Viking Raid on Paris: Ragnar Lodbrok's Siege (+ 13 more historical events on this day!)

A Daily Dose of History (29 Mar 2026) Today's historical events: Paris is sacked by Viking raiders, probably under Ragnar Lodbrok, who collects a huge ransom in exchange for leaving. The Ottoman Empire under Murad II captures Thessalonica from the Republic of Venice. Battle of Towton: Edward of York defeats Queen Margaret to become King Edward IV of England, bringing a temporary stop to the Wars of the Roses. Cesare Borgia is given the title of Captain General and Gonfalonier by his father Rodrigo Borgia after returning from his conquests in the Romagna. The city of Salvador da Bahia, the first capital of Brazil, is founded. Treaty of Saint-Germain is signed returning Quebec to French control after the English had seized it in 1629. King Gustav III of Sweden dies after being shot in the back at a midnight masquerade ball at Stockholm's Royal Opera 13 days earlier. He is succeeded by Gustav IV Adolf. Construction is authorized of the Great National Pike, better known as the Cumberland Road, becoming the first United States federal highway. King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden abdicates after a coup d'état. At the Diet of Porvoo, Finland's four Estates pledge allegiance to Alexander I of Russia, commencing the secession of the Grand Duchy of Finland from Sweden. Great Bosnian uprising: Bosniaks rebel against Turkey. Mexican-American War: United States forces led by General Winfield Scott take Veracruz after a siege. The United Kingdom annexes the Punjab. Sepoy Mangal Pandey of the 34th Regiment, Bengal Native Infantry mutinies against the East India Company's rule in India and inspires the protracted Indian Rebellion of 1857, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny. American Civil War: Federal forces under Major General Philip Sheridan move to flank Confederate forces under Robert E. Lee as the Appomattox Campaign begins. 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