Today is Friday; 27th of the Iranian month of Mehr 1397 solar hijri; corresponding to 9th of the Islamic month of Safar 1440 lunar hijri; and October 19, 2108, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

2220 solar years ago, on this day in 202 BC, during the Second Punic War at the Battle of Zama, Roman legions under Publius Scipio Africanus defeated the famous general Hannibal Barca, the leader of the army defending Carthage near modern Tunis in North Africa. Despite Hannibal possessing numerical superiority, Scipio conceived a strategy to confuse and defeat his war elephants. Scipio's troops then routed the Carthaginian infantry. Soon after this defeat on their home ground, the Carthaginian senate sued for peace, which was given to them by the Roman Republic on rather humiliating terms, ending the 17-year war.

1579 solar years ago, on this day in 439 AD, the Vandals, led by King Gaiseric, and allied with the Alans – an ethnic Iranian tribe – took Carthage in North Africa, after having crossed over from Iberia (modern Spain & Portugal), and for the first time since the Punic era detached it from the Roman empire.

1403 lunar years ago, on this day in 37 AH, Ammar Yasser, one of the close disciples of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), attained martyrdom at the age of 93 during a battle in the War of Siffin, in defence of Islam, while fighting hypocrisy and sedition, in the company of Prophet’s First Infallible Heir, Imam Ali (AS). He was killed in a cowardly manner from behind by a commander of the Omayyad rebel, Mu’awiyah ibn Abu Sufyan, and thus the Prophet’s prediction that Ammar will be martyred by a heretical group came true. His parents, Yaser and Somayyah, were the first martyrs of Islam. They were tortured to death by the pagan Arabs of Mecca, such as Abu Sufyan. Ammar stood firm against the persecutions of disbelievers and on several occasions accompanied the Prophet in the expeditions against the pagan Arabs. After the Prophet, he stood firmly beside Imam Ali (AS) and refused to accept the regime in Medina for usurping political power through the coup at Saqifa Bani Sa'da. Ammar’s mausoleum situated in Reqqa, Syria, at the site of his martyrdom, has been desecrated by Takfiri terrorists.

1402 lunar years ago, on this day in 38 AH, the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), decisively defeated at Nahrawan in Iraq, an army of some 2000 Khawarej or renegades who had turned away from Islam to start armed rebellion against Prophet Mohammad’s (SAWA) divinely-designated Heir. Initially, part of the Imam’s forces at the inconclusive War of Siffeen against the rebel, Mu’awiyah ibn Abu Sufyan, these misled people, duped by the Omayyad stratagem in raising copies of the holy Qur’an on spear-points, had forced the Imam to stop the battle on the verge of victory, imposed upon him the weak-willed Abu Musa Ash’ari for the arbitration, rejected its outcome, and then broke away from the Islamic army by claiming the sword should have decided the conflict, when they themselves were the cause of the stalemate. They numbered 12,000 and the next year when Imam Ali (AS) called upon them to join his fresh campaign against Mu’awiyah, they now not only refused but gathered in warlike manner at Nahrawan, where they butchered the governor Abdullah ibn Khabbab ibn al-Arath, and four women including a pregnant maid, whose womb they inhumanly tore to kill the fetus. At this the Imam sent Hareth ibn Murrah al-Abdi to investigate but he too was killed by the Khawarej, who now seemed intent on attacking Kufa in the Imam’s absence. The Imam who had already set out for Syria, decided to curb this new sedition before dealing with Mu’awiyah and sent Sa'sa' ibn Sauhan, Ziyad ibn Nazr al-Harethi, and Abdullah ibn Abbas, to urge them to repent and return to the fold of Islam. He then personally came and explained to them their misinterpretation of events, demanding the handing over of the killers of innocent people, and offering them amnesty through the Prophet’s companion, Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, who hoisted a banner for all those willing to break ranks with the Khawarej. As many as 10,000 people came over, leaving some 2000 hardcore hypocrites led by Abdullah ibn Wahhab to oppose the Imam. The Imam had exhausted all efforts to avoid bloodshed and when these misguided elements attacked the forces of Islam they were all annihilated except for 9 who fled the battlefield towards Basra. On Imam Ali’s (AS) side only 8 persons were killed.

1019 lunar years ago, on this day in 421 AH, prominent Iranian Islamic scientist, historian, and thinker, Abu Ali Ahmad ibn Mohammad ibn Yaqoub Ibn Miskawaiyh, passed away at the age of 101. Born in the city of Rayy (a southern suburb of modern Tehran today), he was an accomplished scholar in all the sciences of his era. He conducted studies and researches in medicine, chemistry, history and philosophy. Ibn Miskawaiyh, through combination of these teachings based on his bright insight, created valuable works in the domains of history, philosophy, and ethics. He was a follower of the school of the Ahl al-Bayt (Blessed Household) of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). He authored several books in Arabic, including "Tahzib al-Akhlaaq", which was translated into Persian over two centuries after his death by the prominent scientist, Khwaja Naseer od-Din Tusi. His other famous book is the voluminous "Tajareb al-Umam", which states the important events until 372 AH, and is considered as one of the authentic historical books. Devoted to literature and an accomplished poet, his collection of poems shows his thoughts, and mastery over the language, as is evident by the book he wrote in his native Persian “Javidan-e Kherad” on literature and poetry.

845 lunar years ago, on this day in 595 AH, famous Spanish Muslim philosopher and polymath, Mohammad Ibn Ahmad Ibn Rushd, known to Medieval Europe as “Averroes”, passed away at the age of 72, while on a visit to Marakesh, from where his body was brought back to Spain and buried in his birthplace Cordoba. He was an expert in the sciences of the day, including medicine, astronomy, jurisprudence, Qur’an and hadith, at a time when the Christian World was living in ignorance and darkness. At the age of 25, he conducted astronomical observations in Morocco, discovering a previously unobserved star. He gave one of the first descriptions on sunspots. Ibn Rushd made remarkable contributions to medicine. His well-known book in this field is “Kitab al-Kulliyaat fi’t-Tibb”, whose Latin translation known as “Colliget” aroused much interest in medieval Europe. He has thrown light on various aspects of medicine, including the diagnoses, cure and prevention of diseases. He was called “the jurisprudent philosopher” and as a follower of the Maliki School, he compiled a summary of edicts (fatwa) of previous jurists. His works include interpretation of Qur’anic concepts. Ibn Rushd’s important original philosophical work is “Tahafut at-Tahafut” (Incoherence of the Incoherence), which is a refutation of the Iranian Shafei theologian, Ghazali’s “Tahafut al-Falasefa” (Incoherence of the Philosophers). Ghazali had criticized as self-contradictory and an affront to Islamic teachings, the presentation of Aristotle’s thoughts by the famous Iranian Islamic genius, Abu Ali Ibn Sina. Ibn Rushd proved Ghazali's arguments as mistaken.

664 solar years ago, on this day in 1354 AD, Yusuf I, Sultan of Granada, died at the age of 36 after a 21-year reign, on being stabbed in the chest while praying in the mosque. He was the seventh Nasrid ruler of the Emirate of Granada in al-Andalus or what is now southern Spain. n the Iberian Peninsula. In 1348 Yusuf constructed the Gate of Justice, forming the grand entrance to the Alhambra (al-Hamra or Red Brick Palace). He likewise adorned many of the courts and halls of the palace, as may be seen by the inscriptions on the walls, in which his name repeatedly occurs. He founded a religious school in his capital in 1349. He established peace with Alfonso XI of Castile but once the four-year truce was over, he allied with the Marinid rulers of Morocco who had entered the Iberian Peninsula via Gibraltar, against the Christians. He later lost Gibraltar to Alfonso. He used to receive his subjects publicly every week on Monday and Thursday to listen to their concerns. On solemn state occasions, he presided over court activities from a wooden folding armchair that is currently preserved in the Museo de la Alhambra and bears the Nasrid coat of arms across its back.

632 solar years ago, on this day in 1386 AD, Ottoman Sultan Bayazid I conquered Sofia the capital of Bulgaria, but because of the attacks on the eastern frontier in Asia Minor by Amir Timur, he could not continue his campaign in Europe.

565 solar years ago, on this day in 1453 AD, the Hundred Years War ended with the French recapture of Bordeaux, leaving English control only on Calais. It was a series of conflicts waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Plantagenet, rulers of the Kingdom of England, against the French House of Valois, over the right to rule the Kingdom of France. Each side drew many allies into the war. It was one of the most notable conflicts of the Middle Ages, in which five generations of kings from two rival dynasties fought for the throne of the largest kingdom in Western Europe.

494 lunar years ago, on this day in 946 AH, the second Moghal emperor of Hindustan (northern subcontinent), Naseer od-Din Humayun Shah, while retreating for Agra from Mongir, was intercepted and defeated by the Afghan chieftain, Sher Shah Suri, at Chapar Ghat near Baksar. Humayun fled to Sindh and on failing to find asylum in Kabul with his hostile younger brother, Kamran Mirza, fled to Iran, where in Herat, the capital of Khorasan, Shah Tahmasp’s forces warmly received him and escorted him to Qazvin, the then capital of the Safavid Empire. After a few years Humayun returned from Iran with military assistance from Shah Tahmasp, to take control of Qandahar, hand it over to the Safavids, oust Kamran from Kabul and finally march upon Delhi to regain his throne from the successors of Sher Shah Suri.

273 solar years ago, on this day in 1745 AD, Irish author, Jonathan Swift, died in his hometown Dublin at the age of 78. He made strenuous efforts for independence of his country from British rule. He wrote books depicting the social conditions, including the fictitious work titled “Gulliver’s Travels” which became one of the world’s literary masterpieces.

237 solar years ago, on this day in 1781 AD, the commander of English forces in the US, Charles Cornwallis, surrendered to the commander of US forces, George Washington, thereby ending the US war of independence that was started in 1775 by rebels in the 13 colonies known as New England.

234 solar years ago, on this day in 1784 AD, Leigh Hunt, English essayist, poet and political radical, was born. He wrote the famous poem "Abou Ben Adhem" on the Iranian prince of Balkh, Ibrahim bin Adham, who renounced palace pleasures and worldly life to become a mystic.

205 solar years ago, on this day in 1813 AD, the major battle between 155,000 French soldiers, under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte, and the 300,000-strong joint forces of Sweden, Britain, Prussia, Russia, and Austria, ended with Napoleon's failure. This four-day battle broke out in the vicinity of the German city of Leipzig. The French forces, who were demoralized in the wake of their futile attack on Russia in 1812, were crushed by the well-prepared and equipped joint forces. The failure was a prelude to Napoleon's future failures and his deportation to Elba Island in 1814.

121 lunar years ago, on this day in 1319 AH, the concession for drilling of Iran’s oil was given to the British investor, William Knox D’Arcy, by the weak Qajarid ruler, Mozaffar od-Din Shah, without considering the grave consequences to Iran's national interests. Three decades after the Constitutional Movement, D’Arcy’s contract was annulled in view of its unjust nature.

106 solar years ago, on this day in 1912 AD, Italy seized the Vilayet of Tripoli and then the Vilayet of Benghazi from the tottering Ottoman Empire, renaming the two provinces as Tripolitania and Cyrenaica, and then giving the ancient Greek name of Libya to the whole country. Italian occupation faced stiff resistance from the local people, especially the campaign of Omar Mokhtar and his subsequent capture and execution in 1931. In 1943 during World War 2, the British forces drove out the Italians. In 1951, Britain granted Libya independence by installing Seyyed Mohammad Idris bin Seyyed Mohammad Mahdi of the Senussi Sufi Order as king, whose rule ended in 1969 through the coup of Colonel Mu’ammar Qadhafi, who ruled as totalitarian dictator until his humiliating overthrow and death in 2011.  

74 solar years ago, on this day in 1944 AD, war broke out between the Japanese and US forces in the Philippines Archipelago during World War 2. The US forces, commanded by Douglas MacArthur, attacked Philippines and drove out the Japanese forces.

42 solar years ago, on this day in 1976 AD, one of the high-ranking officials of The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Ali Hassan Salameh, was martyred in Lebanon by Zionist agents in a car bombing.

35 solar years ago, on this day in 1983 AD, Prime Minister Maurice Bishop of Grenada Island in the Caribbean Sea, was executed along with 4 cabinet ministers  by Bernard Coard, a member of his own government, days after his overthrow and house arrest. The coup prompted a US invasion, which is largely seen as part of an intricate American plot in view of Bishop’s bitter opposition to Washington’s hegemonic policies. The US, arrested 17 persons n for Bishop’s killing and the local courts sentenced them to death, the verdicts were never carried out. The death sentences were later commuted to life in prison, and in 2005 they were allowed to appeal to the London-based Privy Council. In 2009 Bernard Coard and the six others — Dave Bartholomew, Callistus Bernard, Leon Cornwall, Liam James, Ewart Layne and Selwyn Strachan — were released. Ten others convicted in the killings, including Coard's wife, were previously released. The bodies of Bishop and 10 men killed with him have never been found.

26 solar years ago, on this day in 1991 AD, the Cambodian ruling party officially ended the 13-year communist rule of the country. The decision was made at the Congress of the Cambodian People's Party, which established a multiparty ruling system.

24 solar years ago, on this day in 1994 AD, Ayatollah Shaikh Mohammad Baqer Kamrehi passed away at the age of 96 and was laid to rest in the courtyard of the mausoleum of Seyyed Abdul-Azim Hassani in Rayy, Tehran. Born in Khomein, he mastered theology, jurisprudence, exegesis of the holy Qur’an, Hadith, history, Arabic and Persian literature, and lexicography. He authored over fifty books in various fields, “God-Consciousness”, “Pillars of Faith”, “Pearls of Wisdom”, and “Role of Religion in Social Spheres”.

24 lunar years ago, on this day in 1416 AH, the jurisprudent and prominent researcher, Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Hussain Hussaini Tehrani, passed away in his hometown Tehran at the age of 69. After studying in holy Qom under Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Hussain Boroujerdi, and the famous exegete of the holy Qur’an, Allamah Seyyed Mohamnmad Hussain Tabatabai, he left for Iraq to study at the seminary in Holy Najaf, were he studied under Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Abu’l-Qassem Khoie, and Ayatollah Seyyed Mahmood Shahroudi. On his return to Iran he was engaged in grooming students and writing books in Persian, including the 18-volume “Imam-Shinasi” (Cognizance of the Imam), the 10-volume “Ma’ad-Shinasi” (Understanding Resurrection), the 4-volume “Noor-e Malakout-e Qur’an” and “Rooh-e Mojarrad” (The Detached Soul) on Gnosis. In this last named book, he has mentioned in detail his meeting with the reclusive Gnostic Seyyed Hashem Haddad and how his spiritual guidance totally transformed him, taking him to higher levels of spirituality.

15 solar years ago, on this day in 2003 AD, the Bosnian Muslim politician and author, Alija Izetbegovic, died at the age of 78. He struggled against the Yugoslav communist regime since his youth and was imprisoned on several occasions. In 1989, he founded The Party of Democratic Action, which played a pivotal role in the independence of Bosnia in 1991. This Muslim politician was elected as the Bosnian president after the independence of this country. He played a vital role in defending the Bosnian people, throughout the attacks of Serbian army and Bosnian Serbs against Muslims. After the termination of war, he was elected twice to Bosnian presidential council. But, he voluntarily stepped down from power in 2000. In addition to political activities, he was also an Islamic thinker and author, writing a number of books, including "Islam between East and West", and "Islamic Declaration".

9 solar year ago, on this day in 2009 AD, some fifty Iranian citizens, including 5 senior commanders of the Islamic Revolution’s Guards Corps (IRGC), 10 security personnel and the rest civilians, achieved martyrdom in Sistan-Baluchestan Province in a bomb blast triggered by the terrorist Jundullah outfit, operating from across the southeastern border in Pakistan and supported by the US, Saudi Arabia and Israel. Deputy Commander of IRGC ground forces, General Noor Ali Shooshtari, as well as a chief provincial IRGC commander, Rajab Ali Mohammadzadeh were among the martyrs.

8 solar years ago, on this day in 2010 AD, the prominent Iranian bibliographer, Dr. Ali Naqi Monzavi, passed away at the age of 88. Son of the famous Islamic bibliographer, Ayatollah Sheikh Aqa Bozorg Tehrani, he studied both at the Islamic seminary and the university. After obtaining PhD in Islamic sciences from Tehran University in 1958 he started as a lecturer, but due to his activities against Shah's despotic regime, he was forced to leave Iran for Lebanon in 1967. He continued his academic studies and obtained another PhD in philosophy from Saint Joseph University in Beirut in 1971. He returned to Iran in 1976 and continued to compile, translate and edit books. He also cooperated with Ali Akbar Dehkhoda and Mohammad Moin in compilation of the Dehkhoda Lexicon. He has left behind several books, including "The Arabic to Persian Lexicon".

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