History

30 July 762 – Baghdad is founded.

Today in Medieval History is brought to you by An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England by Nan Hawthorne, available through online bookselllers now or visit Shield-wall Books!

29 July 1565 – The widowed Mary Queen of Scots marries Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, Duke of Albany at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Check out Scandals: Mary and Lord Darnley and of course the movie, Mary, Queen of Scots with Vanessa Redgrave and Timothy Dalton.


Today in Medieval History is brought to you by An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England by Nan Hawthorne, available through online bookselllers now or visit Shield-wall Books!

28 July 1540 – Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of treason. Henry marries his fifth wife, Catherine Howard, on the same day.

Read about these events in Brandy Purdy's The Boleyn Wife.

Today in Medieval History is brought to you by An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England by Nan Hawthorne, available through online bookselllers now or visit Shield-wall Books!

27 July 1549 – Jesuit priest Francis Xavier's ship reached Japan. Pctiured: Japanese painting of Father Francis Xavier.

Today in Medieval History is brought to you by An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England by Nan Hawthorne, available through online bookselllers now or visit Shield-wall Books!

26 July 1533 – Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire: Inca emperor Atahualpa is executed in Cajamarca by the garrote by Spanish invaders known as Conquistadors.

Today in Medieval History is brought to you by An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England by Nan Hawthorne, available through online bookselllers now or visit Shield-wall Books!

25 July 1261 – The city of Constantinople is recaptured by Nicaean forces under the command of Alexios Strategopoulos, re-establishing the Byzantine Empire.
Today in Medieval History is brought to you by An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England by Nan Hawthorne, available through online bookselllers now or visit Shield-wall Books!

24 July 1487 – Citizens of Leeuwarden, Netherlands strike against ban on foreign beer.

Today in Medieval History is brought to you by An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England by Nan Hawthorne, available through online bookselllers now or visit Shield-wall Books!

23 July 1373 – Death of Saint Birgitta, Swedish saint (b. 1303)

Today in Medieval History is brought to you by An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England by Nan Hawthorne, available through online bookselllers now or visit Shield-wall Books!

22 July 1484 – Battle of Lochmaben Fair – a 500-man raiding party led by Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany and James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas are defeated by Scots forces loyal to Albany's brother James III of Scotland; Douglas is captured.

Today in Medieval History is brought to you by An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England by Nan Hawthorne, available through online bookselllers now or visit Shield-wall Books!

21 July 1403 – Battle of Shrewsbury: King Henry IV of England defeats rebels to the north of the county town of Shropshire, England.
Today in Medieval History is brought to you by An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England by Nan Hawthorne, available through online bookselllers now or visit Shield-wall Books!

20 July 1304 – Birth of Francesco Petrarch, Italian poet (d. 1374)

Experience Petrarch in The Secret: by Francesco Petrarch (The Bedford Series in History and Culture)

Speaking of poetry... Today in Medieval History is brought to you by "Ballad of Rory McGuinness", words and music by Nan Hawthorne, performed by Celtic musician, Druidsong.  It is Track 1 on his brand new album Rogues and Rebels and available to download and purchase. Get yours now!

19 July 1545 – The Tudor warship Mary Rose sinks off Portsmouth.



Today in Medieval History is brought to you by "Ballad of Rory McGuinness", words and music by Nan Hawthorne, performed by Celtic musician, Druidsong.  It is Track 1 on his brand new album Rogues and Rebels and available to download and purchase. Get yours now!

18 July 1334 – The Bbishop of Florence blesses the first foundation stone for the new campanile (bell tower) of the Florence Cathedral, designed by the artist Giotto di Bondone.

Today in Medieval History is brought to you by "Ballad of Rory McGuinness", words and music by Nan Hawthorne, performed by Celtic musician, Druidsong.  It is Track 1 on his brand new album Robues and Rebels and available to download and purchase. Get yours now!

17 July 924 – Death of King Edward the Elder of England. Edward was the eldest son of Alfred the Great and the brother of Aethelflaed, lady of the Mercians.



Today in Medieval History is brought to you by "Ballad of Rory McGuinness", words and music by Nan Hawthorne, performed by Celtic musician, Druidsong.  It is Track 1 on his brand new album Rogues and Rebels and available to download and purchase. Get yours now!

17 July 924 – Death of King Edward the Elder of England. Edward was the eldest son of Alfred the Great and the brother of Aethelflaed, lady of the Mercians.



Today in Medieval History is brought to you by "Ballad of Rory McGuinness", words and music by Nan Hawthorne, performed by Celtic musician, Druidsong.  It is Track 1 on his brand new album Rogues and Rebels and available to download and purchase. Get yours now!

16 July 622 – The beginning of the Islamic calendar.

Today in Medieval History is brought to you by An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England by Nan Hawthorne, available through online bookselllers now or visit Shield-wall Books!

15 July 1240 – A Novgorodian army led by Alexander Nevsky defeats the Swedes in the Battle of the Neva.

Today in Medieval History is brought to you by An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England by Nan Hawthorne, available through online bookselllers now or visit Shield-wall Books!

14 July 1223 – Death of King Philip Augustus II of France (b. 1165)


Today in Medieval History is brought to you by Ballad of Rory McGuinness, words and music by Nan Hawthorne, performed by Celtic musician, Druidsong, and available to download for $1.  Get yours now!

13 July 1527 – Birth of John Dee, English astrologer, mathematician  and scientist (d. 1609)

Find him in Philippa Gregory's novel, The Queen's Fool and Dorothy Dunnett's The Ringed Castle.

Today in Medieval History is brought to you by Ballad of Rory McGuinness, words and music by Nan Hawthorne, performed by Celtic musician, Druidsong, and available to download for $1.  Get yours now!

12 July 1191 – Saladin's garrison surrenders, ending the two-year siege of Acre. Conrad of Montferrat, who has negotiated the surrender, raises the banners of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and of the Third Crusade leaders Richard I of England, Philip II of France, and Leopold V of Austria on the city's walls and towers.

Today in Medieval History is brought to you by Ballad of Rory McGuinness, words and music by Nan Hawthorne, performed by Celtic musician, Druidsong, and available to download for $1.  Get yours now!