Friday, Jul 17, 2026
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561 - John III begins his reign as Catholic Pope.
855 - Saint Leo IV ends his reign as Catholic Pope.
1048 - The third German pope, Damasus II, is enthroned in Rome. Originally named Poppo, he was born in Bavaria. He was the Bishop of Brixen in Tyrol when Heinrich III nominated him as pope.
1429 - Charles VII is crowned king of France.
1487 - Birth of Esma'il I shah who converted Iran from Sunni to Shi'ah.
1505 - Birth of Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten in Berlin, Germany; philosopher, coined the term "aesthetics" and established it as a distinct field of philosophy.
1549 - Jews are expelled from Ghent Belgium.
1674 - Birth of Isaac Watts England, writer/preacher/hymnist (Horae Lyrican).
1695 - The Bank of Scotland is founded, and is granted a 21-year banking monopoly with note-issuing privileges.
1744 - Birth of Elbridge Thomas Gerry in Marblehead, Massachusetts; American statesman and diplomat, Governor of Massachusetts (1810-11), Vice President (1813-14).