Mayan King Bird Jaguar IV's Ascension: A Historic Moment (+ 13 more historical events on this day!)

A Daily Dose of History (03 May 2026) Today's historical events: Mayan king Bird Jaguar IV of Yaxchilan in modern-day Chiapas, Mexico, assumes the throne. The largest of three earthquakes strikes the island of Rhodes and causes an estimated 30,000 casualties. Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries, adopting the baptismal name of João I. Angered by the brutal onslaught of Spanish troops at Fort Caroline, a French force has burned the San Mateo fort and massacred hundreds of Spaniards. Treaty of Loudun ends a French civil war. A total solar eclipse is visible across northern Europe and northern Asia, as predicted by Edmond Halley to within four minutes accuracy. The Constitution of May 3 (the first modern constitution in Europe) is proclaimed by the Sejm of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Washington, D.C. is incorporated as a city after Congress abolishes the Board of Commissioners, the District's founding government. The "City of Washington" is given a mayor-council form of government. Finnish War: Sweden loses the fortress of Sveaborg to Russia. Peninsular War: The Madrid rebels who rose up on May 2 are executed near Príncipe Pío hill. Neapolitan War: Joachim Murat, King of Naples, is defeated by the Austrians at the Battle of Tolentino, the decisive engagement of the war. The Canterbury and Whitstable Railway is opened; it is the first steam-hauled passenger railway to issue season tickets and include a tunnel. The University of Athens is founded in Athens, Greece. The May Uprising in Dresden begins: The last of the German revolutions of 1848-49. Information from this episode are sourced from API Ninjas Explanations from OpenAI ChatGPT API with proprietary prompts. This podcast is produced by Klassic Studios Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices