On September 28, 48 BC, Pompey the Great, fleeing after his defeat by Julius Caesar at the Battle of Pharsalus, was assassinated upon landing in Egypt on orders of King Ptolemy XIII. Pompey’s death marked the end of his political and military career and led to further instability in the Roman Republic.
48 BC – Pompey the Great Assassinated in Egypt
On September 28, 1542, Portuguese explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo became the first European to sail into San Diego Bay. He named the area San Miguel and claimed it for Spain. Cabrillo’s expedition marked the beginning of European exploration along the coast of present-day California.
1542 – Cabrillo Sails into San Diego Bay
On September 28, 1569, Istanbul experienced one of its worst fires of the century, which began in a Jewish bakery. The fire raged for eight days, destroying 36,000 buildings and causing widespread devastation. The disaster highlighted the vulnerability of the city’s wooden structures and had a lasting impact on urban planning.
1569 – Istanbul’s Devastating Fire
On September 28, 1785, a 16-year-old Napoleon Bonaparte graduated from the prestigious École Militaire in Paris. Despite his future success, Napoleon ranked 42nd in a class of 51. His modest graduation rank did not predict the monumental military and political influence he would later wield as Emperor of France.
1785 – Napoleon Bonaparte Graduates from École Militaire
On September 28, 1904, a woman was arrested for smoking a cigarette in a car on 5th Avenue in New York City. The incident highlighted the strict social norms of the time regarding public behavior and women’s rights, which would gradually evolve as societal attitudes toward gender and personal freedom changed.
