1286 CE

The 17-year-old Philip IV (the Fair) is crowned king of France at Reims. He settles the Aragonese conflict, and intensifies his predecessors' efforts to reform and rationalize the administration of the realm. Philip persists in reforms, which strengthen the monarchy's position in Europe. The gabelle – a tax on salt in the form of a state monopoly – will become immensely unpopular and grossly unequal, but persist until 1790. King Alexander III dies in a fall from his horse at Kinghorn in Fife, leaving Queen Yolande of Dreux's unborn child and the 3-year-old Margaret (Maid of Norway) as heirs to the throne. After Alexander's death, Scotland is governed by the nobility and clergy, known collectively as the Guardians of Scotland. This sets the stage for the First War of Scottish Independence. King Edward I (Longshanks) and Queen Eleanor of Castile travel to France. There they pay homage to Philip IV (the Fair) and attend to other matters. Edward travels around in the duchy of Gascony and orders the rebuilding of fortifications in the region (between 1286 and 1289).

In the 1280s, the 13th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

The Guelph Republic of Siena allows exiled Ghibelline rebels back into the city.source

Conflict & Security

June 4 – The 15-year-old Henry II sails from Cyprus and lands in Acre, but is refused entry into the citadel. There, he stays for six weeks in the palace to negotiate an agreement to take over the city from the Angevins.source
Abu Hafs Umar I, ruler of the Hafsid Sultanate, takes control of Béjaïa and becomes a rival of the main Hafsid entity based in Tunis.source
In the Lao kingdom of Muang Sua, King Panya Leng is overthrown in a coup d'état led by his son, Prince Panya Khamphong, which is likely to have been supported by the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty in China.source
Old Prussians resettle in Samland and start an uprising against Teutonic rule (supported by the Principality of Rügen). The Prussians are defeated by the Teutonic Knights and forced to submit.source
The War of the Donkey is fought between the rival noble families of the Ghisi and the Sanudo, in the Duchy of the Archipelago in the Aegean Sea.source
Kublai Khan makes plans for a final Mongol invasion of Japan, but aborts the preparations due to a lack of necessary resources.source

Culture & Society

January 6 – The 17-year-old Philip IV (the Fair) is crowned king of France at Reims. He settles the Aragonese conflict, and intensifies his predecessors' efforts to reform and rationalize the administration of the realm. Philip persists in reforms, which strengthen the monarchy's position in Europe. The gabelle – a tax on salt in the form of a state monopoly – will become immensely unpopular and grossly unequal, but persist until 1790.source
March 7 – The Catholicon, a religious Latin dictionary, is completed by John of Genoa.source
June – King Edward I (Longshanks) and Queen Eleanor of Castile travel to France. There they pay homage to Philip IV (the Fair) and attend to other matters. Edward travels around in the duchy of Gascony and orders the rebuilding of fortifications in the region (between 1286 and 1289).source
August 15 – Henry II is crowned king of Jerusalem at Tyre. After the ceremony, he returns to Acre for the festivities. A few weeks later, Henry returns to Cyprus and appoints his uncle Philip of Ibelin as regent (bailiff).source

Births

February 2 – Joan de Geneville, English noblewoman (died 1356)source
March 8 – John III (the Good), English nobleman (died 1341)source
June 30 – John de Warenne, English nobleman (died 1347)source
September 4 – John de Mowbray, English nobleman (died 1322)source
September 28 – Shōshi, Japanese empress consort (died 1348)source
Alfonso de Castilla, Spanish nobleman and prince (died 1291)source
Kalonymus ben Kalonymus, French-Jewish philosopher (died 1328)source
Marco Cornaro, doge of Venice (House of Cornaro) (died 1368)source
Odoric of Pordenone, Italian priest and missionary (died 1331)source
James Douglas, Scottish nobleman and general (died 1330)source
John de Burgh, Irish nobleman and heir apparent (died 1313)source
Hugh Despenser (the Younger), English nobleman (died 1326)source
William I (the Good), Dutch nobleman and knight (died 1337)source
Juana Núñez (Lady of Lara), Spanish noblewoman (died 1351)source

Deaths

January 4 – Anna Komnene Doukaina, princess of Achaeasource
January 5 – Zhenjin (or Chingkim), Mongol prince (born 1243)source
March 19 (or 18) – Alexander III, king of Scotland (born 1241)source
March 19 – King Alexander III dies in a fall from his horse at Kinghorn in Fife, leaving Queen Yolande of Dreux's unborn child and the 3-year-old Margaret (Maid of Norway) as heirs to the throne. After Alexander's death, Scotland is governed by the nobility and clergy, known collectively as the Guardians of Scotland. This sets the stage for the First War of Scottish Independence.source
March 20 – Sultan Abu Yusuf Yaqub ibn Abd al-Haqq dies after a 28-year reign at Algeciras. He is succeeded by his son Abu Yaqub Yusuf an-Nasr, who becomes ruler of the Marinid Sultanate. Abu Yaqub makes a peace agreement with Muhammad II, Nasrid ruler of Granada, ceding all the towns previously occupied (except Algeciras and Tarifa). After confirming the peace with Castile on May 28, he leaves 3,000 men in the Peninsula.source
March 20 – Abu Yusuf Yaqub ibn Abd al-Haqq, Marinid rulersource
April 20 – Buluqhan Khatun (or Bulugan), Mongol princesssource
June 16 – Hugh de Balsham, English sub-prior and bishopsource
July 5 (or 4) – Hartmann V, German nobleman and bishopsource
July 30 – Bar Hebraeus, Syrian scholar and bishop (born 1226)source
September 22 – Mugaku Sogen, Chinese adviser (born 1226)source
October 3 – Fujiwara no Tameuji, Japanese poet (born 1222)source
October 8 – John I (the Red), English nobleman and knightsource
10 November - Maurice FitzGerald, 3rd Lord of OffalyIreland source
November 22 – Eric V (Klipping), king of Denmark (born 1249)source
Cathal Ó Madadhan, King of Síol AnmchadhaIreland source