On This Day
636 – Arab–Byzantine wars: The Battle of Yarmouk between the Byzantine Empire and the Rashidun Caliphate begins.
The Battle of the Yarmuk (also spelled Yarmouk) was a major battle between the army of the Byzantine Empire and the Muslim forces of the Rashidun Caliphate. The battle consisted of a series of engagements that lasted for six days in August 636, near the Yarmouk River, along what are now the borders of Syria–Jordan and Syria-Israel, southeast of the Sea of Galilee. The result of the battle was a complete Muslim victory that ended Byzantine rule in Syria. The Battle of the Yarmuk is regarded as one of the most decisive battles in military history,[4][5] and it marked the first great wave of early Muslim conquests after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, heralding the rapid advance of Islam into the then-Christian Levant.
To check the Arab advance and to recover lost territory, Emperor Heraclius had sent a massive expedition to the Levant in May 636. As the Byzantine army approached, the Arabs tactically withdrew from Syria and regrouped all their forces at the Yarmuk plains close to the Arabian Peninsula, where they were reinforced, and defeated the numerically superior Byzantine army. The battle is widely regarded to be Khalid ibn al-Walid’s greatest military victory and cemented his reputation as one of the greatest tacticians and cavalry commanders in history.[6]
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942 – Start of the four-day Battle of al-Mada’in, between the Hamdanids of Mosul and the Baridis of Basra over control of the Abbasid capital, Baghdad.[1]
The Battle of al-Mada’in was fought near al-Mada’in in central Iraq between the armies of the Hamdanids and the Baridis, for control over Baghdad, the capital and seat of the Abbasid Caliphate, that was around 22 kilometres (14 mi) away and then under control of the Hamdanids. In a fiercely contested battle over four days (16–19 August 942) that cost both sides many casualties, the Hamdanid army prevailed. They were too exhausted to pursue, however, which allowed the Baridis to withdraw to Wasit and then Basra.
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Born On This Day
1195 – Anthony of Padua, Portuguese priest and saint (d. 1231)
Anthony of Padua (Italian: Antonio di Padova) or Anthony of Lisbon (Portuguese: António/Antônio de Lisboa; born Fernando Martins de Bulhões; 15 August 1195 – 13 June 1231)[2][3] was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. He was born and raised by a wealthy family in Lisbon, Portugal, and died in Padua, Italy. Noted by his contemporaries for his powerful preaching, expert knowledge of scripture, and undying love and devotion to the poor and the sick, he was one of the most quickly canonized saints in church history, being canonized less than a year after his death. He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XII on 16 January 1946.
1355 – Philippa, 5th Countess of Ulster (d. 1382)
Philippa of Clarence (16 August 1355 – 5 January 1382) was a medieval English princess and the suo jure Countess of Ulster.
Biography
She was born at Eltham Palace in Kent on 16 August 1355, the only child of Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence, and Elizabeth de Burgh, 4th Countess of Ulster.[2] Her father was the third son, but second son to survive infancy, of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault.[3] She was the eldest grandchild of King Edward and Queen Philippa, her namesake.
Philippa married Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March, at the age of fourteen, in the Queen’s Chapel at Reading Abbey,[2] an alliance that would have far-reaching consequences in English history. Her cousin, King Richard II, remained childless, making Philippa and her descendants next in line to the throne until his deposition. In the Wars of the Roses, the Yorkist claim to the crown was based on descent from Edward III through Philippa,[4] her son Roger Mortimer, and granddaughter Anne Mortimer, who married Richard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of Cambridge, a son of Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York.
Philippa died in 1382 and was buried at Wigmore Abbey, Herefordshire.
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FYI
NASA: Astronomy Picture of the Day
CBS Sunday Morning: Life for the left-handed
Why You Never See a BIDEN FLAG at a BOAT RALLY! | Buddy Brown
GeoBeatsAnimals: Man adopts a deaf and blind dog. Then came surprises.
The History Guy: Podcast Episode 38 Video
Today the history guy tells two stories of state borders in the US. The first is the long history of Missouri’s borders, which were deeply entwined with American politics of the period. Then the history guy will tell you about the time that Ohio and Michigan went to war over the border between them – and how despite not participating, Wisconsin lost the most.
Recipes
Just the Recipe: Paste the URL to any recipe, click submit, and it’ll return literally JUST the recipe- no ads, no life story of the writer, no nothing EXCEPT the recipe.
DamnDelicious
RecipeTinEats
- Creamy Goat Cheese & Roasted Red Pepper Risoni (orzo) January 15, 2025The name’s a tongue twister, but this dish is a breeze to make! Goat cheese and roasted red peppers are the shortcuts for this creamy, smoky risoni recipe. Under $20 for 4 servings, ready in 20 minutes. Serve as a meal or side — it’s like a Mediterranean risotto! Goat Cheese & Roasted Red Pepper... […]Nagi
- Popcorn chicken January 10, 2025This is a KFC popcorn chicken copycat recipe. It’s downright addictive – I challenge you to stop at just one! Surprisingly quick, they take just 2 minutes to cook, and just shallow fried at that. Popcorn chicken Many people have tried this popcorn chicken now, including an entire crew of builders at my home which... […]Nagi
wikimedia
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for January 15 January 15, 2025Picture of the day Cluster of Breath roots (pneumatophores) of a Taxodium distichum at the water's edge. Focus stack of 4 photos.
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for January 14 January 14, 2025Picture of the day Mute swan (Cygnus olor) at Lake Geneva during the golden hour of sunset
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