Odoacer Deposes Romulus Augustulus, Ending the Western Roman Empire
On September 4, 476, Odoacer deposed Romulus Augustulus, ending the line of Western Roman emperors and ruling Italy himself.
The Concordat of Worms Ends the Investiture Controversy
On September 23, 1122, the Concordat of Worms ended the Investiture Controversy between the papacy and the Holy Roman Empire.
Portugal Is Recognised as a Kingdom
On October 5, 1143, the Treaty of Zamora recognised Portugal as a kingdom under Afonso Henriques.
Henry VII Is Crowned King of England
On October 30, 1485, Henry Tudor was crowned Henry VII, ending the Wars of the Roses.
Parliament Names Henry VIII Head of the English Church
On November 3, 1534, Parliament made Henry VIII head of the Church of England.
The Peace of Augsburg Settles Religion in the Holy Roman Empire
On September 25, 1555, the Peace of Augsburg let each German prince choose the religion of his own territory.
The Qing Court Moves to Beijing
On October 30, 1644, the Qing dynasty made Beijing its capital, when the young Shunzhi emperor was enthroned there after the fall of the Ming.
Louis XIV Dies
On September 1, 1715, Louis XIV died at Versailles after a 72-year reign, the longest of any major European monarch.
George III Becomes King of Britain
George III became king of Britain on October 25, 1760, at age twenty-two, after the death of his grandfather George II.
The Women's March on Versailles
On October 5, 1789, thousands of women marched to Versailles and forced the royal family back to Paris.
The French National Convention Abolishes the Monarchy
On September 21, 1792, the French National Convention abolished the monarchy and declared the country a republic.
Russia, Austria and Prussia Form the Holy Alliance
On September 26, 1815, Russia, Austria and Prussia signed the Holy Alliance, promising to govern by Christian principles after Napoleon's defeat.
Brazil Declares Independence from Portugal
On September 7, 1822, Dom Pedro declared Brazil independent from Portugal at Ipiranga, beginning the Brazilian empire.
The Xinyou Coup at the Qing Court
On November 2, 1861, Cixi and Prince Gong seized the regency set up for the child emperor Tongzhi and arrested the eight regents.
The Meiji Era Begins
On October 23, 1868, the reign name Meiji was adopted in Japan, beginning the era of rapid reform after the fall of the shogunate.
Empress Elisabeth of Austria Is Stabbed in Geneva
On September 10, 1898, Empress Elisabeth of Austria was assassinated in Geneva by Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni.
Portugal Becomes a Republic
On October 5, 1910, a republic was proclaimed in Portugal and King Manuel II fled into exile.
Yuan Shikai Becomes Prime Minister of the Qing Court
On November 1, 1911, the Qing court named Yuan Shikai prime minister and called on him to hold the army together.
An Act Proclaims a Polish Kingdom
On November 5, 1916, Germany and Austria-Hungary proclaimed a kingdom of Poland on land taken from Russia during the war.
The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes Becomes Yugoslavia
On October 3, 1929, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was renamed Yugoslavia under King Alexander.
Haile Selassie Is Crowned Emperor of Ethiopia
On November 2, 1930, Haile Selassie was crowned emperor of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Is Proclaimed
On September 23, 1932, Ibn Saud proclaimed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, uniting Hejaz and Nejd under one state.
Juliana Becomes Queen of the Netherlands
On September 6, 1948, Juliana became Queen of the Netherlands after her mother Wilhelmina abdicated, reigning until 1980.
Lesotho Becomes Independent
On October 4, 1966, Basutoland became independent from Britain as the Kingdom of Lesotho.
Swaziland Gains Independence from Britain
On September 6, 1968, Swaziland gained independence from Britain with King Sobhuza II as head of state; it renamed itself Eswatini in 2018.
The Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales
On September 6, 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, was buried from Westminster Abbey after a car crash in Paris; billions watched worldwide.