Dr Mostafa Waziri the head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities has reported that archaeologists have uncovered the remains of three Roman shipwrecks discovered in Abu Qir bay, Alexandria Egypt.
On This Day – 17 December
The Ancient Romans celebrated the beginning of the Saturnalia with a festival in honour of Saturnus, the god of seed and sowing.
4 September
The last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself “King of Italy”, thus ending the Western Roman Empire.
15 August
The Battle of Roncevaux Pass in 778 saw a large force of Basques ambush a part of Charlemagne’s army in Roncevaux Pass, a high mountain pass in the Pyrenees on the border between France and Spain, after his invasion of the Iberian Peninsula. Continue reading “778 – The Battle of Roncevaux Pass”
9 August
Trajan, who is even today regarded by many as the optimus princeps (the best of emperors), died after a lengthy illness that started while he was travelling back to Rome early 117. He died in Selinus, Cilicia, leaving the succession in doubt. Continue reading “AD 117 – The Death of the Roman Emperor Trajan”
On this day – 1 August
Pertinax the 19th emperor of the Roman Empire was born. Pertinax was the son of a freed slave yet managed to rise to the highest available position in the Empire, albeit for a very short time.
Continue reading “AD 126 The Roman Emperor Pertinax was born”
26 July
Constantine I, also known as Constantine the Great became emperor on this day when acclaimed emperor by his troops. Whilst he was campaigning against the Picts in Britain with his father. Continue reading “Constantine I Declared Emperor by his troops”
6 July
After holding Napoleon on the first day of the battle, Archduke Charles goes over to the offensive. Continue reading “1809 – The Battle of Wagram concludes”
5 July
The Battle of Wagram commences on this day in 1809, considered the largest battle of the Napoleonic Wars. Continue reading “1809 – The Battle of Wagram commences”
9 July
Eparchius Avitus Augustus was proclaimed Western Roman Emperor by Theodoric II after the death of his predecessor Petronius Maximus.
26 June
Augustus the first emperor of Rome adopts his step-son Tiberius ensuring the hereditary succession of the principate.
17 June
Her husband, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I (reigned 1628-1658), will spend the next 17 years building her mausoleum, the Taj Mahal.
Continue reading “1631 – Mumtaz Mahal dies during childbirth”
6 April
Mehmed II or Mohammed II (30 March 1432 – 3 May 1481), best known as Mehmed the Conqueror, was an Ottoman sultan who ruled first for a short time from August 1444 to September 1446, and later from February 1451 to May 1481. At the age of 21, he conquered Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) and brought an end to the Eastern Roman Empire. Mehmed continued his conquests in Anatolia with its reunification and in Southeast Europe as far west as Bosnia. Mehmed is considered a hero in modern-day Turkey and parts of the wider Muslim world. Among other things, Istanbul’s Fatih district, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge and Fatih Mosque are named after him.
Continue reading “1453 – Mehmed II begins his siege of Constantinople”
On this day 4 April A.D. 188: the Roman Emperor Caracalla was born. Continue reading “A.D. 188 the Roman Emperor Caracalla was born”
