1185day.year
The Uprising of Asen and Peter begins on the feast day of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki and ends with the creation of the Second Bulgarian Empire.
Revolt led by Asen and Peter against Byzantine rule sparks the rise of the Second Bulgarian Empire.
On October 26, 1185, brothers Asen and Peter launched a bold uprising against Byzantine rule in the Balkans.
The revolt began under the banner of St. Demetrius, rallying both Bulgarian and Vlach forces.
They captured strategic strongholds and dealt heavy blows to the occupying army.
Over the following years, the rebels consolidated power around Tarnovo, forging a new state.
This successful revolt culminated in the establishment of the Second Bulgarian Empire.
The uprising revived Bulgarian culture and shifted the balance of power in the region.
1185
Uprising of Asen and Peter
Second Bulgarian Empire
1341day.year
The Byzantine civil war of 1341–1347 formally begins with the proclamation of John VI Kantakouzenos as Byzantine Emperor.
John VI Kantakouzenos proclaims himself emperor, sparking a protracted civil war in Byzantium.
In 1341, amid political turmoil following Emperor Andronikos III's death, John VI Kantakouzenos declared himself Byzantine Emperor on October 26.
His claim divided the nobility and clergy, leading to internecine conflict.
The civil war pitted Kantakouzenos's loyalist forces against a regency council for the young John V Palaiologos.
Factions formed around dynastic and regional interests, dragging the empire into six years of warfare.
Battles, sieges, and shifting alliances weakened Byzantine defenses.
The conflict eroded imperial resources and set the stage for future instability and external threats.
1341
Byzantine civil war of 1341–1347
John VI Kantakouzenos
Byzantine Emperor
1377day.year
Tvrtko I is crowned the first king of Bosnia.
Tvrtko I is crowned as the first King of Bosnia, elevating the region to a sovereign medieval kingdom.
On October 26, 1377, Tvrtko I received the royal crown at a ceremony in Mile, becoming the first King of Bosnia.
His coronation marked the transformation of Bosnia from a banate to a kingdom under the Kotromanić dynasty.
Tvrtko expanded his realm to include parts of Serbia and Dalmatia, strengthening regional influence.
He fostered trade, minted his own currency, and maintained diplomatic ties with Hungary and Venice.
Under his rule, Bosnia enjoyed political stability, economic growth, and cultural flourishing.
Tvrtko's legacy established Bosnia as a notable power in the western Balkans well into the late medieval period.
1377
Tvrtko I
1520day.year
Charles V is crowned as Holy Roman Emperor.
Charles V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor, beginning a reign over a vast multiethnic empire.
On October 26, 1520, Charles V was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Clement VII at Bologna.
His election followed his inheritance of the Burgundian and Spanish thrones, creating a vast Habsburg dominion.
As emperor, Charles oversaw territories spanning Spain, the Low Countries, Italy, and parts of Germany.
His reign faced challenges from the Ottoman Empire, the Protestant Reformation, and French rivalries.
Charles championed Catholic unity in Europe while defending his realm's interests abroad.
His crowning solidified Habsburg influence and shaped European politics for decades.
1520
Charles V
Holy Roman Emperor
1597day.year
Imjin War: Korean Admiral Yi Sun-sin routs the Japanese Navy of 300 ships with only 13 ships at the Battle of Myeongnyang.
Admiral Yi Sun-sin routs a much larger Japanese fleet at the Battle of Myeongnyang with only 13 ships.
On October 26, 1597, during the Imjin War, Admiral Yi Sun-sin engaged a Japanese armada of over 300 vessels in the Myeongnyang Strait.
Using the narrow channels and powerful currents to his advantage, Yi commanded just 13 warships.
His tactical genius and disciplined crews inflicted heavy losses on the invaders while sustaining minimal damage.
The stunning victory halted the Japanese advance and boosted Korean morale amid a dire conflict.
Yi's leadership at Myeongnyang is celebrated as one of naval warfare's greatest underdog triumphs.
The battle cemented his reputation as a master strategist and national hero in Korea.
1597
Imjin War
Yi Sun-sin
Battle of Myeongnyang
1640day.year
The Treaty of Ripon is signed, restoring peace between Covenanter Scotland and King Charles I of England.
The Treaty of Ripon is signed, temporarily ending hostilities between Scottish Covenanters and King Charles I.
On October 26, 1640, representatives of King Charles I and the Scottish Covenanters signed the Treaty of Ripon in North Yorkshire.
The agreement followed the Covenanters' successful invasion of northern England during the Bishops' Wars.
It granted the Scots an occupation allowance and the promise of future negotiations in London.
The treaty recognized Covenanter gains but deferred many disputes over church governance and taxation.
Ripon's terms allowed a pause in fighting but foreshadowed deeper conflicts that would erupt in the English Civil War.
The accord demonstrated the limits of royal authority and the rising power of organized resistance.
1640
Treaty of Ripon
1689day.year
General Enea Silvio Piccolomini of Austria burns down Skopje to prevent the spread of cholera; he dies of the disease soon afterwards.
To curb a deadly cholera outbreak, Austrian General Enea Silvio Piccolomini orders Skopje burned, but succumbs to the disease himself.
In 1689, amid the Great Turkish War, General Enea Silvio Piccolomini seized Skopje and faced a raging cholera epidemic.
Believing fire would halt the disease's spread, he ordered the city burned to the ground.
The destruction displaced thousands and left Skopje in ruins, disrupting local life and trade.
Unfortunately, Piccolomini contracted cholera during the campaign and died shortly afterward.
His drastic measure highlighted early modern efforts to combat epidemics.
The incident remains a stark example of military decisions intersecting with public health crises.
1689
Enea Silvio Piccolomini
burns down Skopje
cholera
1774day.year
American Revolution: The First Continental Congress adjourns in Philadelphia.
The First Continental Congress adjourns in Philadelphia, pausing colonial resistance against British rule.
On October 26, 1774, delegates from twelve American colonies concluded their sitting of the First Continental Congress.
Held in Philadelphia, the congress had gathered to protest the British Parliament's Intolerable Acts.
Representatives drafted the Declaration of Rights and established plans for a colonial boycott of British goods.
Before adjourning, they agreed to reconvene in May 1775 if grievances remained unresolved.
The assembly laid the groundwork for unified colonial action and eventual independence.
Its proceedings marked a critical step toward the American Revolution.
1774
American Revolution
First Continental Congress
Philadelphia
1813day.year
War of 1812: A combined force of British regulars, Canadian militia and Mohawks defeat the United States Army in the Battle of the Chateauguay.
British, Canadian, and Mohawk forces defeat the US Army at the Battle of the Chateauguay during the War of 1812.
On October 26, 1813, a mixed force of British regulars, Canadian militia, and Mohawk warriors clashed with American troops at Chateauguay near Montreal.
Despite being outnumbered, the defenders used the dense forest to launch ambushes, confusing the attackers.
The Americans, hindered by difficult terrain and supply issues, eventually retreated to the Chateauguay River.
Canadian militia commander Charles de Salaberry earned acclaim for his strategic deployment of indigenous allies.
The victory prevented a planned American invasion of Lower Canada and bolstered colonial morale.
Chateauguay became celebrated as a defining moment in Canada's military history.
1813
War of 1812
British regulars
Canadian militia
Mohawks
United States Army
Battle of the Chateauguay
1825day.year
The Erie Canal opens, allowing direct passage from the Hudson River to Lake Erie.
The Erie Canal opens, forging a vital water link between the Hudson River and Lake Erie.
On October 26, 1825, the Erie Canal officially opened its 363-mile waterway from Albany to Buffalo, New York.
Conceived by Governor DeWitt Clinton, the project took eight years of construction to complete.
The canal reduced transportation costs dramatically and accelerated the movement of goods and people.
It transformed New York City into a leading port and spurred economic growth in the American Midwest.
Tolls and commerce generated by the canal funded further infrastructure and settlement.
Known as "Clinton's Ditch," the Erie Canal symbolized American ingenuity and westward expansion.
1825
Erie Canal
Hudson River
Lake Erie
1859day.year
The Royal Charter Storm kills at least eight hundred people in the British Isles.
A devastating storm batters the British Isles, claiming over 800 lives and sinking numerous ships.
The Royal Charter Storm was a powerful extratropical cyclone that struck the British Isles in October 1859. It generated hurricane-force winds and enormous waves off the coast of Wales and Ireland. The storm sank scores of vessels, most notably wrecking the steamship Royal Charter. Coastal villages suffered severe damage as roofs were torn off and trees uprooted. Rescue operations faced extreme weather and darkness. The disaster prompted improvements in weather forecasting and maritime safety regulations.
1859
Royal Charter Storm
1860day.year
Unification of Italy: The Expedition of the Thousand ends when Giuseppe Garibaldi presents his conquests to King Victor Emmanuel of Sardinia.
Giuseppe Garibaldi hands over his southern Italian conquests to King Victor Emmanuel, advancing the unification of Italy.
The Expedition of the Thousand was a volunteer campaign led by Giuseppe Garibaldi that set sail from Quarto in May 1860. Garibaldi’s ‘Red Shirts’ landed in Sicily and rapidly conquered the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. On October 26, he presented the cities and territories he had liberated to King Victor Emmanuel II in Teano. This act symbolized the transfer of power and the growing momentum behind Italian unification. The event paved the way for the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 and became a cornerstone of the Risorgimento movement.
1860
Unification of Italy
Expedition of the Thousand
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Victor Emmanuel