History Trivia - Marcus Cato commits suicide

February 5

46 BC, Marcus Cato, the Roman philosopher, committed suicide by stabbing himself, after learning of the victory of his enemy, Julius Caesar, over Pompey at Thapsus. 

History Trivia - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon

January 10

 49 BC Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon without disbanding his army, which signaled the start of civil war in Rome. Pompey and his supporters fled to Greece.

History Trivia - Pompey the Great murdered

September 28

48 BC Pompey the Great was murdered on the orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt. 

1066 William the Conqueror and his Norman army arrived in England, landing at Pevensey, beginning the Norman Conquest. 

1106 The Battle of Tinchebrai: Henry I of England defeated his brother, Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy. Henry's knights won a decisive victory, capturing Robert and imprisoning him in England and then Wales until Robert's death in Cardiff Castle. England and Normandy remained under a single ruler until 1204. 

History Trivia - Leonidas and his Spartan army defeated 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.

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.