1243 CE

Treaty of Bordeaux: King Louis IX (the Saint) and King Henry III agree to a truce that ends the Saintonge War. The truce does not stop the on-going clashes (and further tensions) between France and England. A Crusader force under Balian III, lord of Beirut, captures Tyre after a long siege. The barons seize the citadel on July 10, with the help of Alice, queen of Cyprus, whose forces arrive on June 15. This ending the War of the Lombards. Battle of Köse Dağ: The Mongols under Baiju Noyan defeat the Seljuk Turks of the Sultanate of Rum and their Byzantine allies. The Seljuks and the Empire of Trebizond become vassals of the Mongols.

In the 1240s, the 13th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • March – King Ferdinand III (the Saint) turns the independent Taifa of Murcia into a protectorate, and initiates the process of the colonization and Christianization of the region. He receives the submission of the Moors, under the terms of a peace agreement (the famous Treaty of Alcaraz).source
  • April 27 – Treaty of Bordeaux: King Louis IX (the Saint) and King Henry III agree to a truce that ends the Saintonge War. The truce does not stop the on-going clashes (and further tensions) between France and England.source
  • Walter de Burgh, 1st Earl of Ulster succeeded his father as Lord of ConnaughtIrelandsource

Conflict & Security

  • May 1 – The Castillan troops are garrisoned in Murcia, to support the Hudid Dynasty.source
  • June 12 – A Crusader force under Balian III, lord of Beirut, captures Tyre after a long siege. The barons seize the citadel on July 10, with the help of Alice, queen of Cyprus, whose forces arrive on June 15. This ending the War of the Lombards.source
  • June 26 – Battle of Köse Dağ: The Mongols under Baiju Noyan defeat the Seljuk Turks of the Sultanate of Rum and their Byzantine allies. The Seljuks and the Empire of Trebizond become vassals of the Mongols.source
  • Siege of Montségur: French forces (some 10,000 men) begin the siege of Château de Montségur to raze the stronghold held by the rebellious Cathars. The castle is defended by some 100 troops and 500 refugees.source
  • Siege of Viterbo: Emperor Frederick II besieges Viterbo on request of the rebel citizens. The defenders are able to set fire to the siege towers and after signing a peace treaty, Frederick is persuaded to withdraw his army.source

Religion & Belief

  • June 25 – Pope Innocent IV succeeds Celestine IV as the 180th pope of the Catholic Church, after a sede vacante of 7 months.source

Culture & Society

  • Spring – Henry III bestows the custody of Kenilworth Castle to Simon de Montfort. Simon's wife Eleanor, Henry's sister, already owned Odiham Castle (or King John's Castle) so Simon has two of the strongest fortresses in England under his control.source

Births

  • May 31 – James II, Aragonese ruler of Majorca (died 1311)source
  • June 6 – Alix of Brittany, Breton noblewoman (died 1288)source
  • June 28 – Go-Fukakusa, emperor of Japan (died 1304)source
  • September 2 – Walter Langton, bishop of Coventry (died 1321)source
  • September 2 – Gilbert de Clare, English nobleman (died 1295)source
  • Roger Bernard III, French nobleman and poet (died 1302)source
  • Augustinus Triumphus, Italian hermit and writer (died 1328)source
  • Zhenjin (or Chingkim), Mongolian prince (died 1286)source
  • Riccoldo da Monte di Croce, Italian missionary (died 1320)source
  • Giles of Rome, Italian friar and archbishop (died 1316)source
  • Awaji Nichiken, Japanese Buddhist monk (died 1338)source
  • Alfonso Fernández el Niño, Spanish nobleman (died 1281)source
  • An Hyang (or Ahn Yu), Korean Confucian scholar (died 1306)source
  • John I of Chalon-Auxerre, French nobleman (died 1309)source

Deaths