On This Day in History – December 21
Major Events 1620 – The Mayflower passengers land at Plymouth Rock After weeks at sea, the Pilgrims disembark and begin establishing Plymouth Colony, one of the earliest successful English settlements…
Major Events 1620 – The Mayflower passengers land at Plymouth Rock After weeks at sea, the Pilgrims disembark and begin establishing Plymouth Colony, one of the earliest successful English settlements…
Major Events 1192 – Richard the Lionheart captured near Vienna While returning from the Third Crusade, King Richard I of England is seized by Duke Leopold V of Austria, triggering…
Major Events 1154 – Henry II becomes King of England Henry II is crowned at Westminster Abbey, marking the beginning of the Plantagenet dynasty and a major shift in…
Major Events 218 – Elagabalus is declared Roman Emperor The Syrian-born teenager, backed by the powerful Severan dynasty and his grandmother Julia Maesa, is proclaimed emperor by the legions. His…
Major Events 1538 – Pope Paul III excommunicates Henry VIII After years of conflict over the English Reformation and Henry’s separation from the Catholic Church, the pope formally excommunicates the…
Major Events 1598 – The Seven-Year War of Korea ends The final retreat of Japanese forces marks the close of Japan’s invasions of Korea under Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The conflict reshapes…
Major Events 533 – Battle of Tricamarum Byzantine forces under Belisarius defeat the Vandals near modern-day Tunisia, leading to the collapse of the Vandal Kingdom. This victory helps restore parts…
Major Events 1287 – The St. Lucia’s Flood devastates the Netherlands and northern Germany One of the deadliest floods in European history strikes the North Sea coast, killing an estimated…
Major Events 1577 – Sir Francis Drake sets out on his circumnavigation of the globe Drake leaves Plymouth on a voyage that will make him the first Englishman to sail…
Major Events 627 – Battle of Nineveh Byzantine forces under Emperor Heraclius defeat the Sassanian Persians near modern-day Mosul. The victory cripples Persian military power and helps end the 26-year…