1140day.year
Song dynasty general Yue Fei defeats an army led by Jin dynasty general Wuzhu at the Battle of Yancheng during the Jin–Song Wars.
During the Jin–Song Wars in 1140, Yue Fei achieves a decisive victory over Jin forces at the Battle of Yancheng.
In 1140, during the Jin–Song Wars, Yue Fei led imperial Song forces against an army commanded by Jin general Wuzhu.
The clash took place near Yancheng on the Huai River plains, where Song troops faced a formidable foe.
Employing swift cavalry maneuvers and disciplined infantry, Yue Fei outflanked the enemy and secured a decisive win.
His victory halted the Jin advance into central China and bolstered Song morale.
The triumph enhanced Yue Fei’s reputation as one of the dynasty’s most loyal and capable commanders.
This battle remains a celebrated example of Song military strategy and leadership.
1140
Song dynasty
Yue Fei
Jin dynasty
Wuzhu
Battle of Yancheng
Jin–Song Wars
1169day.year
Battle of the Blacks: Uprising by the black African forces of the Fatimid army, along with a number of Egyptian emirs and commoners, against Saladin.
In 1169, black African regiments and Egyptian factions in the Fatimid army rebel against Saladin in the Battle of the Blacks.
In 1169, tensions within the Fatimid Caliphate culminated in the Battle of the Blacks, led by black African soldiers and disaffected emirs.
The rebels rose up in Cairo to challenge the authority of Saladin, the new vizier of the realm.
Fierce street fighting erupted around the royal palaces as each side vied for control of the capital.
Utilizing loyal Kurdish and Turkish forces, Saladin launched counterattacks and siege tactics to suppress the revolt.
The decisive defeat of the insurgents solidified Saladin’s hold on Egypt and paved the way for his future campaigns against the Crusader states.
This event marked a crucial step in the decline of the Fatimid dynasty and the rise of Ayyubid rule.
1169
Battle of the Blacks
black African
Saladin
1415day.year
Henry the Navigator leads Portuguese forces to victory over the Marinids at the Conquest of Ceuta.
In 1415, Prince Henry the Navigator commands Portuguese troops in the successful Conquest of Ceuta, marking Portugal's first overseas expansion.
In August 1415, under the leadership of Prince Henry the Navigator, Portuguese forces launched an assault on the city of Ceuta in North Africa.
The campaign targeted the Marinid Sultanate to secure control of pivotal trade routes and expand Christendom.
Portuguese troops overcame the city's fortifications, marking the first major overseas conquest of the Avis dynasty.
The capture of Ceuta provided a strategic base on the Strait of Gibraltar and opened the door to further African exploration.
Henry’s involvement foreshadowed his later role as a patron of voyages along the West African coast.
This victory is seen as the beginning of the Portuguese Age of Discovery and the dawn of European colonial expansion.
1415
Henry the Navigator
Conquest of Ceuta
1680day.year
Pueblo Indians capture Santa Fe from the Spanish during the Pueblo Revolt.
During the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, indigenous Pueblo peoples seize Santa Fe, expelling Spanish colonists from New Mexico.
In August 1680, representatives of various Pueblo nations organized a coordinated uprising against Spanish colonial authorities in New Mexico.
Rebels attacked missions and settlements across the province, culminating in the capture of Santa Fe, the colonial capital.
Spanish settlers and missionaries were driven out or killed, and Pueblo forces briefly reclaimed indigenous governance.
The revolt dismantled Spanish religious and administrative structures for over a decade.
It stands as the most successful Native American rebellion against European colonization in North America.
Spain was forced to abandon its northern frontier until a reconquest in 1692 reestablished imperial control.
1680
Pueblo Indians
Santa Fe
Pueblo Revolt
1689day.year
The Battle of Dunkeld in Scotland.
In 1689, government forces repel Jacobite Highland clans at the Battle of Dunkeld during the first Jacobite Rising.
In August 1689, a detachment of the Cameronian Regiment was stationed at Dunkeld to secure government control of Perthshire.
Highland Jacobite clans, supporting the deposed King James II, launched a fierce attack on the town.
Despite being outnumbered, the disciplined Cameronian soldiers held their ground in street-by-street combat around Dunkeld Cathedral.
The battle tested both sides' resolve, with musket volleys and close-quarters fighting in the narrow streets.
After several hours, the Jacobite assault was repulsed, inflicting heavy casualties on the rebels.
The government victory secured central Scotland and curtailed the momentum of the first Jacobite Rising.
1689
Battle of Dunkeld
1716day.year
Seventh Ottoman–Venetian War: The arrival of naval reinforcements and the news of the Battle of Petrovaradin force the Ottomans to abandon the Siege of Corfu, thus preserving the Ionian Islands under Venetian rule.
In 1716, Ottoman forces lift the Siege of Corfu after Venetian reinforcements arrive and news of victory at Petrovaradin emerges.
In August 1716, during the Seventh Ottoman–Venetian War, a Venetian relief fleet reached Corfu to break the long-standing siege.
At the same time, news of Austrian success at the Battle of Petrovaradin reached Ottoman commanders.
Facing potential encirclement, the Ottoman army withdrew from Corfu’s fortified positions and retreated southward.
This strategic withdrawal secured Venetian control over the Ionian Islands and safeguarded their maritime interests.
The combined naval and land victories highlighted the effectiveness of European alliances against Ottoman expansion.
This turning point preserved Venetian dominance in the eastern Mediterranean for the remainder of the conflict.
1716
Seventh Ottoman–Venetian War
Battle of Petrovaradin
Ottomans
Siege of Corfu
Ionian Islands
Venetian rule
1778day.year
American Revolutionary War: British forces begin besieging the French outpost at Pondichéry.
During the American Revolutionary War in 1778, British forces initiate a siege of the French-held port city of Pondichéry in India.
In August 1778, as conflict spread to colonial territories, British troops besieged Pondichéry, a key French outpost on the Coromandel Coast. The siege aimed to weaken French influence in India and secure British dominance in the region. Facing shortages of supplies and reinforcements, the defenders endured a tense blockade under French Governor Comte de Lally. After months of encirclement and bombardment, Lally surrendered in January 1779, dealing a blow to France’s colonial ambitions. The fall of Pondichéry shifted the balance of power in India and underscored the global reach of the American Revolutionary War. This episode demonstrated how European rivalries extended beyond the American continent.
1778
American Revolutionary War
begin besieging
Pondichéry
1791day.year
A Vodou ceremony, led by Dutty Boukman, turns into a violent slave rebellion, beginning the Haitian Revolution.
A Vodou ceremony led by Dutty Boukman sparks the Haitian Revolution in 1791, igniting the first successful slave uprising in the Americas.
On the night of August 21, 1791, enslaved Africans and free people of color gathered at Bois Caïman for a secret Vodou ceremony. Led by the charismatic priest Dutty Boukman, the ritual united participants with promises of liberation from bondage. The gathering turned into the catalyst for a massive slave rebellion across Saint-Domingue. Rebels targeted plantations, killing white overseers and destroying symbols of colonial oppression. Over the next twelve years, the revolt evolved into a full-scale war that would overthrow French rule. By 1804, Haiti emerged as the first independent Black republic and the second nation to break free from European colonialism. The revolution profoundly influenced abolitionist movements and colonial policies worldwide.
1791
Vodou ceremony
Dutty Boukman
Haitian Revolution
1808day.year
Battle of Vimeiro: British and Portuguese forces led by General Arthur Wellesley defeat French force under Major-General Jean-Andoche Junot near the village of Vimeiro, Portugal, the first Anglo-Portuguese victory of the Peninsular War.
General Arthur Wellesley secures the first Anglo-Portuguese victory at the Battle of Vimeiro in Portugal during the Peninsular War of 1808.
On August 21, 1808, British and Portuguese forces under General Arthur Wellesley engaged Marshal Junot’s French army near Vimeiro. Utilizing disciplined infantry squares and well-timed cavalry charges, Wellesley repelled multiple French assaults. The defeat forced Junot to seek terms, leading to the Convention of Cintra and the withdrawal of French troops. This triumph marked the first major Allied victory in the Peninsular War and boosted British morale. It established Wellesley’s reputation as a leading military commander and laid groundwork for his later successes. The battle showcased the effectiveness of coalition warfare and the resilience of Iberian forces against Napoleon’s armies. Vimeiro thus became a significant milestone in the struggle to liberate the Iberian Peninsula.
1808
Battle of Vimeiro
British
Portuguese
Arthur Wellesley
French
Jean-Andoche Junot
Vimeiro
Peninsular War
1831day.year
Nat Turner leads black slaves and free blacks in a rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia, which will claim the lives of 55 to 65 whites and about twice that number of blacks.
Nat Turner initiates a large-scale slave rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia, in 1831, shaking the foundations of the American South.
On August 21, 1831, enslaved preacher Nat Turner and a small group of followers launched a revolt in Southampton County. Equipped with makeshift weapons, they moved from plantation to plantation, killing white inhabitants. Over two days, the insurgents caused panic among local slaveholders and recruited additional participants. The uprising was brutally suppressed by militia and federal troops, resulting in many deaths on both sides. Turner was captured, tried, and executed in November, but his rebellion fueled fierce national debates on slavery. Southern states intensified slave codes, while abolitionists cited Turner’s courage in anti-slavery campaigns. The episode left a lasting legacy on American history, highlighting the desperation and resistance among enslaved people.
1831
Nat Turner
a rebellion
Southampton County, Virginia
1852day.year
Tlingit Indians destroy Fort Selkirk, Yukon Territory.
Tlingit warriors attack and destroy Fort Selkirk in the Yukon Territory in 1852, challenging colonial expansion in the North American frontier.
In August 1852, Tlingit warriors from coastal Southeast Alaska launched a raid on Fort Selkirk. The Hudson’s Bay Company outpost, vital for fur trade along the Yukon River, was overwhelmed and burned. This confrontation reflected tensions between Indigenous groups and European trading interests. Following the destruction, the fort was abandoned until later reestablishment under British control. The attack underscored Indigenous resistance to colonial encroachment in northern territories. Today Fort Selkirk stands as a historic site, commemorating cultural encounters and conflicts. The event exemplifies the complex dynamics of trade, sovereignty, and survival in the 19th-century frontier.
1852
Tlingit Indians
Fort Selkirk
Yukon Territory
1863day.year
Lawrence, Kansas is destroyed by pro-Confederate guerrillas known as Quantrill's Raiders.
In 1863, pro-Confederate guerrillas led by William Quantrill attacked and destroyed the town of Lawrence, Kansas.
On August 21, 1863, William Quantrill and his band of pro-Confederate raiders descended on the abolitionist stronghold of Lawrence. They burned homes, businesses, and the U.S. arsenal, leaving much of the town in ruins. Approximately 150 civilians were killed and over 1,000 buildings destroyed in a single day. The raid shocked the Union and intensified wartime animosities. The destruction prompted federal troops to increase security measures in border states. Lawrence was rebuilt, becoming a symbol of resilience during the Civil War.
1863
Lawrence, Kansas
destroyed
pro-Confederate guerrillas
Quantrill's Raiders