History Trivia

January 21 1189 King Philip Augustus of France, King Henry II of England (shortly followed by his son, King Richard I), and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I began building their armies to take on the Third Crusade in response to the victory of Saladin in 1187.

History Trivia

January 20, 250 AD, Fabian who was created Pope in 236, was martyred under the persecution of Decius. 1265 The first English parliament was held by Simon de Montfortin at the Palace of Westminister (Houses of Parliament)and was attended by elected burgesses and knights. 1356 Edward Balliol abdicated as King of Scotland. 1523 Christian II was forced to abdicate as King of Denmark and Norway. 1649 Charles I of England went on trial for treason and other high crimes.

History Trivia

January 19, 1419 Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrendered to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. 1520 Sten Sture the Younger, the Regent of Sweden, whose purpose was to keep Sweden independent of Denmark, was mortally wounded at the Battle of Bogesund (important conflict in the campaign of Christian II (King of Denmark) to gain power over Sweden).

History Trivia

January 18: Flavius Julius Constans,commonly known as Constans, was Roman Emperor from 337 to 350. He defeated his brother Constantine II in 340, but anger in the army over his personal life and preference for his barbarian bodyguards caused a rebellion led by General Magnentius which resulted in Constans’ assassination on January 18,350. Generallus Magnentius proclaimed himself Emperor. 474 Leo II briefly became Byzantine emperor. 532 Nika riots in Constantinople fail. 1486 King Henry VII of England married Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV. 1520 King Christian II of Denmark and Norway defeated the Swedes at Lake Åsunden. 1562 Pope Pius IV reopened the Council of Trent for its third and final session.

History Trivia

January 17, 38 BC Octavian married Livia Drusilla. 69 AD Otho committed suicide after a night of meditation in his tent. 395 AD the Roman Empire was split into eastern and western parts upon the death of Emperor Theodosius I, whose will provided that his two sons would inherit the two parts. 1287 King Alfonso III of Aragon invaded Minorca. 1377 Pope Gregory XI moved the Papacy back to Rome from Avignon. 1562 France recognized the Huguenots under the Edict of Saint-Germain. 1595 Henry IV of France declared war on Spain. 1605 First publication of Don Quixote.
1648 England's Long Parliament passed the Vote of No Addresses, breaking off negotiations with King Charles I and thereby setting the scene for the second phase of the English Civil War.

History Trivia

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, under King Totila, conquered Rome after a long siege, by bribing the Isaurian garrison. 1120 The Council of Nablus was held, establishing the earliest surviving written laws of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem.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. 1362 a storm tide in the North Sea destroyed the German city of Rungholt on the island of Strand.1412 the Medici family was appointed official banker of the Papacy. 1492 the first grammar of the Spanish language was presented to Queen Isabella I. 1547 Ivan IV of Russia aka Ivan the Terrible became Tsar of Russia. 1556 Philip II became King of Spain. 1556 Holy Roman Emperor Charles V abdicated. Charles, who inherited a vast empire from his grandfather, Maximilian, had difficulty holding his lands together under the pressures of growing Protestant rebellion, the antagonism of Pope Adrian VI, and Turkish and French incursions. At last he yielded his claims to the Netherlands and Spain in favor of his son, Philip II, and entered a monastery after ceding his title to his brother, Ferdinand I. 1572 Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk was tried for treason for his part in the Ridolfi plot to restore Catholicism in England. 1581 The English Parliament outlawed Roman Catholicism. 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

January 15, 588 BC Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon lay siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah's reign. The siege lasted until July 23, 586 BC. 69 the Emperor Galba was murdered in the streets of Rome. Otho (Marcus Salvius Otho Caesar Augustus) seized power and proclaimed himself Emperor of Rome, but ruled for only three months before he committed suicide. 1559 Elizabeth I was crowned Queen of England in Westminster Abbey, London.