A Monthly Overview - February 2021

Here at Wandering Through the Ages, we've found that so much happened in history that it is hard for us to pick what we want to write about. So, we have decided to compile an overview of what happened in the coming month. This will not only benefit you, our fellow historians, but us as well so we can pin point specific events that we would like to go into further detail with. This will help us create more engaging content for you, as well as giving you a sneak peak at what you can expect from us, whilst also including a few things that we found interesting along the way. These will be a permeant fixture and will be uploaded the first of every month.

February In History

1st 

1327 Edward III is crowned King of England, yet his mother ruled for him

1964 The Beatles had their first number one in the USA

2nd

1141 Battle of Lincoln: King Stephen captured by forces loyal to Empress Matilda and commanded by Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester

1461 Battle of Mortimer's Cross and the death of Owen Tudor

1585 Birth of Hamlet Shakespeare

Significant Event -1901 Funeral of Queen Victoria

The Queen had died 11 days earlier at Osborne House. Her body was dressed and then placed on a train that would take her from the Isle of Wight, to Gosport and then up to London. She has written well planed out instructions of what she wanted for her funeral, this included the service and what was placed in her coffin. Victoria's funeral took place at St George's Chapel at Winsor Castle, her body had laid in state for the last 2 days. She was laid to rest beside her husband Prince Albert at Frogmore.

3rd

865 Death of Ansger

1451 Sultan Mehmed II inherits the throne

Significant Event - 1959 The day the music died, Buddy Holly dies in a plane crash

Due to being fed up with bus breakdowns, Buddy decided to take another mode of transport to get to the next leg of his tour of Midwest America. He took a plane from Iowa to Minnesota, he was along side Ritchie Valens and J.P Richardson. When they took off the plane was fine, there was a slight hint of snow but the pilot couldn't see. They got into trouble and crashed, the plane was found 2 miles away from the airport.

4th

211 Caracalla & Geta control the Roman Empire

Significant Event -1555 John Rogers burned at the stake on orders of Mary I

John was a Bible editor and would later become a martyr. During the reign of Henry VIII he had help to get the Bible developed and translated. With the help of William Tyndale the printed the first edition of the Bible. He would call arms against the Catholic Monarch Mary I which would land him in trouble. He was imprisoned in Newgate Prison, he was kept their for years before he was sentenced to death by Stephen Gardiner. He wasn't allowed to see his wife before he died and was even offered a pardon, which he refused. He was burned at the stake at Smithfield. 

5th 

62AD Earthquake in Pompeii

1649 Charles II declared King of England by the Scottish Parliament

1811 Prince George, Prince of Wales, later George IV, is appointed as Prince-Regent after his father King George III is recognized as insane due to mental illness

6th

1665 Birth of Queen Anne
1685 Duke of York becomes King James II of England and VII of Scotland upon the death of his brother Charles II

7th 

457 Leo I becomes Emperor of Byzantine Empire

1301 Edward of Caernarion (later Edward II) becomes first (English) Prince of Wales

Significant Event -1478 Birth of Thomas More

Thomas was one of Henry VIII most trusted advisors and friends. He was educated at Oxford and became a lawyer. He also became known as a scholar and even published a few books about the Reformation. He argued against Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon and the split from Rome, so much so he refused to swear an oath of succession and didn't accept Henry's annulment. He was arrested on grounds of treason and wass executed in July 1535. 

8th 

Significant Event - 1587 Mary Queen of Scots is executed on orders of Elizabeth I.

Mary was accused of plotting to kill Elizabeth and place herself on the throne. Francis Walsingham had spies placed under Mary's nose and put a stop to the plot. Elizabeth refused to sign the death warrent on multiple occations, in the end it was placed amongst aload off other papers that needed signing. Elizabeth was devestated when she heard. 

1601 Robert Devereux rebels against Elizabeth I

9th

Significant Event - 1555 Bishop of Gloucester John Hooper burned at the stake 

Just like John Rogers, John Hooper was a martyr for the Protestant faith against Mary I. He had been in the Church all his life and even on the odd occation went abroad where he would spend many years before retuning to England. He would later be offered the rold of Bishop of Gloucester which he had till he died. When Edward VI died he knew of Northumberland's plot to put Lady Jane Grey on the throne, but disapproved. He was the first Bishop to be attacked and was taken to Fleet Prison, in January 1555 he was charged with heresy then sent to Glouceter to be burnt.

1011 Bernard 1, Duke of Saxony died

10th

1098 Crusaders defeat Prince Redwan of Aleppo at Antioch

1306 Robert the Bruce murders John Comyn 

Significant Event - 1567 Lord Darnley's dead body found, his wife Mary Queen of Scots the prime suspect

Darnley was the second husband of Mary Queen of Scot and the father of her only son James. He seemed to be a vain and arrogant man, which made him unpopular with the Scottish people. He had Mary's secretery killed infront of her, this was the final straw for the other men the surrounded her. There was also the rumor that he was trying to get rid of Mary so he could gain her thone. His body, along with his valet was found in the orchard of Kirk o' Field. Two explosions took place under his bedchamber. He was found wearing only a nightshirt, while surronded by a cloak, a dagger, a coat and a chair. Darnley had been smothered or stangled and had internal organ damage. It was believed that Mary's men wanted rid of him, but they would deny it all.

1814 Battle of Champaubert, the French under Napoleon beat the Russians

11th

660BC Traditional date for the foundation of Japan by Emperor Jimmu

55AD Tiberius Claudius Caesar dies, Nero claimed Emperor

Significant Event - 1463 Birth of Elizabeth of York in 1503 she died

Elizabeth was the eldest daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, her marriage to Henry VII would put an end to the War of the Roses and join together the York and Lancaster families. She was born at the Palace of Wesminster and was christened at Wesminster Abbey. She was married to Henry in the hope to end the wars and to unite England. She gave birth to 6 children, but it was her 7th that would cost her her life. She gave birth nine days earlier but succumbed to childbed fever, she was morned deeply by her family and her husband was heart broken. She was laid to rest in Westminster Abbey, where Henry would join her 6 years later. 1534 Henry VIII recognized as the supreme head of the Church of England

1814 Norway's Independence is proclaimed

12th

981  Ælfstan Bishop of Ramsbury dies

Significant Event - 1554 Lady Jane Grey is executed

The Nine Day Queen was put on the throne by her father in law Northumberland, on the orders of the dying King Edward VI in the hope to keep England a Protestant counrty. She didn't want the throne, but had no choice. When Mary I heard she rallied troops and marched on London to take what was hers. She had Jane placed in the Tower with the intention of setting her free once she had an heir, but that never happened. Her husband was taken to Tower Hill an executed, his body was brought back and passed her window. She was then taken to Tower Green, she gave a short speech before placing the blindfold on. She then stuggled to find the block and had to had assistance, Jane was just 16 years old. She was buried in St Peter ad Vincular within the Tower.

1809 Charles Darwin was born

13th

Significant Event - 1542 Catherine Howard and Jane Boleyn are executed 
Catherine was the fifth wife of Henry VIII, she had been a Lady in waiting to Anne of Cleves when Henry first noticed her. She was accused of adultry with members of Henry's council and was taken from Hampton Court to Syon House where she was questioned. She was later taken to the Tower along side her lady in waiting Jane Boleyn. Jane had been involved in Catherine's secret meet ups and had even oganised a few. Catherine was found guilty and the night before her death she had the block brought to her rooms so she could practice. When taken to the scaffold she gave a speech then laid her head down, Jane was executed straight after. Both were buried in the Chaple within the Tower.

14th

842 Charles II & Louis the German sign treaty

1349 900 Jews are burned alive in Strasbourg and similar number banned from the city after being blamed for the spread of the Black Death

1400 Richard II of England died

Significant Event - 1556 Thomas Cranmer declared a heretic

Thomas was a leader during the Reformation, he also declared Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon's marriage annulment. He would then go on to marry Henry and Anne Boleyn and then perform her coronation. Once Edward VI died things got bad for Thomas, he was part of the plan to put Lady Jane Grey on the throne, he was then arrested, put on tiral and condemed to death. After 2 years in prison he was taken and placed under house arrest. He was degraded from his Holy Orders and declared a heritic. A date for his execution was also put in place for the 7th March, it was prosponed. Thomas died aged 66 on the 21st March in Oxford.

15th

670 Oswiu, King of Northumbria dies

706 Justinian II, Leontios and Tiberios II publicly executed 

1564 Galileo Galilei is born

16th

1923 Tutankhamun's tomb is unsealed

17th

1370 Battle at Rudau: Germany beats Lithuania

1461 Wars of the Roses: Second Battle of St Albans - Lancastrian army defeats Yorkists and recaptures King Henry VI

1500 Battle of Hemmingstedt - German peasant army repels ducal army of Schleswig and Holstein
1814 Battle of Mormant: French Imperial army defeat Russian Austrian forces (War of the Sixth Coalition)

18th

1219 Jerusalem re-taken by the Christian Crusader kingdom in a peace treaty between Holy Roman Emperor Frederik II and Egyptian ruler Al-Kamil

Significant Event - 1478 Duke of Clarence convicted of Treason is executed in a barrel of Malmsey wine

George was the middle brother of Edward VI and Richard III. He fought along side his brother but would eventually turn against him. His wife Isabel Neville died of what was believed to be childbed fever, George though thought that his brother's wife Elizabeth Woodville had poisoned her. He had also one behind Edward's back and tried to make himself King. Edward accused him of treason and had him arrested, he was put on trial but George wasn't present. He was found guiltly and then privetly executed within the Tower of London. Soon after the rumor started that he was drowned in a barrel of Malmsey wine on his orders.

1516 Mary I born to Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon.

1814 The Battle of Montereau; victory of French under Napoleon Bonaparte against Austrians and Württembergers under the King of Württemberg.

19th

1594 Sigismund III crowned king of Sweden

20th

1472  Orkney and Shetland are left by Norway to Scotland, due to a dowry payment

Significant Event - 1547 Edward VI crowned King of England
Edward was the only son of Henry VIII and was nine years old at the time he was made King. His father Henry had died nearly a month previoulsy. Because he was still young Edward had a Lord Protector that would in some ways rule in his place till he became of age, this man was Thomas Seymour his uncle. As tradition he was taken to the Tower of London to await his coronation, just days earlier his father was buried at Windsor Castle next to Jane Seymour, Edward's mother. The coronation was carried out at Wesrtminster Abbey, but due to the new King's age it was made shorter. After the coronation a banquet took place at Westminster Hall. Edward rulled for just 6 years and died at the age of 15.

21st

1173 Pope Alexander III canonizes Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury

1245 The first Bishop of Finland, Thomas, resigns after being tortured

1431 Joan of Arc's first day of interrogation during her trial for heresy

1437 James I of Scotland is assassinated

1613 Michael Romanov, son of Patriarch of Moscow, elected first Russian Tsar of the house of Romanov

22nd

1371 Robert II becomes King of Scotland, start of the Stuarts

793 Sicga an Anglo Saxon nobleman dies

23rd

1633 Samuel Pepys is born

1554 Henry Grey, father of  Lady Jane Grey, dies

Significant Event - 1739 Dick Turpin is identified by his school teacher 

Turpin has become a well known name and highwayman. He was born Richard Turpin in September 1705 in Essex. He became part of the Gregory Gan and would go deer poaching and stealing. Some members of the gang were arrested but Turpin got away and would become a highwayman. Due to near misses with a gun he fled and moved to York where he changed his name to John Palmer. Due to trying to capture a chicken and threatening the landlord, he was arrested and taken to York Castle. While there he wrote a letter to his brother in law asking for help but the letter was sent back to the post office, it was here that his old school master noticed the letter and recognised the handwritting. John Palmer was then found to be in ffact Richard Turpin. He was found guilty and sentanced to death, on the 7th April he was hung and then buried he next day.

24th

616 King Aethelberht of Kent dies

1389 Battle at Falköping: Danes defeat King Albert of Sweden

Significant Event - 1525 Richard de la Pole, the last York claimant, dies

Richard was related to Edward IV and Richard III through his mother Elizabeth, making him have a claim to the throne. Due to Richard III dying and there being no other family the line passed to the De La Pole's. When Henry VII took the throne the family kept their head's low and would eventually flee England. Richard tired to get Emperor Maximilian behind their claim to the throne but he took the side of Henry VII. He tried for he rest of his life to restore the York claim but nothing came from it, he joined the service of Francis I of France at the Battle of Pavia, but he died. His death saw the end of the York claim and meant the Tudors were safe.

25th

Significant Event - 1601 Robert Devereux is executed

Robert was the first cousin-twice removed of Elizabeth I through hs mother Lettice Knollys. His stepfather was Robert Dudley, the favourite of the Queen, Once Dudley died, Devereux took his place, Elizabeth showred him with gifts, titles and land. Robert had a good military and court life, but he soon started to act up. Elizabeth demanded him to go to Ireland but nearly caused a rebellion. Elizabeth refussed him to come back to England but he refused and came back. He was put on tiral, stripped of his titles and kept under house arrest, but his freedom was later granted. He was again put on trial for treason, this time proper evidence was also brought. He was found guilty and then executed on Tower Green, he was also the last person to be beheaded at the Tower of London. 

1723 Christopher Wren dies

26th

1548 Lorenzino de' Medici dies

27th

272 Constantine the Great is born

28th

1155 Henry the Young King, son of Henry II of England (d. 1183)
1261 Margaret of Scotland, queen of Norway (d. 1283)

29th - Bonus Leap Year Date

1692 First people are accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts - Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne and Tituba, a West Indian slave
1712 February 29 is followed by February 30 in Sweden, in a move to abolish the Swedish calendar for a return to the Old style