On This Day, 12 March

12 March AD 2019

27 February AM 7527

12th Indiction

a.d. iv Id. Mart. MMDCCLXXII A.U.C.

Our Lady of Miracles, St. Maur des Fosses, France

Feast of St Ælfheah the Bald

Feast of St Fina

417 – Innocent I, Pope, died 538 – Vitiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving the city in the hands of the victorious Byzantine general, Belisarius 604 – Gregory I the Great, pope died (b. 540) 1289 – Demetrius II, king of Georgia, died (b. 1259) 1316 – Stefan Dragutin, king of Serbia, died (b. 1253) 1500 – Reginald Pole, last true Archbishop of Canterbury born (d. 1558) 1613 - Rene Le Coq de La Saussaye leaves for Acadia; sent by Antoinette de Pons, Marquise de Guercheville; to get Biard and Masse from Port Royal. Honfleur, France March 12, 1618 - King Louis XIII of France instructs the Chamber of Commerce to assist Champlain “with things requisite and necessary” for the execution of the command that he had received, to establish 300 families a year in New France, and that the partners be assured the monopoly of the trade in furs, and to “carry on all work that he shall judge necessary for establishing the colonies that we wish to found in the said country.” Paris, France 1620 - King Louis XIII of France orders Samuel de Champlain to cease exploration, return to Quebec, and devote himself to the administration of the country.  1622 – Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier, founders of the Society of Jesus, are canonised. 1664 - King Charles II grants territory between the St. Croix and Kennebec Rivers to his brother James, Duke of York, later James II. London, England 1689 – The Williamite War in Ireland begins. 1811 – Peninsular War: A day after a successful rearguard action, French Marshal Michel Ney once again successfully delayed the pursuing Anglo-Portuguese force at the Battle of Redinha. 1913 – Canberra Day: The future capital of Australia is officially named Canberra. (Melbourne remains temporary capital until 1927 while the new capital is still under construction.) 1918 – Moscow becomes the capital of Russia again after Saint Petersburg held this status for 215 years. 1938 – Anschluß: German troops occupy and absorb Austria. 1940 – Winter War: Finland signs the Moscow Peace Treaty with the Soviet Union, ceding almost all of Finnish Karelia. Finnish troops and the remaining population are immediately evacuated. 1984 - King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain arrive in Canada for a 6-day state visit. Ottawa, Ontario 1994 – The Church of England ordains its first female priests, descending to irrelevance ever after.