The Battle of Kalavrye was fought in 1078 between the Byzantine imperial forces of general (and future emperor) Alexios Komnenos (pictured) and a force led by the rebellious governor of Dyrrhachium, Nikephoros Bryennios the Elder. Bryennios had rebelled against Michael VII Doukas (reigned 1071–78) and had won over the allegiance of the Byzantine army's regular regiments in the Balkans. Even after Doukas's overthrow by Nikephoros III Botaneiates (r. 1078–81), Bryennios continued his revolt, threatening Constantinople. After failed negotiations, Botaneiates sent the young general Alexios Komnenos to confront him. The two armies clashed at Kalavrye on the Halmyros river. Komnenos, whose army was considerably smaller and far less experienced, tried but failed to ambush Bryennios's army, which in turn fell into disorder after its own Pecheneg allies attacked its camp. Reinforced by Turkish mercenaries, Alexios lured the troops of Bryennios into another ambush through a feigned retreat. The rebel army broke, and Bryennios himself was captured. This is one of the few battles that was described in detail by Byzantine sources.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kalavrye
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1674:
The Third Anglo-Dutch War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Westminster, with England regaining New York, and the Netherlands taking Suriname. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Anglo-Dutch_War
1811:
Peninsular War: An outnumbered French force under Édouard Mortier routed and nearly destroyed the Spanish at the Battle of the Gebora near Badajoz, Spain. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Gebora
1942:
World War II: US President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, authorizing the forcible relocation of over 112,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese people residing in the United States to internment camps (Manzanar War Relocation Center pictured). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internment_of_Japanese_Americans
1986:
The first module of the Soviet space station Mir was launched, establishing the first long-term research station in space. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mir
2006:
A methane explosion in a coal mine in Nueva Rosita, Mexico, trapped and killed 65 miners. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasta_de_Conchos_mine_disaster
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
tendentious: 1. Having a tendency; written or spoken with a partisan, biased or prejudiced purpose, especially a controversial one. 2. Implicitly or explicitly slanted. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tendentious
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
When I want something to happen — or not happen — I begin to look at all events and all things as relevant, an opportunity to take or avoid. --Amy Tan https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Amy_Tan