March 4AD 51 – Nero, later to become Roman emperor, is given the title princeps iuventutis (head of the youth). 306 – Martyrdom of Saint Adrian of Nicomedia. 852 – Croatian Knez Trpimir I issues a statute, a document with the first known written mention of the Croats name in Croatian sources. 938 – Translation of the relics of martyr Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, Prince of the Czechs. 1152 – Frederick I Barbarossa is elected King of Germany. 1238 – The Battle of the Sit River begins two centuries of Mongol horde domination of Russia.
OctoberOctober is the tenth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and the sixth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. The eighth month in the old calendar of Romulus 750 BC, October retained its name (from Latin and Greek ôctō meaning "eight") after January and February were inserted into the calendar that had originally been created by the Romans. In Ancient Rome, one of three Mundus patet would take place on October 5, Meditrinalia October 11, Augustalia on October 12, October Horse on October 15, and Armilustrium on October 19.
October 1331 BC – Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. 366 – Pope Damasus I is consecrated. 959 – Edgar the Peaceful becomes king of all England, in succession to Eadwig. 965 – Pope John XIII is consecrated. 1553 – The coronation of Queen Mary I of England is held at Westminster Abbey. 1588 – The coronation of Shah Abbas I of Persia occurs. 1730 – Ahmed III is forced to abdicate as the Ottoman sultan. 1779 – The city of Tampere, Finland (belonging to Sweden at this time) is founded by King Gustav III of Sweden.
October 4AD 23 – Rebels sack the Chinese capital Chang'an during a peasant rebellion. 1209 – Otto IV is crowned Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by Pope Innocent III. 1302 – The Byzantine–Venetian War comes to an end. 1363 – Battle of Lake Poyang: In one of the largest naval battles in history, Zhu Yuanzhang's rebels defeat rival Chen Youliang. 1511 – Formation of the Holy League of Aragon, the Papal States and Venice against France. 1535 – The Coverdale Bible is printed, with translations into English by William Tyndale and Myles Coverdale.
October 8314 – Constantine I defeats Roman Emperor Licinius, who loses his European territories. 451 – The first session of the Council of Chalcedon begins. 876 – Frankish forces led by Louis the Younger prevent a West Frankish invasion and defeat emperor Charles II ("the Bald"). 1075 – Dmitar Zvonimir is crowned King of Croatia. 1200 – Isabella of Angoulême is crowned Queen consort of England. 1322 – Mladen II Šubić of Bribir is deposed as the Croatian Ban after the Battle of Bliska.
October 22451 – The Chalcedonian Creed, regarding the divine and human nature of Jesus, is adopted by the Council of Chalcedon, an ecumenical council. 794 – Emperor Kanmu relocates the Japanese capital to Heian-kyō (now Kyoto). 906 – Ahmad ibn Kayghalagh leads a raid against the Byzantine Empire, taking 4,000–5,000 captives. 1383 – The male line of the Portuguese House of Burgundy becomes extinct with the death of King Fernando, leaving only his daughter Beatrice. Rival claimants begin a period of civil war and disorder.
September 30489 – The Ostrogoths under Theoderic the Great defeat the forces of Odoacer for the second time. 737 – The Turgesh drive back an Umayyad invasion of Khuttal, follow them south of the Oxus, and capture their baggage train. 1139 – A magnitude 7.7 earthquake strikes the Caucasus mountains in the Seljuk Empire, causing mass destruction and killing up to 300,000 people. 1399 – Henry IV is proclaimed king of England. 1520 – Suleiman the Magnificent is proclaimed sultan of the Ottoman Empire.
September 22904 – The warlord Zhu Quanzhong kills Emperor Zhaozong, the penultimate emperor of the Tang dynasty, after seizing control of the imperial government. 1236 – The Samogitians defeat the Livonian Brothers of the Sword in the Battle of Saule. 1499 – The Treaty of Basel concludes the Swabian War. 1586 – The Battle of Zutphen is a Spanish victory over the English and Dutch. 1692 – The last hanging of those convicted of witchcraft in the Salem witch trials; others are all eventually released.
September 2961 BC – Pompey the Great celebrates his third triumph for victories over the pirates and the end of the Mithridatic Wars on his 45th birthday. 1011 – Danes capture Canterbury after a siege, taking Ælfheah, archbishop of Canterbury, as a prisoner. 1227 – Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, is excommunicated by Pope Gregory IX for his failure to participate in the Crusades during the Investiture Controversy. 1267 – The Treaty of Montgomery recognises Llywelyn ap Gruffudd as Prince of Wales, but only as a vassal of King Henry III.
1979January 1979 January 1 United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the International Year of the Child. Many musicians donate to the Music for UNICEF Concert fund, among them ABBA, who write the song Chiquitita to commemorate the event. The United States and the People's Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations. Following a deal agreed during 1978, French carmaker Peugeot completes a takeover of American manufacturer Chrysler's European operations, which are based in Britain's former Rootes Group factories, as well as the former Simca factories in France.
