June 9th

Events -

53 - Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus, aged 15, married his stepsister Claudia Octavia, aged 13.  Octavia was the daughter of Emperor Claudius, while Nero was the son of Claudius' fourth wife Agrippina (who was also Claudius' niece).  Nero, who had been adopted by Claudius as his heir, succeeded as emperor the following year on Claudius' death.  The following year, Octavia's full brother Britannicus died, likely poisoned by Nero.  Although Octavia was careful to hide her feelings about the death of her brother, the marriage was unhappy and Nero tries several times to murder his wife.  After his lover, Poppaea Sabina, became pregnant with his child, Nero divorced Octavia because she had not provided him an heir.  Octavia was banished, which was unpopular with the Roman citizenry who demanded her return.  Nero considered remarrying her, but decided to have her executed.  Her wrists were slit and she was suffocated in a hot bath.

1946 -  Bhumibol Adulyadej became King of Thailand on the murder of his brother King Ananda Mahidol. Bhumibol Adulyadej is the curernt longest-reigning monarch in the world, having been on the throne 66 years as of today.

Born on this date -

1595 - Władysław Vasa was born near Kraków, Poland, the oldest son of King Zygmunt III Vasa of Poland and his wife Anna of Austria.  Władysław was elected King of Poland at the death of his father in 1632, reigning as Władysław IV.  He attempted to press his claims to the throne of Sweden - his father had been King of Sweden after his own father Gustav I, but had been deposed by his uncle - but was rebuffed.  Władysław reigned until his death, from either gallstones or kidney stones, on May 20, 1648 at the age of 52.  Despite two marriages - Cecilia Renata of Austria and Maria Luisa Gonzaga - he had no surviving legitimate children, so he was succeeded on the throne by his brother.

1640 - Leopold Ignaz Joseph Balthasar Felician of Austria, the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and Maria Anna of Spain.  On the death of his older brother Ferdinand in 1654, he became heir and succeeded his father as Holy Roman Emperor four years later.  He married three times, to Margarita Teresa of Austria (his niece, not unusual among the Habsburgs), then to Claudia Felicitas of Austria, and finally to Eleanor Magdalene von der Pfalz.  By his wives, he had a total of 16 children, his oldest child by his third wife succeeding him as Emperor on his death on May 5, 1705, at the age of 64.

1661 - Fyodor Alexeyevich Romanov, son of Tsar Alexei and his first wife Maria Miloslavskaya.  Fyodor was 15 when he succeeded his father on the throne in 1676 as Fyodor III.  He was intelligent but disabled since birth.  He married twice - to Agaphia Simeonovna Grushevskaya (who died in childbirth with a son who died a few days later) and to Marfa Apraksina.  The second marriage was short-lived as Fyodor died three months later, on May 7, 1682, with no surviving heirs.  He was succeeded on the throne by his two younger brother, full-brother Ivan V and half-brother Peter I, with their sister Sophia as regent.

1672 - Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov, son of Tsar Alexei and his second wife Natalya Naryshkina.  Pyotr was not quite four when his half-brother Fyodor ascended to the throne.  When Fyodor died in 1382, the Boyer Duma decided on ten-year-old Pyotr as the next tsar since his older brother Ivan suffered from ill health.  Sophia Alekseyevna, the boys' older sister, led a revolt in favor of putting her full-brother Ivan on the throne over her half-brother Pyotr.  A compromise was agreed to that the boys would be named joint Tsars, with Ivan being considered the senior, while Sophia ruled as regent for the next seven years.  Pyotr, now 17, overthrew his sister and forced her into a convent.  Pyotr took the reins of power, while Ivan V remained co-tsar - Pyotr was fond of his brother and never blamed him for Sophia's actions.  Pyotr became sole tsar when Ivan died in 1696.  During his 42-year reign, Pyotr used his interest in shipbuilding to found Russia's Navy and built a new city to be the capital of the country, St. Petersburg.  He was also known for the "Grand Embassy," where Pyotr traveled (incognito, although people often ended up recognizing him) to various European countries, seeking ideas and innovations he could bring back to Russia to make her more Westernized.  He fought a long war with Sweden, which ended with Russian gains of Ingria, Estonia, Livonia, and part of Karelia.  After the peace treaty that ended the war, Pyotr was proclaimed Emperor, and also received the appellation "the Great", the first of two Romanovs to receive the title.  Pyotr died February 8, 1725, at the age of 52, of a bladder infection which had turned to gangrene.  He was succeeded not by one of his children - his daughter Elizaveta would come to the throne in 1741 - but by his wife Martha Skavronskaya, who had taken the name Catherine on her marriage to Pyotr.

Died on this date - 

62 - Claudia Octavia, wife of the Emperor Nero, around age 22.  She was born in late 39 AD or early 40 AD, the daughter of Emperor Claudius and his second wife Valeria Messalina.  After Claudius married his niece Agrippina and adopted her son Nero as his heir, a marriage was arranged between the step-siblings.  The pair lived unhappily for nine years, until Nero divorced Octavia in 62 because she was barren.  Octavia was banished, but after the Roman citizens expressed their displeasure at her banishment, Nero ordered Octavia's death.  Her wrists were slit in the manner of a traditional Roman suicide - although not of her free will - and she was placed in an extremely hot vapor bath, where she suffocated.  Her head was severed and sent by Nero to his second wife as a gift.  According to one historian, her death would cause Nero nightmares, along with the death of his mother.

68 - Emperor Nero, aged 30.  He was born December 15, 37, to Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus and Agrippina the Younger, sister of Emperor Caligula.  His mother was exiled by her brother two years later and Nero was sent to be raised by his aunt Domitia Lepida, the mother of Valeria Messalina, third wife of Claudius.  When Claudius became emperor in 41, he brought Agrippina back from exile.  After Claudius and Agrippina were married, Nero was adopted as Claudius' heir (even though he had a living son, Britannicus) and married to Claudius' daughter Claudia Octavia.  The following year, Claudius died, probably poisoned by his wife, and Nero became emperor.  Just 17, Nero was then the youngest man to become Emperor.  Originally greatly influenced by his mother, he broke with her when she took the side of his neglected wife Octavia.  Agrippina then pressed for the passed over Britannicus to be named Emperor in Nero's place, which led to the murder of Britannicus in 55.  Nero began an affair with Poppaea Sabina, whom he planned to marry after putting Octavia aside.  Since his mother championed Octavia, Nero decided to kill his mother to smooth the path.  He also had Claudia killed when the Roman citizenry demanded that Nero bring her back as Empress.  Aside from the numerous murders he ordered, he was known for "fiddling while Rome burned" during a fire in 64.  The store is certainly untrue, as there were no fiddles in 1st century Roman.  According to one historian, Nero - away from Rome at the time of the fire - returned to organize relief efforts which he paid for out of his own funds.  He was also known for persecuting Christians during his reign (Apostles Peter and Paul both died during his reign) and for an uprising in Britain by Queen Boadicca of the Iceni.  Rebellions broke out, with support eventually coalescing around Galba.  Nero fled, and after receiving a report that the Senate had ordered his execution, he decided to committ suicide.  Ultimately unable to do the deed, he asked his private secretary to kill him instead.  The secretary was later executed for failing to prevent Nero's suicide.  His death was the anniversary of his marriage to Claudia Octavia and of Octavia's death.

630 - Shahrbaraz, Shah of Persia, unknown age.  He was a general and commander of the Army of all Iran under King Khosrau II of Persia.  Shahrbaraz captured Damascus and Jerusalem for the Persians, but distrust between Shahrbaraz and Khosrau led to Shahrbaraz holding his army back, leading to the end of the war and victory for the Byzantine Empire.  In 630, Shahrbaraz killed King Ardashir III of Persia, thereby becoming the new King.  Shahrbaraz made peace with the Byzantine Empire and returned to Emperor Heraclius the True Cross which had been carried off during the conquest of Jerusalem.  A short time later, Armenia was invaded, and Shahrbaraz was slain two months later.  He was succeeded by Purandokht, the daughter of Khosrau II and one of only two women to rule during the Sassanid dynasty.

1923 - Princess Helena of the United Kingdom, aged 77.  She was born on May 25, 1846, the fifth child of Queen Victoria and Albert, the Prince Consort.  In 1866, Helena married Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, who had agreed that the couple would live in England so Helena could be close to her mother.  The marriage was controversial because of Schleswig-Holstein, which were claimed by the Prussians, the Danes and by Austria on behalf of Prince Christians family.  Alix, the Princess of Wales, naturally sided with the Danes in the controversy, as did her husband Bertie and his sister Alice.  Vicky, the Princess Royal and Crown Princess of Prussia, might have been expected to come out against the marriage because of Prussia's interest in Schleswig-Holstein, but she had been friends with Prince Christian's family for years and came out in support of the marriage.  The marriage eventually took place, with Bertie being prodded to attend by Alice as a show of family unity.  Alix was unwilling to accept Christian although he was a third cousin, also descended from the Kings of Denmark.  The marriage turned out to be a happy one and they had four surviving children.  Two additional sons were short-lived, one living eight days and the other being stillborn.  Prince Christian died in 1917, with Helena following him six years later.

1946 - King Ananda Mahidol of Thailand, aged 20.  He was born September 20, 1925, the oldest son of Prince Mahidol Adulyadej of Songkhla (son of King Chulalongkorn) and Mom Sangwal.  His father died when he was four, pushing Ananda Mahidol forward in the line of succession.  He ascended the throne in 1935 on the abdication of his uncle King Prajadhipok, as the Cabinet found much to like in a nine-year-old monarch going to school in Switzerland, leaving all the power with them.  Thailand was drawn into World War II on December 8, 1941, during an invasion and occupation coordinated with the attack of Pearl Harbor in the United States.  Formally allied with Japan from 1942, Thailand came under attack by the Allies, with the country becoming the responsibility of Britain after the war ended.  Almost a year after the war ended, the King was found shot to death in his bedroom.  Although three men were executed for the death, the circumstance of the King's death are still considered a mystery.  Ananda Mahidol was succeeded by his brother Bhumibol Adulyadej, who is currently the longest-reigning monarch in the world (66 years as of today).

June 8th

Events - 

68 AD - The first emperor in the Year of the Four Emperors, Galba, was proclaimed emperor by the Roman Senate.  A former Praetor and consul, Galba had gained a good reputation in many parts of the empire.  After the death of Caligula in 37 AD, friends tried to convince Galba to put himself forth as emperor, but Galba decided to remain loyal to Claudius.  He later went into retirement until about midway through Nero's reign, when Nero made him governor of Hispania Tarraconensis (the northeastern part of modern-day Spain).  Galba learned that Nero intended to put him to death in 68 AD, he considered rebelling, but hesitated.  Nero committed suicide the same year, and Galba was proclaimed Emperor and returned to Rome.  As emperor, he acted in the opposite manner of his previous reputation, making him unpopular.  After seven short months as emperor, legions began rebelling against him, and a former supporter, Otho, was supported as emperor by some of the rebels.  Galba, carried in a litter due to his advancing age (71), went to meet with Otho, but was murdered by some of Otho's troops.

218 - Emperor Macrinus was defeated in the Battle of Antioch by forces loyal to Elagabalus, the cousin of the late Emperor Caracalla, who had been murdered, perhaps by Macrinus.  Elagabalus considered the date of the battle as the beginning of his reign, although Macrinus was alive for a short time after the battle.  Although only 14 when he became emperor and 18 when he was murdered, Elagabalus' reign was known for controversy, both religious and sexual - in his short life, Elagabalus was married to five women (one of whom was a Vestal Virgin), referred to one of his slaves as his husband and supposedly married another man in a public ceremony.  He was murdered, along with his mother, at the age of 18 by supporters of his cousin Severus Alexander, who became the next emperor.

1191 - King Richard I of England arrived in Acre (modern-day 'Akko, Israel), which marked the start of his participation in the 3rd Crusade.  Richard's participation in the crusade came as a result of his father, Henry II.  Henry had been feuding with the King Philippe II of France, and a bishop attempting to mediate between them manipulated both men into pledging to take the cross in the new crusade called by Pope Gregory VIII to recover the recently-captured city of Jerusalem.  Henry died the following year, leaving the command of England's crusaders to his heir.  Partly because of his participation in the crusade and capture by Duke Leopold V of Austria on his way home, Richard spent only six months of his ten-year reign actually in England.  Richard did spend quite a bit of time in his continental possessions during the latter part of his reign - he preferred Aquitaine as his mother had - and died while putting down a rebellion by the Viscount of Limoges and Count of Angoulême (father of Isabella, later the wife of Richard's brother and successor, John).

Died on this date -

1042 - King Harthacnut of Denmark and England, aged approximately 23-24.  He was born around 1018 as the son of King Cnut of Denmark and England and Emma of Normandy.  He had succeeded to the throne of Denmark on his father's death in 1035.  Tied up assisting his half-brother Svein in regaining Norway, Harthacnut was unable to return to England and another half-brother, Harold, was appointed regent, but Harold was soon accepted as King of England over the absent Harthacnut.  Harthacnut considered an invasion of England, but Harold was ill, so Harthacnut decided to bide his time until his brother died, which he did in March 1040.  Harthacnut finally traveled to England in June 1040 accompanied by his mother, who had fled England when Harold became king.  Harthacnut reigned for only two years before he suddenly dropped dead at a wedding.  He was succeeded as King of England by his maternal half-brother Edward the Confessor, who allegedly promised the throne on his own death to the great-nephew of Emma of Normandy - William the Conqueror.

1376 - Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales, aged 45.  Born on June 15, 1330, Edward was the son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault.  Renowned for his military capabilities, Edward became popular in England for his victories at Crécy and Poitiers during the Hundred Year War.  He was made the first English duke in 1337 (Duke of Cornwall) and the first Knight of the Garter (in 1348) by his father and is known to history as the Black Prince for the black armor he wore in battle.  Despite her somewhat scandalous marital history, Edward married his cousin Joan "The Fair Maid of Kent" in 1361.  They had two sons, the elder of whom died at the age of 7.  Edward himself died a year before his father, the first English Prince of Wales not to succeed to the English throne.  His surviving son succeeded Edward III the following year at the age of 10, becoming Richard II, who was eventually the second king since the Conquest to be deposed.

1716 - Johann Wilhelm II von der Pfalz, Elector Palatine, aged 68.  The son of Philip Wilhelm von der Pfalz and Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt was born on April 19, 1658 and succeeded his father as the Elector Palatine in 1690.  Johann Wilhelm married twice - first to Maria Anna Josepha of Austria (daughter of Emperor Ferdinand III) and after her death to Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici (daughter of Grand Duke Cosimo III of Tuscany).  He had no children by his wife and was succeeded on his death by his younger brother, Karl III Philip.

1795 - King Louis XVII of France, aged 10.  The tragic son of King Louis XVI and Marie Antonia of Austria (Marie Antoinette), he was born Louis-Charles on March 27, 1785.  Louis had become the Dauphin on the death of his older brother Louis Joseph in June 1789, the month before the storming of the Bastille.  Two years later, the royal family tried to escape France but were caught and imprisoned.  A few months later, Louis XVI was separated from his family, tried and executed, at which time Louis would normally have ascended the throne.  His uncle even named himself Regent for the child King.  Six months after his father's death, Louis was separated from his mother and turned over to guardians who allegedly abused him.  He was forced to testify against his mother that she had sexually abused him while they were in captivity, part of the charges which led to her execution in October 1793.  Around this same time he also saw his sister Marie-Thérèse for the last time.  A few months later, his appointed guardians left the prison and Louis allegedly was caged for six months with no human contact and with food being passed to him through the bars.  Louis' conditions improved somewhat after he was visited in May 1794.  Louis died suddenly a year later, the cause of death being announced as a disease associated with tuberculosis, an associated condition which is not usually fatal in and of itself.  Because of the suspicious nature of his death and autopsy, there were rumors of escape and numerous people claiming to be Louis, although these were proved false when a heart originally held by the doctor who performed the autopsy was tested in 2000 and proved to be the heart of the Dauphin.  The heart was buried in the Basilica of St. Denis next to his parents.  Although Louis never reigned as King, he is traditionally listed among the Kings of France as Louis XVII since his uncle took the name Louis XVIII on the restoration of the monarchy - thereby acknowledging his nephew as his legitimate predecessor.

June 5th

Events - 

70 AD - Future Roman Emperor Titus (reigned 79 - 81) led four Roman legions in the breach of the middle wall of Jerusalem during the Siege of Jerusalem.  The siege, which began in March of that year, eventually ended with the destruction of the Second Temple in September.  The siege was one of the major events of the First Jewish-Roman War (also known as The Great Revolt), which was fought by the Jews of Judea against the Roman Empire from 66 - 73.  When Titus became emperor, he was the first Roman Emperor to follow his father as emperor.

1849 - King Frederik VII of Denmark signed the country's new constitution, which marked the move from an absolute to constitutional monarchy.  The signing of this constitution is now marked by a national holiday in Denmark, Constitution Day (or Grundlovsdag).

Born on this date - 

1341 - Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault.  Edmund was the fourth of the King and Queen's five surviving sons.  His descendants became the House of York during the War of the Roses.  Through his first wife, Isabella of Castile, he was the father of Richard, 3rd Earl of Cambridge, who was executed for treason in 1415.  Richard's son (Edmund's grandson) was the father of King Edward IV and King Richard III.  As a result, Edmund is the ancestor of all English monarchs after Henry VII, through Henry's wife Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV.  Despite the fact that his descendants would later challenge for the throne, Edmund remained loyal to the Lancastrian Henry IV after Richard II was overthrown.  Edmund died August 1, 1402 at the age of 61.

1523 - Margaret of France, daughter of King François I of France and Claude of France (daughter of Louis XII of France).  When she was 26, she was created Duchess of Berry in her own right.  By her husband Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, she was the mother of Carlo Emanuele I of Savoy.  She died September 14, 1574 at the age of 51.

1771 - Ernest Augustus of Great Britain, later King of Hanover, fifth son of King George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.  Because he had four older brothers, he was expected to have no chance to ascend to a thone, but the deaths of King George IV, King William IV and Frederick, Duke of York without any surviving children improved his prospects.  His other older brother, Edward, Duke of Kent, did leave a surviving daughter, but Salic law prevented her from ascending the throne of Hanover.  As a result, at the death of King William IV, Victoria of Kent became Queen of England and Ernest Augustus became King of Hanover, ending the union between Hanover and Great Britain which had existed since George I had become King of Great Britain in 1714.  Ernest Augustus' marriage was not without controversy.  He had fallen in love with his cousin Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, but she was married to her second husband.  When her husband conveniently died in 1814, some suspected Frederica of poisoning her husband to clear the way for her marriage to Ernest Augustus.  The marriage was also opposed by Queen Charlotte because Frederica had broken a previous engagement to the Duke of Cambridge.  Ernest Augustus died November 18, 1851 at the age of 80 and was succeeded as King of Hanover by his only child, George.  Ernest Augustus was greatly mourned in Hanover, but hardly at all in England, where The Times said of him "the good that can be said of the Royal dead is little or none."

2005 - Irene de Todos los Santos Urdangarín y de Borbón, daughter of Infanta Christina of Spain (daughter of King Juan Carlos I) and Iñaki Urdangarín Liebaert, Duchess and Duke Consort of Palma de Mallorca. 

Died on this date -

301 - Sima Lún (司马伦), usurper of the Chinese throne during the Jin Dynasty, more than 52 years old.  Sima Lún was born before 249, the youngest son of Sima Yi (司马懿), a general and politician who was posthumously honored as Emperor Juan of Jin when his grandson founded the Jin Dynasty in 265, and Lady Bai (柏夫人).  He became Prince of Langye when his nephew founded the Jin Dynasty, and later Prince of Zhao.  During the reign of his grand-nephew Emperor Hui, Sima Lún became a confidant of Empress Jia.  In 300, Jia was convinced to overthrew the Crown Prince, son of her husband's concubine.  Sima Lún then encouraged her to assassinate the Crown Prince while in exile.  The subsequent assassination was used as an excuse to murder her family and force Jia to commit suicide.  Sima Lún then became regent for the Emperor, who was developmentally disabled.  He was later persuaded to overthrow Hui and proclaim himself emperor.  Hui was put under house arrest and given the honorary title of "retired emperor", while the new Crown Prince, Hui's grandson, was executed.  Sima Lún was overthrown three months later and forced to commit suicide.  His four sons, the oldest of whom had been created Crown Prince, were subsequently executed.

1017 - Emperor Sanjō (三条天皇) of Japan, aged 42.  He was born with the name Iyasada-shinnō on February 6, 975, to Emperor Reizei (冷泉天皇) and Fujiwara no Chōshi (藤原超子).  He was appointed Crown Prince to his cousin Emperor Ichijō (一条天皇) when he was 11.  Although Ichijō was younger than Iyasada, he ascended the thrown when Iyasada's half-brother Emperor Kazan (花山天皇) retired to become a Buddist monk.  Ichijō resigned the throne after a reign of 25 years, and Iyasada became emperor with the name Sanjō.  During his sixth year as emperor, Sanjō abdicated to become a Buddist monk and was succeeded by his cousin Emperor Go-Ichijō (後一条天皇).  None of Sanjō's sons ever became emperor, although his daughter Princess Teishi was the wife and mother of future emperors.

1296 - Edmund, 1st Earl of Leicester and Lancaster, aged 51.  Edmund was born January 16, 1245 as the second surviving son of King Henry III of England and Eleanor of Provence.  When he was 8, he was named King of Sicily and Apuila by the Pope, but it was an empty title as there was already a King of Siciliy living.  The Earldom of Chester, which he received around the same time, was later transferred to his older brother Edward (the future Edward I).  After the defeat of Simon de Montfort in 1265, Edmund received the forfeited Earldom of Leicester and also received the Earldom of Lancaster two years later.  By his second wife, Blanche of Artois, he was the father of Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster, who was executed after rebelling against King Edward II and his favorite Hugh le Despencer the younger.

1316 - Louis X of France, aged 26.  He was born October 4, 1289 as the oldest son of Philip IV of France and Joan I of Navarre.  He was the brother of Isabella, Queen of England as the wife of Edward II.  Louis' first wife, Margaret of Burgundy, was accused of adultery in 1314 in the Tour de Nesle affair, which was apparently instigated by Louis' sister Isabella.  Margaret was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.  Louis received an annulment and subsequently married Clementia of Hungary five days after Margaret's mysterious death in captivity.  In the midst of all the personal upheaval, Louis became King of France on the death of his father in 1314.  Louis was a devoted tennis player and supposedly died after drinking a large quantity of cooled wine after a particularly exhausting game.  Pneumonia, pleurisy and poison have all been suggested as the cause of death.  Louis is the first tennis player known by name due to the circumstances of his death.  His wife was pregnant at his death, so France was ruled by Louis' brother as regent until the child was born and gender was determined - France was ruled by Salic Law, which would have barred the unborn child from the throne if female and also barred Louis' daughter by his first wife (although her paternity was doubted because of her mother's affair).  Queen Clementia eventually gave birth to a boy who would become Jean I of France.  Jean was the shortest-reigning King of France, living only five days after his birth.  Despite the questions of her paternity, Louis' daughter Joan did succeed as Queen of Navarre, which Louis had inherited from his mother and which was not governed by Salic Law.

1383 - Dmitri Konstantinovich of Suzdal (Дми́трий Константи́нович Су́здальский), Grand Duke of Vladimir, aged approximately 59.  Dmitri was born in 1324 and was the senior descendant of Grand Duke Vsevolod III (he was his great-great-great-great grandson).  He was Prince of Suzdal, which he inherited in 1359.  The following year, he was installed as Grand Duke of Vladimir by the Khan of the Golden Horde.  Three years later, he was deposed by Prince Dmitri I of Moscow, with whom he made peace by marrying Dmitri of Moscow to his daughter Eudoxia.  By his daughter, Dmitri was the ancestor of the later Grand Princes of Moscow and Tsars of Russia from the Rurik Dynasty.  He was allied with his son-in-law Dmitri until 1382, when he defected to the Khan of the Blue Horde in its assault against Moscow.  He died in unknown circumstances the following year.

1819 - King Bodawpaya of Burma, aged 74.  He was born the son of King Alaungpaya and chief Queen Me Yun San on March 11, 1745.  He seized the throne in 1782, deposing King Phaungkaza Maung Maung, son of his oldest brother, having the deposed King and his chief Queen executed by drowning.  After a reign of 37 years, he died and was succeeded by his grandson Bagyidaw, who had become Crown Prince after the death of his after Thado Minsaw in 1808.  Bodawpaya had 208 queens, who provided him with 62 sons and 58 daughters.  All the future Kings of Burma descended from Thado Minsaw, and therefor Bodawpaya.

June 3rd

Events -

350 - Iulius Nepotianus proclaimed himself Roman Emperor, in competition with Magnentius, who had overthrown co-Emperor Constans in January 350.  Nepotianus was a cousin of Constans and his co-Emperor Constantius II, as the son of Eutropia, half-sister of Constans' and Constantius' father Constantine I.  Nepotianus was grandson of Emperor Constantius I and great-grandson of Emperor Maximian.  After ruling Rome for 28 days, Nepotianus was killed by Magnentius' general Marcellinus.  Magnentius later committed suicide after the Battle of Mons Seleucus in 353.

1665 - James Stuart, Duke of York and commander of the Royal Navy (later King James II), defeated the Dutch fleet during the Battle of Lowestoft, the first battle of the Second Anglo-Dutch War. 

1937 - Edward, Duke of Windsor (formerly King Edward VIII) married Wallis Simpson at the Château de Candé, near Tours, France.  As the marriage was not sanctioned by the Church of England, a clergyman from Darlington, County Durham, offered to perform the ceremony privately.  Members of the British Royal Family were forbidden by King George VI from attending, upsetting the Duke, who had wanted his other brothers to attend.

Born on this date - 

1537 - Infante João Manuel of Portugal, eighth son of King João III of Portugal and Catherine of Austria (daughter of Felipe I of Castile and Juana "the Mad" of Castile).  After the death of his four older brothers, João became heir to the throne.  He died 3 1/2 years before his father on January 2, 1554 at the age of 16, but not before marrying and producing a posthumous son, the future Sebastião I.

1540 - Karl II Franz, Archduke of Austria, son of Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I and Anne of Bohemia and Hungary.  He was a paternal grandson of Felipe I of Castile and Juana "the Mad" of Castile and a maternal grandson of Vladislav II of Bohemia and Hungary.  Karl married his niece Maria Anna of Bavaria, and became the father of future Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II.  He died at the age of 50 on July 10, 1590. 

1843 - Christian Frederik Vilhelm Carl of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, later King Frederik VIII of Denmark.  His parents were Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (heir-apparent to the throne of Denmark, later King Christian IX) and Louise of Hesse-Kassel.  Among his siblings were Tsarina Maria Feodorovna of Russia (former Dagmar of Denmark), Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom and King George I of Greece.  He had been Crown Prince for 43 years when he finally acceded the throne on January 29, 1906.  He married Princess Louise of Sweden in 1869 and produced two future kings among their many children - King Christian X of Denmark and King Haakon VII of Norway (born Christian Frederik Carl Georg Valdemar Axel of Denmark).  Frederik ruled Denmark for six years before dying on May 14, 1912 at the age of 68.

1865 - George Frederick Ernest Albert, later King George V of England.  He was the son of Albert Edward, then-Prince of Wales, and Alexandra of Denmark.  As a second son, George was not expected to inherit the throne, so was groomed for a naval career.  The early death of his older brother Eddy in January 1892 left George second in line for the throne behind his father, and also left George with Eddy's fiancée, Princess Victoria Mary "May" of Teck.  George and May married the following year, and among their six children were two future Kings of England - Edward VIII (who abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson) and George VI (father of Queen Elizabeth II).  George V died on January 20, 1936 at the age of 70 and after a reign of nearly 26 years, his end hastened by a lethal dosage of morphine and cocaine.

Died on this date -

1395 - Tsar Ivan Shishman of Bulgaria, aged 44-45.  He was born around 1350-1351 as the son of Tsar Ivan Alexander and Sarah-Theodora, a Jewish convert to Eastern Orthodoxy.  The death of his older half-brother in 1355 made Ivan heir to the throne.  He was co-ruler with his father until February 17, 1371, when his father died, ruling alone for just over 26 years before he was executed by the Ottomans.  His older half-brother Ivan Sratsimir, who had been passed over in the succession in favor of Ivan Shishman, became Tsar since both of Ivan Shishman's sons had died young. Ivan Sratsimir did not last long as Tsar, being captured and strangled by the Ottomans in 1397.  The two brothers were the final medieval Tsars of Bulgaria.

1411 - Leopold IV, Duke of Further Austria, aged 39-40.  Leopold was born in 1371, the son of Leopold III of Austria and Viridis Visconti.  Leopold married Catharine of Burgundy, but they had no children.  Since neither Leopold nor his older brother Wilhelm had children, Austria was divided between their younger brothers Ernst and Friedrich after Leopold's death.

2004 - Frances Ruth Roche, age 68.  Frances was best known as the mother of Diana, Princess of Wales.  Frances was born January 20, 1936 as the daughter of Edmund Roche, 4th Baron Fermoy, and Ruth Sylvia Gill.  Frances married John Spencer, then-Viscount Althorp, and had four children, among them Diana, Princess of Wales.  She died of complications from Parkinson's disease and brain cancer.

June 2nd

Events -

455 - The 2nd sack of Rome.  A prior peace treaty between Rome and the Vandals included the engagement of Huneric, son of the Vandal King Genseric, and Eudocia, daughter of Roman Emperor Valentinian IIIthe Vandal King Genseric.  Valentinian III was killed in 455 and the throne usurped by Petronius Maximus, who married Valentinian's widow and had his son Palladius married to Eudocia.  The Vandals used the broken betrothal of Huneric and Eudocia as an excuse to proclaim the treaty invalid and set sail for Rome.  According to a chronicler of the time, Genseric reached an agreement with Pope Leo I not to destroy the city or murder its citizens, so the city gates were opened to him upon his arrival.  Rather than fight Genseric, Petronius tried to flee the city, but was killed by a Roman mob.  Palladius was believed killed around the same time, which allowed the marriage of Huneric and Eudocia to go forth as originally planned.

1946 - Italy held a constitutional referendum to determine whether the country should continue under a monarchy or whether the head of state should be elected by popular vote.  The monarchy had been damaged by King Victor Emmanuel III association with the Fascist government of Mussolini.  Not even the King's abdication in favor of his son Umberto II would prevent the ouster of the monarchy.  With an 89.1% turnout, Italians voted for a republic by 54.3% over 45.7%.  The new constitution which was later adopted forever banned the male descendants of the Savoy family from entering Italy, a provision which was finally overturned in October 2002.

1953 - Queen Elizabeth II is crowned queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Her Other Realms and Territories and head of the Commonwealth.  Elizabeth had ascended to the throne on the death of her father over a year earlier, on February 6, 1952.  The coronation was the first major international event to be televised.  60 years later, the Queen is still on the British throne, about to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee.

Born on this Date -

1838 - Alexandra Frederika Wilhelmina of Oldenburg, daughter of  Duke Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg and  Princess Therese of Nassau-Weilburg.  She married Grand Duke Nicholas Nicholaevich of Russia, the third son of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia.  Among her children was Grand Duke Nicholas Nicholaevich, known as Nicholasha within the Romanov family, and Commander of the Russian army during the first part of World War I.  After time, the marriage disintigrated and Alexandra retired first to Kiev and later to a convent, refusing to grant her husband a divorce so he could marry his mistress.  Although Grand Duke Nicholas had hopes of outliving his wife, the ill Alexandra managed to outlive both her husband and his mistress.  Alexandra died of stomach cancer at the Kievo Pechersky Monastery on April 25, 1900.

1940 - King Constantine II of Greece (Κωνσταντῖνος Βʹ, Τέως Βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἑλλήνων), the last reigning King of Greece before the monarchy was abolished for the final time in 1973. He became King of Greece on March 6, 1964 with the death of his father.  Just three years later, he was forced to flee the country in December 1967 after a failed counter-coup against the military, which had seized power in April 1967.  He remained king until June 1, 1973, when the military abolished the monarchy.  Although not permanently banished from Greece, he has been discouraged against returning, and has returned for brief visits periodically.  However, in 1994, his Greek citizenship and passport were stripped from him until he adopts a surname, which he has refused to do.  When he does travel to Greece, he does so on a Danish diplomatic passport, which he is entitled to as a descendant of King Christian IX of Denmark.

Died on this Date - 

910 - Richilde of Provence, born about 845 as the daughter of Bivin, count of the Ardennes.  She married Charles the Bald, King of the Franks, in 870, after the death of Charles' first wife.  She served as regent when her husband was away at war, and after the death of Charles' successor, Louis the Stammerer, whose sons were too young to rule.  She was forced out after the nobility refused to recognize her authority, although she attempted two additional times to rule, after the deaths of Louis' sons in 882 and 884.  After the latter attempt, she was forced to return to Provence, where she died at the age of c.65.

1418 - Catherine of Lancaster, born on March 31, 1373, the daughter of John of Gaunt (son of Edward III of England) and Constance of Castile (daughter of King Pedro of Castile).  Catherine's parents attempted to press Constance's right to the throne of Castile.  Constance was eventually persuaded to renounce her claims to the throne in exchange for the marriage of her daughter Catherine to the future Enrique III of Castile.  Catherine and Enrique were married before September 17, 1388.  She became a joint-regent for her son, Juan II, who was a year and a half old at his father's death.  She eventually relinquished the regency due to ill-health, and died of a stroke at the age of 45, when her son was 13.

1567 - Seán Ó Néill, King of Tír Eógain in Ireland.  He was born around 1530 as the son of King Conn Bacach O'Neill and Alice FitzGerald.  He was murdered, about age 37, by the MacDonnell family after the battle of Farsetmore as he attempted to flee.

June 1st

Events -

987 - Hugh Capet, founder of the House of Capet which would rule France from 987 to 1328, was elected King of France.  Hugh would rule France until his death on October 24, 996 and was succeeded by his son, Robert II.  Later French Kings from the House of Valois and House of Bourbon, although all male-line (agnatic) descendants of Hugh Capet due to Salic Law, were descended from younger sons in the line.  The current rulers of Spain (King Juan Carlos I) and Luxembourg (Grand Duke Henri) are members of the House of Bourbon, a cadet branch of the House of Capet.

1204 - King Philippe II Augustus of France conquered Rouen.  The city was the capital of the Duchy of Normandy, which was under the control of King John of England.  On June 24th, Philippe entered the city and annexed Normandy to the French crown.  The city would come under English control again in 1419, when the city surrendered to King Henry V of England during the Hundred Years' War.  Thirty years later, the city would be conquered again by French king Charles VII, bring it under permanent French control.

1215 - The Battle of Zhongdu ended with the capture of the city of Zhongdu (present-day Beijing) by Genghis Khan.  Zhongdu was the capital of the Jin Dynasty, which ruled parts of northern China from 1115-1234.  Emperor Jin Xuanzong (金宣宗) was forced to move his capital to Kaifeng.

1252 - Alfonso X was elected King of Castile and Léon one day after the death of his father Ferdinand III.  He would rule until his death on April 4, 1284 and was succeeded by his son, Sancho IV.

1533 - Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII, was crowned Queen of England.  She would remain queen until her marriage to Henry was annulled on May 17, 1536, two days before her execution.  She was the mother of Queen Elizabeth I.

1670 - England, under King Charles II, and France, under King Louis XIV, signed the Treaty of Dover.  The treaty had two aims - France was to help bring England back to the Roman Catholic Church and England was to assist France in its conquest of the Dutch Republic.  The treaty, which remained secret until 1830, resulted in the Third Anglo-Dutch War.

1815 - Napoléon I swore to uphold the Charter of 1815, which was adopted by a direct vote of the French people as France's new constitution.  After his return from exile on Elba, Napoléon requested that a new constitution be written.  Due to his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo less than three weeks later, the constitution was never fully implemented.

1918 - The Battle of Belleau Wood began near the Marne River in France.  The German troops were lead by Crown Prince Wilhelm.  One June 26, 1918, the battle ended when the Allied troops under American generals Pershing and Harbord cleared Belleau Wood of enemy troops.  Pershing later said "the Battle of Belleau Wood was for the U.S. the biggest battle since Appomattox and the most considerable engagement American troops had ever had with a foreign enemy."

Born on this date -

1076 - Mistislav I, Grand Prince of Kiev, son of Vladimir II of Kiev and Gytha of Wessex.  He ruled Kiev from his father's death in 1125 until his own death on April 14, 1132 at the age of 55.

1134 - Geoffrey FitzEmpress, Count of Nantes, son of Geoffrey V of Anjou and Empress Matilda, daughter of Henry I of England.  He became Count of Nantes in 1156 at the suggestion of his brother King Henry II of England, after the previous count was deposed.  He died July 27, 1158 at the age of 24. 

1300 - Thomas of Brother, 1st Earl of Norfolk, son of King Edward I of England and Margaret of France.  He became the 1st Earl of Norfolk in 1312.  He died August 4, 1338 at the age of 38.

1754 - Archduke Ferdinand Karl Anton Joseph Johann Stanislaus of Austria-Este, son of Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and Austrian Empress Maria Theresa.  He was an older brother of French queen Marie Antoinette.  He was the Duke of Breisgau from 1803 until he ceded the territory to the Grand Duchy of Baden in 1805.  He died on December 24, 1806 at the age of 52.

1815 - Otto Friedrich Ludwig of Bavaria, later King Otto of Greece, son of Ludwig I of Bavaria and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.  He was elected the first King of the modern country of Greece in 1832 when he was 17.  He was deposed in 1862 after 30 years of rule.  He died in exile in Bavaria on July 26, 1867, aged 52.

Died on this date - 

 

195 BC - Emperor Gao (高帝), born Liu Bang, first emperor of the Han Dynasty of China.  He was born in either 256 BC or 247 BC, making him either 60-61 or 51-52 at the time of his death.  He became Emperor of China in 202 BC, and was succeeded by his second son Liu Ying on his death.

193 - Marcus Didius Severus Julianus, 20th Emperor of the Roman Empire and the second emperor in the Year of the Five Emperors.  He was born either on January 30, 133 (according to historian Cassius Dio) or February 2, 137 (per Historia Augusta).  He purchased the throne from the Praetorian Guard after the assassination of his predecessor Pertinax on March 28, 193 and was assassinated after a reign of only 3 months.

1432 - Dan II of Wallachia, Voivode of Wallachia, son of Dan I of Wallachia and Maria of Serbia.  He was Prince of Wallachia five times in the early 15th century - 1420–1421, 1421–1423, 1423–1424, 1426–1427, and 1427–1431.  He was killed in battle by the Ottomans.  His son, Basarab II, would be buried alive by Vlad III of Wallachia, known as Vlad the Impaler (the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula).

1434 -  Władysław II Jagiełło, Grand Duke of Lithuania (1377–1434), King consort of Poland (1386–1399) and King regnant of Poland (1399–1434).  He was born around 1362 and was the son of Algirdis of Lithuania and Uliana Alexandrovna of Tver.  He became the King consort of Poland with his marriage to Jadwiga, Queen regnant of Poland.  He became king after Jadwiga's death, strengthening his claim to the throne with his marriage to Anna of Celje, granddaughter of Casimir III of Poland.  His territory was divided between his two sons on his death - Władysław III became King of Poland and Casimir succeeded as Grand Duke of Lithuania.

1879 - Napoléon Eugène Louis Jean Joseph Bonaparte, Prince Imperial of France.  He was born on March 16, 1856 as the only son of Emperor Napoléon III of France and Eugénie de Montijo.  He was killed at the age of 23 in battle during the Anglo-Zulu War.

1983 - Charles Théodore Henri Antoine Meinrad of Belgium, Prince Regent from 1944-1950 during the reign of his older brother Leopold III.  He was born on October 10, 1903, the son of King Albert I of Belgium and Elisabeth in Bavaria.  He retired from public life after 1950 and died at the age of 79.

2001 - Nine members of the Nepalese royal family were murdered by Crown Prince Dipendra at a dinner party.  The dead included King Birendra (born December 28, 1945), Queen Aishwarya (born November 7, 1949), Prince Nirajan (born November 6, 1977, son of Birendra and Aishwarya), Princess Shruti (born October 15, 1976, daughter of Birendra and Aishwarya), Prince Dhirendra (brother of Birendra), Princess Jayanti (cousin of Birendra), Princesses Shanti and Sharada (sisters of Birendra) and Kumar Khadga (husband of Princess Sharada).  Five other members of the royal family were wounded.  Dipendra became King on the death of his father, despite having perpetrated the massacre, and died of self-inflicted wounds three days later.

2009 - Pedro Luís of Orléans-Braganza, third in line to the former Brazilian throne after his uncle and father.  He was born on January 12, 1983 and was the son of Prince Antônio of Orléans-Braganza and Christine of Ligne.  He was killed at the age of 26 when Air France 447 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on a flight from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Paris, France.