History Trivia

May 10, 70 Siege of Jerusalem: Titus, son of emperor Vespasian, opened a full-scale assault on Jerusalem and attacked the city's Third Wall to the northwest. 1291 Scottish nobles recognized the authority of Edward I of England.

History Trivia

May 9, 1457 BC Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC) between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Kadesh. It was the first battle to have been recorded in what is accepted as relatively reliable detail.328 Athanasius was elected Patriarch bishop of Alexandria. 1092 Lincoln Cathedral wass consecrated.
1386 England and Portugal signed the Treaty of Windsor, the oldest alliance in Europe still in force. 1671 The crown jewels were briefly stolen from the Tower of London by Irish adventurer Colonel Thomas Blood.

History Trivia

May 8, 589 – Reccared(or Recared)I (559–601)(reigned 586–601) was Visigothic King of Hispania, Septimania and Galicia. His reign marked a climactic shift in history, with the king's renunciation of traditional Arianism in favour of Catholic Christianity in 587,summoned the Third Council of Toledo.The council also enacted restrictions on Jews, and the conversion of the country to Christianity led to repeated persecutions of Jews. 1450 Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen revolt against King Henry VI. 1660 Parliament proclaimed Charles II king of England, restoring the monarchy after more than a decade.

History Trivia

May 7, 558 In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapsed. Justinian I immediately ordered that the dome be rebuilt. 1274 in France, the Second Council of Lyons opened to regulate the election of the Pope. 1348 Charles University in Prague (Universitas Carolina/Univerzita Karlova) was established as the first university in Central Europe. 1429 Joan of Arc ended the Siege of Orléans, pulled an arrow from her own shoulder and returned, wounded, to lead the final charge. The victory marked a turning point in the Hundred Years' War.

History Trivia

May 6 973 Henry II (the Saint) was born. He was Emperor of Germany of the Saxon dynasty. 1527 Spanish and German troops sacked Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance. 147 Swiss Guards, including their commander, died fighting the forces of Charles V in order to allow Pope Clement VII to escape into Castel Sant'Angelo. 1536 King Henry VIII ordered English language Bibles be placed in every church.

History Trivia

May 5,553 The Second Council of Constantinople began. 1210 Alfonso II was born. He was one of the earliest kings of Portugal. 1215 Rebel barons renounced their allegiance to King John of England which was part of a chain of events leading to the signing of the Magna Carta. 1260 Kublai Khan became ruler of the Mongol Empire. 1494 Christopher Columbus landed on the island of Jamaica and claimed it for Spain.1640 King Charles I of England dissolved the Short Parliament.

History Trivia

May 4, 1256 The Augustinian monastic order was constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV issued a papal bull Licet ecclesiae catholicae. 1415 Religious reformers John Wycliffe and Jan Hus were condemned as heretics at the Council of Constance. 1471 Wars of the Roses: The Battle of Tewkesbury: Edward IV defeated a Lancastrian Army and killed Edward, Prince of Wales. 1493 Pope Alexander VI divided the New World between Spain and Portugal along the Line of Demarcation.

History Trivia

May 3 996: Gregory V consecrated as pope. The pontificate of Gregory was brief and turbulent, and was interrupted by the installation of John XVI as antipope. 1469 Niccolo Machiavelli was born.

History Trivia

May 2, 1194 – King Richard I of England gave Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. 1230William de Braose was hanged by Prince Llywelyn the Great. 1335 Otto the Merry, Duke of Austria, became Duke of Carinthia. 1519 Leonardo da Vinci died. 1536 Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, was arrested and imprisoned on charges of adultery, incest, treason and witchcraft. 1559 John Knox returned from exile to Scotland to become the leader of the beginning Scottish Reformation. 1568 Mary, Queen of Scots, escaped from Loch Leven Castle.

History Trivia

May 1, Festival of Juno occurred on this day. 193 Pertinax became emperor. 305 Diocletian and Maximian retired from the office of Roman Emperor. 880 The Nea Ekklesia is inaugurated in Constantinople, setting the model for all later cross-in-square Orthodox churches. 1045 Pope Benedict IX sold the papacy to John Gratianus, Gregory VI. 1316 Edward Bruce was crowned King of Ireland. 1328 Wars of Scottish Independence end: Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton - the Kingdom of England recognised the Kingdom of Scotland as an independent state.

The Westchester Guardian

Check out the 4/28/11 edition of The Westchester Guardian - "The Briton and the Dane: Birthright" is featured on page 7. The article is posted on my web page (www.maryannbernal.com), "in the news" tab.

Pod-Cast Interview

Check out my recent interview with Steve Novak of the Literary Underground


http://litpod.libsyn.com/episode-3-mary-ann-bernal

History Trivia

April 30, 313 – Roman emperor Licinius unified the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule. 1006 Supernova Sighted. Scholars believe that a supernova, the brightest ever known to have been seen, was observed in Europe, China, Japan, and Egypt. The explosion of Supernova 1006 occurred near the star Beta Lupi, on the border to Centaurus in the constellation Lupus. Supernovae are exploding stars that may give off a luminosity 100 million times that of the sun. 1513 Edmund de la Pole, Yorkist pretender to the English throne, was executed on the orders of Henry VIII.

History Trivia

April 29 1109 Hugh of Cluny died. Hugh was the driving force in bringing the monastery of Cluny to preeminence in medieval France. 1347 Catherine of Siena was born. Catherine, the patron saint of Italy, played a significant role in returning the Papacy from Avignon to Rome. She was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1970. 1429 Joan of Arc arrived to relieve the Siege of Orleans.

History Trivia

April 28, 1192 Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I), King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title to the throne was confirmed by election. The killing was carried out by Hashshashin. 1442 King Edward IV of England was born.
1630: Charles Cotton was born. Cotton was a poet who also translated French historical and philosophical works (most notably the essays of Michel de Montaigne) into English. He also wrote The Compleate Gamester and The Planter's Manual, as well as that for which he is most famous: the section on fly fishing in The Compleat Angler.

History Trivia

April 27, 1124 David I became King of Scots. 1296 Battle of Dunbar: The Scots were defeated by Edward I of England.1509 Pope Julius II placed the Italian state of Venice under interdict. 1521 Ferdinand Magellan died. After a journey beset by rebellion, treacherous weather and disease, the Concepción, the Victoria and the Trinidad finally reached the Philippines. There, where the crew recovered from their trials in a tropical paradise, Magellan became caught up in the fervor of conversion. He attempted to overcome a huge force of natives resistant to Christianity with a mere handful of men, and was killed in battle. A year and a half later the few remaining members of the expedition made it back to Spain, completing the first known circumnavigation of the globe.

History Trivia

April 26, 1336 Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ascends Mont Ventoux. 1478 Pazzi Conspiracy failed; in an attempt to overthrow the Medici family from power in Florence, Girolamo Riario, Archbishop Francesco Salviati, and several members of the Pazzi family planned an assassination in the Cathedral of Florence. Pope Sixtus IV, uncle to Riario, was aware of the plot but had no hand in the assassination attempt.
Lorenzo de Medici survived with some minor injuries, but his younger brother Giuliano was stabbed 29 times. He was only twenty-three. Far from ridding Florence of "tyrants," the assassination instigated an uprising in favor of the Medici, strengthening Lorenzo's position.

History Trivia

April 25, 404 BC Peloponnesian War: Lysander's Spartan Armies defeated the Athenians and the war ended. 32 Emperor Otho was born. 799 Pope Leo III attacked. Upon succeeding Pope Adrian I, Leo immediately recognized Charlemagne as patricius of the Romans, upsetting the delicate balance between the Byzantines and the west that his predecessor had established. Provoked by Adrian's supporters, assailants accusing Leo of misconduct physically assaulted him during a procession in Rome, attempting to blind him and remove his tongue. Leo escaped, however, and fled to Charlemagne, who escorted him safely back to Rome and oversaw a commission that vindicated Leo and
deported his enemies. Leo would later crown Charlemagne the first Holy Roman Emperor.
1214 King Louis IX of France was born. 1284 King Edward II of England was born.

History Trivia

April 24,709 Saint Wilfrid died. A monk of Lindisfarne Abbey and later Bishop of Hexham, Wilfrid spread the Benedictine Rule and worked to establish Roman Catholicism over the influence of the Celtic Church in England. 858 Nicholas I "the Great" was elected Roman Catholic pope. 1558 Mary, Queen of Scots, married the Dauphin of France, François, at Notre Dame de Paris. 1585 Pope Sixtus V elected. Sixtus was unanimously elected successor to Gregory XIII, who had left the Papal States in disarray. He defined the college of Cardinals and is considered the founder of the Counter-Reformation

History Trivia

April 23, 215 BC A temple was built on the Capitoline Hill and dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Lake Trasimene. 1014 Battle of Clontarf Brian Boru (High King of Ireland in 1002) defeated Viking invaders, but was killed during the battle. 1348 The founding of the Order of the Garter by King Edward III was announced on St George's Day. 1509 Henry VIII was proclaimed King of England. 1564 William Shakespeare was born and died on the same date in 1616. The Bard's baptism was recorded on April 26; though the exact date of his birth is uncertain, it is traditionally celebrated on the 23rd.

History Trivia

April 22, 238 Year of the Six Emperors: The Roman Senate outlawed emperor Maximinus Thrax for his bloodthirsty proscriptions in Rome and nominated two of its members, Pupienus and Balbinus, to the throne. 960 Basil II was crowned Emperor of the Byzantine Empire. 1073 Gregory VII was elected pope. Gregory was most noted for the sweeping reforms he implemented to the Papacy. He also attempted to limit the aggression of the Normans in Italy and initiate a military expedition to assist the Christians in Byzantine territories, neither with much success. 1370 First stone of the Bastille laid. The fortress that was later to become a prison was built on the orders of King Charles V of France. It was intended as a fortification to help protect the wall around Paris against English attack during the Hundred Years' War. 1451 Queen Isabella was born. As queen of Castille, Isabella's marriage to Ferdinand of Aragon united a huge portion of Spain. Her fierce Catholicism led to the expulsion of Jews from Spain and the establishment of the Spanish Inquisition. She also supported the voyages of Christopher Columbus.

History Trivia

April 21, 753 BC – Romulus and Remus founded Rome (traditional date). 43 BC Battle of Mutina: Mark Antony was again defeated in battle by Aulus Hirtius, who was killed. Antony failed to capture Mutina and Decimus Brutus was murdered shortly after.

History Trivia

April 20, 1303 The University of Rome La Sapienza was instituted by Pope Boniface VIII.1314 Clement V died. Clement, who owed his election largely to King Philip IV of France, chose to move the Papacy to Avignon, where it remained for more than 60 years. He also had a hand in the trial of the Templars. 1453 The last naval battle in Byzantine history occurred, as three Genoese galleys escorting a Byzantine transport fought their way through the huge Ottoman blockade fleet.

History Trivia

April 19, 1012 Viking raiders killed Alphege, Archbishop of Canterbury before being bought off with a huge bribe. 1054 Pope Leo IX died.

History Trivia

April 18,1480 Lucrezia Borgia was born. Though long rumored to have conspired with her brother Cesare and her father, Pope Alexander VI, in their nefarious dealings, Lucrezia is now generally considered to have been their pawn. 1506 First stone laid in St. Peter's Basilica. Though it was Pope Nicholas V who conceived the idea of building the church, it was Julius II who laid the first stone. The Basilica was not completed until 1615.

History Trivia

April 17,69 After the First Battle of Bedriacum, Vitellius became Roman Emperor.858 Pope Benedict III died. 1397 Geoffrey Chaucer told the Canterbury Tales for the first time at the court of Richard II. 1492 Spain and Christopher Columbus signed the Capitulations of Santa Fe for his voyage to Asia to acquire spices. 1521 Martin Luther spoke to the assembly at the Diet of Worms where he refused to recant his teachings. Luther had been excommunicated, but Prince Frederick the Wise had refused to take any action against him. Instead he negotioated with Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, who gave Luther safe conduct to appear before the assembly in Worms, Germany. When Luther appeared, he took a day to consider the charges against him, then refused to repudiate his works unless convinced of error by Scripture or reason.

History Trivia

April 16, 1178 BC The calculated date of the Greek king Odysseus' return home from the Trojan War. 778 Louis the Pious was born. 1209 Franciscan order founded. 1521 Martin Luther made his first appearance before the Diet of Worms to be examined by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Also, according to tradition, April 16th was the day that Pope Innocent III gave his oral approbation to the rule of the order founded by St. Francis of Assisi.

History Trivia

April 15,1450 Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attacked and nearly annihilated English forces, ending English domination in Northern France. 1452 Leonardo da Vinci was born.

History Trivia

April 14, 43 BC Battle of Forum Gallorum: Mark Antony, besieged Julius Caesar's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus in Mutina and defeated the forces of the consul Pansa, who was wounded. 69 Vitellius, commander of the Rhine armies, defeated Emperor Otho in the Battle of Bedriacum and seized the throne. 70 Siege of Jerusalem: Titus, son of emperor Vespasian, surrounded the Jewish capital, with four Roman legions. 73 after two years of defending the fortress of Masada, the Jews committed mass suicide rather than surrender to the Roman Tenth Legion. 966 Christianisation of Poland. 1028 Henry III, son of Conrad, was elected king of the Germans.1205 Battle of Adrianople between Bulgarians and Crusaders. 1434 The foundation stone of Cathedral St. Peter and St. Paul in Nantes, France was laid. 1471In England, the Yorkists under Edward IV defeated the Lancastrians under the Earl of Warwick at the Battle of Barnet; the Earl was killed and Edward IV resumed the throne.

History Trivia

April 13, 1111 Henry V was crowned Holy Roman Emperor.Henry restored,for the most part,peace within the empire and was successful in wars with Bohemia,Flanders, Hungary and Poland. He also perpetuated the Investiture Controversy, striving for the rights of the crown over the papacy.1204 Constantinople fell to the Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade, temporarily ending the Byzantine Empire. 1250 The Seventh Crusade was defeated in Egypt, Louis IX of France was captured. 1256 The Grand Union of the Augustinian order formed when Pope Alexander IV issues a papal bull Licet ecclesiae catholicae. 1598 Henry IV of France issued the Edict of Nantes, allowing freedom of religion to the Huguenots. (Edict repealed in 1685.)

History Trivia

April 12, 238 Gordian II lost the Battle of Carthage against the Numidian forces loyal to Maximinus Thrax and was killed. Gordian I, his father, committed suicide. 467 Anthemius was elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. 1204 The Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade breached the walls of Constantinople and entered the city, which they completely occupied the following day.

History Trivia

April 11, 146 Lucius Septimius Severus, Emperor of Rome 193-211, was born. 491 Flavius Anastasius became Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I.1240Llywelyn ap Iorweth died. Prince of Gwynedd, Llywelyn the Great managed to unite most of Wales under his control, developed castle building and supported abbeys in the process. Much of his reign was marked by conflict with King John of England, whose illegitimate daughter Joan was Llywelyn's wife. 1689 William III and Mary II were crowned as joint sovereigns of Britain.

The Briton and the Dane: Birthright

The Briton and the Dane:Birthright is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble:

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History Trivia

April 10, 879 Louis III became King of the Western Franks. 1500 Ludovico Sforza was captured by the Swiss troops at Novara and was handed over to the French. 1512 James V of Scotland was born.Succeeding to the throne at the age of 17 months and surviving a power struggle over his regency, James was a harsh ruler whose taxation alienated his subjects. His alignment against Henry VIII of England resulted in a disastrous battle at Solway Moss. The defeat caused James to suffer a nervous breakdown, and he died shortly thereafter at the age of 30. His only legitimate child to survive to adulthood was Mary, Queen of Scots. His illegitimate son,the Earl of Moray, became regent of Scotland when Mary abdicated.

History Trivia

April 9, 193 – Septimius Severus was proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans). 475 Byzantine Emperor Basiliscus issued a circular letter (Enkyklikon) to the bishops of his empire, supporting the Monophysite christological position. 491 Eastern Roman Emperor Zeno died at an approximate age of 65. 999 Gerbert of Aurillac became Pope Sylvester II. 1413 Henry V was crowned King of England. 1440 Christopher of Bavaria was appointed King of Denmark.
1483 King Edward IV of England died. 1492 Lorenzo de' Medici died. 1588 Paolo Veronese died. Born Paolo Caliari, Veronese was a prolific and successful artist of the late Renaissance.

History Trivia

April 8,217 Roman Emperor Caracalla was assassinated (and succeeded) by his Praetorian Guard prefect, Marcus Opellius Macrinus. 1093 The new Winchester Cathedral was dedicated by Walkelin. 1139 Roger II of Sicily was excommunicated.
1149 Pope Eugene III took refuge in the castle of Ptolemy II of Tusculum. 1341 Petrarch was crowned Poet Laureate in Rome. 1364 Charles V crowned King of France. Charles was known as "the Wise" for his scholarship. He also led France in recovery from the devastation of the first part of the Hundred Years' War. 1378, Urban VI was elected Roman Catholic pope.

History Trivia

April 7, 451 AD Attila the Hun plundered Metz, France. 529 First draft of the Corpus Juris Civilis (a fundamental work in jurisprudence) was issued by Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I. 1348 Charles University was founded in Prague. 1506 St. Francis Xavier was born. A passionate missionary of Catholicism, Francis was instrumental in establishing Christianity in India and Japan. He was also one of the earliest members of the Society of Jesus.

History Trivia

April 6, 46 BC – Julius Caesar defeated Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato (Cato the Younger) in the battle of Thapsus. 402 Stilicho stymied the Visigoths under Alaric in the Battle of Pollentia. 1199 32 year old King Richard I (the Lion-Hearted) of England died from an infection following the removal of an arrow from his shoulder. 1320 The Scots reaffirmed their independence by signing the Declaration of Arbroath.1327 The poet Petrarch first saw his idealized love, Laura, in the church of Saint Clare in Avignon. 1385 John, Master of the Order of Aviz, was made king John I of Portugal.1453 Mehmed II began his siege of Constantinople (Istanbul), which fell on May 29. 1453 Siege of Constantinople began. Over the centuries, the Byzantine Empire had shrunk from its former glory to little more than the city of Constantinople itself. Sultan Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire would be the military genius who would at last breach the walls after besieging the city for more than 50 days. 1483 Raphael was born.

History Trivia

April 5, 456 St. Patrick returned to Ireland as a missionary bishop.1242: Battle on the Ice.The Teutonic Knights had invaded Russia and were poised to take Pskov. Alexander Nevsky led his forces in a fierce battle on the frozen channel between Lakes Chud and Pskov (the upper and lower parts of Lake Peipus). This victory would ultimately stop the knights from further encroachment on Russian territory. 1254 Willen van Rubroeck, a Flemish Franciscan, met the Mongolian Möngke Khan. 1291, a Muslim army attacked Acre in the tiny Latin kingdom of Jerusalem, beginning the end of the history of the Crusader states in the East.