April 8

in History

Harran, Mesopotamia (modern Turkey)Classical

217

Caracalla Assassinated

An emperor falls on a roadside in Mesopotamia

Near the ancient city of Harran in Mesopotamia, Roman Emperor Caracalla stopped to relieve himself during a march -- and was struck down by a single sword blow from a disgruntled soldier. His Praetorian Guard prefect Macrinus, widely suspected of orchestrating the murder, seized the purple for himself. Caracalla's brutal reign, marked by the massacre of thousands in Alexandria and extravagant public baths, ended as violently as it had been lived.

217 AD

Ashton-under-Lyne, EnglandEarly 20th Century

1900

Marie Byles Was Born

A trailblazer for women in law and wilderness

In the English countryside, Marie Beuzeville Byles was born -- destined to become the first practicing female solicitor in New South Wales, Australia. But her ambitions ranged far beyond the courtroom. She became a pioneering mountaineer, an ardent conservationist, and one of Australia's earliest Buddhists. Her life was a tapestry of firsts: scaling unclimbed peaks, protecting bushland from development, and opening doors that had been closed to women for centuries.

1900 AD

1914–1918 global conflictEarly 20th Century

1917

World War I

World War I: German naval officer Wilhelm Werner murdered 19 captured crew members of the British cargo ship.

World War I, or the First World War, also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Central Powers. Major areas of conflict included Europe and the Middle East, as well as parts of Africa and the Asia-Pacific. The war saw important developments in weaponry including tanks, aircraft, artillery, machine guns, and chemical weapons.

1917 AD