9day.year
The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends: The Roman Empire suffers the greatest defeat of its history and the Rhine is established as the border between the Empire and the so-called barbarians for the next four hundred years.
In AD 9, three Roman legions under Publius Quinctilius Varus marched into the Teutoburg Forest. Germanic tribes led by Arminius orchestrated a crushing ambush, annihilating the Roman forces. This defeat halted Roman expansion east of the Rhine and set it as the Empire's boundary for four centuries.
In AD 9, three Roman legions under Publius Quinctilius Varus marched into the Teutoburg Forest.
Germanic tribes led by Arminius orchestrated a crushing ambush, annihilating the Roman forces.
This defeat remains Rome's greatest military disaster in its history.
The aftermath halted Roman expansion east of the Rhine River.
For the next four centuries, the Rhine served as the stable frontier between Rome and the Germanic tribes.
9
Battle of the Teutoburg Forest
Roman Empire
Rhine
barbarians
1185day.year
Isaac II Angelos kills Stephen Hagiochristophorites and then appeals to the people, resulting in the revolt that deposes Andronikos I Komnenos and places Isaac on the throne of the Byzantine Empire.
In 1185, Isaac II Angelos assassinated a court official and rallied a popular revolt to depose Emperor Andronikos I Komnenos and claim the Byzantine throne.
In 1185, Isaac II Angelos assassinated powerful minister Stephen Hagiochristophorites at the Byzantine court.
He rallied the populace against Emperor Andronikos I Komnenos, accusing him of tyranny and misrule.
A swift urban uprising in Constantinople forced Andronikos to flee and marked the end of his reign.
The Senate and clergy endorsed Isaac's claim, and he was crowned as the new emperor.
This palace coup underscored the volatile nature of Byzantine politics and the power of popular support.
Isaac's ascent inaugurated a period of relative stability before the empire faced external threats.
1185
Isaac II Angelos
Stephen Hagiochristophorites
Andronikos I Komnenos
Byzantine Empire
1275day.year
An earthquake occurred in the south of Great Britain, notably causing multiple fatalities as well as destroying St Michael's Church on Glastonbury Tor.
A powerful earthquake shakes southern England, causing deaths and bringing down St Michael's Church atop Glastonbury Tor.
On September 11, 1275, a significant earthquake struck the region south of Glastonbury in southwest England.
Contemporary accounts report multiple deaths and widespread damage to homes and churches.
The quake notably collapsed the medieval St Michael's Church perched on Glastonbury Tor.
Witnesses described roaring ground and trembling structures throughout the surrounding parishes.
This seismic event remains one of the earliest documented earthquakes in English history.
It prompted local clergy to call for prayers and the reconstruction of sacred buildings.
1275
An earthquake
Glastonbury Tor
1297day.year
Battle of Stirling Bridge: Scots jointly led by William Wallace and Andrew Moray defeat the English.
Scottish forces under William Wallace and Andrew Moray rout an English army at Stirling Bridge, marking a pivotal victory in the First War of Scottish Independence.
On September 11, 1297, William Wallace and Andrew Moray led Scottish troops against the English at Stirling Bridge.
Using the narrowness of the Old Stirling Bridge, the Scots timed their attack to ambush half of the English force.
The surprise assault caused the English army to panic and retreat into the River Forth.
This decisive victory boosted Scottish morale and galvanized the resistance against King Edward I.
The triumph at Stirling Bridge became an enduring symbol of Scottish national pride.
It temporarily secured Scottish control over the central Lowlands before later conflicts resumed.
1297
Battle of Stirling Bridge
William Wallace
Andrew Moray
1390day.year
Lithuanian Civil War (1389–92): The Teutonic Knights begin a five-week siege of Vilnius.
The Teutonic Knights launch a five-week siege of Vilnius during the internal Lithuanian Civil War, challenging Grand Duke Vytautas' authority.
In 1390, the Teutonic Knights commenced a five-week siege of Vilnius amid the Lithuanian Civil War (1389–1392).
Allied with rival claimant Vytautas the Great, the Knights sought to enforce their influence in the Grand Duchy.
The city's defenses were bolstered by residents and surviving Lithuanian loyalists.
Despite heavy bombardment and mining operations, the Knights failed to breach the walls.
The siege ultimately ended without capturing Vilnius, reflecting the resilience of Lithuanian fortifications.
This episode deepened the animosity between Lithuania and the Teutonic Order before a negotiated peace.
1390
Lithuanian Civil War (1389–92)
Teutonic Knights
Vilnius
1541day.year
Santiago, Chile, is attacked by indigenous warriors, led by Michimalonco, to free eight indigenous chiefs held captive by the Spaniards.
Indigenous warriors led by Michimalonco attack Santiago to free captive chiefs, challenging Spanish colonial authority.
On September 11, 1541, Michimalonco, a local Picunche leader, rallied indigenous warriors against Spanish settlers in Santiago.
Their goal was to liberate eight native chiefs held captive by Governor Pedro de Valdivia.
The assault caused significant damage to early colonial fortifications and buildings.
Spanish forces eventually repelled the attack but suffered casualties and lost control of key buildings.
This conflict highlighted the tensions and resistance of Mapuche and Picunche peoples to colonial rule.
The event remains a notable example of early indigenous uprisings in Chile.
1541
Santiago
Michimalonco
1565day.year
Ottoman forces retreat from Malta ending the Great Siege of Malta.
Ottoman forces withdraw from Malta, ending their months-long siege and securing a decisive Christian victory.
On September 11, 1565, Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent's army lifted the Great Siege of Malta.
Knights Hospitaller and Maltese defenders under Grand Master Jean Parisot de Valette held Fort Saint Elmo and Birgu against overwhelming odds.
Heavy casualties and disease weakened the Ottoman assault, forcing a retreat toward Constantinople.
The victory preserved Christian control of Malta and bolstered European morale against Ottoman expansion.
The surviving defenders were hailed as heroes and La Valette began planning the fortified city that bears his name.
The siege is remembered as a turning point in Mediterranean power struggles.
1565
Ottoman
Malta
Great Siege of Malta
1609day.year
Henry Hudson arrives on Manhattan Island and meets the indigenous people living there.
Explorer Henry Hudson arrives at Manhattan Island, making first recorded contact with the Lenape people.
On September 11, 1609, English navigator Henry Hudson, sailing for the Dutch East India Company, sighted and anchored near Manhattan Island.
He and his crew met Lenape inhabitants, exchanging goods and marking the first European-Lenape contact in the region.
Hudson named the river Marck-a-te-wis after hearing the native name, later known as the Hudson River.
His voyage opened the way for Dutch colonization of New Netherland, including New Amsterdam.
This encounter laid the groundwork for the future city of New York and shifting power dynamics in North America.
Hudson's detailed journals provided valuable information on the region's geography and indigenous cultures.
1609
Henry Hudson
Manhattan Island
1649day.year
Siege of Drogheda ends: Oliver Cromwell's Parliamentarian troops take the town and execute its garrison.
Oliver Cromwell's Parliamentarian forces capture Drogheda and execute its Royalist garrison in a ruthless storming of the town.
On September 11, 1649, Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army concluded the Siege of Drogheda in Ireland.
After breaching the walls, Parliamentarian troops massacred the Royalist defenders and many civilians.
Cromwell justified the killings as a necessary terror tactic to discourage further resistance.
The brutal sack of Drogheda remains one of the most controversial episodes of the English Civil War.
News of the massacre sent shockwaves across Europe and deepened sectarian divides in Ireland.
It established a reputation for Cromwell's uncompromising military methods during subsequent campaigns.
1649
Siege of Drogheda
Oliver Cromwell
Parliamentarian
1683day.year
Coalition forces, including the famous winged Hussars, led by Polish King John III Sobieski lift the siege laid by Ottoman forces ahead of the Battle of Vienna.
King John III Sobieski leads Polish and allied forces, including winged Hussars, to lift the Ottoman siege of Vienna.
On September 11, 1683, the Polish King John III Sobieski arrived at Vienna with a relief army to confront the Ottoman besiegers.
The renowned winged Hussars charged down Kahlenberg Mountain in a decisive cavalry assault.
Their attack broke the Ottoman lines and forced a full retreat back toward the Balkans.
This triumph ended the two-month Siege of Vienna and halted Ottoman expansion into Central Europe.
The victory marked a turning point in the Great Turkish War, shifting momentum to the Holy League.
Sobieski's leadership and the Hussars' valor became legendary symbols of Christian Europe's defense.
1683
winged Hussars
John III Sobieski
Battle of Vienna
1697day.year
Battle of Zenta: a major engagement in the Great Turkish War (1683–1699) and one of the most decisive defeats in Ottoman history.
A major 1697 battle in Serbia where Habsburg forces defeated the Ottoman army, decisively impacting the Great Turkish War.
The Battle of Zenta occurred on September 11, 1697, near Zenta (present-day Senta, Serbia). The Imperial Habsburg army under Prince Eugene of Savoy launched a surprise attack on the Ottoman camp. The Ottoman Grand Vizier, Sürmeli Ali Pasha, was killed and their forces suffered catastrophic losses. The Habsburg victory effectively ended Ottoman control over Hungary. It paved the way for the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699, reshaping power in Central Europe. The battle is remembered as one of the most decisive defeats in Ottoman history.
1697
Battle of Zenta
Great Turkish War
Ottoman
1708day.year
Charles XII of Sweden stops his march to conquer Moscow outside Smolensk, marking the turning point in the Great Northern War. The army is defeated nine months later in the Battle of Poltava, and the Swedish Empire ceases to be a major power.
Swedish King Charles XII halted his advance on Moscow at Smolensk in 1708, marking a key turning point in the Great Northern War.
In 1708, during the Great Northern War, Charles XII of Sweden abandoned his ambitious march on Moscow and instead laid siege to the fortified city of Smolensk. The decision overstretched his supply lines and strained his army. Harsh winter conditions and the resurgence of Russian forces under Peter the Great further eroded Swedish strength. The setback at Smolensk foreshadowed the catastrophic defeat at the Battle of Poltava in 1709. After Poltava, Sweden lost its status as a leading Baltic power. Russia emerged as the new dominant force in Northern Europe. Charles XII’s campaign remains a classic study in the challenges of logistics and overextension.
1708
Charles XII of Sweden
Smolensk
Great Northern War
Battle of Poltava
Swedish Empire
major power