Browse Historical Events by Month: What Happened in July?

Alexander III (Alexander the Great) was born in Pella, the capital of the Kingdom of Macedonia, on the sixth day of the ancient Greek month of Hekatombaion, which probably corresponds to July 20, 356 BC (although the exact date is uncertain).

The Battle of Dyrrhachium, is fought during the Roman Civil War. It was a significant engagement between Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great. While Pompey ultimately won the battle, it was a strategic victory for Caesar as he managed to withdraw his forces and later decisively defeat Pompey at the Battle of Pharsalus.

The Great Fire of Rome begins during the reign of Emperor Nero, lasting for several days and resulting in significant destruction.

Crete earthquake - An estimated 8.5 magnitude underseas earthquake and resulting Tsunami causes widespread destruction in central and southern Macedonia (Modern Greece), Africa northern Libya, Egypt, where the city of Alexandria was severely damaged, Cyprus, Sicily and Hispania (Spain). On Crete, nearly all towns were destroyed. More

The Umayyad conquest of Hispania begins as Muslim forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad land at Gibraltar. the Islamic Arabs and Moors of Berber descent in northern Africa crossed the Strait of Gibraltar onto the Iberian Peninsula, and in a series of raids they conquered Visigothic Christian Hispania.

The Papal States are established as Pepin the Short, King of the Franks, donates land to Pope Stephen II, creating a temporal domain for the papacy.

The Battle of Simancas, (also called Alhandega or al-Khandaq) begins between the Kingdom of León and the Caliphate of Córdoba. The battle lasted some days, with the allied Christian troops emerging victorious and routing the Cordovan forces; resulting in a victory for León and the decline of the Caliphate's power in the region. ibn Muhammad al-Tawil, wali of Huesca, withheld his troops from the battle. He was hunted down near Calatayud by Salama ibn Ahmad ibn Salama, taken to Córdoba, and crucified in front of its Al-Qasr.

Hugh Capet is crowned as the King of the Franks (approximate date), ending the almost three century rule of the Carolingian dynasty and marking the beginning of the Capetian dynasty and the consolidation of power in France, laying the foundation for the for the French nation-state. Hugh Capet was the first of a direct line of 14 Capetian kings who ruled France until 1328. The dynasty came to an end with the death of Charles IV without a male heir in 1328. More

The Holy Roman Emperor Otto III dies in his palace in Paterno, Italy, at the age of 21.

Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as the Holy Roman Emperor in Rome. 

Norway King Olaf II (Olaf Haraldsson) is killed at the Battle of Stiklestad in Norway. The Catholic Church would later canonize him as Saint Olaf and he is the Patron Saint of Norway. More

The Great Schism occurs: Michael Cerularius, Patriarch of Constantinople (now called Istanbul) was excommunicated from the Christian church based in Rome, Italy. The resulting split divided the European Christian church into two major branches: the Western Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Henry I of France is crowned King of France in Reims.

The Crusaders, led by Godfrey of Bouillon, capture the city of Jerusalem from the Fatimid Caliphate, marking the conclusion of the First Crusade. More

The First Crusaders launch an assault on Jerusalem, ultimately leading to the capture of the city and the establishment of the Crusader states.

King William II of England, also known as William Rufus, is killed in a hunting accident in the New Forest. Some believe that his brother Henry plotted his death since shortly after his brother William's death, he rushed to be crowned king before anyone could contest him. Also, Walter Tirel, the person that killed King William, fled to France following the incident, which over time has been viewed as an admission of guilt. Yet hunting was not a particularly safe at the time with frequent hunting accidents some of which were  fatal. More

The Siege of Tripoli during the First Crusade began in 1102 and concluded with its capture on July 12, 1109. This siege led to the establishment of the County of Tripoli which remained under the control of the crusaders until it was captured by the Muslim Mamluks in 1289

The Battle of Ourique takes place, where the forces of Portuguese count Afonso Henriques (of the House of Burgundy) defeat those led by the Almoravid governor of Córdoba, Muhammad Az-Zubayr Ibn Umar, identified as "King Ismar" in Christian chronicles. More

Pope Alexander III and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I sign the Treaty of Venice, ending their long-running dispute.

The Siege of Constantinople begins during the Fourth Crusade as Roman Catholic Crusaders, aboard a Venetian fleet, attack the city resulting in the Sack of Constantinople, the fleeing of the reigning emperor, Alexios III and the crowning of Isaac II and Alexios IV as co-emperors. More