Sicily Timeline of Events

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Sicily

Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature, cuisine,...

Timeline of Events

535

12.31.535

Byzantine General Belisarius completes the conquest of Sicily, defeating the Ostrogothic garrison of Syracuse, and ending his consulship for the year.

878

5.21.878

Syracuse, Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily.

902

8.1.902

Taormina, the last Byzantine stronghold in Sicily, is captured by the Aghlabid army.

1266

2.26.1266

Battle of Benevento: An army led by Charles, Count of Anjou, defeats a combined German and Sicilian force led by King Manfred of Sicily. Manfred is killed in the battle and Pope Clement IV invests Charles as king of Sicily and Naples.

2.26.1266

1282

3.30.1282

The people of Sicily rebel against the Angevin king Charles I, in what becomes known as the Sicilian Vespers.

1693

1.11.1693

Mt. Etna erupts in Sicily, Italy. A powerful earthquake destroys parts of Sicily and Malta.

1.11.1693

Mt. Etna erupts in Sicily, Italy. A powerful earthquake destroys parts of Sicily and Malta.

1848

1.12.1848

The Palermo rising takes place in Sicily against the Bourbon kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

1849

5.15.1849

Troops of the Two Sicilies take Palermo and crush the republican government of Sicily

1860

5.27.1860

Giuseppe Garibaldi begins his attack on Palermo, Sicily, as part of the Italian Unification.

1943

7.5.1943

World War II: An Allied invasion fleet sails for Sicily (Operation Husky, July 10, 1943).

8.17.1943

World War II: The U.S. Seventh Army under General George S. Patton arrives in Messina, Italy, followed several hours later by the British 8th Army under Field Marshal Bernard L. Montgomery, thus completing the Allied conquest of Sicily.

1947

5.1.1947

Portella della Ginestra massacre against May Day celebrations in Sicily by the bandit and separatist leader Salvatore Giuliano; 11 persons were killed and 33 wounded.

1985

10.10.1985

United States Navy F-14 fighter jets intercept an Egyptian plane carrying the ''Achille Lauro'' cruise ship hijackers and force it to land at a NATO base in Sigonella, Sicily where they are arrested.

1993

1.15.1993

Salvatore Riina, the Mafia boss known as "The Beast", is arrested in Sicily after three decades as a fugitive.