410day.year
The Visigoths under King Alaric I begin to pillage Rome.
King Alaric I leads the Visigoths in the sack of Rome, a key moment in the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
King Alaric I leads the Visigoths in their historic sack of Rome.
After years of tension and siege, the city falls on this date, 410 AD.
This event is the first time Rome has been captured in over 800 years.
The sack symbolizes the declining power of the Western Roman Empire.
Alaric’s forces loot and pillage for three days before withdrawing.
The incident reverberates across the ancient world as a turning point in history.
410
Visigoths
Alaric I
pillage Rome
1185day.year
Sack of Thessalonica by the Normans.
Norman forces sack the major Byzantine city of Thessalonica during their crusading campaigns.
Norman crusaders under Count William II of Sicily sack Thessalonica, the Byzantine Empire’s second-largest city.
The assault devastates the city in retaliation for previous Byzantine attacks.
Looting and destruction follow the Normans’ brutal entry.
Thessalonica’s fall demonstrates Norman ambitions in the Balkans.
The event deepens hostilities between Western European powers and Byzantium.
1185
Sack of Thessalonica
1349day.year
Six thousand Jews are killed in Mainz after being blamed for the bubonic plague.
In Mainz, over six thousand Jews are massacred after being scapegoated for the bubonic plague.
In the city of Mainz, over six thousand Jewish residents are massacred.
They are falsely blamed for causing the bubonic plague ravaging Europe.
Rising panic and prejudice fuel the violence during the Black Death.
Entire Jewish communities across the Rhineland face similar persecution.
The mass killings represent one of the darkest episodes of medieval antisemitism.
1349
Mainz
bubonic plague
1482day.year
The town and castle of Berwick-upon-Tweed is captured from Scotland by an English army.
English forces seize the strategic border town and castle of Berwick-upon-Tweed from Scotland, shifting regional power.
English forces capture the town and castle of Berwick-upon-Tweed from Scotland.
The strategic border stronghold changes hands after a successful assault.
Berwick’s control is vital for dominance in the Anglo-Scottish border wars.
The victory bolsters King Edward IV’s position against Scottish incursions.
Berwick remains a contested site for centuries to come.
1482
Berwick-upon-Tweed is captured
1516day.year
The Ottoman Empire under Selim I defeats the Mamluk Sultanate and captures present-day Syria at the Battle of Marj Dabiq.
The Ottoman army under Selim I crushes the Mamluk Sultanate at the Battle of Marj Dabiq, seizing Syria.
The Ottoman army led by Sultan Selim I defeats the Mamluk Sultanate at Marj Dabiq.
The decisive victory opens the path for Ottoman expansion into Syria.
Battle tactics and modern artillery contribute to the Mamluks’ defeat.
The conquest marks the beginning of Ottoman control over the Levant.
It paves the way for subsequent campaigns into Egypt and Arabia.
1516
Ottoman Empire
Selim I
Mamluk Sultanate
Battle of Marj Dabiq
1743day.year
The War of the Hats: The Swedish army surrenders to the Russians in Helsinki, ending the war and starting Lesser Wrath.
In 1743, Swedish forces surrendered to Russian troops in Helsinki, ending the War of the Hats and initiating the period known as the Lesser Wrath in Finland.
In August 1743, the Swedish army, depleted by years of conflict, faced overwhelming Russian forces near Helsinki.
Commanders negotiated surrender terms that ended the War of the Hats.
Under the agreement, Sweden ceded parts of southeastern Finland to Russia.
The defeat ushered in the Lesser Wrath, a period of Russian occupation and economic hardship in Finland.
The conflict illustrated Sweden’s waning power and Russia’s growing influence in the Baltic region.
Long-term effects included border realignments and shifting alliances in Northern Europe.
1743
The War of the Hats
Swedish army
Russians
Helsinki
1781day.year
American Revolutionary War: A small force of Pennsylvania militia is ambushed and overwhelmed by an American Indian group, which forces George Rogers Clark to abandon his attempt to attack Detroit.
In 1781, during the American Revolutionary War, Pennsylvania militia were ambushed by Native American forces, forcing George Rogers Clark to abandon his planned attack on Detroit.
In August 1781, a detachment of Pennsylvania militia under Colonel Archibald Lochry set out to join George Rogers Clark’s western campaign.
Near the Ohio River, they were ambushed by a confederation of Native American warriors allied with British forces.
The overwhelming attack scattered the militia and inflicted heavy casualties.
Clark, awaiting reinforcements, was compelled to cancel his expedition against Detroit.
The failed campaign weakened American control in the Northwest Territory and emboldened British and Native American resistance.
This ambush highlighted the strategic challenges of frontier warfare and indigenous alliances.
1781
American Revolutionary War
Pennsylvania
militia
ambushed and overwhelmed
George Rogers Clark
Detroit
1789day.year
The first naval battle of the Svensksund began in the Gulf of Finland.
In 1789, the first naval Battle of Svensksund took place in the Gulf of Finland between Swedish and Russian forces, marking a significant engagement in the Russo-Swedish War.
In August 1789, Swedish archipelago fleets under King Gustav III engaged Russian naval forces near the island of Svensksund.
The battle was part of the Russo-Swedish War of 1788–1790, sparked by Sweden’s attempt to regain lost territories.
Despite initial Swedish successes, the engagement ended inconclusively as both sides sustained heavy losses.
The difficult archipelago terrain and shifting winds challenged commanders and crews alike.
This encounter set the stage for a larger second Battle of Svensksund in 1790, which would become one of history’s greatest sailing battles.
The battles demonstrated the strategic importance of small-ship warfare in confined waters.
1789
naval battle of the Svensksund
Gulf of Finland
1812day.year
Peninsular War: A coalition of Spanish, British, and Portuguese forces succeed in lifting the two-and-a-half-year-long Siege of Cádiz.
In 1812, Spanish, British, and Portuguese forces lifted the two-and-a-half-year Siege of Cádiz, securing a crucial victory in the Peninsular War.
In August 1812, a joint Anglo-Portuguese division under the Duke of Wellington and Spanish troops advanced on French lines surrounding Cádiz.
Carefully coordinated attacks drove the besieging forces back, opening supply lines to the trapped city.
The lifting of the siege marked a significant boost to Allied morale and hindered French control in southern Spain.
Cádiz had served as the seat of the Spanish Cortes and symbolized resistance against Napoleon.
This victory contributed to the gradual expulsion of French armies from the Iberian Peninsula.
The event underscored the effectiveness of multinational cooperation against a common adversary.
1812
Peninsular War
British
Portuguese
Siege of Cádiz
1814day.year
British troops capture Washington, D.C. and set the Presidential Mansion, Capitol, Navy Yard and many other public buildings ablaze.
In 1814, British troops captured Washington, D.C., burning the Presidential Mansion, Capitol, and other public buildings in retaliation during the War of 1812.
Following their victory at the Battle of Bladensburg, British troops marched into Washington, D.C. on August 24, 1814.
They set fire to the White House (then called the Presidential Mansion), the Capitol, the Navy Yard, and several government offices.
The attack was retaliation for American incursions into Canada and aimed to demoralize the young republic.
Many public records and buildings were destroyed, though some government archives had been evacuated beforehand.
The burning of Washington became a symbol of British aggression, galvanizing American resistance.
Despite this setback, the United States rallied, and the war concluded with the Treaty of Ghent later that year.
1814
capture Washington, D.C.
Presidential Mansion
Capitol
Navy Yard
1870day.year
The Wolseley expedition reaches Manitoba to end the Red River Rebellion.
On August 24, 1870, British General Garnet Wolseley's expedition arrived at Fort Garry in Manitoba, effectively ending the Red River Rebellion.
On August 24, 1870, Colonel Garnet Wolseley led British-Canadian forces to Fort Garry (present-day Winnipeg) to suppress the Red River Rebellion.
The rebellion, led by Métis leader Louis Riel, had sought to protect local rights amid Canadian confederation plans.
Wolseley’s show of force compelled Riel to flee, preventing further bloodshed and enabling Canada’s assertion of sovereignty over Rupert’s Land.
The expedition’s success paved the way for the creation of the province of Manitoba in July 1870.
However, tensions over land rights and cultural recognition persisted, shaping future relations between the Métis and Canadian authorities.
1870
Wolseley expedition
Manitoba
Red River Rebellion
1914day.year
World War I: German troops capture Namur.
On August 24, 1914, during World War I, German forces captured the fortified Belgian city of Namur after a brief siege.
On August 24, 1914, German troops completed their assault on Namur, a key Belgian fortress city, as part of the Schlieffen Plan.
Heavy artillery, including the massive Argentan guns, overwhelmed Namur’s outdated defenses in just days.
The fall of Namur opened the route for German armies to advance into France, threatening key strategic positions.
Belgian resistance delayed the German timetable but could not prevent the city’s capture.
The event demonstrated the deadly efficiency of modern artillery and foreshadowed the devastating siege warfare of the Western Front.
1914
World War I
capture Namur