October 18
1009. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, one of the most famous churches in Christendom, believed by many to be the site of Golgotha, where Christ was crucified, and the destination of numerous pilgrims every year, is destroyed to its foundations by the Fatamid Caliph. Following negotiations between the Caliph's son and the Byzantine Empire, the church is rebuilt (at vast cost to Byzantium) in 1048.
1081. The Battle of Dyrrhachium, in Albania, results in a decisive Norman victory over the forces o fthe Byzantine Empire. I mention this not because this battle was particularly important, but rather because it is a fine example of the vast extent of the Norman "Empire" in the western European world. Normally thought of as being limited to Normandy, France (from which they of course originated and got their name) and their conquest of England, which was sudden and decisive, the Normans in fact exerted a strong influence over events throughout Europe and in particular int he Mediterranean during this time period, mostly through independent "adventurers" who at first worked as mercenaries and then became princes and dukes in their own right, often turning against their former employers in the process. This was especially true in the formation of the Kingdom fo Sicily, an entirely Norman kingdom, founded in Sicily and then spreading up the boot of Italy, over the course of several decades and involving numerous battles against a variety of opponents.
The Kingdom of Sicily at its height:
1767. The Mason-Dixon line, establishing the border between Pennsylvania and Delaware (to the north of the line) and Maryland and then-Virginia (later West Virginia) on the south, is completed.
1851. Moby Dick, originally called The Whale, is published.
1867. Alaska Day. The US takes possession of Alaska after purchasing it for $7.2 million.