1662day.year
The Chinese general Koxinga seizes the island of Taiwan after a nine-month siege.
Ming loyalist leader Koxinga captures Taiwan from the Dutch after a prolonged siege. He establishes a stronghold for resistance against the Qing dynasty.
In an effort to continue resistance against the collapsing Ming dynasty, Zheng Chenggong, known in the West as Koxinga, launched a nine-month siege of the Dutch colonial fort at Zeelandia on Taiwan’s southwestern coast. On February 1, 1662, the Dutch governor capitulated, ending nearly four decades of European rule on the island. Koxinga’s forces immediately set about expelling remaining Dutch settlers and soldiers, consolidating control over the territory. He founded the Kingdom of Tungning as a base for Ming loyalists, instituting land reforms and encouraging Chinese immigration. The conquest marked the last European colonial foothold in Taiwan until the arrival of new powers centuries later. Taiwan would remain under Koxinga’s successors until it was absorbed by the Qing dynasty in 1683.
1662
Koxinga
Taiwan
nine-month siege
1713day.year
The Kalabalik or Skirmish at Bender results from the Ottoman Sultan Ahmed III's order that his unwelcome guest, King Charles XII of Sweden, be seized.
Ottoman forces attempt to capture Sweden’s exiled King Charles XII in the Skirmish at Bender. The clash highlights tense diplomatic relations.
Following his defeat at the Battle of Poltava, Charles XII of Sweden sought refuge in the Ottoman Empire in 1709, residing near the city of Bender. On February 1, 1713, Sultan Ahmed III, weary of his guest’s intrigues and diplomatic pressure from Russia, ordered the arrest of the Swedish monarch. Ottoman troops surrounded Charles’ quarters, leading to a violent skirmish that involved artillery fire and hand-to-hand combat. Though the Swedes fiercely resisted, they were vastly outnumbered and ultimately overpowered. The incident strained Ottoman-Swedish relations and drew criticism of Ahmed III’s handling of the affair. Charles XII survived but was forced to relocate, ending his prolonged stay in Ottoman lands.
1713
Skirmish at Bender
Ahmed III
Charles XII of Sweden
1793day.year
French Revolutionary Wars: France declares war on the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
Revolutionary France expands its conflicts by declaring war on Britain and the Dutch Republic. This marks a new phase in the French Revolutionary Wars.
Amid the radical fervor of the French Revolution, the National Convention voted on February 1, 1793, to declare war on both Great Britain and the Dutch Republic. This decision followed earlier conflicts with Austria and Prussia, solidifying a wider coalition of European monarchies against Revolutionary France. The war declarations aimed to spread revolutionary ideals abroad and to secure vital trade routes and colonies. Britain and the Netherlands, reliant on colonial commerce, responded by forming alliances and dispatching naval forces to blockade French ports. The conflict hastened the mobilization of the French levée en masse, a total military draft that transformed warfare in Europe. These expanded hostilities would persist until the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte and the reshaping of the continent.
1793
French Revolutionary Wars
1861day.year
American Civil War: Texas secedes from the United States and joins the Confederacy a week later.
Texas votes to secede from the Union and soon joins the Confederate States of America. The decision makes Texas the seventh Confederate state.
In a convention held on February 1, 1861, delegates in Austin approved an ordinance of secession, formally removing Texas from the United States. Driven by disputes over states’ rights and slavery, Texas became the seventh state to join the Confederacy on March 2, 1861. The secession vote was backed by a majority of white landowners and political leaders who feared the abolition of slavery under the incoming Lincoln administration. Texas’ strategic position along the Gulf Coast and its agricultural resources proved vital to the Confederate war effort. The move deepened national divisions, contributing to the outbreak of the American Civil War. Despite opposition from some Unionists and Native American tribes, secession set Texas on a path of conflict and reconstruction for years to come.
1861
American Civil War
Texas
secedes
Confederacy
1864day.year
Second Schleswig War: Prussian forces crossed the border into Schleswig, starting the war.
Prussian and Austrian troops invade the Duchy of Schleswig, igniting the Second Schleswig War against Denmark. The conflict reshapes the balance of power in northern Europe.
On February 1, 1864, Prussian forces under the command of Prince Friedrich Karl crossed the border into the Danish-administered Duchy of Schleswig, marking the opening of the Second Schleswig War. The dispute over the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein stemmed from conflicting nationalist and dynastic claims following the 1848 revolutions. Allied Prussian and Austrian armies sought to enforce German Confederation interests and curb Danish influence. Early engagements tested the modernized Prussian military and highlighted weaknesses in Denmark’s defenses. The war would ultimately end with the Treaty of Vienna in October 1864, ceding Schleswig and Holstein to Prussia and Austria. This victory bolstered Prussia’s prestige and paved the way for German unification under Prussian leadership.
1864
Second Schleswig War
1900day.year
Great Britain, defeated by Boers in key battles, names Lord Roberts commander of British forces in South Africa.
After defeats by the Boers, Britain appoints Field Marshal Lord Roberts to command its forces in South Africa.
On February 1, 1900, during the Second Boer War, Britain names Field Marshal Lord Roberts to lead its South African campaign.
Previously defeated in key engagements, British forces seek renewed leadership and strategy.
Roberts, a veteran of the Afghan and Indian campaigns, arrives with fresh troops and tactics.
He implements coordinated drives to relieve besieged towns and secure supply lines.
His command eventually turns the tide against Boer guerrilla resistance.
Roberts's tenure sets the stage for the war's eventual conclusion in 1902.
1900
Lord Roberts
1942day.year
World War II: Josef Terboven, Reichskommissar of German-occupied Norway, appoints Vidkun Quisling the Minister President of the National Government.
Vidkun Quisling is installed as Minister President of Norway's collaborationist government by Reichskommissar Josef Terboven.
On February 1, 1942, Reichskommissar Josef Terboven installs Vidkun Quisling as head of Norway's puppet government.
Quisling, infamous for his pro-Nazi stance, replaces a provisional council under German occupation.
His regime enacts policies aligning Norway with the Third Reich's military and ideological goals.
The appointment deepens resistance movements and civil unrest within Norway.
Quisling's name becomes synonymous with betrayal and collaboration in world history.
His government lasts until the end of the occupation in 1945, leaving a controversial legacy.
1942
World War II
Josef Terboven
Reichskommissar
German-occupied Norway
Vidkun Quisling
Minister President
National Government
1942day.year
World War II: U.S. Navy conducts Marshalls–Gilberts raids, the first offensive action by the United States against Japanese forces in the Pacific Theater.
In early 1942, the U.S. Navy launched the Marshalls–Gilberts raids, marking America's first offensive strike in the Pacific Theater.
In February 1942, the United States Navy executed the Marshalls–Gilberts raids against Japanese-held islands in the central Pacific. It marked the first major American offensive operation in the Pacific Theater of World War II. Carrier-based aircraft struck key positions on Kwajalein, Wotje, and Mille atolls. Although the raids inflicted limited strategic damage, they boosted Allied morale after the fall of the Philippines. The operation demonstrated the growing reach of U.S. naval aviation and foreshadowed later island-hopping campaigns.
Marshalls–Gilberts raids
Pacific Theater
1968day.year
Vietnam War: The execution of Viet Cong officer Nguyễn Văn Lém by South Vietnamese National Police Chief Nguyễn Ngọc Loan is recorded on motion picture film, as well as in an iconic still photograph taken by Eddie Adams.
Photographed by Eddie Adams, the execution of Viet Cong officer Nguyễn Văn Lém on February 1, 1968 epitomized the brutality of the Vietnam War.
On February 1, 1968, during the Tet Offensive in Saigon, South Vietnamese National Police Chief Nguyễn Ngọc Loan summarily executed captured Viet Cong officer Nguyễn Văn Lém on a city street. Photojournalist Eddie Adams captured the harrowing moment in a stark, black-and-white image that quickly spread worldwide. The photograph became an enduring symbol of the Vietnam War's brutality and heightened global antiwar sentiment. It demonstrated the power of photojournalism to influence public opinion and shape the discourse on military ethics. Adams' image later earned a Pulitzer Prize and sparked debates over the responsibilities of wartime reporting.
1968
Vietnam War
Viet Cong
Nguyễn Văn Lém
South Vietnamese
Nguyễn Ngọc Loan
Eddie Adams
2004day.year
Double suicide attack in Erbil on the offices of Iraqi Kurdish political parties by members of Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad
On February 1, 2004, twin suicide bombers attacked the offices of Iraqi Kurdish political parties in Erbil.
Two suicide bombers targeted the headquarters of Iraqi Kurdish parties in Erbil, Iraq, on February 1, 2004.
The blasts struck offices in the capital of the Kurdistan Region, causing chaos and casualties among party members and staff.
The extremist group Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad claimed responsibility for the coordinated attack.
This incident intensified security concerns in northern Iraq and underscored the growing threat of insurgent violence.
Local authorities implemented heightened checkpoints and patrols to prevent similar attacks in the region.
Double suicide attack in Erbil
Iraqi Kurdish
Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad