WHO WAS BORN
1291: King Afonso IV
Afonso
the Brave, King of Portugal,
was a passionate individual. His jealousy of his illegitimate
half-brothers led him to attempt to take the throne prematurely and
by force. When his father, Dinis, at last died and he succeeded
legitimately, political emnity arose between him and King Alfonso XI,
who sheltered his brother in Castile. Yet when Spain was invaded by
the Marinid sultan of Morocco, Afonso joined forces with the King of
Castile to defeat Marinid.
Afonso also had his son's mistress murdered for fear her family would grow too powerful. His son, Peter, rebelled, but was reconciled with his father before Afonso died in 1357.
WHO DIED
1265: Hülegü
A grandson of Genghis
Khan, Hülegü
was the Mongol ruler in medieval Persia who founded the Il-Khanid
dynasty, seized and sacked Baghdad, and quite possibly did more than
any other individual to destroy Persian culture.
1587: Mary, Queen of Scots
After nearly 20 years of captivity in England, and involvement in
at least three plots against Queen
Elizabeth, Mary
was convicted of treason and beheaded at Fotheringay Castle.
