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
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
1876day.year
Ottoman Sultan Murad V is deposed and succeeded by his brother, Abdul Hamid II.
Sultan Murad V is overthrown amid concerns over his mental health, paving the way for Abdul Hamid II's long reign.
Sultan Murad V ascended the Ottoman throne in May 1876 following the deposition of his brother Abdulaziz.
Concerns over his mental health and political disagreements led to his overthrow on August 31, 1876.
He was replaced by his half-brother Abdul Hamid II, who would rule for the next 33 years.
Murad V spent the rest of his life under house arrest in the Çırağan Palace.
The transition marked a turning point in Ottoman politics and set the stage for later reforms under Abdul Hamid II.
1876
Ottoman Sultan
Murad V
Abdul Hamid II
1907day.year
Russia and the United Kingdom sign the Anglo-Russian Convention, by which the UK recognizes Russian preeminence in northern Persia, while Russia recognizes British preeminence in southeastern Persia and Afghanistan. Both powers pledge not to interfere in Tibet.
Britain and Russia settle their Central Asian rivalries by signing the Anglo-Russian Convention, delineating their spheres of influence.
On August 31, 1907, the United Kingdom and Russia signed the Anglo-Russian Convention in St. Petersburg.
The agreement settled long-standing disputes over influence in Persia and Afghanistan.
Britain recognized Russian preeminence in northern Persia, while Russia acknowledged British control in southeastern Persia and Afghanistan.
Both empires pledged to refrain from interfering in Tibet, easing tensions in the so-called Great Game.
The convention paved the way for the Triple Entente and reshaped colonial competition in Asia.
It marked a significant moment in early 20th-century diplomacy.
1907
Anglo-Russian Convention
1933day.year
The Integral Nationalist Group wins the 1933 Andorran parliamentary election, the first election in Andorra held with universal male suffrage.
In 1933, the Integral Nationalist Group won Andorra's first parliamentary election under universal male suffrage.
In a landmark moment on August 31, 1933, Andorra held its first parliamentary election with universal male suffrage. The newly formed Integral Nationalist Group emerged victorious, reflecting shifting political sentiments in the tiny Pyrenean principality. This election expanded voting rights to all adult men, a significant advance in Andorran democracy. The campaign centered on modernizing the nation's institutions while preserving its traditions. Voter turnout soared as citizens embraced their newfound political voice. The victory set the stage for future constitutional reforms and social progress. Political observers noted the election as a key step in Andorra's evolution from medieval governance to a contemporary parliamentary system.
1933
1933 Andorran parliamentary election
Andorra
universal male suffrage
1935day.year
In an attempt to stay out of the growing tensions concerning Germany and Japan, the United States passes the first of its Neutrality Acts.
In 1935, the United States enacted the first Neutrality Act to prevent involvement in foreign conflicts amid rising tensions in Europe and Asia.
As war clouds gathered over Europe and Asia, the U.S. Congress passed the first Neutrality Act on August 31, 1935. This landmark legislation banned the export of arms and war materials to belligerent nations, aiming to shield America from overseas entanglements. It reflected the strong isolationist sentiment rooted in the aftermath of World War I. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the act into law despite concerns over its rigidity and impact on future diplomacy. The act established a system of cash-and-carry provisions, forcing warring nations to pay in cash and transport goods on their own ships. While intended to preserve peace, the act would later reveal its limitations as conflicts intensified. Historians view the Neutrality Act as a pivotal shift in U.S. foreign policy during the interwar period.
1935
Neutrality Acts