Today in Hellenic History.

haha we have almost done a full year of this incredible thread! well done everyone especially amarantos obvioulsy!

14 February 869
St. Cyril (baptised Konstantinos) dies in Rome.The two Greek brothers, Cyril and Methodius, born in Thessaloniki also called “Apostles to the Slavs“,are the missionaries who introduced the Slavs in Christianity.


The Saints Cyril and Methodios.Wall-painting portraying Saints Cyril and Methodios standing before Christ and two angels, 11th century, Rome,crypt of Saint Clement's church.

14 February 1898
Unsuccessful assassination attempt against King Georgios I of Greece.


King Georgios I (December 24, 1845 – March 18, 1913).

14 February 1962
Chrysostomos II is elected Archbishop of Athens.

14 February 1974
The localisation of layers of hydrocarbons in the sea region of Thassos island is officially announced.The daily production is calculated in 10.000 barrels of oil.

14 February 1987
Death of Karolos Koun, theater director, founder of the experimental Art Theater in 1942.


Karolos Koun (Prusa, 13 September 1908 - Athens, 14 February 1987).

14 February 1992
Thousands of people protest in Thessaloniki against the use of the hellenic name "Macedonia" by FYROM.


14 February 1993
Glafkos Kliridis is elected President of the Republic of Cyprus.

15 February 399 BC
-Socrates is sentenced to death by the Athenian authorities, condemned for impiety and corruption of the youth.


Socrates (June 4, 470 BC - February 15, 399 BC).

-King Archelaus I of Macedon (reign 413 - 399 BC) is killed during a hunt.


Macedonian Kingdom Didrachm.Head of Apollo/ AΡΧΕ-ΛA-O, horse walking with trailing reins; all within linear square.

15 February 360
The first church of the Wisdom of the Lord (Agia Sophia) is inaugurated in Constantinople. Its construction began by Constantine the Great and is completed by his son Constantius. The Church Fathers Saint Gregory Nazianzenus and Saint John Chrysostom speak from its pulpit during the ceremony.

15 February 438
Emperor Theodosius' Law Code, the Codex Theodosianus, is published.

15 February 1835
Dimitrios Vikelas, merchant and known literary man, first President of the International Olympic Committee, is born in Ermoupolis, on the island of Syros.

Dimitrios Vikelas (Ermoupolis February 15, 1835 - Athens July 20, 1908).

15 February 1878
Thessalian revolutionary groups, in which participate students from the Athens University led by Professor N. Nikolaidis, repulse attacks against Makrynitsa in Pilion, Thessaly, by 4.000 Turkish infantrymen and two cavalry squadrons, supported by two artillery pieces.

15 February 1941
-The 43rd and 44th Infantry Regiments of Devision V (Cretan) crush the stubborn Italian resistance after dashing attacks and fierce fighting and capture the crest line formed by the saddle of Metzgorane- Punta Nord (Summit 1.647) - Summit 1.260 - Summit 1.178 – Maritsai village - Arza di Mezzo village, in the Trebeshine area.

-The 1st Battalion of the 39th Infantry Regiment of Division II occupies Summit 1723 of Goliko height in Northern Epirus despite stout Italian resistance and extremely adverse weather conditions.

15 February 1998
Glafkos Kliridis is re-elected President of the Republic of Cyprus.

16 February 1391
Death of the Byzantine Emperor Ioannis V Palaeologos.

16 February 1816
Arrives in Kerkyra (Corfu) island Sir Thomas Maitland,the first High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands.

16 February 1833
The Hellenic "Government Gazette" is published in Nafplio.

16 February 1844
Konstantinos Kanaris becomes President of the Ministerial Council.He will serve as PM of Greece for six terms.

Konstantinos Kanaris (1790-1877).

16 February 1907
Aggelos Terzakis, writer, is born in Nafplio.


Aggelos Terzakis (February 16, 1907 - August 3, 1979).

16 February 1923
The Gregorian calendar officially replaces the Julian one.Thus February 16 becomes March 1.

16 February 1942
Foundation of the "National Popular Liberation Army" - Εθνικός Λαϊκός Απελευθερωτικός Στρατός (ΕΛΑΣ) as the military branch of ΕAM (Εθνικό Απελευθερωτικό Μέτωπο - National Liberation Front).

16 February 1985
-P.M. Andreas Papandreou inaugurates "PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP STADIUM" at the launch of the National Indoor Athletics Championship.



-Death of the writer Giorgos Ioannou.


Giorgos Ioannou (Thessaloniki November 20, 1927 - Athens February 16, 1985).

16 February 1994
Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou announces the decision of his government to "interrupt the transportation of merchandise to and from Skopje through the port of Thessaloniki, excluding necessary goods for humanitarian reasons, such as food and medicine". The government also decides to close the Greek Consulate General in Skopje.

16 February 2003
Tassos Papadopoulos is elected President of the Republic of Cyprus receiving 51% of the vote.


Tassos Papadopoulos (Lefkosia January 7, 1934).

17 February 364
Death of the Byzantine Emperor Jovian (Flavius Claudius Iovianus).

17 February 1831
Kapodistrias announces the intention of his government to proceed to the publication of 3.000.000 Phoenixes in banknotes.

17 February 1892
King Georgios summarily dismisses PM Theodoros Deligiannis despite the fact that his government has the confidence of the Parliament, as a result of the incapacity of the latter to deal with the financial crisis.

17 February 1914
The Greeks of Northern Epirus declare their independence.
The evacuation of the Greek forces from Northern Epirus begin, after the decision of the Great Powers to cede the region to Albania. A provisional government is formed under the leadership of Georgios Christakis Zographos as a result of an uprising by the region’s inhabitants against the unjust decision of the Great Powers. This provisional government declares the autonomy of Northern Epirus in a formal ceremony in Argyrokastro.




17 February 1919
Greek troops, during the campaign undertaken by the Allies in Ukraine, capture the city Nikolayev, which they will abandon on March 1 after relative order.


Major General Constantine Nither, head of the Greek expedition, with his staff.

17 February 1946
Death of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Benjamin.

17 February 1968
During the Twentieth Party Congress of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) in Bucharest the contrasts that spring up between the "orthodox" and the "renewable" wings of the party prejudge its split.

17 February 1986
The Single European Act modifying the Treaty of Rome is signed in Luxembourg putting as aim a common market by December 31, 1992.

18 February 842
The restoration of the icons by Theodora, regent of Michael III and widow of the last iconoclast Byzantine Emperor Theophilos.

18 February 1856
The Imperial Edict "Hatt-ı Hümayun" is published in Constantinople.With this, inter alia, the rights of the christian communities of the Ottoman Empire are ensured.

18 February 1857
Τhe British-French armed forces withdraw from the Greek territory, ending the period of Occupation of Piraeus, the port of Athens.The British-French Occupation was aiming to enforce Greek neutrality during the Crimean War (1854–56) fought between Russia and the Ottoman Empire with its British and French allies.

18 February 1883
Nikos Kazantzakis is born in Heraklion, Crete.


Nikos Kazantzakis (February 18, 1883 - October 26, 1957).

18 February 1952
The Greek Parliament approves the country's entry into NATO.

18 February 1965
PM Georgios Papandreou announces the intention of his government to construct a bridge joining Rion-Antirion.

19 February 1822
Zafeirakis Theodosiou Logothetis declares the Greek Revolution in the city of Naousa, Imathia, Macedonia, Greece.

19 February 1913
The general attack of the Hellenic Army for the capture of the city of Ioannina begins.

19 February 1947
The foundation of the camp of "national rehabilitation" of Makronisos is announced.Because of its history,nowdays the island is considered a monument of the Civil War era.

19 February 1956
The National Radical Union (ERE) under the leadership of Konstantinos Karamanlis receives 26.000 votes less than the Democratic Union coalition, but secures the absolute parliamentary majority (165 deputies) and forms a government because of the effective electoral system. In the elections women participate for the first time (Resignation on March 5, 1958).

19 February 1959
The London Agreement is signed granting independence to Cyprus and creating a sovereign state under the administration of the Greek majority but with the provision of increased guarantees for the Turkish minority.

19 February 1962
Death of Dr Georgios Papanikolaou,pioneer in cytology and early cancer detection, inventor of the Papanikolaou test (Pap test).


US postage stamp.


Hellenic banknote.


Georgios Papanikolaou (Kymi,Euboea island May 13, 1883– Miami,USA February 19, 1962).

19 February 1964
Government under Georgios Papandreou.Resignation on July 15,1965.

19 February 1978
An Egypt airliner is seized by two Arab militants at Larnaca airport, Cyprus. Egyptian commandos fly in without the approval of the Cypriot authorities to try to storm the plane during the negotiations. Cyprus National Guardsmen resist them and 15 Egyptian commandos are killed in a 45-minute battle.The hostages are liberated and the two hijackers arrested.

20 February 1822
The Naval Battle of Patras.The Greek fleet, consisting of twenty-seven Hydriot, twenty Spetsiot and sixteen Psarian vessels, under the command of Andreas Miaoulis, engage the Turkish fleet under Kara Tepe Ali in the Gulf of Patras and force it to flee panic-ridden and with many losses in the direction of Zakynthos.


The Hydrean Naval Ensign.


The Naval Ensign of Spetses.




The Psarian Naval Ensign.




Andreas Miaoulis was born on the Aegean island of Hydra. At the age of 17 he became captain of a commercial ship. During the Napoleonic wars he managed due to his courageous sea operations to accumulate considerable wealth. From the second year of the revolution he was appointed admiral of the Greek fleet. He defeated the Turkish navy near Patras and the Turko-Egyptian navy near Gerondas , and on many occasions he was able to provide supplies for Greek cities besieged by the Turks (e.g. Messolonghi ).


Andreas Miaoulis, Hydra island.

20 February 1905
Elections take place.Theodoros Deligiannis secures 142 parliamentary seats out of 235 and forms a government.


Theodoros Deligiannis.

20 February 1913
-The Hellenic Army, after a wide envelopment around the Bizani Fort, closes in tightly upon Ioannina. At night, Esat Pasha, commander of the Turkish army, sends officers to the Greek headquarters in Chani Emin Aga in order to negotiate the surrender of the fortified complex of Bizani and of the city of Ioannina.


Greek Infantry bugler calls for attack.Bizani, 1913.


Greek Artillery fires againts the Ottoman fortifications before Crown Prince Konstantinos.

-The Bulgarians launch a powerful attack against Nigrita at midday, in combination with the action of Bulgarian troops that are already inside the city. After three days fighting, the Bulgarians retreat to Serres during the night of 23/24 February, while those that remained in the city are taken prisoner.

20 February 1991
Aleka Papariga is elected General Secretary of KKE (Communist Party of Greece).

20 February 2000
Nikos Kaklamanakis wins the gold medal in Mistral World Championships at Mar del Plata, Argentina.

21 February 1821
An armed clash between Greek revolutionaries under the command of Vasileios Karavias and the Turks in Galatsi, Moldavia, results in a resounding Greek victory.

21 February 1913
The liberation of Ioannina. As a result of the negotiations between the representatives of Esat Pasha with the Greek Headquarters of Epirus, an agreement is reached by which a Turkish force of one thousand officers, 32,000 enlisted men and 108 artillery pieces surrender unconditionally. The Hellenic Army enters as liberator in the historic city of Ioannina, to the enthusiastic cheers of the inhabitants.






The Hellenic Army enters Ioannina.






Crown Prince Konstantinos in Ioannina.


Crown Prince Konstantinos decorates the standards of the Units participating in the capture of Ioannina.

21 February 1915
A major disagreement developed between King Konstantinos and Prime Minister Venizelos as to whether Greece would remain neutral or enter the war on the side of the Allies takes place. The King insists on the country's neutrality, a policy which runs counter to that proposed by the Prime Minister. The latter resigns.

21 February 1963
The National Radical Union party (ERE) deposits to the Parliament a proposal for the revision of the 1952 Constitution, aiming at the regularisation of the political life of the country and the support of the Executive.

21 February 1988
Giorgos Vasiliou is elected President of the Republic of Cyprus.


Giorgos Vasiliou (Ammochostos May 20, 1931)

22 February 1821
Alexandros Ypsilantis crosses the Pruth river and enters in the Moldavian territory aiming to the insurrection against the Ottoman Empire.


Alexander Ypsilantis crosses the Pruth.
Painting of P. von Hess.

22 February 1841
Cretans exiled in Athens including V. Chalis, G. Kamis, Em. Pentelaros, An. Tsouderos, Vassiloyiorgis, Em. Dektakis, the Chairetis brothers and Alexander Kouloundouros, arrive in Crete. In Askyphou, Sphakia, in agreement with other Cretan warlords, they declare the Revolution against the Turks.

22 February 1908
Theodoros Askitis, the chief interpreter of the Greek consulate in Thessaloniki, is murdered on account of the successful activity of the city’s Greek organization, which interrupted Bulgarian population settlement there.

22 February 1973
-The Law School of the University of Athens is occupied by students that react against the Regime of the Colonels.The events at the Law School are often cited as the prelude to the Polytechnic uprising on November 1973.


Morning of February 22, 1973 ,Law School of the University of Athens.

-Death of Katina Paxinou ,born Ekaterini Konstantopoulou, film and theatre actress, winner of Best Supporting Actress Academy Award on 1943.


Katina Paxinou (December 15, 1900 - February 22, 1973).