The Second Arab Siege of Constantinople in 717–718 was a land and sea offensive by the Arabs of the Umayyad Caliphate against the capital city of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople. In 716, after 20 years of progressive occupation of the borderlands of Byzantium during its prolonged internal turmoil, Arabs led by Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik invaded Byzantine Asia Minor. They made common cause with the general Leo the Isaurian, who had risen up against Emperor Theodosios III, but Leo tricked them and secured the Byzantine throne for himself in 717. The Arab army then crossed into Thrace and built siege lines to blockade the city, which was protected by the massive Theodosian Walls. The Arab fleet's attempted blockade was neutralized by the Byzantine navy's Greek fire (pictured), and the Arab army was crippled by famine and disease during the unusually hard winter that followed. After the defeat of two Arab fleets and another Arab army, followed by an attack on their rear by Bulgarians, the siege was lifted in 718. Although regular attacks on Byzantine territories continued, the Caliphate's goal of conquest was abandoned. Historians credit the siege with halting the Muslim advance into Europe, and rank it among history's most consequential battles.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Constantinople_(717%E2%80%9318)

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1789:

The Power of Sympathy by William Hill Brown, widely considered to be the first American novel, was published. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_of_Sympathy

1840:

The French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville discovered Adélie Land, Antarctica. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Dumont_d%27Urville

1931:

Sir Isaac Isaacs became the first Australian-born Governor- General of Australia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Isaacs

1968:

Cold War: A B-52 bomber carrying four nuclear weapons crashed onto sea ice near Thule Air Base, Greenland, causing widespread radioactive contamination. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Thule_Air_Base_B-52_crash

2011:

Demonstrations in Tirana to protest the alleged corruption of the Albanian government led to the killings of three demonstrators by the Republican Guard. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Albanian_opposition_demonstrations

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

palinspastic: (geology, of a map) Showing the previous location of geological features, correcting for any intervening crustal movements. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/palinspastic

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Ever since I arrived to a state of manhood, I have felt a sincere passion for liberty. The history of nations doomed to perpetual slavery, in consequence of yielding up to tyrants their natural born liberties, I read with a sort of philosophical horror; so that the first systematical and bloody attempt at Lexington, to enslave America, thoroughly electrified my mind, and fully determined me to take part with my country.   --Ethan Allen https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ethan_Allen