919day.year
Battle of Islandbridge: High King Niall Glúndub is killed while leading an Irish coalition against the Vikings of Uí Ímair, led by King Sitric Cáech.
High King Niall Glúndub fell leading an Irish coalition against the Viking forces at the Battle of Islandbridge in 919.
On September 14, 919, the Battle of Islandbridge saw a coalition of Irish clans confront the Uí Ímair Vikings led by Sitric Cáech.
High King Niall Glúndub led the Irish forces personally but was overwhelmed by the seasoned Norse warriors.
Despite initial resistance, the Irish lines broke, and Niall was killed in the fierce combat.
His death plunged Ireland into political turmoil and opened the door for further Viking incursions.
Sitric Cáech’s victory strengthened Norse influence in Dublin and surrounding regions.
The battle exemplified the volatile power dynamics between Irish kingdoms and Viking settlers in the 10th century.
It remains a significant episode in early medieval Irish history, symbolizing the era’s brutal conflicts.
919
Battle of Islandbridge
1180day.year
Genpei War: In the Battle of Ishibashiyama in Japan, the new military commander of the Minamoto clan, Minamoto no Yoritomo, is routed by Ōba Kagechika of the Taira clan.
In 1180, Minamoto no Yoritomo was ambushed and defeated by the Taira clan at the Battle of Ishibashiyama during the Genpei War.
The Battle of Ishibashiyama on September 14, 1180, marked the first military engagement of Minamoto no Yoritomo in the Genpei War.
Yoritomo’s forces were hastily assembled and ambushed by Ōba Kagechika’s Taira troops near present-day Odawara.
Facing superior numbers and a surprise attack, the Minamoto commander was forced to retreat in disarray.
Though a tactical defeat, the battle spurred Yoritomo to rally support in the Kantō region.
This setback would ultimately precede his resurgence, leading to the establishment of the first shogunate.
The Genpei War reshaped Japanese politics, ending Taira dominance and ushering in samurai-led governance.
Ishibashiyama’s clash remains a pivotal starting point for a conflict that defined medieval Japan.
1180
Genpei War
Battle of Ishibashiyama
Minamoto clan
Minamoto no Yoritomo
Ōba Kagechika
Taira clan
1402day.year
Battle of Homildon Hill: An invading Scottish army under Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany and Archibald, Earl Douglas is decimated by a contingent of 500 English archers under the command of George, Earl of March and Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland.
In 1402, English longbowmen decisively defeated a Scottish army under Murdoch Stewart at the Battle of Homildon Hill.
On September 14, 1402, English forces under George, Earl of March, and Henry Percy devastated a Scottish army at Homildon Hill.
The Scots, led by Murdoch Stewart and Archibald Douglas, advanced in tight formations towards the English line.
A contingent of 500 English archers unleashed volleys of arrows that decimated the Scottish ranks.
The victory showcased the potency of the English longbow in medieval warfare.
Many Scottish nobles were killed or captured, weakening their leadership in the region.
The battle foreshadowed the tactics later employed by Henry V at Agincourt.
Homildon Hill remains a landmark example of archery’s dominance on the medieval battlefield.
1402
Battle of Homildon Hill
Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany
Archibald, Earl Douglas
George, Earl of March
Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland
1685day.year
Morean War: the Battle of Kalamata ends in a Venetian victory over the forces of the Ottoman Empire under the Kapudan Pasha.
In 1685, Venetian forces achieved victory over the Ottomans at the Battle of Kalamata during the Morean War.
The Battle of Kalamata on September 14, 1685, was a key engagement in the Venetian–Ottoman Morean War.
Venetian troops assaulted Ottoman fortifications near Kalamata in the Peloponnese.
Under the Kapudan Pasha, the Ottomans initially resisted but were eventually overwhelmed.
The Venetian victory secured control of the region and bolstered their campaign in Greece.
This success paved the way for further Venetian advances into Ottoman-held territories.
The Morean War exemplified the continual struggle for dominance in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Kalamata’s fall marked a turning point, demonstrating Venice’s naval and military prowess.
1685
Morean War
Battle of Kalamata
Kapudan Pasha
1763day.year
Seneca warriors defeat British forces at the Battle of Devil's Hole during Pontiac's War.
Seneca warriors defeated British forces at the Battle of Devil's Hole in 1763, a pivotal clash in Pontiac's War.
Part of Pontiac's broader uprising against British post-war policies, the ambush occurred near Niagara Gorge.
Seneca warriors attacked a British supply convoy, inflicting heavy casualties.
The narrow ravine, known as Devil's Hole, amplified the effectiveness of the surprise assault.
This victory disrupted British supply lines and bolstered Native resistance.
It underscored the vulnerability of frontier outposts and forced a rethinking of imperial strategy.
The battle remains a symbol of Native American resilience during colonial expansion.
1763
Seneca
Battle of Devil's Hole
Pontiac's War
1782day.year
American Revolutionary War: Review of the French troops under General Rochambeau by General George Washington at Verplanck's Point, New York.
George Washington reviewed French troops under General Rochambeau at Verplanck's Point in 1782, strengthening the Franco-American alliance.
As winter approached, Washington inspected the disciplined French contingent camped at Verplanck's Point.
The review showcased the unity and preparedness of allied forces heading into the Yorktown campaign.
General Rochambeau, commanding 5,500 soldiers, received high honors from Washington himself.
This display of cooperation reassured American and French governments of the alliance's strength.
The visit solidified mutual respect and logistical coordination that would prove decisive.
Within months, the combined armies would force British surrender at Yorktown.
1782
American Revolutionary War
General Rochambeau
General George Washington at Verplanck's Point
1808day.year
Finnish War: Russians defeat the Swedes at the Battle of Oravais.
Russian forces defeated the Swedes at the Battle of Oravais in 1808 during the Finnish War.
The clash at Oravais was one of the Finnish War's bloodiest engagements.
Swedish troops, under Gustav Löwenhielm, held fortified positions on rough terrain.
Despite fierce resistance, Russian commander Michael Barclay de Tolly ordered a decisive assault.
After hours of combat, Swedish lines broke and they retreated southward.
The victory opened the path for Russian occupation of Finland.
It led to the eventual creation of the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland under Russian rule.
1808
Finnish War
Battle of Oravais
1812day.year
Napoleonic Wars: The French Grande Armée enters Moscow. The Fire of Moscow begins as soon as Russian troops leave the city.
Napoleon’s Grande Armée entered Moscow in 1812, only to witness the city engulfed in flames after the Russian evacuation.
After capturing Smolensk and defeating Russian forces, Napoleon advanced on Moscow.
On September 14, the French marched into an eerily deserted city.
Within hours, fires broke out across Moscow, destroying large swathes of buildings.
The blaze was likely set by retreating Russians to deny resources to the invaders.
Napoleon lingered for five weeks, expecting surrender that never came.
The scorched city and lack of supplies forced the Grande Armée into a disastrous retreat.
1812
Napoleonic Wars
Grande Armée
Fire of Moscow
1846day.year
Jang Bahadur and his brothers massacre about 40 members of the Nepalese palace court.
In 1846, Jang Bahadur Rana orchestrated the massacre of around 40 palace court members, consolidating his power in Nepal.
Known as the Kot Massacre, this event took place on the night of September 14 in Kathmandu.
Jang Bahadur and his allies invited nobles to the armory under false pretenses.
At his signal, troops slaughtered rival factions and key officials.
The violent purge eliminated almost all opponents to Jang Bahadur's authority.
He emerged as the de facto ruler and founded the Rana dynasty, which held power for over a century.
The massacre marked a dramatic shift in Nepalese governance and social order.
1846
Jang Bahadur
massacre
1862day.year
American Civil War: The Battle of South Mountain, part of the Maryland Campaign, is fought.
At the Battle of South Mountain on September 14, 1862, Union and Confederate forces clashed along Maryland's rugged terrain.
This engagement opened the way for the pivotal Battle of Antietam and marked a turning point in the Maryland Campaign.
On September 14, 1862, near South Mountain in Maryland, Union forces under General George B. McClellan engaged Confederate defenders commanded by General Robert E. Lee.
The battle unfolded across three mountain passes—Crampton's, Turner's, and Fox's Gaps—each fiercely contested by both sides.
Despite strong resistance, Union troops gradually pushed back the Confederates, securing key positions.
The Confederate delay allowed Lee to consolidate his forces at Sharpsburg, leading to the Battle of Antietam days later.
South Mountain demonstrated the strategic importance of controlling mountain passes in the Appalachian foothills.
This clash marked one of the bloodiest engagements before Antietam and significantly influenced President Lincoln’s decision to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.
1862
American Civil War
Battle of South Mountain
Maryland Campaign
1936day.year
Raoul Villain, who assassinated the French Socialist Jean Jaurès, is himself killed by Spanish Republicans in Ibiza.
Raoul Villain, the man who assassinated French socialist leader Jean Jaurès in 1914, was killed by Spanish Republicans in Ibiza on September 14, 1936.
Raoul Villain gained infamy in 1914 by murdering Jean Jaurès, a prominent French socialist and pacifist.
After turning himself in, Villain was acquitted in 1919 and lived quietly in exile.
With the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, Villain was captured by Republican forces in Ibiza.
On September 14, he was shot and killed, an act seen as vengeance by leftist fighters.
His death closed a dark chapter in French political history and reverberated among European intellectuals.
The event illustrated the deep ideological divides that presaged wider conflicts across Europe.
1936
Raoul Villain
Jean Jaurès
Ibiza
1939day.year
World War II: The Estonian military boards the Polish submarine ORP Orzeł in Tallinn, sparking a diplomatic incident that the Soviet Union will later use to justify the annexation of Estonia.
Estonian forces boarded the Polish submarine ORP Orzeł in Tallinn harbor on September 14, 1939, igniting a diplomatic crisis later exploited by the Soviet Union for annexation.
In the early days of World War II, the Polish submarine ORP Orzeł sought refuge in neutral Estonia after mechanical issues and lack of supplies.
On September 14, 1939, Estonian naval units boarded the vessel in Tallinn, detaining its crew and seizing the submarine.
The incident violated Estonia’s declared neutrality and provoked outrage in Warsaw and London.
Although the crew eventually escaped, the crisis provided the Soviet Union with a pretext to claim Estonia had breached neutrality.
Two years later, the Soviets used this justification to annex Estonia under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact.
The boarding of ORP Orzeł stands as a pivotal moment in the Baltic states’ descent into Soviet domination.
1939
World War II
ORP Orzeł
Tallinn
diplomatic incident