.
Saracen forces conquered and destroyed the city of Taranto in 927, dealing a blow to Byzantine power in southern Italy.
In 927, Muslim (Saracen) raiders from North Africa besieged and overwhelmed the Byzantine-held city of Taranto.
The attackers breached the city walls and engaged in widespread plunder and destruction.
Taranto’s fall disrupted Byzantine control in southern Italy and destabilized regional trade.
The raid exemplified the growing threat of Saracen naval expeditions in the Mediterranean.
Local populations faced heavy taxation and cultural shifts under new occupiers.
Taranto remained an important strategic target in subsequent Byzantine-Saracen conflicts.
927
Saracens
Taranto
982day.year
Holy Roman Emperor Otto II is defeated by the Saracens in the Battle of Capo Colonna, in Calabria.
Holy Roman Emperor Otto II suffered a crushing defeat by Saracen troops at the Battle of Capo Colonna in Calabria in 982.
In 982, Otto II led a campaign into southern Italy intending to curb Saracen influence.
At Capo Colonna in Calabria, his army faced well-entrenched Muslim defenders who exploited local terrain.
The imperial forces suffered a significant defeat with heavy casualties and loss of equipment.
Emperor Otto narrowly escaped capture and retreated northward to regroup.
This setback weakened imperial authority in the region and emboldened Saracen raids.
It underscored the challenges of projecting power across the rugged Italian peninsula.
982
Holy Roman Emperor
Otto II
Saracens
Battle of Capo Colonna
Calabria
1018day.year
Byzantine general Eustathios Daphnomeles blinds and captures Ibatzes of Bulgaria by a ruse, thereby ending Bulgarian resistance against Emperor Basil II's conquest of Bulgaria.
General Eustathios Daphnomeles blinded and captured Bulgarian leader Ibatzes in 1018, ending organized resistance to Emperor Basil II.
In a daring ruse in 1018, General Eustathios Daphnomeles tricked and captured Ibatzes, one of the last Bulgarian rebels.
He blinded Ibatzes and presented him to Emperor Basil II, effectively ending Bulgarian opposition.
The fall of Ibatzes symbolized the conclusion of a long and brutal campaign by Basil II.
Basil’s victory secured Byzantine dominion over Bulgaria and restored imperial frontiers.
The conquest bolstered Byzantium’s wealth and strategic depth in the Balkans.
This episode highlighted Basil II’s combination of military prowess and cunning diplomacy.
1018
Eustathios Daphnomeles
Ibatzes of Bulgaria
Basil II
conquest of Bulgaria
1057day.year
King Macbeth is killed at the Battle of Lumphanan by the forces of Máel Coluim mac Donnchada.
Scottish King Macbeth dies in battle at Lumphanan, ending his 17-year reign.
Macbeth, who seized the Scottish throne in 1040, met his end on 15 August 1057 at Lumphanan.\nHis army was overwhelmed by Máel Coluim mac Donnchada, later Malcolm III.\nThe clash in Aberdeenshire ended Macbeth's 17-year reign.\nThis defeat displaced a ruler immortalized by Shakespeare's tragedy.\nIt restored the House of Dunkeld and reshaped Scottish monarchy.
1057
Macbeth
Battle of Lumphanan
Máel Coluim mac Donnchada
1096day.year
Starting date of the First Crusade as set by Pope Urban II.
Pope Urban II's call launches the First Crusade, a historic military expedition to the Holy Land.
On 15 August 1096, European knights and peasants gathered for the First Crusade.\nPope Urban II had proclaimed the campaign the previous year to reclaim Jerusalem.\nExpeditions assembled at Constantinople before marching into Byzantine territory.\nThe movement united diverse nobles under a religious vow to fight Muslim rule.\nThe crusade reshaped medieval geopolitics and Christian-Muslim relations.\nIts legacy endures in cultural and religious history across Europe and the Middle East.
1096
First Crusade
Pope Urban II
1224day.year
The Livonian Brothers of the Sword, a Catholic military order, occupy Tarbatu (today Tartu) as part of the Livonian Crusade.
The Livonian Brothers of the Sword seize Tarbatu (modern Tartu), advancing the Northern Crusade in the Baltic region.
As part of the Livonian Crusade, the Catholic military order targeted pagan tribes.\nOn 15 August 1224, the Brothers captured Tarbatu, a key Estonian stronghold on the Emajõgi River.\nThis victory secured a foothold for Christian forces in southern Estonia.\nThey established a bishopric and began German colonial administration.\nThe occupation influenced trade routes and regional politics for centuries.\nIt marked a turning point in the Christianization of the Baltic peoples.
1224
Livonian Brothers of the Sword
occupy Tarbatu
Tartu
Livonian Crusade
1237day.year
Spanish Reconquista: The Battle of the Puig between the Moorish forces of Taifa of Valencia against the Kingdom of Aragon culminates in an Aragonese victory.
Aragonese forces defeat the Moorish army at the Battle of the Puig, a pivotal clash in the Reconquista.
On 15 August 1237, King James I of Aragon led his troops near El Puig de Santa María.\nThey faced the forces of the Taifa of Valencia under Moorish rule.\nThe Christians secured a decisive victory, boosting morale and resources.\nThis triumph opened the way for the later conquest of Valencia in 1238.\nThe battle exemplified the ebb and flow of the centuries-long Reconquista.\nIt remains a celebrated event in Spanish medieval military history.
1237
Spanish Reconquista
Battle of the Puig
Moorish
Taifa of Valencia
Kingdom of Aragon
1281day.year
Mongol invasion of Japan: The Mongolian fleet of Kublai Khan is destroyed by a "divine wind" for the second time in the Battle of Kōan.
A 'divine wind' devastates Kublai Khan’s fleet, ending the second Mongol invasion of Japan.
In 1281, the Mongol Yuan dynasty launched its second invasion of Japan.\nKublai Khan’s fleet, comprising thousands of ships, arrived at Hakata Bay in summer.\nJapanese defenders held the shore until a powerful typhoon struck on 15 August.\nThe storm wrecked the Mongol armada, drowning soldiers and scattering vessels.\nKnown as the 'kamikaze,' this event saved Japan from foreign conquest.\nIt became a symbol of divine protection in Japanese culture and legend.
1281
Mongol invasion of Japan
Mongolian
Kublai Khan
divine wind
Battle of Kōan