9 CE, Circa September 8
The Roman general Publius Quinctilius Varus and his legions suffer a disastrous defeat at the hands of Germanic tribes in the Battle of Teutoburg Forest, resulting in the loss of three Roman legions.
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What Happened Today in History on September 8
Explore the historical events that shaped our world on September 8th. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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1158 CE, Circa January
Vladislaus II, King of Bohemia, is crowned by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. The agreement was made at Frederick's wedding in 1156, in exchange for Vladislav's participation in the Italian campaign. The coronation took place in Regensburg in January 1158, with a second ceremony following in Milan in September of that year.
The Fourth Crusade sets sail from Venice to reclaim the Holy Land but eventually deviates and ends up sacking the city of Constantinople after first attacking Zadar (Present day Croatia). More
The Battle of Evesham takes place during the Second Barons' War in England, resulting in a decisive victory for King Edward I over rebel forces.
The Battle of Kulikovo takes place during the Mongol invasion of Russia, where the forces of Grand Prince Dmitry of Moscow defeated the Mongol army. The victory did not end Mongol domination over Russia but it is traditionally regarded as the turning point at which Mongol influence began to wane and Moscow's power began to rise.
The printing of the first edition of "Malleus Maleficarum," a treatise on witchcraft, is completed in Germany, contributing to the witch-hunt hysteria of the time.
Michelangelo's David, the renowned marble sculpture is believed to have been formally "unveiled" to the public and fully revealed on this date. It had been temporarily installed on June 8 next to the entrance to the Palazzo della Signoria on a wooden platform replacing Donatello's bronze sculpture of Judith and Holofernes.
The work, was originally commissioned in 1501 by the Opera del Duomo (the Overseers of the Office of Works of the Florence Cathedral) when Michelangelo was only 26 years old, It is considered to be one of the great works of art of the Renaissance. Michelangelo sculpted the statue from a single block of Carrara marble which had remained neglected for 25 years because of the presence of too many imperfections. The colossal statue stands at 17 feet (5.17 meters) tall. In 1873, it was removed from the piazza to protect it from damage, and was moved to the Accademia Gallery. The statue was not placed in its permanent setting in the Accademia until 1882. A replica was placed in the Piazza della Signoria in 1910. More
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The Spanish Colonial Settlement of St. Augustine in Florida is inaugurated by the Spanish Admiral Don Pedro Menéndez de Avilés with 600 voyagers cheering; Menéndez named the colonial settlement St. Augustine in honor of the saint whose feast day fell on the day he first sighted land.
It is the oldest continuously occupied settlement of European origin in the United States; established forty-two years before the English colonized Jamestown and fifty-five years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.
New Amsterdam becomes New York as, Peter Stuyvesant, Director-general of the Dutch colony of New Netherland surrenders to the overwhelming larger and more powerful English forces. Following its capture, the name of New Amsterdam, the successful Dutch settlement on the southern tip of Manhattan, was changed to New York, in honor of the Duke of York.
The origin of the Dutch colony, went back to 1609, when Englishman Henry Hudson had charted the area on behalf of the Dutch East India Company. The Dutch had laid claim to a wide area of the East Coast, originally covered an area including all or parts of five future states: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware and Pennsylvania. More
A major hurricane, the nation's deadliest natural disaster, destroys the island city of Galveston, with winds of 130 to 140 miles per hour and a storm surge in excess of 15 feet. It is believed that more than 8,000 lives on Galveston Island and several thousand more on the mainland were lost.
In Galveston, it destroyed at least 2,600 houses and left thousands more damaged. The city's property losses were estimated at $30 million Dollars. More
Image Credit: : The Galvenston History Org.
A motor-driven German Zeppelin commanded by Heinrich Mathy, hits Central London at Aldersgate , during WWI killing 22 people and causing over 1.5 million pounds worth of property damage. More
The Siege of Leningrad begins as German forces surround the city, leading to a brutal and prolonged siege that lasted for nearly 900 days. More
Gen. Dwight Eisenhower publicly announces the surrender of Italy to the Allies which had been signed in secret on September 3. Germany reacted with Operation Axis, the Allies with Operation Avalanche.
The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) is established, aimed at preventing the spread of communism in the region.
President Gerald Ford grants a full pardon to former President Richard Nixon “a full, free, and absolute pardon ... for all offenses against the United States which he, Richard Nixon, has committed or may have committed or taken part in” while in office.“ More
North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, Independence Day from Yugoslavia. It commemorates the country's 1991 referendum and declaration of independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
The day is a national holiday marked by various festivities and is considered a very important event for the citizens of North Macedonia. More