Mehmed Born: Conqueror of Constantinople
Mehmed II was 21 when he conquered Constantinople in 1453, ending the Byzantine Empire after over a thousand years. He brought 80,000 soldiers, a fleet of ships, and a cannon so large it had to be transported in pieces. The walls of Constantinople had repelled every siege for over a millennium. He had them hauled over a hill on greased logs to bypass the chain blocking the harbor. The city fell on May 29. He walked into Hagia Sophia that evening and converted it to a mosque. He went on to conquer large parts of Greece, Serbia, and the Crimea. Born March 30, 1432, in Edirne. He died in 1481 at 49. He called himself Caesar of Rome and collected Greek and Latin manuscripts. The empire he built lasted until 1922.
March 30, 1432
594 years ago
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