23 January in military history: Battle of Spion Kop, 1900

Quick answer

On the night of 23 January 1900, in the Second Boer War, British troops under Major-General Woodgate climbed Spion Kop in Natal and took its summit. All through 24 January Boer guns and riflemen pounded them, and that night they withdrew. On 23 January 1565 the Deccan sultanates crushed Vijayanagara at Talikota.

Battle of Spion Kop, 1900: the acre of massacre above the Tugela

23 January 1900 · 126 years ago

British troops trying to relieve besieged Ladysmith fought the forces of the two Boer republics for the hilltop of Spion Kop in Natal, early in the Second Boer War. The battle ended in a Boer victory and another setback for the British relief effort.

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Battle of Talikota, 1565: the fall of Vijayanagara

23 January 1565 · 461 years ago

The allied armies of the Deccan Sultanates of Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, Golconda and Bidar won a decisive victory over the Vijayanagara Empire. The regent Aliya Rama Raya was captured and beheaded, his army broke, and the victors went on to plunder his capital, the city now called Hampi, for months.

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Frequently asked questions

Was the Battle of Spion Kop fought on 23 or 24 January 1900?

Both. The British column set off on the evening of 23 January and climbed the hill during the night. It took the summit in the early hours of 24 January, the day of the main fighting, and withdrew that night.

Who won the Battle of Spion Kop?

The Boers. The British held the summit all day on 24 January under heavy fire but abandoned it that night, and the Boers took it back the next morning. Buller's force withdrew across the Tugela, and Ladysmith stayed under siege until the end of February.

How many men were lost at Spion Kop?

The Times History counts about 320 British killed, 560 wounded and nearly 300 captured on the hill, and some 1,740 British casualties for the whole operation from 16 to 24 January. Boer losses were a few hundred.

What happened at Talikota on 23 January 1565?

The allied armies of four Deccan sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire. Its regent Rama Raya was captured and beheaded, and the victors sacked his capital. Some histories date the battle to 5 January instead.