Today in history

1608: Birth of poet John Milton in London. 1625: England and The Netherlands sign a military treaty. 1688: James II’s

1542: Mary, Queen of Scots is born in Linlithgow Palace, Scotland. 1710: General James Stanhope is captured by French and

43BC: Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman orator and politician is assassinated in Formiae. 1598: Artist and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini is

343: Greek Bishop St Nicholas, model for the modern day Father Christmas, dies aged 73. 1240: Mongols under Batu Khan

1123: Death of Persian poet, astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher Omar Khayyám. 1154: Nicholas Breakspear is elected Pope Adrian IV, the

1676: The Swedish army of 8,000 defeats a much larger joint Danish/Dutch force of 13,000 at the Battle of Lund

1547: Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes, who defeated the Aztec Empire and colonized large parts of Mexico, dies of pleurisy. 1697:

1154: Henry II is crowned King of England. 1642: Four of explorer Abel Rasman’s crew are killed at Wharewharangi Bay