On August 19, 480 BC Spartan soldiers made an heroic last stand against the Persians at the pass at Thermopylae. The Battle of Thermopylae was won by the Persians under Xerxes. The main Greek force escaped, however and they eventually won the war.
In 14 AD Roman emperor Augustus died at Nola at age 76 after a 41-year reign.
In 312 AD Roman emperor Constantine the Great supposedly saw a vision of a cross and the words, "In this sign conquer," causing him to eventually embrace Christianity.