History Trivia

April 13, 837 Best view of Halley's Comet in 2000 years. 1111 Henry V was crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 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 (Edict repealed in 1685.) 1640 Charles I's eleven years of personal rule end with the calling of the 'Short Parliament' at Westminster.

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. 1606 The combined English-Scottish 'Union Jack' was created by royal decree, originally for use at sea only.

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, Prince of Gwynedd, died. Llywelyn the Great managed to unite most of Wales under his control, but most of his reign was marked by conflict with King John of England, whose illegitimate daughter Joan was Llywelyn's wife. 1471 King Edward IV of England conquered London from Henry VI. 1689 William III and Mary II were crowned as joint sovereigns of Britain.

History Trivia

April 10, 837 Comet 1P/837 F1 (Halley) approached within 0.0334 AUs of Earth. 847 St Leo IV began his reign as Catholic Pope. 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. 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 (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. 1492Lorenzo de' Medici died.

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. 1341, Petrarch was crowned Poet Laureate in Rome. 1364 Charles V crowned King of France. He 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, 30 Scholars' estimated date for Jesus' crucifixion by Roman troops in Jerusalem. 451 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.