History Trivia - Henry VIII of England excommunicated

December 17

 546 Gothic War: The Ostrogoths of King Totila conquered Rome by bribing the Byzantine garrison.

1531 Pope Clement VII established a parallel body to the Inquisition in Lisbon, Portugal. 

1538 Pope Paul III excommunicated Henry VIII of England.

History Trivia - Ostrogoths conquer Rome

January 16

27 BC – The title Augustus was bestowed upon Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian by the Roman Senate.

550 During the Gothic War (535–552), the Ostrogoths conquered Rome after a long siege, by bribing the Isaurian garrison.

 1245 Edmund Lancaster was born. Edmund was the founder of the House of Lancaster and son of King Henry III of England and Eleanor of Provence.

1412 the Medici family was appointed official banker of the Papacy.

1605 The first edition of El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha (Book One of Don Quixote) by Miguel de Cervantes was published in Madrid.

History Trivia - The Persian army defeats Leonidas and his Spartan army at Thermopylae

August 9

 480 BC The Persian army defeated Leonidas and his Spartan army at Thermopylae, Persia.

48 BC – Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus (Greece) – Julius Caesar decisively defeated Pompey at Pharsalus and Pompey fled to Egypt where he was later murdered. As a result Caesar had absolute control of Rome.

117 Hadrian became Roman Emperor upon the death of Trajan.

378 Gothic War: Battle of Adrianople – A large Roman army led by Emperor Valens was defeated by the Visigoths in present-day Turkey. Valens was killed along with over half of his army. 

1173 Construction of the campanile of the cathedral of Pisa (Leaning Tower of Pisa) begun; it would take two centuries to complete.

 1274 Edward I was crowned King of England.

1483 Opening of the Sistine Chapel in Rome with the celebration of a Mass.