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0717
Second Siege of Constantinople: Taking advantage of the civil unrest in the Byzantine Empire, Caliph Sulieman sends 120,000 Muslims under the command of his brother, Moslemah, to launch the second siege of Constantinople. Another force of around 100,000 Muslims with 1,800 galleys soon arrives from Syria and Egypt to assist. Most of these reinforcements are quickly destroyed with Greek Fire. Eventually the Muslims outside Constantinople begin to starve and, in the winter, they also begin to freeze to death. Even the Bulgarians, usually hostile to the Byzantines, send a force to destroy Muslim reinforcements marching from Adrianopolis.
0718
Muslims abandon their second siege of Constantinople. Their failure here leads to the weakening of the Umayyad government, in part because of the heavy losses. It is estimated that of the 200,000 soldiers who besieged Constantinople, only around 30,000 made it home. Although the Byzantine Empire also sustains heavily casualties and loses most its territory south of the Taurus Mountains, by holding the line here they prevent a disorganized and militarily inferior Europe from having to confront a Muslim invasion along the shortest possible route. Instead, the Arabic invasion of Europe must proceed along the longer path across northern Africa and into Spain, a route which prevents quick reinforcement and ultimately proves ineffective.
1118
Death of Alexius I Comnenus, Byzantine emperor.
1118
Byzantine emperor Alexius I Comnenus dies.
1209
The city of Carcassonne surrenders to the Crusaders. Unlike at Beziers the citizens are not killed but they are all forced to leave. Raymond-Roger de Trencavel is executed and Simon de Montfort, commander of the Crusader army, assumes control of the city and surrounding region for himself.
1464
Pope Pius II dies. Pius had been an enthusiastic supporter of Crusades against the Turks
1534
Ignatius of Loyola founded the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). The Jesuits played an important role in the Counter-Reformation.
1549
Saint Francis Xavier, a Jesuit missionary, arrived at Kagoshima, Japan. While here Xavier would establish a successful and growing Christianizing movement, especially among the lower castes.
1832
Pope Gregory XVI, in his encyclical Mirari vos, complained about the growth of the ideal of "freedom of conscience," stating "This is a contagious error to which the path is opened by the absolute freedom of thought which is spreading everywhere for the ruin of the Church... Connected with this is the freedom of press, the most deadly and execrable freedom for which one cannot have enough horror."
1924
Phyllis Schlafly was born.
1933
Stanley Milgram was born. Milgram is best known for his studies about human obedience to authority.
1947
In reprisal for the deaths of four Jews killed by Arabs five days earlier, Jewish underground forces killed eleven Arabs.
1947
Independence and Partition of India (Pakistan: August 14; India: August 15); Kashmir conflict begins.
1998
A car bomb in Omagh, Northern Ireland, killed 29 people and injured 370.
2004
In Canada, the Nova Scotia government is sued by three same-sex couples demanding that they be issued marriage licenses.
2006
For Orthodox Christians the "Falling Asleep (Dormition) of the Theotokos." This dates commemorates the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of the Virgin Mary.
2006
Assumption Day, A feast commemorating the Virgin Mary being taken up into heaven.
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