This Day In European History
15th May
Events1264: King Henry of Germany is crowned.
1532: A gathering of English church officials officially accepts the authority of King Henry VIII in all issues.
1548: The Augsberg Interim is issued by Emperor Charles V, trying to make a compromise between Catholic and Protestant factions.
1567: Mary Queen of Scots marries James, Earl of Bothwell, who had recently been found innocent of murdering Mary's previous husband.
1591: Dmitri, the heir and brother of Tsar Fyodor I, is murdered, leading to a number of 'false dmitris' to seek the throne over the next twenty years.
1618: Johannes Kepler, a German astronomer, discovers the Harmonics Law.
1730: Charles Townshend departs from the British government after disagreeing with the Prime Minister, intending to return home and improve his estates. The innovations he makes their play a key role in the Agricultural Revolution, earning him the nickname 'Turnip Townshend'.
1796: Napoleon's French army enters Milan; Sardinia makes peace with France.
1800: The attempted assassination of George III.
1848: A left wing uprising occurs in Paris.
1893: The Peach Melba is invented in honour of Nellie Melba by a French chef.
Births
1567: Claudio Monteverdi, Italian composer.
1633: Sebastian Le Prestre de Vaubon, French military engineer.
1645: George Jeffreys, English judge.
1773: Klemens von Metternich, Austrian Chancellor.
Deaths
1164: Heloise, wife of Peter Abelard and romantic heroine.
1698: Marie Champmesie, French actress.
1703: Charles Perrault, French author.
1740: Ephraim Chambers, British encyclopedist.
1847: Daniel O'Connell, Irish nationalist.
