July 30

July 30, 1419, was the date of the First Defenestration of Prague.

To defenestrate is to throw someone out a window, a rather extreme type of political dissent. The first defenestration was about a release of prisoners; a priest had led a march, an annoyed town official threw a rock, and the next thing you know the local judge, burgomaster, and several of the town council were ejected out the window. They died from the fall. This incident led to the Hussite Wars.

There was a Second Defenestration of Prague; this one was over Protestant/Catholic differences. This time the victims survived, either from angels or landing in horse manure depending on who you asked.

Other defenestrations of Prague occurred but were not assigned numbers.

Defenenstrations are not unique to Prague, although they get most of the notoriety. Lisbon had a few, there was one of a De'Medici, and even Chopin's piano. Deng Xioping's son was defenestrated in 1968 as part of the Cultural revolution.