more details » Battle of Tours 732

October 10, is the anniversary of the Battle of Tours (or Poitiers) in 732, in which Charles Martel (The Hammer and supposedly an ancestor) and his brave, outnumbe5ed Frankish warriors turned back the first Muslim crusade to conquer Europe and eliminate Christendom.
http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/imperialism/notes/tours.html
Excerpt: The Battle of Tours (often called the Battle of Poitiers, but not to be confused with the Battle of Poitiers, 1356) was fought on October 10, 732 between forces under the Frankish leader Charles Martel and a massive invading Islamic army led by Emir Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi Abd al Rahman, near the city of Tours, France. During the battle, the Franks defeated the Islamic army and Emir Abd er Rahman was killed. This battle stopped the northward advance of Islam from the Iberian peninsula, and is considered by most historians to be of macrohistorical importance, in that it halted the Islamic conquests, and preserved Christianity as the controlling faith in Europe, during a period in which Islam was overrunning the remains of the old Roman and Persian Empires.