The general court of the Province of Massachusetts Bay ordered a day of public fasting and prayer for atonement because of the legal persecution of witches. Twelve of the jurors of the Court of Ayer and Terminer who investigated over 200 accusations of witchcraft signed a statement of apology for their part in the Salem … Read more
Harold Godwinson was crowned King Harold II of England. He succeeded King Edward the Confessor who had promised the throne to William of Normandy, later known as William the Conqueror, only to retract the offer on his deathbed. Harold’s reign was beset from the outset with threats not only from William but also from his … Read more
At 5:20 am local time an earthquake lasting 30 seconds, with a magnitude of 7.5 on the Richter scale, devastated parts of Sicily and southern Italy. The epicentre was in the Strait of Messina, between Sicily and Calabria on the ‘toe’ of Italy’s mainland. Due to seismic activity in the area, Sicily and Calabria are … Read more