1370day.year
Northern Crusades: Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Teutonic Knights meet in the Battle of Rudau.
In 1370, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania clashed with the Teutonic Knights at the Battle of Rudau, a key confrontation in the Northern Crusades.
In 1370, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania faced off against the Teutonic Knights at the Battle of Rudau.
Fought near present-day Kaliningrad, this clash was a pivotal moment in the Northern Crusades.
Lithuanian forces, led by Grand Duke Algirdas, repelled the crusading knights.
The victory bolstered Lithuanian defenses and checked the Teutonic Order's eastward expansion.
The battle had a lasting impact on the balance of power in the Baltic region.
1370
Northern Crusades
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Teutonic Knights
Battle of Rudau
1411day.year
Following the successful campaigns during the Ottoman Interregnum, Musa Çelebi, one of the sons of Bayezid I, becomes Sultan of the Ottoman Empire with the support of Mircea I of Wallachia.
In 1411, Musa Çelebi ascended to the Ottoman throne with support from Mircea I of Wallachia after the Interregnum struggle.
In 1402, Sultan Bayezid I's defeat at Ankara plunged the Ottoman Empire into a period of dynastic rivalry.
During the Ottoman Interregnum, Musa Çelebi asserted his claim against his brothers.
Supported by Mircea I of Wallachia, he marched into Bursa and proclaimed himself Sultan in early 1411.
His accession marked a turning point in reestablishing Ottoman central authority.
Musa's brief reign set the stage for his brother Mehmed I's eventual consolidation of power.
1411
Ottoman Interregnum
Musa Çelebi
Bayezid I
Sultan
Ottoman Empire
Mircea I of Wallachia
1500day.year
Duke Friedrich and Duke Johann attempt to subdue the peasantry of Dithmarschen, Denmark, in the Battle of Hemmingstedt.
In 1500, Dukes Friedrich and Johann of Saxe-Lauenburg attacked the peasant republic of Dithmarschen at the Battle of Hemmingstedt.
The autonomous peasant farmers of Dithmarschen resisted the feudal ambitions of local nobles.
In February 1500, Dukes Friedrich and Johann led a militia against the peasantry near Hemmingstedt.
Despite being outnumbered and less equipped, the peasants fortified their position in marshy terrain.
The ducal forces suffered a devastating defeat as they became trapped and overwhelmed.
The victory preserved Dithmarschen's independence for centuries and became a symbol of peasant resilience.
1500
Friedrich
Johann
peasantry
Dithmarschen
Battle of Hemmingstedt
1600day.year
On his way to be burned at the stake for heresy, at Campo de' Fiori in Rome, the philosopher Giordano Bruno has a wooden vise put on his tongue to prevent him continuing to speak.
In 1600, philosopher Giordano Bruno was forcibly silenced with a wooden gag on his way to execution for heresy in Rome.
Giordano Bruno, an Italian philosopher and cosmologist, challenged Church doctrine with his writings.
Condemned for heresy, he was led to Campo de' Fiori for execution on February 17, 1600.
To prevent his final words, authorities secured a wooden vise onto his tongue along the procession.
He was then burned at the stake, with his works later influencing scientific and Renaissance thought.
Bruno's martyrdom highlighted the conflict between free inquiry and ecclesiastical authority.
1600
Campo de' Fiori
Giordano Bruno
1616day.year
Nurhaci proclaims himself Khan of the Later Jin, precursor to the Qing Dynasty.
In 1616, Jurchen leader Nurhaci declared himself Khan of the Later Jin, initiating the rise of the Qing Dynasty.
Nurhaci, chieftain of the Jianzhou Jurchens, unified several tribes in Northeast Asia.
On February 17, 1616, he proclaimed the Later Jin state and adopted the title of Khan.
He introduced the Eight Banners military system to organize his forces.
This declaration set the foundation for the Manchu conquest of China.
Nurhaci's legacy endured as the Later Jin evolved into the Qing Dynasty that ruled China until 1912.
1616
Nurhaci
Khan
Later Jin
Qing Dynasty
1621day.year
Myles Standish is appointed as first military commander of the English Plymouth Colony in North America.
In 1621, English colonists in Plymouth appointed Myles Standish as their first military commander to defend the settlement.
Myles Standish, a former soldier from England, arrived with the Mayflower in 1620.
Recognizing the need for organized defense, Plymouth settlers commissioned him on February 17, 1621.
As military leader, Standish led expeditions against potential threats and negotiated treaties with Native tribes.
His strategic skills and leadership were vital to the colony's early survival.
Standish's role became legendary in American colonial history.
1621
Myles Standish
Plymouth Colony
1674day.year
An earthquake strikes the Indonesian island of Ambon. It triggers a 100 m (330 ft) megatsunami which drowns over 2,300 people.
In 1674, a massive earthquake struck Ambon Island in Indonesia, triggering a 100 m megatsunami that claimed over 2,300 lives.
On February 17, 1674, Ambon Island was rocked by a powerful undersea earthquake.
The tremor generated a colossal megatsunami, with waves reaching up to 100 meters high.
Entire coastal villages were swept away, and the disaster killed more than 2,300 inhabitants.
It remains one of the deadliest tsunamis in Indonesian history.
The event underscores the seismic hazard along the tectonic boundary in eastern Indonesia.
1674
earthquake strikes
Ambon
megatsunami
1676day.year
Sixteen men of Pascual de Iriate's expedition are lost at Evangelistas Islets at the western end of the Strait of Magellan.
In 1676, sixteen members of Pascual de Iriate's expedition perished after disappearing at the Evangelistas Islets near the Strait of Magellan.
Spanish navigator Pascual de Iriate set sail to map the western entrance of the Strait of Magellan.
After landing on the remote Evangelistas Islets on February 17, 1676, sixteen crewmen disappeared.
Harsh weather, treacherous currents, and isolation likely doomed the party.
No traces of the men were ever found, fueling legends of the haunted isles.
The incident exemplifies the dangers faced by early maritime explorers.
1676
Pascual de Iriate's expedition
Evangelistas Islets
Strait of Magellan
1739day.year
The Battle of Vasai commences as the Marathas move to invade Portuguese-occupied territory.
In 1739, Maratha forces launched the Battle of Vasai to wrest control of Portuguese territories near Bombay.
The Maratha Confederacy sought to expand its influence along India's western coast.
On February 17, 1739, Maratha armies moved to besiege Vasai Fort, a key Portuguese stronghold.
Under leaders like Chimaji Appa, they executed a coordinated assault on fortifications.
The capture of Vasai marked a significant blow to Portuguese colonial power in the region.
The victory consolidated Maratha hegemony along the Bombay coastline.
1739
Battle of Vasai
Marathas
1753day.year
In Sweden, February 17 is followed by March 1 as the country moves from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar.
In 1753, Sweden transitioned from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, skipping from February 17 directly to March 1.
Sweden had attempted a gradual calendar reform since 1700 but faced confusion and errors.
On February 17, 1753, the government enacted a final adjustment, omitting eleven days.
After February 17, the calendar jumped to March 1, aligning Sweden with much of Europe.
This reform improved trade, communication, and scientific coordination with other nations.
Sweden's adoption of the Gregorian system eliminated lingering date discrepancies.
1753
March 1
Julian calendar
Gregorian calendar
1801day.year
United States presidential election: A tie in the Electoral College between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr is resolved when Jefferson is elected President of the United States and Burr Vice President by the United States House of Representatives.
The 1801 U.S. presidential election ended in an Electoral College tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, sending the decision to the House of Representatives.
In the election of 1801, Republican Thomas Jefferson and his running mate Aaron Burr both received 73 electoral votes.
With no clear winner, the decision fell to the U.S. House of Representatives, marking the first contingent election under the Constitution.
After 36 ballots, Jefferson was chosen President and Burr Vice President, averting a constitutional crisis.
The outcome underscored flaws in the original electoral process and led to the 12th Amendment in 1804.
This peaceful resolution set an important precedent for the young republic's democratic institutions.
1801
United States presidential election
Electoral College
Thomas Jefferson
Aaron Burr
President of the United States
Vice President
United States House of Representatives
1814day.year
War of the Sixth Coalition: The Battle of Mormant.
During the War of the Sixth Coalition in 1814, French forces achieved a tactical victory at the Battle of Mormant against advancing allied troops.
On February 17, 1814, Napoleon’s forces engaged the Sixth Coalition near the village of Mormant in France.
The French army, led by Marshals Mortier and Victor, launched a surprise attack on allied corps under Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern.
The clash resulted in heavy losses for the Coalition, with hundreds of prisoners taken and equipment captured.
This victory allowed Napoleon to momentarily stall the allied advance toward Paris.
Although a minor engagement, the battle showcased French resilience during the campaign that would culminate in the defense of the capital.
1814
War of the Sixth Coalition
Battle of Mormant