489day.year
The Ostrogoths under Theoderic the Great defeat the forces of Odoacer for the second time.
In 489, Theoderic the Great's Ostrogoths defeated Odoacer's forces for a second time, consolidating Gothic rule in Italy.
In 489, Theoderic the Great led the Ostrogoths to a decisive victory over Odoacer's troops for the second time. This battle solidified Theoderic's authority in Italy after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Odoacer's forces, which had ruled Italy since 476, were pushed back, undermining his challenge to Gothic power. The battle highlighted Theoderic's strategic prowess and the strength of his cavalry. It paved the way for the establishment of the Ostrogothic Kingdom in Italy, which endured for decades.
489
Ostrogoths
Theoderic the Great
defeat
Odoacer
737day.year
The Turgesh drive back an Umayyad invasion of Khuttal, follow them south of the Oxus, and capture their baggage train.
The Turgesh repelled an Umayyad invasion of Khuttal in 737, pursued them across the Oxus River and captured their baggage train.
In 737, the Turgesh tribes repelled a significant Umayyad invasion into the Khuttal region along the Oxus River. They pursued the retreating forces south of the Oxus, catching the invaders off guard. By seizing the enemy's baggage train, the Turgesh disrupted Umayyad supply lines and morale. This victory checked Umayyad expansion in Central Asia for a time. It also bolstered the prestige of Turgesh leadership among neighboring nomadic tribes.
737
drive back
1342day.year
Battle of Morlaix in the Hundred Years' War
The 1342 Battle of Morlaix saw English and French forces clash in Brittany during the Hundred Years' War, highlighting tactical ingenuity on both sides.
In 1342, the Battle of Morlaix took place near the town of Morlaix in Brittany as part of the Hundred Years' War. Anglo-French forces clashed over control of strategic ports and local alliances. Despite fierce resistance, the English troops managed to hold their position against a larger French army. The engagement showcased the importance of longbowmen and defensive tactics. It set the stage for subsequent campaigns in western France.
1342
Battle of Morlaix
Hundred Years' War
1541day.year
Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto and his forces enter Tula territory in present-day western Arkansas, encountering fierce resistance.
Hernando de Soto's expedition reached the Tula lands in 1541, facing strong Native American resistance in what is now Arkansas.
In 1541, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto and his expedition entered the territory of the Tula people in present-day western Arkansas. The Spaniards encountered fierce resistance from the indigenous population, who defended their homeland tenaciously. De Soto's journey was part of a larger quest to find riches and expand Spain's colonial reach in North America. The clash highlighted the tensions between European explorers and Native American societies. Though the expedition pressed on, it suffered significant losses and hardships.
1541
Hernando de Soto
Tula
1744day.year
War of the Austrian Succession: France and Spain defeat Sardinia at the Battle of Madonna dell'Olmo, but soon have to withdraw from Sardinia anyway.
In 1744, France and Spain defeated Sardinian forces at Madonna dell'Olmo during the War of the Austrian Succession, though they withdrew soon afterward.
In 1744, during the War of the Austrian Succession, Franco-Spanish armies clashed with Sardinian forces at the Battle of Madonna dell'Olmo. The allied victory opened a brief occupation of Piedmont, demonstrating their tactical prowess. However, logistical challenges and shifting diplomatic alliances soon forced the allies to withdraw from Sardinia. The engagement had little lasting impact on the broader conflict, which continued to ebb and flow across Europe. It nonetheless highlighted the complexities of coalition warfare in the 18th century.
1744
Battle of Madonna dell'Olmo
1915day.year
World War I: Radoje Ljutovac becomes the first soldier in history to shoot down an enemy aircraft with ground-to-air fire.
Serbian soldier Radoje Ljutovac achieved the first recorded ground-to-air aircraft shootdown during World War I.
On 30 September 1915, during World War I, Sergeant Radoje Ljutovac of the Serbian Army made history by downing an enemy Voisin aircraft with a ground-based artillery piece. Stationed near Belgrade, his unit had been ordered to disrupt Austro-Hungarian air reconnaissance missions. Ljutovac’s precise targeting and innovative use of an anti-aircraft gun marked a tactical turning point in the war’s evolving aerial warfare. His success demonstrated the viability of anti-aircraft defenses and prompted armies across Europe to develop specialized anti-aircraft units and weaponry. The downing boosted Serbian morale at a critical moment in the conflict and earned Ljutovac national acclaim. His achievement laid the groundwork for future advancements in ground-to-air combat tactics and technologies. Today, Ljutovac is remembered as a pioneer of anti-aircraft warfare and a hero of Serbia.
1915
World War I
Radoje Ljutovac
1918day.year
Ukrainian War of Independence: Insurgent forces led by Nestor Makhno defeat the Central Powers at the battle of Dibrivka.
Nestor Makhno's insurgent forces defeated the Central Powers at the Battle of Dibrivka during the Ukrainian War of Independence.
On 30 September 1918, anarchist leader Nestor Makhno and his insurgent army achieved a significant victory over Austro-Hungarian and German forces at the Battle of Dibrivka. This clash formed part of the broader Ukrainian War of Independence following the collapse of the Russian Empire. Makhno’s troops utilized guerrilla tactics and intimate knowledge of the terrain to outmaneuver the better-equipped Central Powers units. The defeat disrupted enemy supply lines and bolstered the morale of Ukrainian nationalist and peasant forces in the region. Makhno’s success at Dibrivka solidified his reputation as a formidable commander and helped establish the autonomous Makhnovshchina movement. Despite later conflicts with both White and Red armies, this battle remains one of his most celebrated achievements. The outcome at Dibrivka exemplified the complex alliances and shifting frontlines of the post-World War I period in Eastern Europe.
1918
Ukrainian War of Independence
Insurgent forces
Nestor Makhno
Central Powers
battle of Dibrivka
1941day.year
World War II: The Babi Yar massacre comes to an end.
The mass murder at Babi Yar concludes with the execution of thousands of Jews by Nazi forces near Kiev.
Between September 29 and 30, 1941, Nazi Einsatzgruppen units carried out the Babi Yar massacre in a ravine outside Kiev, Ukraine. Over the course of two days, close to 34,000 Jewish men, women, and children were rounded up and executed. The Babi Yar atrocity became one of the largest single massacres of the Holocaust. Victims were forced to undress and were shot at the edge of the ravine, their bodies falling into mass graves. The site later became a symbol of Nazi war crimes against the Jewish community. Soviet authorities suppressed memorials for decades, but Babi Yar is now commemorated annually to honor the victims and preserve their memory.
1941
Babi Yar
1944day.year
The Germans commence a counter offensive to retake the Nijmegen salient, this having been captured by the allies during Operation Market Garden.
German forces launch a counteroffensive to recapture the Nijmegen salient following Operation Market Garden in WWII.
Following the Allied attempt to secure a series of bridges in the Netherlands during Operation Market Garden, German forces initiated a decisive counteroffensive on September 30, 1944. The objective was to retake the Nijmegen salient, which had been captured by British and Polish paratroopers days earlier. Fierce fighting ensued along the Waal River banks as both sides struggled for control of key crossings. The German counterattack exploited weaknesses in the allied supply lines and delayed further advances into Germany. Although the Allies ultimately defended Nijmegen, the broader Market Garden campaign failed to create a bridgehead across the Rhine. Historians argue that the counteroffensive underscored the limits of airborne operations and the resilience of German defenses late in the war.
1944
counter offensive to retake the Nijmegen salient
Operation Market Garden
1949day.year
The Berlin Airlift ends.
After a 15-month effort to supply West Berlin by air, the Soviet blockade was lifted and the Berlin Airlift ended on September 30, 1949.
On June 24, 1948, the Soviet Union imposed a land blockade on West Berlin to cut off supply routes.
In response, the United States and Britain launched the Berlin Airlift, flying in food, coal, and medicine to sustain the city.
Over 200,000 flights delivered more than two million tons of supplies during the operation.
On September 30, 1949, the Soviet Union lifted the blockade, bringing the airlift to a successful close.
The operation demonstrated Allied resolve and was a pivotal early confrontation of the Cold War.
Its success solidified Berlin’s status as a symbol of freedom and resilience in divided Europe.
1949
Berlin Airlift
1965day.year
Six Indonesian Army generals were assassinated by the September 30 Movement. The PKI was blamed for the latter, resulting in mass killings of suspected leftists.
On September 30, 1965, six high-ranking Indonesian generals were assassinated in a coup attempt attributed to the September 30 Movement, sparking widespread anti-communist purges.
In the early hours of September 30, 1965, members of the so-called September 30 Movement abducted and killed six senior Army generals.
The movement accused the generals of planning a coup against President Sukarno and claimed to act in defense of the republic.
The Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI) was blamed for orchestrating the attacks, though its direct involvement remains disputed.
The assassinations triggered mass arrests and vigilante killings of suspected communists across the country.
Estimates of the ensuing anti-communist purges range from hundreds of thousands to over a million victims.
General Suharto capitalized on the unrest to sideline Sukarno and eventually assume the presidency.
The events dramatically reshaped Indonesia’s political landscape, leading to decades of military-dominated government.
1965
Indonesian Army
September 30 Movement
PKI
mass killings of suspected leftists
2000day.year
Israeli–Palestinian conflict: Twelve-year-old Muhammad al-Durrah is shot and killed on the second day of the Second Intifada.
Twelve-year-old Muhammad al-Durrah is tragically killed during crossfire in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, becoming a symbol of the Second Intifada.
On September 30, 2000, during the early days of the Second Intifada, 12-year-old Palestinian boy Muhammad al-Durrah was filmed taking cover with his father near a Gaza checkpoint. Under disputed circumstances, al-Durrah was struck by gunfire and later died from his wounds. The footage broadcast worldwide sparked outrage and became a powerful symbol of the conflict's human cost. Debate over responsibility for the shooting fueled tensions between Israel and the Palestinian territories. The incident influenced public opinion and media coverage of the Intifada. It remains one of the most controversial and emotive events of the early 21st century Middle East conflict.
2000
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
Muhammad al-Durrah
Second Intifada