The Council of Siena convened by Pope Martin V to discuss church reforms and address corruption officially begins on July 21, 1423. It was ordinally to be held in Pavia but it was moved to Siena because of an outbreak of the plague in Pavia. The Council was dissolved on February 26, 1424.
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What Happened in July?
Natural disasters, battles, and rulers being crowned. Discover the significant events and milestones from July throughout history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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The Council of Basel is formally convened on July 23,1431 by papal legate Cardinal Cesarini, acting on behalf of Pope Martin V, who had called the council shortly before his death in February 1431.
The Council met to address reforms within the Catholic Church, in Basel, Switzerland, to address the Hussite heresy, establish peace in Europe, and pursue reunion with the Eastern Church. The council immediately struggled with the new Pope Eugenius IV, who attempted to dissolve or move it, leading to a long-running dispute. The council lasted until 1449, during which it declared Pope Eugenius IV deposed and elected an anti-pope, Felix V, in 1439.
The Siege of Belgrade begins, with Hungarian forces led by John Hunyadi and Serbian forces defending the city against the Ottomans. successfully repelling Sultan Mehmed II's army. A major Hungarian-Serbian victory that halted the Ottoman advance into Central Europe.
The Siege of Belgrade (Nándorfehérvár) by Sultan Mehmet II begins. Hungarian forces led by John Hunyadi a Hungarian nobleman and warlord of Vlach lineage, defended the city, ultimately compelling the wounded Sultan Mehmet II to lift the siege and retreat. The battle had significant consequences, as it stabilized the southern frontiers of the Kingdom of Hungary for more than half a century and delaying the Ottoman advance in Europe.
King Richard III of England is crowned, following the death of his nephew Edward V.
July 1-31 1487
Bartolomeu Dias sets sail from Lisbon, Portugal with a small fleet on an expedition to find a sea route to India. He succeeded, reaching Africa's southern cape on February 4, 1488 and entering what it is now known as Mossel Bay, becoming the first European to sail around the southern tip of Africa.
Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama departs on July 8, 1497 on his voyage to find a sea route to India. He set sail from Lisbon with four ships and a crew of 170 men, eventually rounding the Cape of Good Hope and reaching Calicut, India, on May 20, 1498, opening a direct maritime route from Europe to the East by circumnavigating Africa.
His fleet carried three interpreters (two Arabic speakers and one who spoke several Bantu dialects). It also carried padraos, (stone pillars) to set up as marks of discovery. He eventually rounded the Cape of Good Hope on November 22 and three days later da Gama anchored in Mossel Bay and erected a padrão on an island. His trip ultimately opened a sea route from western Europe to Asia by way of the Cape of Good Hope, ushering in a new era in world history.
The Swiss Confederation defeats the forces of the Holy Roman Empire at the Battle of Dornach. More
The Battle of Vedrosha is fought between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Grand Duchy of Moscow.
The Fifth Council of the Lateran, the 18th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church, is convened by Pope Julius II in Rome on July 18, 1511 to address church reforms and combat a schismatic council. It officially opened on May 10, 1512 (and continued by his successor, Pope Leo X) closing on March 16, 1517.
Christian II is crowned King of Denmark and Norway.
Atahualpa, the last Inca, is executed by Spanish conquistadors in Cajamarca, Peru. Atahualpa was initially sentenced to be burned at the stake, but this was commuted to strangulation after he agreed to be baptized. The Spanish had forced him to pay a large ransom of tons of gold and silver. Although Atahualpa produced the ransom, the Spanish went ahead and executed him anyway.
The Inca Empire, also known as Tawantinsuyu, was a vast civilization that flourished in the Andes region of South America with its capital in Cuzco, Peru. At its peak, it was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America, encompassing a diverse region spanning from modern-day Ecuador to central Chile, Bolivia and a part of northwest Argentina. The Incas were known for their sophisticated infrastructure, including impressive road systems, intricate agricultural techniques and a centralized political and religious structure.
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Henry VIII marries his Fifth wife, Catherine Howard at Oatlands Palace in Surrey on the same day that Thomas Cromwell, his once all-powerful minister was executed. On August 8 , Catherine was formally acknowledged as Queen at Hampton Court Palace. Catherine was the first cousin of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII second wife. The marriage was terminated on November 23, 1541 and Catherine was charged with adultery and she was executed on February 13, 1542. More
England and Scotland sign the Treaty of Greenwich on July1, 1543, aiming to unite the two kingdoms through the marriage of King Henry VIII's son, Edward, to Mary, Queen of Scots. The Scottish Parliament rejected the treaty in December 1543. leading to renewed conflict known as the "Rough Wooing"
Henry VIII marries Catherine Parr, his sixth and final wife. She was known for her intellect and strong Protestant faith, becoming the first woman to publish an original work under her own name in England.
Catherine served as a stepmother to Henry's children, Mary and Elizabeth, and notably outlived the king. After Henry VIII's death, she married Thomas Seymour. She died in September 1548.
Abdication of Mary, Queen of Scots. After failing to quash a rebellion of Scottish peers, Mary was imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle and forced to abdicate in favor of her one-year-old son. Her abdication was forced as a consequence of having taken as her third husband the man who allegedly murdered her second husband. More
The Union of Lublin treaty, uniting the Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania and establishing the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, is signed on July 1, 1569, lasting for over 200 years.
The treaty was signed in Lublin, Poland, at a joint assembly of Polish and Lithuanian deputies., creating one of Europe's largest countries with a shared monarch, parliament, and currency. The Union lasted for 226 years until the Commonwealth's final partition by Russia, Prussia, and Austria in 1795, making it one of Europe's longest-lasting unions of states.
The States-General of the Netherlands declare independence from Spain with the Act of Abjuration.
The Spanish Armada is defeated. The Spanish fleet was led by the Duke of Medina Sidonia and its purpose was to overthrow Elizabeth I, to reinstate Catholicism in England and to end England's support for the Dutch Republic to prevent attacks by English and Dutch privateers against Spanish interests in the Americas.
The English fleet was under the command of Charles Howard, 2nd Baron Howard of Effingham. His second in command was Sir Francis Drake. The Spanish Armada defeat is considered one of England's greatest military achievements. More
The first representative assembly in America, the House of Burgesses, meets in Jamestown, Virginia.