History Trivia

February 15, 44 BC, Mark Antony offered Julius Caesar the diadem of royalty which he refused. 360 AD, the first Cathedral of Santa Sophia in Constantinople was dedicated. 1113 Knights Hospitaller was formally named and recognized. The Hospitallers were founded in the eleventh century to care for sick pilgrims in Jerusalem. Begun as the monastic Order of St. John, it became under the guidance of Blessed Gerard a collection of hostels and was recognized in a bull issued by Pope Paschal II. The order evolved throughout the Crusades and still exists today. 1564 Galileo Galilei was born. An extraordinary man of superb genius, Galileo not only made great strides in scientific discovery, he caused wild controversy with those advances. Convicted of heresy for supporting the Copernican view of the solar system, his life sentence was commuted to house arrest after he formally repudiated his support. He died in his villa in Arcetri. 1637 Ferdinand III became Holy Roman Emperor.