Charles I was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 27 March 1625, until his execution. He famously engaged in a struggle for power with Parliament; he was an advocate of the divine right of kings. Many in England therefore feared that he was attempting to gain absolute power. There was widespread opposition to many of his actions, especially the levying of taxes without Parliament's consent. This is one of the many manifestations of popular discontent with an absolute monarchy. The last years of Charles's reign were marked by the English Civil War; he was opposed by the forces of Parliament and by Puritans. The war ended in defeat for Charles, who was subsequently tried, convicted and executed for high treason. The monarchy was overthrown, and a republic was established.
Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_I_of_England
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1649: King Charles I was beheaded for high treason in front of the Banqueting House in London during the English Civil War. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_I_of_England)
1820: Edward Bransfield of the Royal Navy landed on the mainland of Antarctica. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bransfield)
1933: Adolf Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler)
1948: Nathuram Godse bowed before Mahatma Gandhi, wished him well, then shot him to death with a Beretta pistol. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahatma_Gandhi)
1968: Vietnam War: Viet Cong forces launched the T?t Offensive on Vietnamese New Year's Day. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tet_Offensive)
_____________________ Wikiquote of the day:
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Franklin_D._Roosevelt)