1056day.year
After a sudden illness a few days previously, Byzantine Empress Theodora dies childless, thus ending the Macedonian dynasty.
Byzantine Empress Theodora died on August 31, 1056, ending the long-standing Macedonian dynasty.
Empress Theodora was the last ruler of the Macedonian dynasty, which had governed Byzantium since 867. She co-reigned alongside her sister Zoe and navigated court intrigues in Constantinople. Following a brief but severe illness, she passed away without heirs. Her death marked the abrupt end of a nearly two-century-old imperial lineage. The power vacuum that ensued reshaped the Byzantine succession and set the stage for the rise of the Komnenos dynasty.
1056
Byzantine Empress
Theodora
Macedonian dynasty
1057day.year
Abdication of Byzantine Emperor Michael VI Bringas after just one year.
Emperor Michael VI Bringas abdicated on August 31, 1057, after a turbulent single-year reign.
Michael VI ascended the Byzantine throne following Theodora’s death but faced immediate opposition from the military aristocracy. Discontent grew under the leadership of Isaac Komnenos, who leveraged troop grievances against the young emperor. On August 31, 1057, Michael VI was forced to abdicate in Constantinople. His departure ended a brief but fractious reign marked by fiscal strain and political unrest. This transition paved the way for Isaac I Komnenos to become emperor.
1057
Michael VI Bringas
1218day.year
Al-Kamil becomes sultan of the Ayyubid dynasty.
Al-Kamil ascended as Sultan of the Ayyubid dynasty in 1218, succeeding his brother as ruler of Egypt and Syria.
Al-Kamil was the nephew of the famed Saladin and took the throne after the death of his brother al-Muʿaẓẓam. He inherited a realm divided by internal rivalry and external threats from Crusader states. Al-Kamil is noted for negotiating with Frederick II during the Sixth Crusade, securing a peaceful handover of Jerusalem. His diplomatic approach contrasted with his predecessors’ military campaigns. His reign strengthened Cairo as a political center and reinforced Ayyubid authority across the region.
1218
Al-Kamil
sultan
Ayyubid dynasty
1314day.year
King Haakon V of Norway moves the capital from Bergen to Oslo.
In 1314 King Haakon V transferred Norway’s capital from Bergen to Oslo to consolidate royal authority.
Haakon V sought to strengthen the crown by relocating the seat of power closer to his personal estates. Oslo offered strategic access to eastern trade routes and a defensible inland location. The move marked the first time Norway’s capital shifted from its traditional maritime hub. This decision laid the groundwork for Oslo’s development into the political and economic center of the kingdom. Bergen retained its importance as a trading port, but Oslo emerged as the locus of royal administration.
1314
Haakon V of Norway
Bergen
Oslo
1420day.year
The 8.8–9.4 Caldera earthquake shakes Chile's Atacama Region causing tsunami in Chile, Hawaii, and Japan.
A massive 8.8–9.4 magnitude earthquake struck Chile’s Atacama Region on August 31, 1420, triggering a Pacific-wide tsunami.
The 1420 Caldera earthquake is estimated to have reached one of the highest magnitudes recorded in pre-modern times. It devastated coastal settlements in the Atacama Region and generated tsunami waves that reached Hawaii and Japan. Contemporary accounts describe towering sea surges and widespread destruction along shorelines. The event likely altered local landscapes and disrupted indigenous communities’ livelihoods. Its far-reaching tsunami effects underscore the interconnected nature of Pacific seismic hazards.
1420
8.8–9.4 Caldera earthquake
Atacama Region
tsunami
Hawaii
1422day.year
King Henry V of England dies of dysentery while in France. His son, Henry VI, becomes King of England at the age of nine months.
King Henry V of England died of dysentery on August 31, 1422, and was succeeded by his infant son Henry VI.
Henry V achieved fame for his victory at Agincourt during the Hundred Years’ War and sought to extend English control in France. While encamped near Vincennes, he succumbed to a sudden bout of dysentery. At just nine months old, his son Henry VI inherited the throne under a regency. This succession crisis intensified rivalries among English nobles and complicated ongoing campaigns in France. The young king’s minority paved the way for decades of political instability and eventual civil strife.
1422
Henry V of England
dysentery
Henry VI
1483day.year
Under the influence of the Ottoman government, patriarch Symeon I convenes a synod of the Eastern Orthodox Churches in Constantinople. The council defines the ritual for admitting Catholics to the Eastern Orthodox Churches and condemns the church union of Ferrara-Florence.
In 1483 Patriarch Symeon I held a synod in Constantinople, setting Orthodox rituals and rejecting the Ferrara-Florence union.
Patriarch Symeon I convened this synod under Ottoman sponsorship to assert the independence of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The council established clear guidelines for admitting former Catholics into Orthodox communion. Delegates formally denounced the disputed union forged at Ferrara-Florence in the 15th century. By codifying ritual practice, the synod reinforced Orthodox identity amid political and religious pressures. This gathering highlighted the growing influence of the Ottoman state over ecclesiastical affairs in Constantinople.
1483
patriarch Symeon I
synod of the Eastern Orthodox Churches in Constantinople
Eastern Orthodox Churches
church union of Ferrara-Florence
1535day.year
Pope Paul III excommunicates English King Henry VIII from the church. He drew up a papal bull of excommunication which began Eius qui immobilis.
On August 31, 1535, Pope Paul III issued the bull Eius qui immobilis, formally excommunicating Henry VIII.
The excommunication marked a decisive break between England and Rome after Henry VIII’s rejection of papal authority. Pope Paul III’s bull accused the king of usurping ecclesiastical jurisdiction and dissolving monasteries. This act escalated the English Reformation and deepened the rift with Catholic Europe. It forced Henry to consolidate his new Church of England under royal supremacy. The event reshaped religious and political allegiances across the British Isles.
1535
Paul III
Henry VIII
papal bull of excommunication
1776day.year
William Livingston, the first Governor of New Jersey, begins serving his first term.
William Livingston took office as the first Governor of New Jersey on August 31, 1776, amid the American Revolution.
A signer of the Continental Association, Livingston helped draft New Jersey’s first state constitution in July 1776. His inauguration on August 31 came as British forces threatened the region. As governor, he balanced civil authority with wartime exigencies, organizing militias and maintaining supply lines. Livingston’s leadership provided stability during a turbulent era. He served until 1790, guiding New Jersey through its formative years as an independent state.
1776
William Livingston
Governor of New Jersey
1795day.year
War of the First Coalition: The British capture Trincomalee (present-day Sri Lanka) from the Dutch in order to keep it out of French hands.
During the War of the First Coalition on August 31, 1795, British forces seized the port of Trincomalee from the Dutch.
Trincomalee, a deep-water harbor on the eastern coast of Ceylon, was strategically vital for naval operations. British troops launched a surprise assault to prevent French expansion in the Indian Ocean. The swift capture secured a critical outpost for resupplying and repairing ships. This operation weakened Dutch colonial presence and bolstered British maritime dominance. The fall of Trincomalee exemplified the global reach of European conflicts during the Revolutionary Wars.
1795
War of the First Coalition
capture Trincomalee
Sri Lanka
1798day.year
Irish Rebellion: Irish rebels, with French assistance, establish the short-lived Republic of Connacht.
Irish rebels, aided by French forces, proclaim the Republic of Connacht during the 1798 uprising.
In August 1798, Irish insurgents joined by a detachment of French troops declared the Republic of Connacht in western Ireland.
They sought to establish an independent Irish government against British rule.
Under the leadership of General Jean Humbert, the republic was proclaimed in Castlebar but lacked widespread support.
British forces responded swiftly, defeating the rebels at the Battle of Ballinamuck on September 8.
The short-lived republic lasted less than a month before it was suppressed.
Despite its brief existence, it became a symbol of Irish resistance and inspired future nationalists.
1798
Irish Rebellion
Republic of Connacht
1813day.year
Peninsular War: Spanish troops repel a French attack in the Battle of San Marcial.
In the Peninsular War, Spanish forces successfully thwart a French offensive at San Marcial.
In late August 1813, during the Peninsular War, French forces under Marshal Soult attempted to cross into Spain via the Bidasoa River.
Spanish troops led by General Freire entrenched on the high ground at San Marcial hill.
On August 31, they repelled repeated French assaults in fierce close combat.
The victory marked one of the first occasions Spanish soldiers beat French regulars without direct British support.
Heavy casualties forced the French to withdraw towards their own borders.
The battle bolstered Spanish morale and paved the way for further allied advances into western Spain.
1813
Peninsular War
Battle of San Marcial