On This Day in History: January 10

Julius Caesar, defying the order of the Roman Senate not to so, crosses the Rubicon River with his legion on January 10, 49 BCE famously uttering "alea iacta est" ("the die is cast") and leading to the Roman Civil War. Expand +

Arcadius, Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, proclaims his nine months old son, Theodosius, co-Augustus on January 10, 402 AD, a title for co-emperor.  Expand +

Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, issues the first part of the "Golden Bull" of 1356, on January 10, 1356. The Bull  formalized the electoral college that selected the King of the Romans, who would later become Holy Roman Emperor.  Expand +

Battle of Vaslui between the Moldavian Prince Stephen the Great and the Ottoman Empire concludes with a decisive victory for Stephen the Great against a larger Ottoman army led by Hadım Suleiman Pasha.

The Council of Trent reconvenes in Trento, Italy.  It was the Catholic Church's definitive response to the Protestant Reformation, meeting in three sessions across nearly 20 years (1545–47, 1551–52, 1562–63) and provided a strong doctrinal and disciplinary framework, strengthening the Church against Protestantism, guiding its direction for centuries. Expand +

William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury is executed in London for high treason on January 10, 1645, during the English Civil War. His efforts to impose stricter Anglican practices (Laudianism) on Scotland led to the Bishops' Wars, weakening Charles I and fueling opposition. He was arrested in 1640 and held in the Tower of London until his execution.

Thomas Paine publishes "Common Sense", his influential pamphlet, on January 10, 1776. His anonymous publication, advocated for complete American independence from Great Britain, transforming a colonial dispute into a revolutionary cause.  Expand +

The Pemberton Mill in Lawrence, Massachusetts, collapses on January 10, 1860 resulting in the death of over 145 workers and injuring 166.  Expand +

The Lucas Gusher at Spindletop, just south of Beaumont, Texas, blew a stream of oil over 100 feet high on January 10, 1901 until it was capped nine days later and flowed an estimated 100,000 barrels a day. The oil was found at a depth of 1,139 feet and it herald the beginning of the American Oil era. While some made fortunes, others lost everything. More

The League of Nations officially comes into existence on January 10, 1920, when the Treaty of Versailles took effect, establishing the first worldwide organization aimed at maintaining world peace and promoting international cooperation after World War I. With its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.  Expand +

Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éireann (the Irish Parliament) on January 10, 1922, succeeding Éamon de Valera after the Anglo-Irish Treaty split the Sinn Féin party, serving until his sudden death in August of that year.

U.S. President Harding issues an executive order on January 10, 1923, halting U.S. occupation of the Rhine allowing the return of the final contingent of American troops to return home, more than four years after the end of World War I.

The Soviet Union orders the exile of Leon Trotsky internally to Alma-Ata, a remote region in Central Asia on January 10, 1928. He had previously been expelled from the Communist Party in November 1927.  Expand +

The United Nations convenes for its First Session of the General Assembly in London, England on January 10. 1946 at the Methodist Central Hall. Delegates representing 51 nations attended the session, wherein the scope and purpose of the United Nations was defined. More