MaryAnn Bernal's Blog, page 582

History Trivia

February 4 211 Roman emperor Septimius Severus died at York while campaigning to subdue northern Britain. 1194 King Richard I of England was freed. On his way home from the Crusades, a storm drove Richard's ship ashore and he was taken prisoner and turned over to Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor. Henry kept Richard in several different castles in Germany, and kept the king's whereabouts unknown to friends and enemies alike. Henry threatened to turn Richard over to Philip of France, with whom Richard had begun a bitter feud. To avoid falling into his enemy's hands, Richard agreed to pay an outrageous ransom. The ransom was raised primarily by heavy taxing of the people of England and was paid nearly in full to Henry. Richard was released and returned home, only to set out once more for France,where he fought Philip off and on until his death five years later. 1454, in the Thirteen Years' War, the Secret Council of the Prussian Confederation sent a formal act of disobedience to the Grand Master.

History Trivia

February 3, 590 Gregory I, the Great, was elected Roman Catholic pope. 1377: more than 2,000 people of the Italian city of Cesena were slaughtered by Papal Troops (Cesena Bloodbath). 1461 Battle of Mortimer's Cross: The Yorkists, led by the future Edward IV, defeated Lancastrian forces in this significant battle of the Wars of the Roses.

History Trivia

February 2, 506, The Breviarium Alaricianum or Lex Romana Visigothorum, a collection of Roman law, was drafted at Toulouse under Alaric II, King of the Visigoths. 962 Pope John XII crowned Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, the first Holy Roman Emperor in nearly 40 years. 1032 Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor became King of Burgundy. 1208 James I (the Conqueror) King of Aragon was born.

History Trivia

February 1, 772 Adrian I was elected pope. During one of the longest pontificates in history, the popular Adrian forged a strong bond with Charlemagne and presided over the Second Council at Nicea. 1327 Edward III was crowned King of England, but the country was ruled by his mother Queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer. 1411 The First Peace of Thorn was signed in Thorn, Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights (Prussia).

History Trivia

January 31, in the early 9th century, several men supposedly stole the body of St. Mark from Alexandria and transferred it to Venice. 314 Silvester I began his reign as Pope of the Catholic Church, succeeding Pope Miltiades. 1504 France ceded Naples to Aragon. 1606 Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes was executed for his plotting against Parliament and James I of England. Guy Fawkes and fellow surviving Gunpowder Plotters were hanged, drawn and quartered at Westminster.

History Trivia

January 30, 1048 Protestantism: The villagers around today's Baden-Baden elect their own priest in defiance of the local bishop. Later, in a move that would not be seen before the Protestant Reformation, he was also elected Pope by acclamatio, just to die that same day. It is rumored that Ildebrando di Soana heard of the acclamatio and used it later to get elected himself as Pope Gregory VII. 1648 Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster and Osnabrück was signed, which ended the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain. 1649 King Charles I of England was beheaded.
1661 Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England was ritually executed two years after his death, on the anniversary of the execution of the monarch he himself deposed.

History Trivia

January 29, 904 Pope Sergius III came out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed antipope Christopher. The late ninth century was a highly unstable time for the papacy, plagued by serious controversy and intrigue, and Sergius was in the midst of it. Elected pope in 898 at the same time as Pope John IX (whom he considered an antipope), Sergius seized the papacy with military support after an earlier failed attempt and the election of several other popes. It is possible (but not proven) that Sergius had an illicit affair with Marozia, the daughter of the powerful count Theophylactus, and fathered Marozia's son, who later became Pope John XI. 1119: Pope Gelasius II died. The brief reign of Gelasius II was plagued by the lingering investiture controversy and the aggressive actions of Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor. Henry took possession of Rome and twice drove the pope from the city, installing in his place the antipope Gregory VIII.

History Trivia

January 28, 814 Charlemagne, King of the Franks and creator of the Holy Roman Empire, died in Aachen. 1077 the excommunication of Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor was lifted by Pope Gregory VII. 1547 Henry VIII died. His nine year old son, Edward VI became King, and the first Protestant ruler of England.

History Trivia

January 27, 484 BC, the temple of Castor and Pollux, the Heavenly Twins, was dedicated. They had helped Rome to victory over the Latins twelve years earlier at Lake Regillus. In 98 Trajan became Roman Emperor after the death of Nerva. 1186 Henry VI, the son and heir of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I, married Constance of Sicily. 1606 Gunpowder Plot: The trial of Guy Fawkes and other conspirators began, ending with their execution on January 31.

History Trivia

January 26, 1340 King Edward III of England was declared King of France. 1531 An earthquake killed thousands in Lisbon, Portugal.1564 The Council of Trent issued its conclusions in the Tridentinum, which established a distinction between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.