1274 CE

In Florence, the 9-year-old Dante first sees the 8-year-old Beatrice, his lifelong muse. She appears later as one of his guides in the Divine Comedy, Paradiso and Purgatorio. Second Council of Lyon: Pope Gregory X convenes a council at Lyon, after Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos gives assurances that the Orthodox Church is prepared to reunite with Rome. The council agrees to a settlement between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church over several key issues – Orthodox acceptance of papal primacy and the acceptance of the Nicene Creed with the Filioque clause. Gregory approves a tithe to support efforts to liberate the Holy Land from Muslims, and reaches apparent resolution of the schism, which ultimately proves unsuccessful. All but four mendicant orders of friars are suppressed. Catholic teaching on Purgatory is defined for the first time. Walter de Merton, English chancellor and regent, retires from royal service, in favour of Robert Burnell, who becomes a strong ally of the Edwardian regime.

In the 1270s, the 13th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • November – The Imperial Diet at Nuremberg orders that all crown estates seized since the death of Emperor Frederick II be restored to King Rudolf I. Almost all European rulers agree, with the exception of Ottokar II, king of Bohemia, who has benefited greatly by conquering or otherwise coming into possession of many of those lands.source

Conflict & Security

  • September 21 – Walter de Merton, English chancellor and regent, retires from royal service, in favour of Robert Burnell, who becomes a strong ally of the Edwardian regime.source
  • November 4–19 – Battle of Bun'ei: Forces of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty of China invade Japan. After conquering the Japanese settlements on Tsushima and Iki islands, Kublai Khan's fleet moves on to Japan and lands at Hakata Bay. Their landing is not unopposed: an old sea wall runs along much of the bay, and behind it are stationed the warriors of Hōjō Tokimune. The Japanese open combat with whistling arrows (kabura-ya), designed to unnerve and intimidate their foes. The Mongols use bombs against the Japanese forces and manage to break through at a few places, burning down the nearby town of Hakata (modern-day Fukuoka). The invaders are eventually repelled, and after inflicting heavy losses on the Japanese, a withdrawal is ordered. Credited to a great typhoon – called a kamikaze, or divine wind – the Mongol fleet is dashed on the rocks and destroyed. Some sources suggest that 200 warships are lost. Of the 30,000 strong invasion force, some 13,000 does not return.source
  • Abu Yusuf Yaqub ibn Abd al-Haqq, Marinid ruler, enters peacefully into Ceuta, putting an end to some 40 years of the city's independence.source

Exploration & Expansion

  • Nichiren, Japanese priest and philosopher, enters exile on Mount Minobu. He leads a widespread movement of followers in Kantō and Sado mainly through his prolific letter-writing.source

Religion & Belief

  • 19 February - Comtat Venaissin in southern France was ceded to the Papal States.Francesource
  • May 7 – Second Council of Lyon: Pope Gregory X convenes a council at Lyon, after Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos gives assurances that the Orthodox Church is prepared to reunite with Rome. The council agrees to a settlement between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church over several key issues – Orthodox acceptance of papal primacy and the acceptance of the Nicene Creed with the Filioque clause. Gregory approves a tithe to support efforts to liberate the Holy Land from Muslims, and reaches apparent resolution of the schism, which ultimately proves unsuccessful. All but four mendicant orders of friars are suppressed. Catholic teaching on Purgatory is defined for the first time.source
  • 7 May to 17 July - The Second Council of Lyon was held.Francesource
  • August 2 – Edward I of England finally returns from the Holy Land to be crowned king of England on August 19 at Westminster Abbey two years after his father King Henry III's death.source
  • Gregory X obtains the region of Romagna from Rudolf I, in exchange for acknowledging him as Holy Roman Emperor. With this important acquisition, the Papal States become the second-largest power block in Italy after the Kingdom of Sicily.source
  • Pope Gregory X decrees that conclaves (gatherings of the College of Cardinals where the elections of a bishop of Rome are convened) should be used for papal elections, reforming the electoral process which had taken over 3 years to elect him.source
  • Construction of Coutances Cathedral was complete.Francesource
  • Oldest surviving copy of Grandes Chroniques de France was presented to the French monarch.Francesource

Technology & Infrastructure

  • Construction of Niederhaslach Church was started.Francesource

Culture & Society

  • May 1 – In Florence, the 9-year-old Dante first sees the 8-year-old Beatrice, his lifelong muse. She appears later as one of his guides in the Divine Comedy, Paradiso and Purgatorio.source
  • 21 August - Philip III married Marie of Brabant.Francesource
  • The first main survey of the Hundred Rolls, an English census seen as a follow-up to the Domesday Book (completed in 1086), is begun; it lasts until 1275.source
  • Bonvesin da la Riva, Italian poet, writes the didactic-allegoric poem Liber di Tre Scricciur ("Book of the Three Scriptures"). The text is in the Western Lombard language (similar to other Gallo-Italic languages). The poem is one of the first great literary works in Italy. It tells about Hell, the Passion of Jesus and Paradise; the plot later prefigures Dante Alighieri in his Divine Comedy (Divina Commedia).source
  • Philip III acquired the Lordship of Nemours from the house of Villebéon.Francesource

Births

  • February 9 – Louis of Toulouse, French archbishop (died 1297)source
  • 9 February - Louis of Toulouse, French archbishop and Catholic saint (died 1297)Francesource
  • April 1 – Robert Clifford, English nobleman and knight (died 1314)source
  • July 11 – Robert the Bruce, king of Scotland (died 1329)source
  • July 25 – John Beauchamp, English nobleman (died 1336)source
  • October 4 – Rudolf I, German nobleman (died 1319)source
  • October 5 – Al-Dhahabi, Syrian scholar and encyclopedist (died 1348)source
  • November 24 – Catherine I, Latin empress (died 1307)source
  • Sancho I ("the Peaceful"), king of Majorca (died 1324)source
  • Nasiruddin Chiragh Dehlavi, Indian Sufi poet (died 1337)source
  • Anastasia de Montfort, Italian noblewoman (died 1345)source
  • Ibn al-Jayyab, Andalusian scholar and poet (died 1349)source
  • Eric VI, king of Denmark (House of Estridsen) (died 1319)source
  • Marino Faliero (or Falier), doge of Venice (died 1355)source
  • Awhadi Maraghai, Persian poet and mystic (died 1338)source

Deaths