1178 CE

Five monks from Canterbury see what is possibly the Giordano Bruno crater being formed. Five monks from the Canterbury Abbey report the appearance of a flaming torch spewing hot coals and sparks from the upper portion of the crescent moon. Emperor Frederick I (Barbarossa) is crowned King of Burgundy at Arles. He will repeat the ceremony in 1186. Returning to Germany, he begins proceedings against Henry III (the Lion), duke of Saxony, who has been charged by Saxon noblemen with breaking the king's peace.

In the 1170s, the 12th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • King George III defeats a nobles' revolt and proclaims his 18-year-old daughter Tamar (the Great) as co-ruler of Georgia.source

Conflict & Security

  • August 17 – A battle occurs as a Latin force raids the vicinity of Hama, Syria.source
  • Portuguese forces under King Afonso I (the Conqueror) capture the city of Beja from the Almohads.source

Religion & Belief

  • June 18 – Five monks from Canterbury see what is possibly the Giordano Bruno crater being formed.source
  • June 18 – Five monks from the Canterbury Abbey report the appearance of a flaming torch spewing hot coals and sparks from the upper portion of the crescent moon.source
  • July 17 – Saracen pirates, from the Balearic Islands, raid the Cistercian monastery of Saint Honorat on the Lérins Islands, and the city of Toulon, killing an estimated 300 and taking captives. The surviving captives are freed from the Balearic Islands in 1185.source
  • Summer – Antipope Callixtus III submits to Pope Alexander III after having reigned for 10 years with support from Frederick I.source
  • Orio Mastropiero is elected by the Council of Forty as doge of Venice, following the retirement of Sebastiano Ziani.source
  • St. Werburgh's Church in Dublin is established.Irelandsource

Culture & Society

  • June 30 – Emperor Frederick I (Barbarossa) is crowned King of Burgundy at Arles. He will repeat the ceremony in 1186. Returning to Germany, he begins proceedings against Henry III (the Lion), duke of Saxony, who has been charged by Saxon noblemen with breaking the king's peace.source
  • The Leaning Tower of Pisa begins to lean, as the third level is completed (approximate date).source

Births

  • October 27 – Zhen Dexiu, Chinese politician (died 1235)source
  • December 22 – Antoku, emperor of Japan (died 1185)source
  • Wei Liaoweng, Chinese politician and philosopher (died 1237)source
  • Hugh I, Sardinian ruler (Judge of Arborea) (died 1211)source
  • Thomas I (or Tommaso), count of Savoy (died 1233)source
  • Armand de Périgord, French Grand Master (died 1244)source
  • Alam al-Din al-Hanafi, Ayyubid mathematician (died 1251)source
  • Wuzhun Shifan, Chinese calligrapher and painter (died 1249)source
  • Al-Faqih al-Muqaddam, Arab religious leader (died 1232)source
  • Matteo Rosso Orsini, Italian politician (died 1246)source
  • Roland of Cremona, French theologian (died 1259)source
  • Peter II (the Catholic), king of Aragon (died 1213)source

Deaths

  • February 17 – Evermode of Ratzeburg, German bishopsource
  • May 27 – Godfrey van Rhenen, bishop of Utrechtsource
  • December 30 – Pribislav, prince of Mecklenburgsource
  • Nashwan al-Himyari, Arab theologian and writersource
  • Fujiwara no Narichika, Japanese nobleman (born 1138)source
  • Ada de Warenne, Scottish noblewoman (born 1120)source
  • Petrus Comestor, French theologian and writersource
  • Frowin of Engelberg (the Blessed), Swiss abbotsource
  • Kristin Sigurdsdatter, Norwegian princess (born 1125)source
  • Anthelm of Belley, French prior and bishop (born 1107)source
  • Amadeus I, Swiss nobleman (House of Geneva)source
  • Walter de Bidun, English bishop and chancellorsource
  • Philippa of Antioch, princess of Antioch (born 1148)source
  • Áedh Ua Flaithbheartaigh, king of Iar Connachtsource