No major events.
742 – A boy is born in the Frankish Empire to King Pepin and Bertrada of Laon. He would be called Charles, and later, called Charles the Great, or Charlemagne. He became co-King of the Franks in 768, along side his brother, Carloman. However Carloman died under suspicious circumstances in 771, and Charlemagne became king alone. He would also be named King of the Lombards in 774, then finally in 800, it was decided that continental Europe should unite as one Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, with Charlemagne as its head. He was the first Emperor, a title which would out last him by a thousand years.
1545 – Elisabeth of Valois is born in France as the daughter of Henry II and Catherine de Medici. At the age of 14, she was married to the King of Spain, Phillip II, who was 18 years older than her. Despite the age difference they got along well and had two children. However, in 1568, a 23 year old Elisabeth would die suddenly after a miscarriage.
1653 – Prince George of Denmark is born in Copenhagen to King Frederick III and Queen Sophie Amalie. George would marry the future Queen Anne of Great Britain, and have a famous rivalry with his Anne’s brother in law, William of Orange, later William III, whom George supported in the Glorious Revolution. He led a mostly quiet life, supporting his wife through the overthrow of her father, the court of her sister, Mary II, and later her own monarchy. George and Anne would be pregnant 17 times, but none would survive out of adulthood.
1502 – Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales dies at age 15 while setting up his court in Wales. He was the eldest child of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Just months before his death he was married to Catherine of Aragon, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. The exact cause of his death is unknown, but could possibly have been tuberculosis or the English Sweating Sickness. Because of the Prince’s premature death, his younger brother Henry, would later become Henry VIII.
1657 – A 48 year old Holy Roman Emperor, Ferdinand III dies suddenly in Vienna. He was the son of Emperor Ferdinand II, and ruled since 1637. While Emperor, Ferdinand granted the rights to set their own foreign policies to all the rulers of the small German states under his authority, thus beginning the slow break up of the Empire. He was also a major patron of music and was said to have composed some pieces himself.
Have a great day!