557day.year
Constantinople is severely damaged by an earthquake, which cracks the dome of Hagia Sophia.
An earthquake in 557 severely damaged Constantinople, cracking the dome of the Hagia Sophia.
In 557, a powerful earthquake struck Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire.
The seismic tremor was so intense that it cracked the newly completed dome of the Hagia Sophia.
This cathedral, commissioned by Emperor Justinian I, was already a marvel of engineering and faith.
The damage highlighted the structural challenges of such an immense domed basilica.
Emperor Justinian ordered immediate repairs to restore the dome's integrity and safeguard the city.
Subsequent reinforcement techniques helped preserve the Hagia Sophia for centuries to come.
557
Constantinople
an earthquake
Hagia Sophia
835day.year
Sweet Dew Incident: Emperor Wenzong of the Tang dynasty conspires to kill the powerful eunuchs of the Tang court, but the plot is foiled.
The Sweet Dew Incident in 835 saw Emperor Wenzong attempt to eliminate powerful court eunuchs, but the plot was foiled.
In the winter of 835, Emperor Wenzong of the Tang dynasty orchestrated a secret plot known as the Sweet Dew Incident.
He enlisted loyal officials to ambush and kill the influential eunuchs who controlled the imperial court.
The conspirators gathered at the palace under the pretense of witnessing auspicious 'sweet dew' on a camphor tree.
However, the eunuchs discovered the betrayal and launched a violent counterattack.
Many officials were executed and the emperor's power was further weakened.
The failed uprising underscored the eunuchs' dominance and the fragility of imperial authority.
835
Sweet Dew Incident
Emperor Wenzong
Tang dynasty
eunuchs
1287day.year
St. Lucia's flood: The Zuiderzee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses, killing over 50,000 people.
The 1287 St. Lucia's flood devastated the Netherlands when the Zuiderzee dike collapsed, killing over 50,000 people.
On December 14, 1287, a violent North Sea storm surge overwhelmed the dikes protecting the Dutch coast.
Known as St. Lucia's flood, the breach transformed fertile polders into the expansive Zuiderzee.
Countless coastal villages were submerged, and historians estimate over 50,000 lives were lost.
The catastrophe reshaped the region's geography, forming what would become the modern IJsselmeer.
In the aftermath, Dutch engineers developed advanced water management and dike-building techniques.
This disaster marked a turning point in the Netherlands' ongoing battle against the sea.
1287
St. Lucia's flood
Zuiderzee
1542day.year
Princess Mary Stuart becomes Queen of Scots at the age of one week on the death of her father, James V of Scotland.
One-week-old Mary Stuart ascended to the Scottish throne on the death of her father, James V of Scotland, in 1542.
Mary Stuart was born on December 8, 1542, to King James V of Scotland and his French wife Mary of Guise.
Just six days later, on December 14, James V died at the Battle of Solway Moss.
The infant Mary automatically succeeded as Queen of Scots, becoming one of the world's youngest monarchs.
Her birthright thrust her into fierce dynastic and religious struggles between France and England.
A regency council governed Scotland in her name, navigating complex alliances and noble rivalries.
Mary's early years abroad in France shaped her education and ensured her Catholic upbringing.
Her reign would later be marked by controversy, imprisonment, and eventual execution in England.
1542
Mary Stuart
Queen of Scots
James V of Scotland
1751day.year
The Theresian Military Academy is founded in Wiener Neustadt, Austria.
The Theresian Military Academy was founded in Wiener Neustadt, Austria in 1751 as a pioneering institution for officer training.
In 1751, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria established the Theresian Military Academy in Wiener Neustadt.
It was created to professionalize the Habsburg army by providing structured training for young officers.
The curriculum combined military tactics, engineering, mathematics, and leadership studies.
As one of Europe's earliest military academies, it set standards for officer education.
Cadets from across the empire studied in a formal setting, replacing ad-hoc battlefield promotions.
The academy's legacy endures today as an important institution in Austria's military history.
1751
Theresian Military Academy
Wiener Neustadt
1780day.year
Founding Father Alexander Hamilton marries Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton at the Schuyler Mansion in Albany, New York.
Alexander Hamilton married Elizabeth Schuyler at the Schuyler Mansion in Albany, New York, in 1780.
At age 23, Alexander Hamilton, a rising figure in the American Revolution, wed 18-year-old Elizabeth Schuyler on December 14, 1780.
The ceremony took place at her family's estate, the Schuyler Mansion, in Albany, New York.
Elizabeth, a member of one of New York's most prominent families, supported Hamilton's ambitions.
Their union produced eight children and became one of early America's most influential partnerships.
Hamilton's letters reveal deep affection and a shared commitment to building the new nation.
The couple's correspondence and family life offer a personal glimpse into the Founding Fathers' era.
1780
Founding Father
Alexander Hamilton
Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton
Schuyler Mansion
Albany, New York
1782day.year
The Montgolfier brothers first test fly an unmanned hot air balloon in France; it floats nearly 2.5 km (1.6 mi).
The Montgolfier brothers achieved the first unmanned hot air balloon flight in France, traveling nearly 2.5 kilometers.
In 1782, French inventors Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier launched an unmanned hot air balloon near Annonay.
Heated by a fire at the balloon's base, the linen-and-paper bag rose over the countryside.
The craft floated for nearly 2.5 kilometers, demonstrating the potential of aerial travel.
This pioneering experiment laid the groundwork for human flight and the science of aerostatics.
The brothers' public demonstrations enthralled spectators and sparked a global ballooning craze.
Their work ushered in a new era of exploration in science and technology.
1782
Montgolfier brothers
hot air balloon
1812day.year
The French invasion of Russia comes to an end as the remnants of the Grande Armée are expelled from Russia.
Napoleon's Grande Armée was expelled from Russia, marking the disastrous end of the 1812 invasion.
By December 1812, Napoleon's Grande Armée had endured devastating losses during its retreat from Moscow.
Harsh winter conditions, supply shortages, and Russian guerrilla tactics shattered French morale.
Remaining troops were forced to abandon heavy artillery and horses to hasten their escape.
Crossing the Berezina River became a desperate struggle for survival amid Russian pursuit.
When the last soldiers exited Russian territory on December 14, the invasion had failed utterly.
This defeat significantly weakened Napoleon's power and shifted the balance in the Napoleonic Wars.
1812
French invasion of Russia
Grande Armée
1814day.year
War of 1812: The Royal Navy seizes control of Lake Borgne, Louisiana.
On December 14, 1814, the Royal Navy captured Lake Borgne, paving the way for the Battle of New Orleans.
During the War of 1812, British naval forces launched an amphibious assault on December 14, 1814.
They engaged a small American flotilla on Lake Borgne, Louisiana, in a fierce skirmish.
Outnumbered, the U.S. gunboats were defeated, and Britain secured control of the lake.
This victory enabled British troops to land near New Orleans for their major offensive.
The capture demonstrated Britain's naval dominance and strategic planning in the Gulf Coast.
It set the stage for the pivotal Battle of New Orleans fought the following month.
1814
War of 1812
Royal Navy
seizes control
Lake Borgne
Louisiana
1819day.year
Alabama becomes the 22nd U.S. state.
Alabama was admitted as the 22nd state of the United States on December 14, 1819.
Originally part of the Mississippi Territory, Alabama organized its own territorial government in 1817.
On December 14, 1819, Congress approved Alabama's admission as the nation's 22nd state.
William Wyatt Bibb was inaugurated as its first governor shortly thereafter.
The new state's fertile lands fueled rapid growth of cotton plantations and the institution of slavery.
Alabama's statehood reflected the broader westward expansion of the young republic.
Its admission also intensified national debates over the balance of free and slave states.
1819
Alabama
U.S. state
1836day.year
The Toledo War unofficially ends as the "Frostbitten Convention" votes to accept Congress' terms for admitting Michigan as a U.S. state.
Michigan's Frostbitten Convention votes to accept Congress' terms, unofficially ending the Toledo War and paving the way for statehood.
The Toledo War was a largely bloodless boundary dispute between Ohio and the Michigan Territory over a strip of land including Toledo.
After years of political wrangling, the Frostbitten Convention met in December 1836 to negotiate a settlement.
Delegates agreed to Congress' proposal: Michigan would cede its claim to the Toledo Strip in exchange for land in the Upper Peninsula.
By accepting these terms, Michigan paved its way to statehood as the 26th state of the United States.
The compromise officially ended a conflict that had threatened to draw the young nation into internal strife.
Though called a war, the dispute saw no major battles, and its resolution showcased the power of political negotiation.
Michigan was admitted to the Union on January 26, 1837.
1836
Toledo War
Michigan
1863day.year
American Civil War: The Confederate victory under General James Longstreet at the Battle of Bean's Station in East Tennessee ends the Knoxville Campaign, but achieves very little as Longstreet returns to Virginia next spring.
General James Longstreet secures a Confederate victory at the Battle of Bean's Station, bringing the Knoxville Campaign to an end.
During the American Civil War, Confederate General James Longstreet led an assault at Bean's Station in East Tennessee on December 14, 1863.
The engagement marked the conclusion of the Knoxville Campaign, which had aimed to wrest control of the vital railroad hub at Knoxville from Union forces.
Although the Confederates claimed victory, the battle failed to produce any lasting strategic advantage in the region.
Longstreet's army soon withdrew back to Virginia the following spring, allowing Union forces to maintain dominance in East Tennessee.
The Battle of Bean's Station illustrated the challenges of sustaining offensive operations in difficult terrain and hostile territory.
It remains a lesser-known but instructive episode of tactical maneuvering in the western theater of the war.
1863
American Civil War
Confederate
James Longstreet
Battle of Bean's Station
East Tennessee
Knoxville Campaign
Virginia