The military commander Avitus is proclaimed Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.

AvitusEmperorWestern Roman Empire

Odoacer makes a night assault with his Heruli guardsmen, engaging Theoderic the Great in Ad Pinetam. Both sides suffer heavy losses, but in the end Theodoric forces Odoacer back into Ravenna.

OdoacerHeruliTheoderic the GreatRavenna

Korean forces under general Kim Yu-sin of Silla defeat the army of Baekje in the Battle of Hwangsanbeol.

Kim Yu-sinBaekjeBattle of Hwangsanbeol

The 8.4-9.0 Mw Sanriku earthquake strikes the area around Sendai in northern Honshu, Japan. Inundation from the tsunami extended several kilometers inland.

869 Sanriku earthquakeSendaiHonshu

Emperor Charles IV assists in laying the foundation stone of Charles Bridge in Prague.

Charles IV, Holy Roman EmperorCornerstoneCharles BridgePrague

The Old Swiss Confederacy makes great strides in establishing control over its territory by soundly defeating the Archduchy of Austria in the Battle of Sempach.

Old Swiss ConfederacyGrowth of the Old Swiss ConfederacyArchduchy of AustriaBattle of Sempach

Turko-Mongol ruler Tamerlane (Timur) destroys Baghdad, killing 20,000.

King Henry VIII of England annuls his marriage to his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves.

Henry VIII of EnglandAnne of Cleves

Nineteen Catholics suffer martyrdom for their beliefs in the Dutch town of Gorkum.

Martyrs of GorkumGorinchem

Bohemia is granted freedom of religion through the Letter of Majesty by the Holy Roman Emperor, Rudolf II.

BohemiaFreedom of religionLetter of MajestyRudolf II

A Bourbon force under Nicolas Catinat withdraws from a smaller Habsburg force under Prince Eugene of Savoy in the Battle of Carpi.

House of BourbonNicolas CatinatHabsburg MonarchyPrince Eugene of SavoyBattle of Carpi

French victory in the Battle of Melle allows them to capture Ghent in the days after.

Battle of MelleGhent

The Braddock Expedition is soundly defeated by a smaller French and Native American force in its attempt to capture Fort Duquesne in what is now downtown Pittsburgh.

Braddock ExpeditionBattle of the MonongahelaNative Americans in the United StatesFort DuquesneDowntown Pittsburgh

George Washington orders the Declaration of Independence to be read out to members of the Continental Army in Manhattan, while thousands of British troops on Staten Island prepare for the Battle of Long Island.

George WashingtonUnited States Declaration of IndependenceContinental ArmyManhattanStaten Island

In Versailles, the National Assembly reconstitutes itself as the National Constituent Assembly and begins preparations for a French constitution.

Versailles, YvelinesNational Assembly (French Revolution)National Constituent Assembly (France)Constitution of France

The Swedish Navy captures one third of the Russian Baltic fleet.

Swedish NavyBattle of SvensksundRussian Navy

The Act Against Slavery in Upper Canada bans the importation of slaves and will free those who are born into slavery after the passage of the Act at 25 years of age.

Act Against SlaveryUpper Canada

The Treaties of Tilsit are signed by Napoleon I of France and Alexander I of Russia.

Treaties of TilsitNapoleonAlexander I of Russia

Napoleon annexes the Kingdom of Holland as part of the First French Empire.

Kingdom of HollandFirst French Empire

Explorer David Thompson posts a sign near what is now Sacajawea State Park in Washington state, claiming the Columbia District for the United Kingdom.

David Thompson (explorer)Sacajawea State ParkWashington (state)Columbia District

Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord becomes the first Prime Minister of France.

Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-PérigordPrime Minister of France

Argentina declares independence from Spain.

ArgentinaArgentine Declaration of Independence

Four hundred and seventy prominent Cypriots including Archbishop Kyprianos are executed in response to Cypriot aid to the Greek War of Independence

CyprusKyprianosGreek War of Independence

U.S. President Zachary Taylor dies after eating raw fruit and iced milk, he is succeeded in office by Vice President Millard Fillmore.

Zachary TaylorMillard Fillmore

Persian prophet Báb is executed in Tabriz, Persia.

BábTabrizIran

The Siege of Port Hudson ends, giving the Union complete control of the Mississippi River.

Siege of Port HudsonUnion (American Civil War)Mississippi River

The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, guaranteeing African Americans full citizenship and all persons in the United States due process of law.

Fourteenth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionAfrican AmericansDue process

The Herzegovina Uprising against Ottoman rule begins, which would last until 1878 and have far-reaching implications throughout the Balkans.

Herzegovina Uprising (1875-77)Ottoman Empire

The inaugural Wimbledon Championships begins.

1877 Wimbledon ChampionshipThe Championships, Wimbledon

Daniel Hale Williams, American heart surgeon, performs 1st successful open-heart surgery in United States without anesthesia.

Daniel Hale Williams