The fall of Nanking, the capital of the unrecognised rebel state in China, on 19 July 1864, which finally brought an end to the bloodiest civil war in history. First, let’s do some scene setting. We’re in the thick of what China will later call their Century of Humiliation, a…

The final stand of seventy seven Chileans high up in the Andes against a Peruvian force seventeen times their size on 9–10 July 1882. Bias Warning: I lived 6+ years in Chile and I’m married to a Chilean. That being said, objectivity is my goal. Here we go. It all…

The almost forgotten story of the 107 English settlers who were stolen from Ireland by North African pirates on 20 June 1631. Lessgo. It’s the 17th century and ‘corsair hysteria’ grips many parts of coastal Europe. People are genuinely scared of pirates, savvy? It’s not so much the pirates themselves…

Vlad the Impaler’s famous night attack against the Ottoman Empire on 17 June 1462. Trigger Warning: this post includes graphic descriptions of impalement. Alrighty then. Shall we? This caterpillar-sporting chap is Vlad Țepeș, one of the mosts controversial figures in world history. He’s also known as Vlad III, Vlad Dracula…

The peasant uprising that traumatised French aristocracy, a brief but violent groundswell that collapsed on 9–10 June 1358. It’s often said by daydreamers pining for the past: oh how great it would be to live before technology, consumerism and big city hustle. One might imagine a cozy hut, fresh…

How one man’s betrayal led to the fall of the mighty fortress of Antioch on 3 June 1098. Let’s get innit. No you haven’t. Not this angle. Our story this week is set within the complex backdrop of the First Crusade (1096–1099), the colossal Christian quest to capture the city…

The near annihilation of a powerful and prosperous Native American tribe on 26 May 1637. It’s the early 1630’s and we’re smack bang in the middle of the great Puritan migration to the United States. The Puritans are English Protestants who are hell-bent (or heaven-bent?) on purifying the Church of…

The great uprising of the Indian people against their colonial overlords, which started on 10 May 1857. Let’s go. It’s 1857 and India is under the rule of the British East India Company, a private company acting as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. Discontent is growing…

The worst massacre of Europe’s Thirty Year War, which took place on 20 May 1631. Brace yourselves, as this one’s hard to stomach. First, let’s set the stage. We’re roughly in the middle of the Thirty Year War (1618–1648), one of Europe’s bloodiest wars that will send an estimated 4.5–8…