On This Day

BC Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta, securing his position as king of the Persian Empire

Darius I (Old Persian: 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 Dārayavaʰuš; c. 550 – 486 BCE), commonly known as Darius the Great, was the third King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning from 522 BCE until his death...

Darius I (Old Persian: 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 Dārayavaʰuš; c. 550 – 486 BCE), commonly known as Darius the Great, was the third King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning from 522 BCE until his death in 486 BCE. He ruled the empire at its territorial peak, when it included much of West Asia, parts of the Balkans (Thrace–Macedonia and Paeonia) and the Caucasus, most of the Black Sea's coastal regions, Central Asia, the Indus Valley in the far east, and portions of North Africa and Northeast Africa including Egypt (Mudrâya), eastern Libya, and coastal Sudan.

Darius ascended the throne after overthrowing the Achaemenid monarch Bardiya (or Smerdis), who he claimed was in fact an imposter named Gaumata.

Historical Significance

Darius I (Old Persian: 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 Dārayavaʰuš; c.

Events Before

  1. A solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland

    A solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland

  2. St Hormisdas elected as Pope succeeding Pope Sympowerus

    St Hormisdas elected as Pope succeeding Pope Sympowerus

  3. Former peasant Justin I proclaimed Byzantine emperor in the Hippodrome, Constantinople

    Justin I (Latin: Iustinus; Ancient Greek: Ἰουστῖνος, romanized: Ioustînos; c. 450 – 1 August 527), also called Justin the Thracian (Latin: Iustinus Thrax; Ancient Greek: Ἰουστῖνος ὁ Θρᾷξ, romanized:...

  4. Pope Hormisdas reunites the Eastern and Western church, ending the Acacian schism in a ceremony in the cathedral of Cons

    Pope Hormisdas reunites the Eastern and Western church, ending the Acacian schism in a ceremony in the cathedral of Constantinople

Events After

  1. Pope Hormisdas reign as Catholic Pope ends with his death

    Pope Hormisdas reign as Catholic Pope ends with his death

  2. St John I begins his reign as Catholic Pope

    St John I begins his reign as Catholic Pope

  3. Godomar, King of the Burgundians, defeats the Franks at the Battle of Vézeronce

    Godomar II (also spelled Gundomar), son of king Gundobad, was king of Burgundy. Following the death of his older brother Sigismund in 524, he ruled Burgundy until 534.

  4. Battle of Vézeronce: the Franks defeat the Burgundians

    Battle of Vézeronce: the Franks defeat the Burgundians

  5. Possible date of the Antioch earthquake in the Byzantine Empire (present-day Syria), which kills 200,000 people

    Possible date of the Antioch earthquake in the Byzantine Empire (present-day Syria), which kills 200,000 people

More from the 520s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on September 29, 522?
Darius I (Old Persian: 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 Dārayavaʰuš; c. 550 – 486 BCE), commonly known as Darius the Great, was the third King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning from 522 BCE until his death in 486 BCE. He ruled the empire at its territorial peak, when it included much of West Asia, parts of the Balkans (Thrace–Macedonia and Paeonia) and the Caucasus, most of the Black Sea's coastal regions, Central Asia, the Indus Valley in the far east, and portions of North Africa and Northeast Africa including Egypt (Mudrâya), eastern Libya, and coastal Sudan.
Why is BC Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta, securing his position... significant?
Darius I (Old Persian: 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 Dārayavaʰuš; c.

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