Battles of January 16 including descriptions of the battles, geographic locations, associated artwork, and museums where a person can find associated artifacts and artwork.
Song of the day: The Arrival (Jan 16, 378) Latin Pop Song
1. Battle of Corunna (Battle of Elviña)
Date: January 16, 1809
War: The Peninsular War (Part of the Napoleonic Wars)
Cause: The British army, led by Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore, had been retreating across northern Spain in harsh winter conditions, pursued closely by French forces under Marshal Soult. The British needed to hold off the French long enough to evacuate their exhausted troops by sea from the port of Corunna (A Coruña).
Result: Tactical British Victory / Strategic French Success. The British successfully repelled the French attacks, allowing their army to embark and escape to England. However, the British commander, Sir John Moore, was mortally wounded by a cannonball during the battle. The French took control of the region after the British departure.
Paintings & Art
- Painting: The Death of Sir John Moore at Corunna
- Artist: Henry James Richter (also depicted by various “English School” artists and Thomas Lawrence)
- Year: c. 1810s (Lawrence’s portrait of Moore was earlier, but death scenes appeared shortly after the battle).
Museums & Artifacts
- National Army Museum (London, United Kingdom): Holds uniforms, letters, and lithographs depicting the death of Moore and the retreat.
- Museo Militar Regional de Coruña (A Coruña, Spain): Located on the actual site of the battle, this museum houses artifacts, weapons, and dioramas specific to the engagement.
- St. Paul’s Cathedral (London, United Kingdom): Contains a prominent monument and statue dedicated to Sir John Moore.
Location
- General: Elviña, on the outskirts of A Coruña, Galicia, Spain.
- Coordinates: 43.3333° N, 8.4167° W
Recommended Book
2. Battle of Cape St. Vincent (The “Moonlight Battle”)
Date: January 16, 1780
War: American Revolutionary War (Anglo-Spanish War)
Cause: A British fleet under Admiral Sir George Rodney was sailing to relieve the Great Siege of Gibraltar, which was being blockaded by Spanish forces. En route, they encountered a Spanish squadron under Don Juan de Lángara off the coast of Portugal.
Result: Decisive British Victory. The battle was unique because it was fought at night (rare for the Age of Sail), earning it the nickname “The Moonlight Battle.” Rodney captured four Spanish ships and destroyed two others, successfully breaking the blockade to resupply Gibraltar.
Paintings & Art
- Painting: The Moonlight Battle off Cape St Vincent, 16 January 1780
- Artist: Thomas Luny
- Year: 1781
Museums & Artifacts
- National Maritime Museum (Greenwich, United Kingdom): Houses Thomas Luny’s famous painting of the battle, as well as ship models and logs from Admiral Rodney’s fleet.
- Museo Naval (Madrid, Spain): Contains naval records and artifacts regarding the Spanish fleet and the blockade of Gibraltar.
Location
- General: Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Cape St. Vincent, Algarve, Portugal.
- Coordinates: 37.0231° N, 8.9964° W
Recommended Book
3. The Arrival (The Takeover of Tikal)
Date: January 16, 378
War: Teotihuacan-Maya Conflict (Internal Mesoamerican Power Shift)
Cause: This “battle” was a calculated military intervention (or coup). Forces from the central Mexican metropolis of Teotihuacan, led by a warlord named Sihyaj Kʼahkʼ (“Fire is Born”), marched into the Maya city of Tikal to install a new dynasty and bring the city into Teotihuacan’s sphere of influence.
Result: Teotihuacan Victory. The reigning king of Tikal, Chak Tok Ich’aak I, died on the exact same day Sihyaj Kʼahkʼ arrived (likely executed). A new dynasty was established, launching Tikal into a golden age of dominance under Mexican-influenced leadership.
Paintings & Art
- Artwork: Stela 31 (The Ballcourt Marker)
- Artist: Ancient Maya/Teotihuacan Sculptors
- Year: c. 378–380 AD (Commissioned shortly after the event).
Museums & Artifacts
- Tikal National Park (Flores, Guatemala): The site itself serves as an open-air museum where the stelae recording this specific date (8.17.1.4.12 in the Long Count) were found.
- Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología (Guatemala City, Guatemala): Houses many of the finest original jade artifacts and ceramics from Tikal demonstrating the shift in style after 378 AD.
Location
- General: Tikal, Petén Department, Guatemala.
- Coordinates: 17.2220° N, 89.6237° W
Recommended Book
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