1242 CE

Battle of Lake Peipus (or Battle on the Ice): Russian forces led by Alexander Nevsky, rebuff an invasion attempt by a Crusader army (some 2,600 men), including German Teutonic Knights. The opposing armies meet upon the frozen surface of Lake Peipus. The outnumbered Teutonic Knights are defeated on the slippery surface, by Alexander's elite druzhina and the Novgorod forces. Avignonet massacre: A group of Cathars, with the probable connivance of Count Raymond VII of Toulouse, murder the inquisitor William Arnaud and eleven of his companions. King Béla IV issues the Golden Bull to the inhabitants of Gradec (modern-day Zagreb) and Samobor in Croatia. By this golden bull, Béla proclaimes Gradec a royal free city.

In the 1240s, the 13th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • November 16 – King Béla IV issues the Golden Bull to the inhabitants of Gradec (modern-day Zagreb) and Samobor in Croatia. By this golden bull, Béla proclaimes Gradec a royal free city.source

Conflict & Security

  • April 5 – Battle of Lake Peipus (or Battle on the Ice): Russian forces led by Alexander Nevsky, rebuff an invasion attempt by a Crusader army (some 2,600 men), including German Teutonic Knights. The opposing armies meet upon the frozen surface of Lake Peipus. The outnumbered Teutonic Knights are defeated on the slippery surface, by Alexander's elite druzhina and the Novgorod forces.source
  • May 28 – Avignonet massacre: A group of Cathars, with the probable connivance of Count Raymond VII of Toulouse, murder the inquisitor William Arnaud and eleven of his companions.source
  • July 21–22 – Battle of Taillebourg: French forces (some 25,000 men) under King Louis IX (the Saint) defeat King Henry III at the bridge over the Charente River near Taillebourg. After the battle, Louis continues to pursue the English troops, capturing many prisoners. Henry retreats with the remnants of his army to Bordeaux, where he spends the winter.source
  • Spring – Siege of Esztergom: The Mongols under Batu Khan assault and destroy most of the Hungarian city of Esztergom. Batu Khan sends a reconnaissance party against the Holy Roman Empire.source
  • Summer – Alexander Nevsky sends envoys to Batu Khan, preemptively capitulating before the Mongols even though they have not reached Novgorod, and accepts his rule as Mongol overlord.source
  • Summer – In the Maghreb, after a string of successes against the Almohad Caliphate, Hafsid forces under Sultan Abu Zakariya Yahya conquer the city of Tlemcen (modern Algeria). The Kingdom of Tlemcen becomes a vassal of Abu Zakariya, and is formed in a series of small states between his rule and the states of the Western Maghreb.source
  • Spring – Prince Alexander Nevsky is joined by his brother Andrey II (Yaroslavich) at Novgorod, supported with his elite druzhina (or 'household') from Suzdal. They head southwest across the frozen marshes, which cover much of the land between Novgorod and Pskov. On March 5, Alexander retakes the city almost without a struggle, before the larger Crusader garrison in nearby Izborsk can intervene.source
  • King Sancho II (the Pious) conquers the cities of Tavira, Alvor and Paderne, in his continuing expansion against the Muslims, known as the Reconquista.source
  • Spring – The Templar Knights raid the city of Hebron. Meanwhile, An-Nasir Dawud, Ayyubid ruler of Damascus, sends forces to cut off the road to Jerusalem, and to levy tolls on the pilgrims and merchants that pass by.source
  • Battle of Grobnik Field: Croatian forces under Béla IV stop the Mongol invasion in Hungary and Croatia. Béla rebuilds the country and orders the building of fortifications through his kingdom.source

Exploration & Expansion

  • May – Isabella of Angoulême, mother of Henry III, persuades him to mount an expedition to retake Poitou. On May 20, Henry arrives at Royan and joins the rebelling French nobles – forming an army (some 30,000 men). Louis IX exchanges letters with Henry to resolve the conflict, but the dispute escalates further.source

Religion & Belief

  • Siegfried III, archbishop of Mainz, conquers Wiesbaden (a free imperial city) and orders the city's destruction, during the war of Emperor Frederick II against the Papal States.source
  • William of Modena, Italian bishop and papal diplomat, sets up four dioceses in Poland, including the Archdiocese of Warmia.source

Technology & Infrastructure

  • April – A Russian force led by Alexander Nevsky crosses the frontier between Novgorod and Livonian Crusader territory, to raid into Catholic Estonia. After that, Alexander breaks his army off into contingents to ravage the countryside. He is forced to turn back, when a local Crusader force under Bishop Hermann von Buxhövden defeats Alexander's advance guard at Mooste bridge south of Tartu.source

Science & Discovery

  • Ibn al-Nafis, Arab polymath and writer, suggests that the right and left ventricles of the heart are separate, and describes the lesser circulation of blood.source

Births

  • January 27 – Margaret of Hungary, Hungarian nun (died 1270)source
  • March 17 – Maud de Prendergast, Irish noblewoman (died 1272)source
  • June 25 – Beatrice of England, English princess (died 1275)source
  • July 24 – Christina von Stommeln, German mystic (died 1312)source
  • December 15 – Munetaka, Japanese shogun (died 1274)source
  • Patrick IV (de Dunbar), Scottish nobleman (died 1308)source
  • George Pachymeres, Byzantine historian (died 1310)source
  • Theodoric of Landsberg, German nobleman (died 1285)source
  • Stephen I Kotromanić, Bosnian nobleman (died 1314)source
  • Theobald Butler, Norman chief governor of Ireland (died 1285)source
  • Beatrice of Castile, queen consort of Portugal (died 1303)source
  • Beatrice of Navarre, duchess of Burgundy (died 1295)source
  • William de Leybourne, English nobleman (died 1310)source
  • Al-Ashraf Umar II, Arab ruler and astronomer (died 1296)source

Deaths

  • February 10 – The 10-year-old Emperor Shijō of Japan dies suddenly; despite a dispute over who should follow him as sovereign, Go-Saga (son of former Emperor Tsuchimikado) ascends to the throne.source
  • February 10 – Verdiana, Italian noblewoman and saint (born 1182)source
  • February 10 – Shijō (or Mitsuhito), emperor of Japan (born 1231)source
  • February 12 – Henry VII, king of Germany (born 1211)source
  • March 26 – William de Forz, English nobleman (born 1190)source
  • March 28 – Theoderich von Wied, German archbishopsource
  • May 13 – Gerard of Villamagna, Italian hermit (born 1174)source
  • July 1 – Chagatai Khan, son of Genghis Khan (born 1183)source
  • October 7 – Juntoku, emperor of Japan (born 1197)source
  • November 12 – Jocelin of Wells, English bishopsource
  • November 20 – Narchat, Moksha queen (born 1216)source
  • December 2 – Al-Mustansir, Abbasid caliph (born 1192)source
  • December 26 – Hugh de Lacy, 1st Earl of Ulster, Norman nobleman (born 1176)source
  • Death of Abbasid caliph al-Mustansir and succession of al-Musta'sim to the Caliphal throne.source
  • Richard Mor de Burgh (born c. 1194) was the eldest son of William de Burgh and founder of the towns of Ballinasloe, Loughrea and Galway.Irelandsource
  • Hugh de Lacy, 1st Earl of UlsterIrelandsource