Emperor Valentinian III begins his reign over the Western Roman Empire. His mother Galla Placidia ends her regency, but continues to exercise political influence at the court in Rome.

Valentinian IIIWestern Roman EmpireGalla PlacidiaRegentPolitics

Li Shimin, the future Emperor Taizong of Tang, ambushes and kills his rival brothers Li Yuanji and Li Jiancheng in the Xuanwu Gate Incident.

Li ShiminEmperor Taizong of TangLi YuanjiLi JianchengXuanwu Gate Incident

In China, Emperor Zhongzong of Tang inters the bodies of relatives in the Qianling Mausoleum, located on Mount Liang outside Chang'an.

ChinaEmperor Zhongzong of TangQianling MausoleumMount LiangChang'an

Battle of Brissarthe: The Franks led by Robert the Strong are defeated by a joint Breton-Viking army.

Battle of BrissartheFranciaRobert the StrongBretonsVikings

King Henry the Fowler dies in his royal palace in Memleben. He is succeeded by his son Otto I, who becomes the ruler of East Francia.

Henry the FowlerKaiserpfalzMemlebenOtto I, Holy Roman EmperorEast Francia

The imperial army proclaims Nikephoros II Phokas Emperor of the Romans on the plains outside Cappadocian Caesarea.

Byzantine armyNikephoros II PhokasByzantine emperorKayseri

The Battle of Göllheim is fought between Albert I of Habsburg and Adolf of Nassau-Weilburg.

Battle of GöllheimAlbert I of HabsburgAdolf of Germany

The Treaty of Tordesillas is ratified by Spain.

Treaty of Tordesillas

Bogdan III the One-Eyed becomes Voivode of Moldavia.

Bogdan III the One-EyedVoivodeMoldavia

Ottoman Admiral Turgut Reis sacks the Italian city of Paola.

Turgut ReisPaola, Calabria

Menas, emperor of Ethiopia, defeats a revolt in Emfraz.

Menas of EthiopiaEmfraz

Battle of Yamazaki: Toyotomi Hideyoshi defeats Akechi Mitsuhide.

Battle of YamazakiToyotomi HideyoshiAkechi Mitsuhide

The first English expedition (from Virginia) against Acadia led by Samuel Argall takes place.

VirginiaAcadiaSamuel Argall

English Civil War: Battle of Marston Moor.

English Civil WarBattle of Marston Moor

Battle of Alford: Wars of the Three Kingdoms.

Battle of AlfordWars of the Three Kingdoms

Thomas Savery patents the first steam engine.

Thomas SaverySteam engine

The Continental Congress adopts a resolution severing ties with the Kingdom of Great Britain although the wording of the formal Declaration of Independence is not published until July 4.

Second Continental CongressLee ResolutionKingdom of Great BritainUnited States Declaration of IndependenceJuly 4

The French frigate Méduse struck the Bank of Arguin and 151 people on board had to be evacuated on an improvised raft, a case immortalised by Géricault's painting The Raft of the Medusa.

French frigate Méduse (1810)Bay of ArguinThéodore GéricaultThe Raft of the Medusa

Thirty-five slaves are hanged in South Carolina, including Denmark Vesey, after being accused of organizing a slave rebellion.

South CarolinaDenmark VeseySlave rebellion

Bahia Independence Day: The end of Portuguese rule in Brazil, with the final defeat of the Portuguese crown loyalists in the province of Bahia.

BahiaPortuguese rule in BrazilSiege of Salvador

Twenty miles off the coast of Cuba, 53 rebelling African slaves led by Joseph Cinqué take over the slave ship Amistad.

CubaSlavesJoseph CinquéLa Amistad

The Russian Army crossed the Pruth river into the Danubian Principalities, Moldavia and Wallachia—providing the spark that set off the Crimean War.

Danubian PrincipalitiesCrimean War

Victor Emmanuel II of Italy enters Rome after having conquered it from the Papal States.

Victor Emmanuel II of ItalyPapal States

Charles J. Guiteau shoots and fatally wounds U.S. President James Garfield (who would die of complications from his wounds on September 19).

Charles J. GuiteauJames Garfield

The U.S. Congress passes the Sherman Antitrust Act.

United States CongressSherman Antitrust Act

British-Italian engineer Guglielmo Marconi obtains a patent for radio in London.

Guglielmo MarconiHistory of radio

The first Zeppelin flight takes place on Lake Constance near Friedrichshafen, Germany.

ZeppelinLake ConstanceFriedrichshafen

Jean Sibelius' Finlandia receives its première performance in Helsinki with the Helsinki Philharmonic Society conducted by Robert Kajanus.

Jean SibeliusFinlandiaRobert Kajanus

World War I: U.S. President Warren G. Harding signs the Knox-Porter Resolution formally ending the war between the United States and Imperial Germany.

Warren G. HardingKnox-Porter ResolutionImperial Germany

The Night of the Long Knives ends with the death of Ernst Röhm.

Night of the Long KnivesErnst Röhm