27 BC
Octavian transfers the state to the free disposal of the Roman Senate and the people. He receives Spain, Gaul, and Syria as his province for ten years.
In 27 BC, Octavian returned sovereign power to the Roman Senate and people, securing Spain, Gaul, and Syria as his provinces for ten years.
In 27 BC, Octavian formally returned the state's power to the Roman Senate and the people.
He received Spain, Gaul, and Syria as his provincial commands for a decade.
This maneuver balanced autocratic influence with republican traditions after years of civil war.
It marked the transition of Octavian into Augustus and the dawn of the Roman Empire.
The settlement reshaped Rome's political structure for centuries to come.
27 BC
Octavian
Roman Senate
Spain
Gaul
Syria
532day.year
The Nika riots break out, during the racing season at the Hippodrome in Constantinople, as a result of discontent with the rule of the Emperor Justinian I.
In 532, the Nika riots erupted in Constantinople's Hippodrome amid widespread discontent with Emperor Justinian I's rule.
In January 532, rival faction supporters in Constantinople's Hippodrome united against Emperor Justinian I.
The Nika riots escalated into violent civil unrest, with mobs setting fire to buildings and looting.
Rebellion threatened the stability of the Byzantine Empire and nearly overthrew Justinian's government.
Imperial troops brutally suppressed the uprising after a week, killing thousands of rioters in the process.
The Nika riots stand as one of the most destructive urban revolts of the ancient world.
532
Nika riots
Hippodrome
Constantinople
Justinian I
1435day.year
Sicut Dudum, forbidding the enslavement by the Spanish of the Guanche natives in Canary Islands who had converted, or were converting to, Christianity, is promulgated by Pope Eugene IV.
Pope Eugene IV issues Sicut Dudum in 1435, prohibiting the enslavement of converted Guanche natives in the Canary Islands.
In January 1435, Pope Eugene IV promulgated the papal bull Sicut Dudum.
The decree forbade the enslavement of Guanche natives who had converted or were converting to Christianity.
It formed part of broader papal efforts to curb colonial abuses by Spanish authorities.
Though enforcement was limited, the bull set a moral precedent for protecting indigenous peoples.
Sicut Dudum remains a landmark in church diplomacy and early human rights advocacy.
1435
Sicut Dudum
Guanche
Canary Islands
Pope Eugene IV
1547day.year
Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, is sentenced to death for treason, on the grounds of having quartered his arms to make them similar to those of the King, Henry VIII of England.
In 1547, Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, is condemned for treason over the use of royal-style heraldry and later executed.
In January 1547, Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, faced trial for quartering his coat of arms too closely to the royal arms of Henry VIII.
He was accused of treason for implying a claim to the throne through heraldic similarity.
His conviction reflected the ruthless intrigue and suspicion at the Tudor court.
Surrey was executed soon after, becoming one of the era's most notable casualties of royal paranoia.
His death inspired poetic elegies that immortalized both his talent and his tragic fall.
1547
Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey
Henry VIII of England
1793day.year
Nicolas Jean Hugon de Bassville, representative of Revolutionary France, is lynched by a mob in Rome.
In 1793, Revolutionary French envoy Nicolas Jean Hugon de Bassville is lynched by a hostile mob in Rome.
In January 1793, Nicolas Jean Hugon de Bassville arrived in Rome as a representative of Revolutionary France.
His outspoken support for anti-clerical reforms provoked outrage among conservative Romans.
A hostile crowd attacked and lynched Bassville in the city streets.
The incident strained relations between revolutionary France and the Papal States.
Bassville's violent death became a symbol of the tumultuous spread of revolutionary fervor across Europe.
1793
Nicolas Jean Hugon de Bassville
Revolutionary France
1822day.year
The design of the Greek flag is adopted by the First National Assembly at Epidaurus.
In 1822, the First National Assembly at Epidaurus officially adopts the design of the blue-and-white Greek flag.
In January 1822, Greek revolutionaries met at the First National Assembly in Epidaurus to establish a provisional government.
Delegates sought a unifying symbol for their struggle against Ottoman rule.
They chose a blue-and-white flag featuring alternating stripes and a cross.
The design symbolized Greek Orthodoxy and the nation's maritime heritage.
This emblem became the enduring national flag of independent Greece.
1822
Greek flag
First National Assembly at Epidaurus
1833day.year
United States President Andrew Jackson writes to Vice President elect Martin Van Buren expressing his opposition to South Carolina's defiance of federal authority in the Nullification Crisis.
In 1833, President Andrew Jackson opposes South Carolina's nullification stance in a letter to Vice President Martin Van Buren.
In January 1833, President Andrew Jackson confronted South Carolina's threat to nullify federal tariffs.
He wrote to incoming Vice President Martin Van Buren, emphasizing the sanctity of the Union.
Jackson warned that state defiance would not be tolerated under the Constitution.
His firm position helped defuse the Nullification Crisis and avoid civil war.
This correspondence reinforced federal supremacy and shaped future state-federal relations.
1833
Andrew Jackson
Vice President
Martin Van Buren
South Carolina
Nullification Crisis
1847day.year
The Treaty of Cahuenga ends the Mexican–American War in California.
The Treaty of Cahuenga, signed on January 13, 1847, brought an end to hostilities in California during the Mexican–American War.
After years of conflict between the United States and Mexico, officers in California met at Cahuenga Pass near Los Angeles to negotiate peace. On January 13, 1847, Lieutenant Colonel John C. Frémont and Mexican General Andrés Pico signed the informal agreement. The treaty required Mexican forces to lay down their arms and restore property seized from American settlers. Though not formally ratified by national governments, it effectively ceased fighting in the region. The accord cleared the way for U.S. military occupation and later statehood for California. It also influenced broader peace negotiations that culminated in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
1847
Treaty of Cahuenga
Mexican–American War
California
1849day.year
Establishment of the Colony of Vancouver Island.
In 1849, the British Crown established the Colony of Vancouver Island, formalizing colonial governance in the Pacific Northwest.
On January 13, 1849, the British Crown proclaimed Vancouver Island a separate colony, detaching it from Hudson's Bay Company rule. The capital at Fort Victoria became the administrative and commercial center for incoming settlers. This move addressed strategic concerns over American expansion and the growing fur and gold trades. Early colonists built farms, ports, and roads to support a fledgling economy. The colony's creation laid the groundwork for the social and political development of what is now British Columbia. It paved the way for union with mainland British territories in 1866 and eventual provincial status in Canada.
1849
Colony of Vancouver Island
1893day.year
The Independent Labour Party of the United Kingdom holds its first meeting.
On January 13, 1893, the Independent Labour Party held its inaugural meeting in Bradford, marking the birth of a new political movement in Britain.
Leaders and activists convened in Bradford on January 13, 1893 to form the Independent Labour Party (ILP). Dissatisfied with traditional parties, they sought to represent working-class interests directly in Parliament. The ILP advocated for social reforms including labor rights, public ownership, and welfare provisions. Early campaigns focused on local elections and public meetings to build support among trade unionists and socialists. The party’s establishment energized the labor movement and laid groundwork for the later Labour Party in 1900. The ILP’s founding signaled the increasing political organization and influence of Britain’s working class at the turn of the century.
1893
Independent Labour Party
1893day.year
U.S. Marines land in Honolulu, Hawaii from the USS Boston to prevent the queen from abrogating the Bayonet Constitution.
U.S. Marines landed in Honolulu on January 13, 1893 to support forces seeking to uphold the Bayonet Constitution against the Hawaiian queen.
Amid political tension in Hawaii, U.S. Marines from the USS Boston landed in Honolulu on January 13, 1893. They arrived to back American and European residents who feared Queen Liliʻuokalani would abrogate the 1887 Bayonet Constitution. The show of force, though largely bloodless, pressured royal officials into surrendering. This intervention enabled local leaders to proclaim a provisional government, eventually leading to the Republic of Hawaii. The event marked a key step toward the islands’ annexation by the United States in 1898. It remains a defining moment in Hawaii’s complex history of sovereignty and foreign influence.
U.S. Marines
Honolulu, Hawaii
USS Boston
Bayonet Constitution
1900day.year
To combat Czech nationalism, Emperor Franz Joseph decrees German will be language of the Austro-Hungarian Armed Forces.
Emperor Franz Joseph decreed German as the official language of the Austro-Hungarian armed forces on January 13, 1900 to suppress Czech nationalism.
In response to growing Czech nationalist sentiment, Emperor Franz Joseph I issued an imperial decree on January 13, 1900, mandating German as the sole language of command and administration in the imperial army. Officers of all ethnic backgrounds were required to issue orders and conduct training in German. The policy aimed to unify the diverse military forces but stirred resentment among Czech and other non-German-speaking units. Critics argued that the decree undermined local identities and fueled further nationalist agitation. The language mandate exemplified the empire’s struggle to balance central authority with the cultural ambitions of its many peoples. It remained a contentious issue in the years leading up to World War I.
1900
Czech nationalism
Franz Joseph
German
Austro-Hungarian Armed Forces