Historical Fact of the Day

[King Jan III Sobieski]

Please feel free to post a historical fact of the day. Just keep it clean, please. I don't want to have another of my threads closed because of spammers. Thank you... :egypt::yes::egypt:

[King Jan III Sobieski]

Tomorrow (June 17th) is the 313th anniversary of the John III Sobieski's passing.

John III Sobieski (Polish: Jan III Sobieski) (17 August 1629 - 17 June 1696) was one of the most notable monarchs of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, from 1674 until his death King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. Sobieski's 22-year-reign was marked by a period of the Commonwealth's stabilisation, much needed after the turmoil of the Deluge and Khmelnytsky Uprising. Popular among his subjects, he was also a brilliant military commander, most famous for the victory over the Turks in the 1683 Battle of Vienna. For his victories over the Ottoman Empire, he was dubbed by the Turks the "Lion of Lechistan."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_III_Sobieski

[Ice]

June 16th, 1918


Russia's Czar Nicholas II and his family were executed by the Bolsheviks.

[Ice]

Come on guys... contribute

June 17th:
1775 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Bunker Hill
1944 – Iceland declares independence from Denmark and becomes a republic

[Megas Methuselah]

June 18

1815 - Battle of Waterloo

Poor Napoleon. I was really rooting for him, too. :shame:

[Noddy The Beefy Egg]

1792: Poland is gone forever

And be sure to visit my unified polish-lithuanian AAR for kingdoms

P.S. and isnt singer neil sedaka polish because his last name looked polish?

[King Kurt]

Today the 19th June

240 -BC- Eratosthenes estimates circumference of Earth

1566 Birth of James VI of Scotland. Upon the death of Elizabeth I in 1603, he ascended the English throne as James I

1586 - English colonists sailed away from Roanoke Island, NC, after failing to establish England's first permanent settlement in America.

1862 - U.S. President Abraham Lincoln outlined his Emancipation Proclamation, which outlawed slavery in U.S. territories.

1953: Americans Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, convicted of passing nuclear weapons information to the Soviet Union, are executed.

1978: Botham bowls into cricket history
Cricketing star Ian Botham becomes the first man in the history of the game to score a century and take eight wickets in one innings of a Test match.

Now that is a good mix

[King Jan III Sobieski]

June 19th:

1179 – The Norwegian Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros. Earl Erling Skakke is killed, and the battle changes the tide of the civil wars.

1269 – King Louis IX of France orders all Jews found in public without an identifying yellow badge to be fined ten livres of silver.

1306 – The Earl of Pembroke's army defeats Bruce's Scottish army at the Battle of Methven.

1586 – English colonists leave Roanoke Island, N.C., after failing to establish England's first permanent settlement in America.

[Megas Methuselah]

June 19th (Yes, I'm 4 hours late. Shuddup.)

1816 - Battle of Seven Oaks, part of the Company Wars in Rupert's Land, modern-day central/western Canada

A band of armed Métis had recovered stolen pemmican from the Hudson's Bay Company, and were on the move to sell it to their employers, the North West Company (an act which was forbidden by the HBC). Robert Semple, governor of the Red River Colony, a colony established by leading shareholders of the HBC, gathered some HBC men and colonists to intercept the Métis. This party, including Semple, was almost completely annihilated by the Métis, who themselves suffered minimal casualties.

[Ibrahim]

21st june: pluto's moons were named Nix and Hydra in 2006.

not much-it seems to be a quiet day :shrug:

[King Jan III Sobieski]

I know it occurs on a different date each year, but since today is Father's Day in the U.S.:

"The first observance of Father's Day is believed to have been held on July 5, 1908 in a church located in Fairmont, West Virginia, by Dr. Robert Webb of West Virginia at the Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church South of Fairmont. The church still exists under the name of Central United Methodist Church." [Wikipedia]

[Quintus.JC]

https://img192.imageshack.us/img192/7483/hoplite.gif 22nd June: 2226 years ago on the same day the battle of Raphia was fought between Ptolemy Philopator and Antiochus the Great; with the Egyptians eventually emerged victorious because of their superior native Egyptian phalanx which routed their Seleucid counterparts. The result of this battle bore little historical significance, apart from being a playable historical battle in the award-winning PC game Rome: Total War.

Very interesting thread idea btw. ~:)

[Noncommunist]

Operation Barbarossa started 68 years ago.

[Aemilius Paulus]

Please, there is Wikipedia for this. Which is where people probably get the info to post it here. I personally check Wikipedia everyday in case I can use the anniversary of the historical event to utter something witty and knowledgeable during the day when something related comes up :laugh4::no:

But yes, Barbarossa is a major event indeed. Any Russian knows his day by heart and it is a national day of mourning in Russia. Not as official, but nevertheless no events with any celebratory connotations are held during this day. Last year, for instance, a school in my city that I used to go to was going to have the graduation on June 22, but it was postponed.

[King Jan III Sobieski]

June 22 is the anniversary of the Battle of Raphia.

It is also the one-month anniversary of my having become unemployed. :embarassed::beam::help:

[rotorgun]

On this day, 22 June in 431, the Council of Ephesus met to discuss the divine nature of the Christ. Nestorius, the bishop of Constantinople claimed that Christ had a dual nature, both sinner and divine, which was denounced as heresy. Although it is called the First Council of Ephesus, it is often referred to as the 3rd Ecumenical Council; the 1st is known as the Council of Nicaea, held in 325; the 2nd took place in 381 in Constantinople.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Council_of_Ephesus

[King Kurt]

On this day - 1986 - in Mexico City - a small Argentinian footballer robbed England of their World Cup destiny. Yes Maradona and "the Hand of God" cheated our gallant English football team of a place in the World Cup semi finals - and as Argentina went on to win the competition he robbed us of the trophy as well. Admittingly he also scored the best goal in World Cup history in the same game, but we have never forgiven him - still, we still have the Falklands, so we do have the last laugh.

[Sarmatian]

On this day - 1986 - in Mexico City - a small Argentinian footballer robbed England of their World Cup destiny. Yes Maradona and "the Hand of God" cheated our gallant English football team of a place in the World Cup semi finals - and as Argentina went on to win the competition he robbed us of the trophy as well. Admittingly he also scored the best goal in World Cup history in the same game, but we have never forgiven him - still, we still have the Falklands, so we do have the last laugh.

That's divine retribution for the victory in the finals you stole 1966 :laugh4:

[Quintus.JC]

:knight: 23/24 June 1314: Battle of Bannockburn

Sensational victory for Robert the Bruce and Scotland which effectively ended the First War of Scottish Independence. The battle features most prominent use of the schiltrom formation by the Scottish pikemen, the English knights fail to make an impression on the pikes without archers' support. With Edward II fleeing the battle turned into a rout, with devastating result for the English army.

[rotorgun]

:knight: 23/24 June 1314: Battle of Bannockburn

Sensational victory for Robert the Bruce and Scotland which effectively ended the First War of Scottish Independence. The battle features most prominent use of the schiltrom formation by the Scottish pikemen, the English knights fail to make an impression on the pikes without archers' support. With Edward II fleeing the battle turned into a rout, with devastating result for the English army.

Thus it was once more proved that horses are often smarter than their riders, as any horseman with any brains should know that a horse just won't commit suicide by impaling itself on a pike!:charge:

[King Kurt]

:knight: 23/24 June 1314: Battle of Bannockburn

Sensational victory for Robert the Bruce and Scotland which effectively ended the First War of Scottish Independence. The battle features most prominent use of the schiltrom formation by the Scottish pikemen, the English knights fail to make an impression on the pikes without archers' support. With Edward II fleeing the battle turned into a rout, with devastating result for the English army.

Ah yes - Bannockburn - where we let the Scots win for once to encourage a false sense of security!!!

[KrooK]

TO GUY WHO WROTE ABOUT 1792

POLAND
1. EXIST,
2. EXISTED
3. WILL BE EXIST

WHICH IS OUT OF DISCUSSION

[Quintus.JC]

Thus it was once more proved that horses are often smarter than their riders, as any horseman with any brains should know that a horse just won't commit suicide by impaling itself on a pike!:charge:

I've always wondered about that; whether do the horsemen really charge into forest of pikes and stakes in a suicidal attack knowing that they would be killed? Historically stakes and pikes only deterred enemy cavalry from attacking head-on, but claimed few casualties. Most horsemen retreated to find another way or dismounted, those that were foolish enough to charge often met a grisly end. At the battle of Nicopolis the Ottoman supposedly used stakes to great effect in countering the French cavalry forces, but I still don't have this pike wall and schiltrom formation completely figured out.



Ah yes - Bannockburn - where we let the Scots win for once to encourage a false sense of security!!!

Well, both Wars of Scottish Independence ended in eventual triumph for the Scots and Scotland remained independent from English rule until the Stuarts, so I wouldn't exactly say false security. Anyhow the English were always in an advantageous position; their army more numerous, better trained and equiped, also more experienced in most cases. Bravery and courage did the Scots little good until the right leader came along, but in the end they did enough.

[Sarmatian]

I've always wondered about that; whether do the horsemen really charge into forest of pikes and stakes in a suicidal attack knowing that they would be killed? Historically stakes and pikes only deterred enemy cavalry from attacking head-on, but claimed few casualties. Most horsemen retreated to find another way or dismounted, those that were foolish enough to charge often met a grisly end. At the battle of Nicopolis the Ottoman supposedly used stakes to great effect in countering the French cavalry forces, but I still don't have this pike wall and schiltrom formation completely figured out.


It forced the French knights to dismount, yes but they didn't charge against the spikes, if that's what you meant, I'm not sure I got it right.

The whole point of pike or spear wall is to present what looks as unmovable object. Horses, even when trained as war horses, tend to slow down or try to go around it, because it is not in their nature hit with full speed into something they perceive as a solid object. On the other end of the spectrum, with the pike/spear infantry, they need to hold their ground even though there is a lot of armoured men on armoured horses with something long and pointy rolling down towards them at high speed. It isn't in the nature of men hold their ground in such case. Your instinct would tell you to run or move. It depends a lot on morale and training. Troops with low morale and poor training will instinctively try to move and thus create gaps. In the worst case they would turn around and run. Of course anything that weakens the cohesion of the group will only make it worse for infantry. Because the horses don't see it no longer as a solid object, they would be less inclined to slow down or try to move around it, and it would bring on infantry the strength of the full charge.

It depends on the lot of things really, training, morale, quality of weapons and armour...

[King Kurt]

June 25th - a bit quiet today - Little Big Horn where the price of Custer's vanity came home to roost, the start of the Korean war - you know the one we have been waiting over 50 years to finish - and a few famous people born - Lord Mountbatten and George Orwell to name but a few.

[lenin96]

25th of June: The battle of Vezeronce, the establishment of diplomatic relations between the U.S.S.R and Colombia and Independance day in Mozambique.

Edit: It's also National Catfish Day (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Catfish_Day) in the U.S.

[KrooK]

25.06.1998 - Windows 98 release

[King Jan III Sobieski]

25 June 1876 - The death of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer.

[King Kurt]

26/6/09 - the death of Michael Jackson - the boy who always seemed 14 dies aged 50. A modern day enigma - fantastic music but a tragic man who more than any one paid the price of celebrity

[Ibn-Khaldun]

I first couldn't believe that Michael Jackson is dead. He was a great musician!

Anyway..

June 26

1483 - Richard III usurped himself to the English throne.

1794 - The French defeated an Austrian army at the Battle of Fleurus.

1819 - The bicycle was patented by W.K. Clarkson, Jr.

1925 - Charlie Chaplin's comedy, "The Gold Rush," premiered in Hollywood.

1945 - The U.N. Charter was signed by 50 nations in San Francisco, CA.

1963 - U.S. President John Kennedy announced "Ich bin ein Berliner" (I am a Berliner) at the Berlin Wall.

2000 - The Human Genome Project and Celera Genomics Corp. jointly announced that they had created a working draft of the human genome.

[Quintus.JC]

:skull: 26 June 1541: Assassination of Francisco Pizarro Gonzalez, famed Spanish conquistador and vanquisher of the Incan empire.

[Quintus.JC]

It forced the French knights to dismount, yes but they didn't charge against the spikes, if that's what you meant, I'm not sure I got it right.

The whole point of pike or spear wall is to present what looks as unmovable object. Horses, even when trained as war horses, tend to slow down or try to go around it, because it is not in their nature hit with full speed into something they perceive as a solid object. On the other end of the spectrum, with the pike/spear infantry, they need to hold their ground even though there is a lot of armoured men on armoured horses with something long and pointy rolling down towards them at high speed. It isn't in the nature of men hold their ground in such case. Your instinct would tell you to run or move. It depends a lot on morale and training. Troops with low morale and poor training will instinctively try to move and thus create gaps. In the worst case they would turn around and run. Of course anything that weakens the cohesion of the group will only make it worse for infantry. Because the horses don't see it no longer as a solid object, they would be less inclined to slow down or try to move around it, and it would bring on infantry the strength of the full charge.

It depends on the lot of things really, training, morale, quality of weapons and armour...

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, it appears a lot of psychological factors are involved here. :bow:

[King Jan III Sobieski]

:smg::hmg::smg::hmg::smg::hmg::smg::hmg:

June 28 is the 95 Anniversary of the Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the House of Habsburg.

[King Jan III Sobieski]

On June 27, 1358, the Republic of Dubrovnik was founded.

[Quintus.JC]

:smg::hmg::smg::hmg::smg::hmg::smg::hmg:

June 28 is the 95 Anniversary of the Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the House of Habsburg.

And exactly five years later...

:deal: 28 June 1919: Treaty of Versailles
Needless to mention its result and legacy.

[Ibn-Khaldun]

28 June,

1709 - The Russians defeated the Swedes and Cossacks at the Battle of Poltava.

1942 - German troops launched an offensive to seize Soviet oil fields in the Caucasus and the city of Stalingrad.

[Sarmatian]

1963 - U.S. President John Kennedy announced "Ich bin ein Berliner" (I am a Berliner) at the Berlin Wall.


Ich bin ein Berliner (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mu02xUgE4k) :laugh4:

[King Kurt]

For today - 29 June
48 BC Julius Caesar defeated Pompey at Pharsalus to become the ruler of Rome

1613 The Globe Theatre in London, England burns to the ground.

1644 Charles I of England defeats a Parliamentarian detachment at the Battle of Cropredy Bridge, the last battle won by an English King on English soil.

1801 The first British census was carried out, revealing a population of 8,872,000

1905 The AA was formed.

1964 American scientists unveiled the first remote control for a television set - now that is important!!

1956 In London, US playwright Arthur Miller, married actress Marilyn Monroe.

1974 Isabel (Eva) Peron, was sworn in as President owing to her husband Juan Peron's illness.

1974 'Moonraker' starring Roger Moore as James Bond, opened at cinemas across America.

[Ibn-Khaldun]

Ich bin ein Berliner (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mu02xUgE4k) :laugh4:

That made me laugh!! :laugh4::laugh4:

[rotorgun]

1801 The first British census was carried out, revealing a population of 8,872,000-King Kurt

Curious...was this figure representative of just the indigenous people then living in the Isle of Albion, or did it include citizens abroad among the empire's colonies?

[Quintus.JC]

For today - 29 June
48 BC Julius Caesar defeated Pompey at Pharsalus to become the ruler of Rome



The actual battle was fought on the 9th of August 48.BC I believe.

[King Jan III Sobieski]

My Grandmother would have been 88 today (June 29).

[King Kurt]

Curious...was this figure representative of just the indigenous people then living in the Isle of Albion, or did it include citizens abroad among the empire's colonies?

I am sure that would be just the Isles of the UK. As the census evolved I know it included things like Navy ships at sea, but I don't think it ever extended to people working permanently abroad. The census is technically who is living in a certain dwelling on a certain day - we had one in 2001 and the form was quite specific.

As for
Originally Posted by King Kurt
For today - 29 June
48 BC Julius Caesar defeated Pompey at Pharsalus to become the ruler of Rome


The actual battle was fought on the 9th of August 48.BC I believe.

I got all my info from one website, so you may be right - Wiki certainly says it was the 9th of August - only goes to prove you can't believe everything you read on the internet!!

[InsaneApache]

Might have something to do with the change from the Julian to the Gregorian calender. Might.

[King Kurt]

The actual battle was fought on the 9th of August 48.BC I believe.

Just found this in Wiki -

"The date of the battle is given as 9 August. This is according to the republican calendar. The date according to the Julian calendar, was either 29 June 48 BC (according to Le Verrier's chronological reconstruction) or 7 June 48 BC (according to Drumann/Groebe). Pompey was assassinated on September 3rd. The point is not entirely academic; had the battle taken place in the true month of August, when the harvest was becoming ripe, Pompey's strategy of starving Caesar would have been senseless"

So perhaps we are all right and all wrong!! - and well done to Insane Apache for suggesting something along those lines

[Quintus.JC]

Just found this in Wiki -

"The date of the battle is given as 9 August. This is according to the republican calendar. The date according to the Julian calendar, was either 29 June 48 BC (according to Le Verrier's chronological reconstruction) or 7 June 48 BC (according to Drumann/Groebe). Pompey was assassinated on September 3rd. The point is not entirely academic; had the battle taken place in the true month of August, when the harvest was becoming ripe, Pompey's strategy of starving Caesar would have been senseless"

So perhaps we are all right and all wrong!! - and well done to Insane Apache for suggesting something along those lines

Insane Apache is right, damn. Now how am I supposed to post the Bolsheviks revolution dates then? :sweatdrop:

Battle of Pharsalus is a good example of complacency from one side as Pompey was certain his superior numbers would carry the day, and failed epically.

[Ariovistus Maximus]

July 1, 1863

First day of the Battle of Gettysburg.

[King Kurt]

July 1, 1863

First day of the Battle of Gettysburg.

A salient lesson on the perils of shoe shopping!!! - Celebs and WAGs take note!!!

[King Kurt]

July 3


987 – Hugh Capet was crowned King of France, becoming the first monarch of the Capetian dynasty - but not for long in the recent interactive history in the Chapter House!!!
1608 – French explorer Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec City, considered to be the first European-built city in non-Spanish North America.
1844 – The last known pair of Great Auks the only species in the genus Pinguinus, were killed in Eldey off the coast of Iceland.
1863 – Pickett's Charge, a disastrous Confederate infantry assault against Union Army positions, occurred during the final and bloodiest day of fighting in the Battle of Gettysburg, marking a turning point in the American Civil War.
1988 – United States Navy warship USS Vincennes shot down Iran Air Flight 655 over the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 people aboard.

As a Brit, I wondered what the popular view in the States was of Pickett's charge? - Is it one of tragic valour, incredible courage or a military blunder?

My view would be that it is a military blunder of the highest order - much more like the mistakes the Union often made, as opposed to the Confederates.

Any thoughts??

[Ariovistus Maximus]

A salient lesson on the perils of shoe shopping!!! - Celebs and WAGs take note!!!

:laugh4: Ya!

In answer to your question about Pickett's charge, I think it was perhaps tragically valiant on the part of those who performed it, but a complete blunder on the part of leadership.

But then, I'm an evil Northerner, so... :clown:

I dunno some people in the South still seem to act like it was 1860.

But either way you have to be very die-hard confederate to think that Pickett's charge was a good move.

I don't know what Lee was thinking there. The genious of Chancellorsville and a dozen other places? Who caused the mandatory retirement of HOW many Union generals? Ordering a frontal assault on prepared positions?

Kinda like the reverse of Fredericksburg actually. :smash:

It's interesting how even the greatest generals often make just the right mistake at just the right time to completely shoot themselves in the foot. Lee at Gettysburg, Napoleon at Waterloo (and earlier actually), Rommel got himself into the Hitler assassination plot, etc.

Providential, some might say.

[Quintus.JC]

:7knight: 4th July 1187 - The Horns of Hattins :sultan:

Coalition forces of Outremer states and Crusading orders were decisively crushed by Ayyubids forces led by Salah ad-Dīn, resulting in the fall of Jerusalem and the lauch of the third crusade. The battle is featured in many movies and are playable in games such as Medieval: Total War, Age of the Empires II and Stronghold Crusader.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

I decided to make a blog in my free time (we'll see how it goes in the summer) based on military events in history. Everday I'll find an event and instead of just listing the events that have occured in the day, I'll try to explain them a bit too.

http://thisdayinhistory-conflict.blogspot.com/

:2thumbsup:

[King Jan III Sobieski]

5 July 1295 – Scotland and France form an alliance, the beginnings of the Auld Alliance, against England.

[King Kurt]

For July 7:

1585 – The Treaty of Nemours was first signed, forcing Henry III of France (pictured) to give in to the demands of the Catholic League and revoking all edicts granting concessions to the Huguenots.
1798 – The Quasi-War, an undeclared war fought entirely at sea, began after the United States rescinded their treaties with France.
1807 – Tsar Alexander I of Russia and Napoleon I of France signed the first agreement of the Treaties of Tilsit, ending the War of the Fourth Coalition.
1928 – The Chillicothe Baking Company in Chillicothe, Missouri, USA, first produced sliced bread, advertised as "the greatest forward step in the baking industry since bread was wrapped", which then led to the popular phrase "the greatest thing since sliced bread".
1937 – The Imperial Japanese Army defeated the Republic of China's National Revolutionary Army on Beijing's Marco Polo Bridge, marking the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War.
2005 - 4 suicide bombs go off in London, killing 52 innocent people

The Quasi War is interesting - never heard of it before - it was fought entirely at sea

The Sino- Japanese war is truely the forgotten conflict of WW2 - enormous casualties, horrendious war crimes and truely world changing consequences - yet it is hardly mentioned here in the West

[Samurai Waki]

1758: The British attack on Fort Carillon at Ticonderoga, New York, is foiled by the French.
1794: French troops capture Brussels, Belgium.
1859: The Truce at Villafranca Austria cedes Lombardy to France.
1863: Demoralized by the surrender of Vicksburg, Confederates in Port Hudson, Louisiana, surrender to Union forces.
1950: General Douglas MacArthur is appointed head of the United Nations Command in Korea.

[King Kurt]

Nothing for a few days, but we can't let Bastille day go by!!

So - July 14
The Storming of the Bastille in Paris occurred on 14 July, 1789. The medieval fortress and prison in Paris known as the Bastille represented royal authority in the center of Paris. While the prison only contained seven prisoners at the time of its storming, its fall was the flashpoint of the French Revolution, and it subsequently became an icon of the French Republic.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4e/Prise_de_la_Bastille.jpg
Also

1865 – First ascent of the Matterhorn by Edward Whymper and party, four of whom died on the descent.
1881 – Billy the Kid is shot and killed by Pat Garrett outside Fort Sumner.
1965 – The Mariner 4 flyby of Mars takes the first close-up photos of another planet.
1969 – Political conflicts between El Salvador and Honduras erupted into the four-day Football War, so-named because it coincided with the inflamed rioting during the second CONCACAF qualifying round for the 1970 FIFA World Cup.
2003 - The U.S. Government admitted the existence of Area 51, the secretive military airfield in Nevada that has become a focus of various UFO and conspiracy theories, conceding that the U.S. Air Force does have an "operating location" there. - One for the conspiracy theorists there

The Football War is one I have distant memories about - as England was in the grip of a long period of football hooliganism at the time having a war seemed like the next logical step!! As usual with our tabloid press - some things never change - the complicated actual reasons for the war were ignored and it was portrayed as a couple of banana republics scraping over a football game.

[KrooK]

15. 07 . 1410 - BATTLE OF GRUNWALD
One of the biggest battles of Medieval Europe. Knights from half of Europe took part.
Polish - Lithuanian army broke Teutonic Order and stopped German Drag nach Osten for 350 years.
Poland suddenly became local empire.

[King Kurt]

Krook - thanks for that - the strength of this thread is how it highlights different aspects of history. The battle of Grunwald is virtually unknown here - to be honest vast tracts of central European history are sketchy to us here in England - so, inspired by your post, I went off to Wiki and found out a bit more. I have always been fascinated by the Teutonic Order ever since seeing them as sinister Knights in the film of Alexander Nevsky - MTW and the forum have sparked me into finding out a bit more of their history.

My contribution is a more minor one. On July 15 1989 Laurie Cunningham, an English footballer, was killed in car crash outside of Madrid. Laurie was one of the first black footballers to make the grade here in England and he caused a major change in English football. Racism - absolutely rife in the 1960's and 70's - has mostly gone from the game and teams here in the UK have all races playing from them. Laurie and several other gifted black footballers lead the way for this major change in English sport. For our American friends, he did for football what Jackie Robinson did for baseball. For those who want to know more see this article from the BBC - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8149282.stm

[KrooK]

In the eastern europe battle of grunwald is one of the most important. Can be compared with battle at lake pejpus or battle at kuligove pole. Results were not easily to see at the beginning but battle changed balancement into this region. Times when teutonic order made rides agains Poles and Lithuanians without risk ended.
Since Grunwald all the attempts to attack Poland or Lithuania finished into loses of order.

[Ibn-Khaldun]

July 21

1861 - The first major battle of the U.S. Civil War began. It was the Battle of Bull Run at Manassas Junction, VA. The Confederates won the battle.

1931 - CBS aired the first regularly scheduled program to be simulcast on radio and television. The show featured singer Kate Smith, composer George Gershwin and New York City Mayor Jimmy Walker.

1940 - Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia were annexed by the Soviet Union.

1969 - Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin become the first men to walk on the Moon, during the Apollo 11 mission.

[King Kurt]

Missed an important one for July 21 -

1545 – The first landing of French troops on the coast of the Isle of Wight during the French invasion of the Isle of Wight occurs

Well - it isn't often that the Island is mentioned - so let's remember this military sideshow - it was part of the events that led to the sinking of the Mary Rose

also on the 21st -

1865 – In the market square of Springfield, Missouri, Wild Bill Hickok shoots and kills Davis Tutt in what is regarded as the first true western showdown.
1873 – At Adair, Iowa, Jesse James and the James-Younger gang pull off the first successful train robbery in the American West.

Yeee hahhh - we all love cowboys!!

Now for 22nd July

1099 – First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of Jerusalem.
1298 – Wars of Scottish Independence: Battle of Falkirk – King Edward I of England and his longbowmen defeat William Wallace and his Scottish schiltrons outside the town.
1456 – Ottoman Wars in Europe: Siege of Belgrade – John Hunyadi, Regent of Kingdom of Hungary defeats Mehmet II of Ottoman Empire
1484 – Battle of Lochmaben Fair – a 500-man raiding party led by Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany and James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas are defeated by Scots forces loyal to Albany's brother James III of Scotland; Douglas is captured.
1499 – Battle of Dornach – the Swiss decisively defeat the Imperial army of Emperor Maximilian I.
1587 – Colony of Roanoke: a second group of English settlers arrive on Roanoke Island off North Carolina to re-establish the deserted colony.
1812 – Napoleonic Wars: Peninsular War – Battle of Salamanca – British forces led by Arthur Wellesley (later the Duke of Wellington) defeat French troops near Salamanca, Spain.
1864 – American Civil War: Battle of Atlanta – outside Atlanta, Georgia, Confederate General John Bell Hood leads an unsuccessful attack on Union troops under General William T. Sherman on Bald Hill.
1934 – Outside Chicago's Biograph Theatre, "Public Enemy No. 1" John Dillinger is mortally wounded by FBI agents.
1946 – King David Hotel bombing: Irgun bombs King David Hotel in Jerusalem, headquarters of the British civil and military administration, killing 90.
2005 – Jean Charles de Menezes is killed by police as the hunt begins for the London Bombers.

What a busy day in history - Wellington's victory at Salamanca was one of a series of brilliant victories in the Peninsular leading eventually to him ( with the help of a few Prussians who arrived near the end!!!!!) defeating Napoleon at Waterloo. Wellington's tactics were similar throughout the Napoleonic wars - use of cover and firepower - and warrant some attention.

[Ariovistus Maximus]

Wow Kurt; you are really keeping this thread alive!

I would balloon you, if I may: :balloon2:

And thanks for your contributionS! :beam:

[King Kurt]

Ariovistus - thank you for your kind words - I have enjoyed having a little root round - normally about 5 minutes in Wiki!! The interesting thing is coming across the little odd ones. I accept your ballon with honour and humility:2thumbsup:

And today???? - July 27

1214 – Battle of Bouvines: In France, Philip II of France defeats John of England.
1549 – Jesuit priest Francis Xavier's ship reached Japan - causing much excitment for all fans of Shogun Total War 550 years later!!
1663 – The English Parliament passes the second Navigation Act requiring that all goods bound for the American colonies have to be sent in English ships from English ports.
1689 – Glorious Revolution: Battle of Killiecrankie ends.
1694 – A Royal Charter is granted to the Bank of England.
1720 – The second important victory of the Russian Navy – the Battle of Grengam.
1778 – American Revolution: First Battle of Ushant – British and French fleets fight to a standoff.
1789 – The first U.S. federal government agency, the Department of Foreign Affairs, is established (later renamed Department of State).
1794 – French Revolution: Maximilien Robespierre is arrested after encouraging the execution of more than 17,000 "enemies of the Revolution. Clearly a man who enjoyed his work.
1865 – Welsh settlers arrive at Chubut in Argentina - searching for some lost sheep no doubt:laugh4:
1866 – The Atlantic Cable is successfully completed, allowing transatlantic telegraph communication for the first time.
1880 – Second Anglo-Afghan War: Battle of Maiwand – In a pyrrhic victory, Afghan forces led by Ayub Khan defeat the British Army in battle near Maiwand, Afghanistan. Some things never change.
1917 – The Allies reach the Yser Canal at the Battle of Passchendaele.
1921 – Researchers at the University of Toronto led by biochemist Frederick Banting announce the discovery of the hormone insulin.
1928 – Tich Freeman becomes only bowler ever to take 200 first-class wickets before end of July.
1940 – The animated short A Wild Hare is released, introducing the character of Bugs Bunny.
1941 – Japanese troops occupy French Indo-China - begining a tragic chain of events which will go on for over 30 years.
1949 – Initial flight of the de Havilland Comet, the first jet-powered airliner.
1953 – Korean War ends: The United States, People's Republic of China, and North Korea, sign an armistice agreement. Syngman Rhee, president of South Korea, refuses to sign but pledges to observe the armistice.
1955 – The Allied occupation of Austria stemming from World War II, ends (started on May 9, 1945).
1964 – Vietnam War: 5,000 more American military advisers are sent to South Vietnam bringing the total number of United States forces in Vietnam to 21,000. See 1941
1972 – The F-15 Eagle flies for the first time.
1974 – Watergate Scandal: The House of Representatives Judiciary Committee votes 27 to 11 to recommend the first article of impeachment against President Richard Nixon: obstruction of justice.
1976 – Former Japanese prime minister Kakuei Tanaka is arrested on suspicion of violating foreign exchange and foreign trade laws in connection with the Lockheed bribery scandals.
1981 – British television: On Coronation Street, Ken Barlow marries Deirdre Langton, which proves to be a national event, with massive viewer numbers earned for the show - and despite both's loose morals they are still together - or did they get divorced for a few years then get back together????

So hey - some good action from today in history

[KrooK]

1549 – Jesuit priest Francis Xavier's ship reached Japan - causing much excitment for all fans of Shogun Total War 550 years later!!

should be in bold :)

[rotorgun]

Shogun! Great film based on the book by George Clavell, as well as an interesting subject for a game.

[King Kurt]

So what of today - 29 July??

1014 – Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat on the Bulgarian army, and his subsequent savage treatment of 15,000 prisoners reportedly causes Tsar Samuil of Bulgaria to die of a heart attack several months later, on October 6.
1030 – Ladejarl-Fairhair succession wars: Battle of Stiklestad – King Olaf II fights and dies trying to regain his Norwegian throne from the Danes.
1565 – The widowed Mary Queen of Scots marries Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, Duke of Albany at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland. A furthur step on her tragic life.
1567 – James VI is crowned King of Scotland at Stirling. He was to become James the 1 of England, uniting the 2 countries to this day - except when we play each other at sport!!!
1588 – Anglo-Spanish War: Battle of Gravelines – English naval forces under command of Lord Charles Howard and Sir Francis Drake defeat the Spanish Armada off the coast of Gravelines, France. Surely a pivotal moment in history. The battle of Gravelines is the decisive battle of the Spanish Armada, ending the Spanish threat to England and played a key role in the Dutch's ultimate victory over the Dutch. It also cemented the importance of the navy to England - something that has shaped our foreign and military policy to this day.
1693 – War of the Grand Alliance: Battle of Landen – France wins a Pyrrhic victory over Allied forces in the Netherlands.
1793 – John Graves Simcoe decides to build a fort and settlement at Toronto, having sailed into the bay there.
1830 – Abdication of Charles X of France. A key event in the first year of revolutions.
1836 – Inauguration of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris - but presumably not the traffic jams associated with it today!!
1848 – Irish Potato Famine: Tipperary Revolt – in Tipperary, an unsuccessful nationalist revolt against British rule is put down by police.
1851 – Annibale de Gasparis discovers asteroid 15 Eunomia.
1858 – United States and Japan sign the Harris Treaty.
1864 – American Civil War: Confederate spy Belle Boyd is arrested by Union troops and detained at the Old Capitol Prison in Washington, DC.
1899 – The First Hague Convention is signed.
1900 – In Italy, King Umberto I of Italy is assassinated by Italian-born anarchist Gaetano Bresci.
1901 – The Socialist Party of America founded.
1907 – Sir Robert Baden-Powell sets up the Brownsea Island Scout camp in Poole Harbour on the south coast of England. The camp ran from August 1-9, 1907, and is regarded as the founding of the Scouting movement. Something my son does today.
1921 – Adolf Hitler becomes leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party.
1932 – Great Depression: in Washington, DC, U.S. troops disperse the last of the "Bonus Army" of World War I veterans.
1937 – Tongzhou Incident part of that forgotten conflict the sino japanese wars.
1948 – Olympic Games: The Games of the XIV Olympiad – after a hiatus of 12 years caused by World War II, the first Summer Olympics to be held since the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin opened in London.
1957 – The International Atomic Energy Agency is established.
1958 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs into law the National Aeronautics and Space Act, which creates the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
1959 – First United States Congress elections in Hawaii as a state of the Union - paving the way for Jack Lord and Hawaii 50!!
1965 – Vietnam War: the first 4,000 101st Airborne Division paratroopers arrive in Vietnam, landing at Cam Ranh Bay.
1966 – Bob Dylan is injured in a motorcycle accident near Woodstock, New York - and will not appear live until the Isle of Wight festival in 1969.
1967 – Vietnam War: off the coast of North Vietnam the USS Forrestal catches on fire in the worst U.S. naval disaster since World War II, killing 134.
1967 – During the fourth day of celebrating its 400th anniversary, the city of Caracas, Venezuela is shaken by an earthquake, leaving approximately 500 dead.
1976 – In New York City, the "Son of Sam" kills one person and seriously wounds another in the first of a series of attacks.
1981 – Marriage of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer.
1987 – British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and President of France François Mitterrand sign the agreement to build the tunnel under the English Channel (Eurotunnel).

Some good events there

[KrooK]

1.VIII.1944 Warsaw Uprising starts. 200.000 soldiers and civilians killed by Germans, Russians and Soviets.

[Quintus.JC]

2nd August – Today’s the day

https://img194.imageshack.us/img194/4200/legionary.gif Battle of Cannae - 216 BC
Sensational victory scored by the Carthaginian general Hannibal Barca to complete his hat-trick of victories against the Roman Republic (Previously ones being Trebia and Trasimene). Hannibal’s perfect execution of the Pincer movement ensured the defeat and total annihilation of the Roman army that day; with the battle exposing Roman military amateurism at its most inept. The 80,000+ infantry relied on their sheer number and pushed back the thin Punic infantry line; however the line bent rather than broke and gradually enveloped the enemy. Meanwhile the more powerful Carthaginian cavalry easily routed their weaker Roman counterparts and encircled round to attack the Roman infantry from its rear. The Roman legions were driven into a dense mass and troops were unable to wield their swords properly. Few escaped the battle and a great majority of the Roman forces were slaughtered, with the death toll approaching over 70,000 for the Romans that day.

https://img192.imageshack.us/img192/7483/hoplite.gif Battle of Chaeronea - 338 BC
Macedonian armies led by King Philip II decisively defeats the forces of Athens and Thebes, paving the way for his son Alexander to conquer the known world.

:sagittarius: 1100 AD - King William (Rufus) II of England died under mysterious circumstances in the New Forest. Accident, murder or assassination? We may never know.

[Ibrahim]

August 2:

-Iraq invades Kuwait in 1990.

[KrooK]

9.VIII.1945
Fat Man destroy Nagasaki saving milions of people who would die, if Japan continue war.

[Ice]

August 12th

30 BC – Cleopatra VII Philopator, the last ruler of the Egyptian Ptolemaic dynasty, commits suicide allegedly by means of an asp bite.

1281 – The fleet of Qubilai Khan is destroyed by a typhoon while approaching Japan.

1833 – Chicago is founded.

1898 – The Hawaiian flag is lowered from Iolani Palace in an elaborate annexation ceremony and replaced with the American flag to signify the transfer of sovereignty from the Republic of Hawai`i to the United States.

1914 – World War I – Britain declares war on Austria-Hungary; countries of the British Empire are also included.

1953 – Nuclear weapons testing: the Soviet atomic bomb project continues with the detonation of Joe 4, the first Soviet thermonuclear weapon.

1982 – Mexico announces it is unable to pay its enormous external debt, marking the beginning of a debt crisis that spreads to all of Latin America and the Third World.

2000 – The Oscar class submarine K-141 Kursk of the Russian Navy explodes and sinks in the Barents Sea during a military exercise.

[KrooK]

15.VIII.2009 - battle of Warsaw - polish army stops Red Army and saves Europe from communist regime.

[Ariovistus Maximus]

2000 – The Oscar class submarine K-141 Kursk of the Russian Navy explodes and sinks in the Barents Sea during a military exercise.

Oooh that was an interesting one. Have you ever read the theory that it was a shootout? And about USS Scorpion? Very interesting stuff.

[Ibn-Khaldun]

August 20, 1991 - Estonia re-declares independence from the Soviet Union!!:estonia::balloon2:

[King Jan III Sobieski]

27 August 410 Anno Domini – The sacking of Rome by the Visigoths ends after three days.

[King Jan III Sobieski]

28 August 1640 – During the Second Bishop's War, King Charles I's English army loses to a Scottish Covenanter force at the Battle of Newburn.

[Tabuu]

June 9

68 A.D. - Roman Emporer Nero commits suicide

1856 - 500 mormons pack up and leave Iowa City for a new life in Utah.

1934 - Donald Duck makes his debut.

All I have now. More coming!

[Dodge_272]

18th June 1815, Waterloo, I think you know the rest ;)

[Brenus]

1778: Bristish evacuated Philadelphia.
1779: French Fleet occupied St Vincent.

I think you know the rest :-)))

[Louis VI the Fat]

The 18th of June will always be De Gaulle's day. The day he saved national pride.

Little skirmishes near Bruxelles or in some colonies pale in comparison. :tongue:

[Tabuu]

1429 - French forces under the leadership of Joan of Arc defeat the main English army under Sir John Fastolf at the Battle of Patay.
1767 - Samuel Wallis becomes the first European to set foot in Tahiti.
1778 - British troops abandon Philadelphia.
1812 - U.S. Congress declares war on Britain and Ireland.
1830 - French invasion of Algeria.
1873 - Susan B. Anthony is fined $100 for attempting to vote in the 1872 presidential election.
1887 - Reinsurance Treaty is signed between Germany and Russia.
1908 - University of the Philippines is established.
1923 - Checker Taxi puts its first taxi on the streets.
1928 - Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly in an aircraft across the Atlantic.
1940 - Winston Churchill's "Finest Hour" speech.
1953 - Egypt declares independence, abolishing the monarchy.
1983 - Sally Ride becomes the first woman in space.

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

Events

* 618 – Li Yuan becomes Emperor Gaozu of Tang, initiating three centuries of Tang Dynasty rule over China.
* 1178 – Five Canterbury monks see what is possibly the Giordano Bruno crater being formed. It is believed that the current oscillations of the Moon's distance from the Earth (on the order of metres) are a result of this collision.
* 1264 – The Parliament of Ireland meets at Castledermot in County Kildare, the first definitively known meeting of this Irish legislature.
* 1429 – French forces under the leadership of Joan of Arc defeat the main English army under sir John Fastolf at the Battle of Patay. This turns the tide of the Hundred Years' War.
* 1757 – Battle of Kolín between Prussian forces under Frederick the Great and an Austrian army under the command of Field Marshal Count Leopold Joseph von Daun in the Seven Years' War.
* 1767 – Samuel Wallis, an English sea captain, sights Tahiti and is considered the first European to reach the island.
* 1778 – American Revolutionary War: British troops abandon Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
* 1812 – War of 1812: The U.S. Congress declares war on the United Kingdom.
* 1815 – Napoleonic Wars: The Battle of Waterloo leads to Napoleon Bonaparte abdicating the throne of France for the second and last time.
* 1830 – French invasion of Algeria
* 1858 – Charles Darwin receives a paper from Alfred Russel Wallace that includes nearly identical conclusions about evolution as Darwin's own, prompting Darwin to publish his theory.
* 1859 – First ascent of Aletschhorn, second summit of the Bernese Alps.
* 1873 – Susan B. Anthony is fined $100 for attempting to vote in the 1872 presidential election.
* 1887 – The Reinsurance Treaty between Germany and Russia is signed.
* 1900 – Empress Dowager Longyu of China orders all foreigners killed, including foreign diplomats and their families.
* 1908 – Japanese immigration to Brazil begins when 781 people arrive in Santos aboard the Kasato-Maru ship.
* 1908 – The University of the Philippines is established.
* 1923 – Checker Taxi puts its first taxi on the streets.
* 1928 – Aviator Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly in an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean (she was a passenger; Wilmer Stutz was the pilot and Lou Gordon the mechanic).
* 1930 – Groundbreaking ceremonies for the Franklin Institute are held.
* 1940 – Appeal of June 18 by Charles de Gaulle.
* 1940 – "Finest Hour" speech by Winston Churchill.



:yes:

[Tabuu]

Took my facts thats not cool!:furious3::no::no::no: