The Battle of Towton was the "largest and bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil". The engagement took place on 29 March 1461, a Palm Sunday, near a village of the same name in Yorkshire. It was part of the series of civil wars—the Wars of the Roses—fought between the Houses of Lancaster and York. More than 50,000 supporters were mustered for this battle. The reigning king of England, Henry VI, headed the Lancastrians, while the Yorkists were led by Edward IV, who had declared himself king and was using this battle to affirm his claim. Their armies met on a plateau near Towton amidst a snowstorm. The Lancastrians, superior in numbers, were lured out of their defensive positions by the Yorkist archers, who took advantage of the strong wind to outrange their counterparts and inflict casualties without suffering any in return. The ensuing melee raged for hours, and the Yorkists finally gained victory after the arrival of their reinforcements. Many Lancastrians were killed in their panicked flight from the battlefield, and the heralds reported a count of 28,000 dead. Henry fled to Scotland, leaving Edward free to start the Yorkist dynasty.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Towton

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1461:

Yorkist troops defeated Lancastrian forces at the Battle of Towton in Yorkshire, England, the largest battle in the Wars of the Roses up until that time with approximately 20,000 casualties. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Towton

1882:

The Knights of Columbus, the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization, was founded by Michael J. McGivney in New Haven, Connecticut, US. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_of_Columbus

1942:

World War II: The British Royal Air Force completed a bombing raid of Lübeck, the first major success for RAF Bomber Command against a German city. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_L%C3%BCbeck_in_World_War_II

1946:

Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, one of Mexico's leading universities, was founded. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instituto_Tecnol%C3%B3gico_Aut%C3%B3nomo_de_M%C3%A9xico

1982:

Queen Elizabeth II gave Royal Assent to the Canada Act 1982, which ended all remaining dependence of Canada on the United Kingdom by a process known as "patriation". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Act_1982

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

one fell swoop (n): (idiomatic) One stroke; one action or event with many results http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/one_fell_swoop

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

She is young. Have I the right

Even to name her? Child, It is not love I offer Your quick limbs, your eyes;

Only the barren homage Of an old man whom time Crucifies. --R. S. Thomas http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/R._S._Thomas