708day.year
Copper coins are minted in Japan for the first time (Traditional Japanese date: August 10, 708).
The first copper coins are produced in Japan, marking a milestone in the country's monetary history.
In 708, during Japan's Nara period, the imperial government minted the first domestically produced copper coins known as wadōkaichin.
These coins bore Chinese characters and were introduced to stabilize and standardize the country's monetary system.
Their issuance marked a shift away from barter and the use of imported Chinese currency.
The project reflected the central authorities' efforts to strengthen economic control and promote trade.
This milestone set the foundation for Japan's evolving economy and currency reforms in subsequent centuries.
708
Copper coins
Japan
Japanese date
870day.year
The city of Melite surrenders to an Aghlabid army following a siege, putting an end to Byzantine Malta.
After a protracted siege, the city of Melite capitulates to Aghlabid forces, ending Byzantine rule in Malta.
In 870, the city of Melite (modern Mdina) on Malta endured a prolonged siege by an Aghlabid army from North Africa.
After sustained assaults and dwindling resources, the Byzantine garrison surrendered to the attackers.
This capitulation ended centuries of Byzantine authority on the island.
The Aghlabid conquest opened Malta to Islamic influence and reshaped its strategic importance in the Mediterranean.
Malta would remain under Muslim control for over two centuries following this landmark event.
870
Melite
Aghlabid
following a siege
Byzantine Malta
1009day.year
Mainz Cathedral suffers extensive damage from a fire, which destroys the building on the day of its inauguration.
On the day of its consecration in 1009, Mainz Cathedral is devastated by a massive fire.
In 1009, the newly completed Mainz Cathedral in Germany was formally inaugurated by Archbishop Willigis.
Tragically, on the very day of its consecration, a blaze tore through the wooden roofs and interior.
The fire ravaged the Romanesque structure, leaving little but charred walls and debris.
This calamity forced one of Europe's grandest cathedrals to undergo extensive reconstruction in subsequent decades.
Despite the disaster, Mainz Cathedral was ultimately restored and remains a landmark of ecclesiastical architecture.
1009
Mainz Cathedral
inauguration
1219day.year
The Battle of Fariskur occurs during the Fifth Crusade.
Crusader forces clash with Ayyubid defenders at Fariskur during the Fifth Crusade.
In 1219, during the Fifth Crusade, Crusader armies advanced into Egypt aiming to strike at the heart of Muslim power.
At Fariskur, near the Nile Delta, Crusader knights and infantry engaged Ayyubid troops defending the region.
Despite initial successes, supply issues and effective resistance hindered the Latin forces.
The clash foreshadowed the eventual failure of the crusade to achieve its objectives in Egypt.
Fariskur became a symbol of the logistical and strategic challenges faced by Crusaders in unfamiliar terrain.
1219
Battle of Fariskur
Fifth Crusade
1261day.year
Pope Urban IV succeeds Pope Alexander IV, becoming the 182nd pope.
Pope Urban IV is elected as the 182nd pope, succeeding Alexander IV in the papal lineage.
In the aftermath of Pope Alexander IV's death, Jacques Pantaléon was elected on August 29, 1261.
Taking the name Urban IV, he became the 182nd pope of the Roman Catholic Church.
Born in Troyes, France, Urban IV had served as a cardinal and papal legate prior to his elevation.
His pontificate was marked by efforts to assert papal authority amidst rising conflicts between monarchy and church.
Urban IV also initiated patronage of religious art and the establishment of the feast of Corpus Christi.
1261
Pope Urban IV
Pope Alexander IV
1315day.year
Battle of Montecatini: The army of the Republic of Pisa, commanded by Uguccione della Faggiuola, wins a decisive victory against the joint forces of the Kingdom of Naples and the Republic of Florence despite being outnumbered.
Despite being outnumbered, Pisa achieves a decisive victory over Naples and Florence at Montecatini.
On August 29, 1315, near Montecatini in Tuscany, the Republic of Pisa faced a coalition of forces from Naples and Florence.
Commanded by the condottiero Uguccione della Faggiuola, the Pisan army executed a surprise attack.
Despite their smaller numbers, Pisa's troops routed the allied forces and captured many knights.
This triumph bolstered Pisa's influence in the region and weakened its Florentine and Neapolitan rivals.
The battle exemplified the turbulent Guelph-Ghibelline conflicts that defined medieval Italian politics.
1315
Battle of Montecatini
Republic of Pisa
Uguccione della Faggiuola
Kingdom of Naples
Republic of Florence
1350day.year
Battle of Winchelsea (or Les Espagnols sur Mer): The English naval fleet under King Edward III defeats a Castilian fleet of 40 ships.
King Edward III's English fleet defeats a larger Castilian armada at the naval Battle of Winchelsea.
Also known by the poet Chaucer as 'Les Espagnols sur Mer,' the Battle of Winchelsea took place on August 29, 1350.
King Edward III personally led the English fleet against forty Castilian ships in the English Channel.
Utilizing swift maneuvers and superior seamanship, the English secured victory and captured several vessels.
This engagement was part of the ongoing Hundred Years' War and showcased England's naval prowess.
The battle remains celebrated in English maritime history as a demonstration of royal leadership at sea.
1350
Battle of Winchelsea
Les Espagnols sur Mer
English
naval fleet
Edward III
Castilian
1475day.year
The Treaty of Picquigny ends a brief war between the kingdoms of France and England.
France and England sign the Treaty of Picquigny, concluding a short conflict and establishing a peace.
Signed on August 29, 1475, the Treaty of Picquigny formally ended hostilities between King Louis XI of France and King Edward IV of England.
Under its terms, Edward IV agreed to withdraw his forces from French soil in exchange for a yearly pension.
The accord included marriage negotiations and a seven-year truce to prevent further invasions.
The treaty reflected Louis XI's diplomatic skill and his preference for financial settlements over prolonged warfare.
Picquigny marked a rare moment of peace during the tumultuous Wars of the Roses and strengthened French royal authority.
1475
Treaty of Picquigny
France
1484day.year
Pope Innocent VIII succeeds Pope Sixtus IV.
Jacopo Piccolomini-Cancellieri is elected Pope Innocent VIII, becoming the head of the Catholic Church.
On August 29, 1484, the College of Cardinals elected Jacopo Piccolomini-Cancellieri as Pope Innocent VIII.
He succeeded Pope Sixtus IV amid the complex politics of Renaissance Italy.
Innocent VIII's pontificate contended with tensions between powerful Italian families and monarchs.
He notably dealt with issues such as the fallout from the Pazzi Conspiracy and the Turkish threat in the Mediterranean.
His reign also saw the first papal bull authorizing the persecution of witches, shaping later European witch hunts.
1484
Pope Innocent VIII
Pope Sixtus IV
1498day.year
Vasco da Gama decides to depart Calicut and return to the Kingdom of Portugal.
Explorer Vasco da Gama chooses to depart from Calicut and sail back to Portugal after his Indian voyage.
In 1498, after successfully reaching Calicut on the Malabar Coast, Vasco da Gama decided to begin his return journey to Portugal on August 29.
His expedition had established a direct maritime route between Europe and India, revolutionizing global trade.
Vasco da Gama's decision came after securing valuable spices and negotiating with local rulers.
The return voyage tested the fleet's endurance, with stops along Africa's coast for provisions.
His safe arrival in Lisbon would herald a new era of Portuguese dominance in the Indian Ocean.
1498
Vasco da Gama
Calicut
Kingdom of Portugal
1521day.year
The Ottoman Turks capture Nándorfehérvár (Belgrade).
On August 29, 1521, Ottoman forces under Suleiman the Magnificent captured Nándorfehérvár (Belgrade), a key fortress controlling the Danube gateway to Central Europe.
Nándorfehérvár, present-day Belgrade, was a strategic fortress guarding the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers.
After a month-long siege, Sultan Suleiman I personally directed his forces in a campaign of relentless artillery bombardment and infantry assaults.
With the fall of the city on August 29, 1521, the Ottomans secured a crucial gateway into Central Europe and severely weakened Hungarian defenses.
The victory enhanced Suleiman's reputation as a formidable commander and laid the groundwork for further Ottoman advances across the continent.
In the aftermath, the city was incorporated into the Ottoman provincial system, saw the construction of new fortifications, and became a key administrative center.
Survivors of the siege were often enslaved or held for ransom, while the defeat shook European powers into pursuing new alliances against the growing Ottoman threat.
1521
Ottoman Turks
Nándorfehérvár
1526day.year
Battle of Mohács: The Ottoman Turks led by Suleiman the Magnificent defeat and kill the last Jagiellonian king of Hungary and Bohemia.
In 1526, Ottoman forces under Suleiman the Magnificent crushed the Hungarian army at the Battle of Mohács, resulting in the death of King Louis II and heralding Ottoman dominance in Hungary.
The Battle of Mohács took place near the village of Mohács on August 29, 1526, pitting the Kingdom of Hungary against a well-organized Ottoman army under Suleiman I.
Despite outnumbering the Hungarian troops, King Louis II's forces were quickly overrun by the Ottomans' superior artillery and cavalry tactics.
The death of Louis II on the battlefield, along with thousands of nobility, left Hungary without strong leadership and vulnerable to Ottoman encroachment.
This decisive victory shattered the medieval Hungarian state, leading to the partition of Hungary between the Ottoman Empire and the Habsburgs.
Suleiman's triumph at Mohács opened the way for deeper Ottoman penetration into Central Europe and marked a major shift in the balance of power.
The battle is widely regarded as one of the most crushing defeats of a European power by the Ottomans, influencing the region's geopolitics for decades.
1526
Battle of Mohács
Ottoman Turks
Suleiman the Magnificent
Jagiellonian
Hungary
Bohemia