date: June 1

text: June 1 – Minamoto no Yukiie, Japanese warlord


date: August 19

section: Deaths

text: August 19 – Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany (b. 1158)

source_section: Deaths


date: August

text: August – Baldwin V of Jerusalem (b. 1177)


date: September 29

text: September 29 – William of Tyre, Archbishop of Tyre (b. c. 1130)


date: December 8

text: December 8 – Berthold IV, Duke of Zähringen (b.c 1125)


text: After the death of the child-king Baldwin V, his mother succeeds him as Sibylla of Jerusalem, and appoints her disfavoured husband Guy de Lusignan king consort. This comes as a shock to Jerusalem's court, who had earlier forced the possible future Queen into promising that should she become so, she would not appoint him the title.

source_section: Events


date: March 13

section: Conflict & Security

text: March 13 – Saladin leaves Damascus with his Muslim forces, and sends letters to neighboring countries, asking for volunteers for a forthcoming jihad ("Holy War"). A week later his younger brother Al-Adil, governor of Egypt, leads his forces out of Cairo towards Syria. Meanwhile, Saladin leaves an army under his 18-year-old son Al-Afdal at Busra, to keep watch on the 'Pilgrim road'.

source_section: Events › By place › Levant


date: April 29

text: April 29 – A delegation under Balian of Ibelin is sent to Tiberias, to reconcile with Raymond III, prince of Galilee. After Easter, a second delegation (supported by the Knights Templar and Knights Hospitaller) is sent to Tripoli, but the situation remains unchanged.


date: April

text: April – King Guy of Lusignan summons his vassals and marches north to Nazareth, to reduce Galilee to submission.


date: May 1

text: May 1 – Battle of Cresson: A Muslim reconnaissance force (some 7,000 men) under Muzaffar al-Din Gökböri, defeats a small Crusader army near Nazareth. Only Gerard de Ridefort, commander of the Crusaders, and a handful of knights escape death or capture. The Muslims scatter and kill the Christian foot-soldiers (some 400 men) before pillaging the countryside.


date: June 26

text: June 26 – Saladin regroups his Muslim forces and marches towards the Jordan River. His army numbers around 30,000 men and is divided into three columns. The following day Saladin encamps on the Golan Heights, in a marshy area near Lake Tiberias. Raiding parties are sent across the Jordan to ravage Christian territory between Nazareth, Tiberias, and Mount Tabor.


date: June 30

text: June 30 – Saladin sends a contingent to block Tiberias and challenges the Crusaders by moving his main camp closer to Saffuriya – some 10 km west of Lake Tiberias. On July 1, he sends scouts to monitor an alternative road on his northern flank that connects Saffuriya and Tiberias. The following day he attacks Tiberias with a part of his forces, including siege equipment.


date: July 2

text: July 2–3 – Saladin besieges Tiberias. The defenders, and Countess Eschiva II (wife of Raymond III) retreat to the citadel and sends messengers urging Guy of Lusignan to send help. Meanwhile, Guy and Raymond hold a war council to debate what should be done. Persuaded by Gerard de Ridefort and Raynald of Châtillon, Guy orders to march to the rescue of Tiberias.


date: July 4

text: July 4 – Battle of Hattin: Egyptian army under Saladin defeats the Crusader army (some 20,000 men) under Guy of Lusignan at the Horns of Hattin. Guy is captured along with many nobles and knights, among them, Raynald of Châtillon. The latter is executed by Saladin himself. The Crusader States have no reserves to defend the castles and fortified settlements against Saladin's forces.

source_section: Events › By place › Egypt


date: July 14

text: July 14 – Conrad of Montferrat, an Italian nobleman, arrives in Tyre which ends the surrender negotiations with Saladin. He finds the remnants of the Crusader army (after the battle of Hattin) and makes the Tyrians swear loyalty to him. Reginald of Sidon and several other nobles give their support, Reginald goes to refortify his own castle of Beaufort on the Litani River.


date: September 20

text: September 20–October 2 – Siege of Jerusalem: Egyptian army under Saladin captures Jerusalem, after the Crusaders led by Balian of Ibelin surrender the 'Holy City'. The take-over of the city is relatively peaceful; Saladin agrees to let the Muslims and Christians leave the city, taking with them their goods. Balian joins his wife Maria Komnene and family, in the County of Tripoli.


date: October 29

text: October 29 – Gregory VIII issues the bull Audita tremendi, proposing the Third Crusade and negotiates with Emperor Frederick I (Barbarossa).

source_section: Events › By topic › Religion


date: November

text: November – Richard of Poitou, son of King Henry II, take the Cross to help capture Jerusalem from the Muslims. He empties his coffers for the mission and makes a deal with King William the Lion of Scotland, giving him full feudal autonomy in return for cash.

source_section: Events › By place › Britain


text: Spring – The Crusaders under Raynald of Châtillon attack a large Muslim caravan, including members of Saladin's family, journeying from Cairo. Raynald takes the merchants, and their families with all their possessions to his castle of Kerak. Saladin demands the release of the prisoners and compensation for their losses. This is refused by Raynald, who pays no attention to his order.


text: Orio Mastropiero, doge of Venice, secures loans from the Venetian nobility to finance the siege of Zadar. Pledging the income from the Salt Office becomes a staple of the city's finance.

source_section: Events › By topic › Economy


text: Summer – Egyptian troops led by Saladin begins a campaign that paves the way for further Muslim inroads into Christian territory. Al-Adil invades Palestine with the Egyptian army, and captures the strategic castle of Mirabel (Majdal Yaba). By mid-September, Saladin has captured the cities of Acre, Jaffa, Gaza and Ascalon (blockaded by the Egyptian fleet), along with some 50 Crusader castles.


text: Spring – Emperor Isaac II (Angelos) sends a Byzantine expeditionary force under Alexios Branas to suppress the Vlach-Bulgarian Rebellion – but Alexios revolts against Isaac and is proclaimed emperor in Andrianople. He musters troops and advances on Constantinople in an attempt to seize it. However, Alexios is unable to bypass the city defenses and is defeated by the imperial forces led by Conrad of Montferrat, the emperor's brother-in-law. On the battlefield, Alexios is beheaded by Conrad's supporting footsoldiers and the rebel army flees the field.

source_section: Events › By place › Byzantine Empire


text: Siege of Lovech: Byzantine forces under Isaac II besiege the fortress city of Lovech in north-central Bulgaria. After a three-month siege, Isaac is forced to accept a truce by recognizing the joint-rule of Peter II and Ivan Asen I as emperor's (or tsar) over the territory, leading to the creation of the Second Bulgarian Empire (until 1396).


date: October

section: Religion & Belief

text: October – Josias, archbishop of Tyre, arrives in Rome and informs the Papal Court of the disaster of the Christian slaughter at Hattin by Saladin.


text: Genoa takes Bonifacio (in Corsica) from Pisa. Pope Gregory VIII reconciles the differences between the states so that both may be used to expedite shipments to the Holy Land.

source_section: Events › By place › Europe


text: Almohad forces under Caliph Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur reconquer the city of Gabès (modern Tunisia) from the Almoravid pretender, Ali Banu Ghaniya.

source_section: Events › By place › Africa


text: Summer – Pillage of Sigtuna: A fleet of Karelians enters Lake Malar and ravages the coast. The marauders burn Sigtuna and kill Archbishop Johannes at Almarestäket in Sweden.


date: February 23

section: Births

text: February 23 – Peter I (Pedro), count of Urgell (d. 1258)

source_section: Births


date: March 29

text: March 29 – Arthur I (or Arzhur), duke of Brittany (d. 1203)


date: July 29

text: July 29 – Ibn Abi'l-Dam, Syrian historian and judge (d. 1244)


date: September 5

text: September 5 – Louis VIII (the Lion), French king (d. 1226)


text: Hassan III, ruler of the Nizari Ismaili State (d. 1221)


text: Koga Michiteru, Japanese nobleman and poet (d. 1248)


text: Gundisalvus of Amarante, Portuguese priest (d. 1259)


text: Ela of Salisbury, 3rd countess of Salisbury (d. 1261)


text: Peter I (Mauclerc), duke and regent of Brittany (d. 1250)


text: Liu Kezhuang, Chinese poet and literary critic (d. 1269)


text: Vladimir IV (Rurikovich), Kievan Grand Prince (d. 1239)


text: Ibn 'Adlan, Ayyubid cryptologist and poet (d. 1268)


date: February 18

text: February 18 – Gilbert Foliot, bishop of London (b. 1110)


date: March 18

text: March 18 – Bogusław I, duke of Pomerania (b. 1130)


text: May 1 – Roger de Moulins, French Grand Master


date: May 6

text: May 6 – Ruben III (or Roupen), Armenian ruler (b. 1145)


text: July 4 – Raynald of Châtillon, prince of Antioch (b. 1125)


date: October 1

text: October 1 – Yaroslav Osmomysl, Galician prince (b. 1135)


date: October 20

text: October 20 – Pope Urban III dies after a 2½-year pontificate at Ferrara. He is succeeded by Gregory VIII as the 173rd pope of the Catholic Church.


text: October 20 – Urban III, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 1120)


date: November 9

text: November 9 – Retired-Emperor Gao Zong dies at the age of 80, having abdicated 58 years ago (see 1129) after a reign in which he reestablished the Southern Song dynasty (until 1279).

source_section: Events › By place › Asia


text: November 9 – Gao Zong, Chinese emperor (b. 1107)


date: November 10

text: November 10 – Guðrøðr Óláfsson, Norse king of Dublin


date: November 30

text: November 30 – Fujiwara no Hidehira, Japanese nobleman


date: December 17

text: December 17 – Gregory VIII dies after holding the papacy for only 57 days. He is succeeded by Clement III as the 174th pope of Rome.


text: December 17 – Gregory VIII, pope of the Catholic Church


section: Geopolitics & Diplomacy

text: Spring – Henry II institutes legal reforms that give the Crown more control over the administration of justice. He orders Newgate Prison be built in London.

source_section: Events › By place › England


text: The Cutting of the Elm: A meeting of Henry II and Philip II in the field at Gisors, in Normandy. It marks the Franco-Norman peace negotiations, following the Fall of Jerusalem (see 1187).


date: May 14

text: May 14 – Saladin begins a campaign and marches north but finds Tripoli too strong to be besieged. He decides to take other Crusader fortifications and signs an 8-month truce with Prince Bohemond III of Antioch.


date: May

text: May – Saladin besieges the Hospitaller fortress of Krak des Chevaliers, in Syria. Seeing that the castle is too well defended, instead he decides to march on the Castle of Margat, which he also fails to capture.


date: July

text: July – Saladin marches through the Buqaia, and occupies Jabala and Lattakieh. From Lattakieh he turns inland and, after a few days of fierce fighting, takes Sahyun Castle (called Castle of Saladin) on July 29.


date: September 4

text: September 4 – King Guy of Lusignan is released by Saladin after Ascalon is forced to surrender. Guy and his wife, Queen Sibylla of Jerusalem, seek refuge in Tyre, which is defended by Conrad of Montferrat.


date: November

text: November – Richard of Poitou, son of Henry II, allies himself with Philip II and pays him homage. He promises to concede his rights to both Normandy and Anjou. Henry is overpowered by Richard's supporters, who chase him from Le Mans to Angers. They force him to accept peace by conceding to all demands, including the recognition of Richard as his successor.


text: Spring – Siege of Tyre: Muslim forces under Saladin withdraw from Tyre after a 1½-month siege. For the Crusaders, the city-port becomes a strategic rallying point for the Christian revival during the Third Crusade.


section: Exploration & Expansion

text: Spring – King Henry II and Philip II (Augustus) meet at Le Mans, with Archbishop Josias (or Joscius) in attendance. Both kings agree to peace terms, and to contribute to a joint Crusade. It is decided to raise a new tax to pay for the expedition. This tax, known as the Saladin Tithe, is imposed on the people of England and France to raise funds for the Third Crusade.


date: March 27

text: March 27 – Emperor Frederick I (Barbarossa) holds a Diet at Mainz and takes the Cross, followed by his 21-year-old son, Frederick IV, and other German nobles. He sends a delegation to present an ultimatum to Saladin in Syria on May 26. With demands to withdraw his Muslim forces from Palestina and to return the True Cross to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.


text: Archdeacon Giraldus Cambrensis and Archbishop Baldwin of Forde travel through Wales, attempting to recruit men for the Third Crusade.


date: March 4

text: March 4 – Blanche of Castile, queen and regent of France (d. 1252)


date: March 24

text: March 24 – Ferdinand (or Ferrand), count of Flanders (d. 1233)


date: November 26

text: November 26 – Yuri II of Vladimir, Kievan Grand Prince (d. 1238)


text: Matilda I, countess of Nevers, Auxerre and Tonnerre (d. 1257)


text: Albert IV (the Wise), German nobleman and knight (d. 1239)


text: Si Inthrathit, Thai founder of the Sukhothai Kingdom (d. 1270)


date: January 22

text: January 22 – Ferdinand II, king of León and Galicia (b. 1137)


text: January 22 – King Ferdinand II dies after returning from a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. He is succeeded by his 16-year-old son Alfonso IX, who becomes ruler of León and Galicia. He convenes representatives of the nobility, clergy and towns at the Basilica of San Isidoro the Cortes of León. These Corteses are considered to be the first parliament in Europe.


date: January 26

text: January 26 – Eysteinn Erlendsson, Norwegian archbishop


date: October 11

text: October 11 – Robert I (the Great), count of Dreux (b. 1123)


date: November 4

text: November 4 – Theobald of Ostia, French abbot and bishop


date: November 17

text: November 17 – Usama ibn Munqidh, Arabian poet and knight (b. 1095)


date: December 14

text: December 14 – Berthold I, margrave of Istria and Carniola


date: December 22

text: December 22 – Richard of Ilchester, bishop of Winchester


text: 1188 – Death of Seljuki Khatun


text: Roger de Mowbray, English nobleman and knight (b. 1120)


text: Guigo II, prior of the Grande Chatreuse


text: Hugh the Chaplain, bishop of Cell Rigmonaid (St. Andrews)


text: Aoife MacMurrough (or Eva), princess of Leinster (b. 1145)


date: February 18

text: February 18 – Emperor Xiaozong abdicates in favour of his son Guangzong as ruler of the Song dynasty. Xiaozong becomes a Taishang Huang ("Retired Emperor") and remains as the de facto ruler of China.


date: August 29

text: August 29 – Ban Kulin, Bosnian ruler, writes the Charter of Ban Kulin, which becomes a symbolic "birth certificate" of Bosnian language and statehood.

source_section: Events › By place › Continental Europe


date: December 5

text: December 5 – King William I ("the Lion") of Scotland gives Richard I 10,000 marks to buy his kingdom's independence. This overturns the Treaty of Falaise which William had to sign when he was captured in 1174.


text: Reconquista: King Sancho I of Portugal ("the Populator") turns his attention towards the Moorish small kingdoms (called taifas) and begins a campaign in the south of his kingdom. With the help of crusader forces he conquers the town of Silves. He orders the fortification of the city, builds a castle and styles himself "King of Silves".


text: Winter – John awards land to Bertram de Verdun, a Norman nobleman, and grants Dundalk its charter with town privileges; it becomes a strategic Anglo-Norman stronghold in Ireland.


date: May

text: May – Saladin has reconquered the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem except for Tyre. The castles of Montréal and Kerak are captured by Muslim forces. In the north, Saladin has regained the Principality of Antioch except for Antioch and the castle of Al-Qusayr in Syria.


date: August 28

text: August 28 – Siege of Acre: King Guy of Lusignan moves from Tyre, where Conrad of Montferrat refuses to hand over the city. Guy and his crusader army (some 7,000 men, including 400 knights) besiege Acre. He makes camp outside, to wait for more reinforcements.


date: August

text: August – Byzantine Emperor Isaac II Angelos denies any crusader access and begins to hinder the German forces who try to cross his frontier. Frederick I progresses with force, by capturing Philippopolis and defeats a Byzantine army (some 3,000 men) that attempts to recapture the city. The Germans are delayed for six months in Thrace.


date: September 3

text: September 3 – Richard I is crowned king of England in Westminster Abbey. During the coronation, a number of notable Jews are expelled from the banquet and rumours spread that Richard has ordered a massacre of the Jews. This causes an actual massacre of the Jews in London; among those killed is Jacob of Orléans, a respected French Jewish scholar.


date: September

text: September – Guy of Lusignan receives reinforcements of some 12,000 men from Denmark, Germany, England, France, and Flanders. He encircles Acre with a double line of fortified positions. On September 15, Saladin launches a failed attack on Guy's camp.


date: October 4

text: October 4 – Guy of Lusignan leads the crusader forces to launch a full-on assault on Saladin's camp. With heavy casualties on both sides, neither force gains the upperhand. On October 26, Saladin moves his camp from Acre to Mount Carmel (modern Israel).


date: October 30

text: October 30 – An Egyptian fleet (some 50 ships) breaks through the crusader blockade at Acre and reinforces the port-city with some 10,000 men, as well as food and weapons.


date: December

text: December – An Egyptian fleet reopens communications with Acre. The rest of the winter passes without major incidents, but the supply situation is poor in the besieged city.


text: December – Richard I sets sail with a crusader army from Dover Castle to France. To ensure he has the allegiance of his brother John, Richard approves of his marriage to their cousin Isabella of Gloucester.


text: Frederick I grants Hamburg the status of a free imperial city and tax-free access (or free-trade zone) up the Lower Elbe into the North Sea. He also grants the right to fish, to cut trees and the freedom of military service.


section: Culture & Society

text: August – William Marshal marries the 17-year-old Isabel de Clare (daughter of Richard de Clare). Through this marriage, he becomes 1st Earl of Pembroke, acquiring huge estates in England, Normandy, Wales and Ireland.


text: Pietro Pettinaio, Italian comb-maker and saint (d. 1289)


text: Skule Bårdsson, Norwegian nobleman (d. 1240)


text: Ferdinand of Castile, Spanish prince (infante) (d. 1211)


text: Al-Mansur Nasir al-Din Muhammad, Ayyubid sultan (d. 1217)


text: Sukaphaa, founder of the Ahom kingdom in Assam (d. 1268)


text: Peter Nolasco, French religious leader (d. 1256)


text: Archambaud VIII ("the Great"), Bourbon nobleman (d. 1242)


date: January 1

text: January 1 – Henry of Marcy, French cardinal-bishop (b. 1136)


date: January 20

text: January 20 – Shizong (or Wulu), Chinese emperor (b. 1123)


date: February 4

text: February 4 – Gilbert of Sempringham, English priest (b. 1085)


date: March 4

text: March 4 – Humbert III ("the Blessed"), count of Savoy (b. 1136)


date: March 25

text: March 25 – Frederick, duke of Bohemia (House of Přemyslid)


date: June 15

text: June 15 – Minamoto no Yoshitsune, Japanese general (b. 1159)


date: June 26

text: June 26 – Folmar of Karden, German archbishop (b. 1135)


date: June 28

text: June 28 – Matilda of England, duchess of Saxony (b. 1156)


date: July 6

text: July 6 – King Henry II of England ("Curtmantle") dies at the Château de Chinon, near Tours, after doing homage to Philip II (Augustus), and surrendering the territories around Issoudun in the Centre-Val de Loire. He ends the hostilities against Philip, by agreeing to the peace terms and pays him 20,000 marks in tribute. Henry is succeeded by his son, Richard I ("the Lionheart"), as ruler of England and his remaining territories in France.


date: August 20

text: August 20 or 21 – Geoffrey Ridel, English bishop and Lord Chancellor


text: October 4 – Gerard de Ridefort, Flemish Grand Master (b. 1140)


date: November 11

text: November 11 – William II ("the Good"), king of Sicily (b. 1153)


text: November 11 – King William II of Sicily ("the Good"), having made peace with Emperor Isaac II and abandoned Thessalonika and other conquests, dies childless at Palermo. The Sicilian nobles elect Tancred of Lecce (illegitimate son of Roger II) as the new ruler of Sicily, instead of Princess Constance and her husband Henry VI, to avoid German rule.


date: November 14

text: November 14 – William de Mandeville, English nobleman


text: Reign in Northern India by Nahapana, Scythian king. He attacks the kingdom of Andhra and annexes Southern Rajputana.


text: Emperor Hadrian stations Legio VI Victrix in Roman Britain, to assist in quelling the resistance of a local rebellion. The legion is key in securing the victory, and eventually replaces Legio IX Hispana at Eboracum.

source_section: Events › By place › Roman Empire


text: Hadrian also visits Britain in this year at the request of governor of Britain Quintus Pompeius Falco.


text: Gaius Bruttius Praesens, Roman politician (approximate date)


text: Marina of Aguas Santas, Roman Christian martyr (d. 139)


date: December 23

text: December 23 – Salonia Matidia, niece of Trajan (b. AD 68)


text: Salonia Matidia (a niece of former Emperor Trajan) dies. Hadrian delivers her funeral oration, and grants her a temple in Rome.


text: Serapia, Roman slave and martyr (approximate date)


text: Plutarch, Greek historian and biographer (b. AD 46)


text: San Secondo of Asti, Roman bishop and martyr


text: March 25 – Conrad of Montferrat sails south with a Crusader fleet (some 50 ships) from Tyre. As Conrad's fleet approaches the harbour of Acre, an equally sized Muslim fleet sorties out to meet the Crusaders in open battle. Eventually, the Ayyubid fleet is blockaded (supported by Danish and Pisan ships) in the port. Acre is again cut off from reinforcements; the city's supplies are exhausted, and the Muslim garrison has to resort to eating their own beasts. In the event, troops are driven to cannibalism.

source_section: Events › By place › Third Crusade


date: March

text: March – Frederick I leaves Adrianople to Gallipoli at the Dardanelles to embark, with the help of Byzantine transports, to cross into Asia Minor. On April 25, he enters territory of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum under the rule of Sultan Kilij Arslan II. Although promised to let the German Crusaders pass peaceably through his domains, Kilij Arslan harasses Frederick's forces with hit-and-run attacks. On May 7, a Turkish army (some 10,000 men) is defeated at the Battle of Philomelion, by 2,000 Crusaders.


date: April

text: April – After a long siege Muslim forces under Saladin capture Beaufort Castle from Reginald of Sidon who has offered to hand over the castle to Saladin on the condition that he has three months to remove his family to a place of safety. At the end of the three months, Saladin expects the castle to be handed over but finds that Reginald has used the time to strengthen the castle against a siege. He is imprisoned at Damascus – the castle's garrison finally surrenders in return for Reginald's release.


date: May 5

text: May 5 – Siege of Acre: A Crusader force under King Guy of Lusignan attacks the city with three siege engines, but all are destroyed by the Muslim defenders with Greek fire, a highly flammable liquid. An Egyptian flotilla is able to avoid the Pisan fleet (some 50 ships) and resupply the city with new provisions. Saladin launches a massive eight-day attack on the Crusaders two weeks later. Meanwhile, in the Crusader camp the conditions are deteriorating by disease and famine, among the soldiers.


date: May 18

text: May 18 – Battle of Iconium: German forces under Frederick I defeat the Seljuk army (40,000 men) in a pitched battle. They are routed, leaving the city at the mercy of the German Crusaders. Frederick does not pursue the Seljuks, because his forces have been weakened by food shortage for the previous weeks. His 23-year-old son, Frederick VI, takes Iconium (modern-day Konya) and proceeds to massacre the citizens. The Germans take booty amounting to 100,000 marks in the Turkish capital.


date: September

text: September – Richard I arrives in Sicily at the head of a Crusader army and demands the release of his sister Joan of England, queen of Sicily, who is held hostage by the usurper Tancred of Lecce. He also demands that Tancred fulfill the financial commitments made by the late King William II (the Good) to the Crusade. Tancred refuses the financial demand but he agrees to release Joan, on September 28.


date: October 4

text: October 4 – Richard I captures Messina, after looting and burning the city he establishes his base there. Richard insists that his own banner be erected over the city, but this creates tension between Richard and Philip II, who has joined him with his forces. Tancred accepts a peace agreement, and pays Richard 20,000 ounces of gold. Friendly relations are restored, Richard agrees to split the gold with Philip.


text: Isaac II starts a campaign against the Bulgarians, who claim their independence. After passing the Balkan Mountains, Isaac marches westward to besiege Tarnovo, the new Bulgarian capital. Meanwhile, the Byzantine fleet reaches the Danube River in order to block the way of Cuman reinforcements from the North. The defense of Tarnovo is led by Ivan Asen I, emperor (Tsar) of Bulgaria. After spreading rumors of the arrival of a Cuman army to relieve the city, Isaac orders to retreat to Stara Zagora.


text: Siege of Silves – the Almohad caliph, Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur, fails to reconquer Silves, Portugal.


text: King Henry VI, eldest son of Frederick I, grants Henry I (the Brave) the title of Duke of Brabant. Henry tries to expand his power and soon quarrels with Count Baldwin V, duke of Hainaut.


text: Battle of Tryavna: Byzantine forces under Isaac II are ambushed and defeated by the Bulgarians in a mountain pass, near Tryavna. In panic, the Byzantines break up and begin a disorganized retreat. Isaac barely escapes, his Varangian Guard has to cut a path through their own soldiers, enabling their emperor's flight from the rout. The Bulgarians capture the imperial treasure, including the golden helmet of Isaac, his crown, and the Imperial Cross which contains a wooden piece of the Holy Cross.


text: Spring – A German expeditionary force (some 15,000 men) led by Emperor Frederick I (Barbarossa) marches towards Constantinople, on the way to the Holy Land. Emperor Isaac II (Angelos), suspicious that Frederick is planning to conquer Constantinople, attempts to stop him by attacking the Crusaders. The German forces are too strong and they capture Adrianople. A peace treaty is signed by both Isaac and Frederick, that ensures the Germans are given supplies, and free passage through to Palestina.


date: July 4

text: July 4 – King Richard I (the Lion Heart) and Philip II (Augustus), meet at Vézelay and agree to divide the spoils of the Crusade equally between themselves. They march to the coast and then make their way across the Mediterranean, taking different routes. Richard travels with an expeditionary force (some 17,000 men) via Marseille and Philip travels with a smaller contingent (some 15,000 men) via Genoa. Richard has some 100 ships at his disposal, several of which are from Norman ports, others from Shoreham and Southampton.


text: London adopts the Cross of St. George, the red cross on a white background. The flag is also used by the fleet of Genoa, and allows the ships from London to use the flag for protection when they enter the Mediterranean on trading missions.

source_section: Events › By place › Europe › England


text: Cartmel Priory is founded by William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke, in England.


text: King Stefan Nemanja founds the Studenica Monastery in Serbia.


section: Health & Medicine

text: The Teutonic Order is founded at Acre by German knights of Lübeck and Bremen. The Order is formed to aid Christians on their pilgrimages to the Holy Land and to establish hospitals (approximate date).


date: June 10

section: Disasters & Accidents

text: June 10 – Frederick I drowns while crossing (or bathing in) the Göksu River near Selucia (modern-day Silifke) in Armenian Cilicia. The German Crusaders are demoralized and exhausted by the summer heat, Frederick VI takes over the command of his father, carrying with him the emperor's body preserved in a barrel of vinegar. Some of the German nobles decide to return home with their followers; Frederick continues with his army (some 5,000 men) and eventually reaches Antioch, on June 21.


date: September 24

text: September 24 – A Crusader fleet attempts to destroy the Tower of Flies at Acre, which guards the city's harbour, by ramming vessels loaded with combustibles into it. At a critical moment, the ships collide with one another and are badly damaged. A specially built Pisan vessel resembling a floating castle and outfitted with mangonels, is set afire during a sortie from the harbour by a Muslim flotilla.


date: December

section: Climate & Environment

text: December – Richard I and Philip II stay in Sicily over the winter months waiting for the weather to improve before continuing their journey to the Holy Land.


date: November 24

text: November 24 – The 18-year-old Isabella I, half-sister of Sibylla, Queen of Jerusalem, marries Conrad of Montferrat at Acre making him de facto king of Jerusalem (as Conrad I). He has the support of her mother Maria Comnena and stepfather Balian of Ibelin, as well as Reginald of Sidon and other major nobles in the Crusader States.


text: Emo of Friesland, a Frisian scholar and abbot, commences his study at what will become the University of Oxford.

source_section: Events › By topic › Education


text: On the Harmony of Religions and Philosophy (ar. Kitab fasl al-maqal), by Averroes, is first published.

source_section: Events › By topic › Art and Science


text: Speculum Virginum, a German manuscript, is published (approximate date).


date: July 24

text: July 24 – Yelü Chucai, Chinese statesman (d. 1244)


date: December 30

text: December 30 – Ibn Abi'l-Hadid, Arab scholar (d. 1258)


text: Henry II of Bar, French nobleman and knight (d. 1239)


text: Ida of Nivelles, Belgian Cistercian nun and mystic (d. 1231)


text: Theodora Angelina, Byzantine noblewoman (d. 1246)


text: Peter González (or Pedro), Castilian priest (d. 1246)


text: John (the Old), French nobleman and knight (d. 1267)


text: Helvis of Cyprus, princess of Antioch (approximate date)


text: Maria of Brabant, Holy Roman Empress (d. 1260)


text: Vincent of Beauvais, French encyclopedist (d. 1264)


text: Pietro della Vigna, Italian jurist and diplomat (d. 1249)


text: Sorghaghtani Beki, mother of Kublai Khan (d. 1252)


text: Władysław Odonic, duke of Greater Poland (d. 1239)


text: Klement of Ruszcza, Polish nobleman and knight (d. 1256)


date: February 18

text: February 18 – Otto II (the Rich), margrave of Meissen (b. 1125)

source_section: Deaths


date: March 15

text: March 15 – Isabella of Hainault, wife of Philip II (Augustus) (b. 1170)


date: March 16

text: March 16 – A massacre and mass-suicide of the Jews in York, results in the deaths of 150–500 Jews in Clifford's Tower.


date: March 23

text: March 23 – Saigyō Hōshi, Japanese monk, poet and writer (b. 1118)


date: July 25

text: July 25 – Sibylla (or Sibylle), queen of Jerusalem (b. 1160)


date: July 29

text: July 29 – Maud of Gloucester (or Matilda), English countess


date: July

text: July - Ngô Lý Tín, Vietnamese general and politician of the Lý dynasty (b. 1126)


date: August 1

text: August 1 – Floris III, Dutch nobleman and knight (b. 1141)


date: August 16

text: August 16 – Dedi III (the Fat), German nobleman (b. 1130)


date: August 21

text: August 21 – Godfrey III, count of Louvain (House of Reginar)


date: September 13

text: September 13 – Herman IV, German nobleman (b. 1135)


date: October 16

text: October 16 – Louis III (the Mild), German nobleman


date: November 19

text: November 19 – Baldwin of Forde, English archbishop


date: November 21

text: November 21 – Děpolt II (or Diepold), German nobleman


text: The counties of Flanders and Hainaut (modern Belgium) are united under Count Baldwin VIII. Flanders, a feudal fiefdom of France, becomes an important, wealthy independent state of Western Europe.


date: February 13

text: February 13 – Muslim forces attack and succeed in breaking the siege lines around Acre. Though the Crusaders seal the breach, Saladin is able to replenish the garrison, by sending reinforcements. For the defenders, this is a temporary respite – and Saladin is having difficulty keeping his army together. Taqi al-Din, Saladin's nephew and one of his most effective commanders, fails to rejoin the siege. He divides his army for his own territorial ambitions in modern southeastern Turkey. Later in the spring, Taqi al-Din brings his forces to support the double-siege at Acre.


date: April 20

text: April 20 – King Philip II (Augustus) arrives with a Genoese flotilla (six ships) filled with French nobles and his cousin Conrad of Montferrat at Acre. He begins the construction of seven immense stone-throwers – which are used to bombard the city, on May 30. One of the siege-machines is called by the French soldiers the "Evil Neighbour" and "God's Own Sling", and a grappling ladder is known as the "Cat". Meanwhile, the walls of Acre are pounded relentlessly. The Crusaders built earthworks, ramparts, and ditches to protect themselves against Muslim attacks.


date: June 8

text: June 8 – Richard I arrives with 25 ships and a strong advanced guard at Acre. Upon reaching the city, he is greeted by Philip II and then sets up his camp. Richard becomes almost immediately seriously ill (called Arnaldia) and is confined to his tent. Nevertheless, he leaps into action and secretly initiates negotiations with Saladin. After having been refused a personal meeting, Richard sends a Moroccan prisoner to Saladin's camp as a sign of goodwill. Finally, Saladin accepts a three-day truce and allows his younger brother, Al-Adil, to negotiate with Richard.


date: July 3

text: July 3 – The Crusaders change their strategy from battering the Acre fortifications to exploiting the breaches. After only the first day of these all-out attacks to seize the city, Saladin's governor sends a message stating he would surrender unless he is relieved. Both French sappers and English catapults manage to make significant breaches in the walls – but the assault is repulsed. Meanwhile, Richard I, still unable to walk due to illness, is carried on a regal stretcher near the front lines from where he picks off Muslim troops on the walls using his crossbow.


date: July 12

text: July 12 – Siege of Acre: The Muslim garrison surrenders to Philip II, which includes an agreement to give up the 70 Muslim ships in the harbour without Saladin's consent, and by the time that he learned of this intention, the city has already capitulated. Conrad of Montferrat, who has negotiated the surrender, raises the banners of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and of the Crusader leaders Philip II, Richard I, and Leopold V of Austria, on the city's walls and towers. The siege of Acre has taken nearly two years and has cost some 100,000 Christian casualties.


date: July 31

text: July 31 – Philip II, accompanied by Conrad of Montferrat, departs to Tyre and returns to France. He leaves behind a French army (some 10,000 men) under the command of Hugh III, duke of Burgundy. Richard I is left in sole command of the Crusader forces in the Levant. Back in France, Philip schemes with Richard's brother, Prince John, to dispossess Richard of his French lands while he is still away, but the intervention of John's mother, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, foils the plan. Meanwhile, Richard rebuilds and strengthens the walls of Acre.


date: August 20

text: August 20 – Massacre of Ayyadieh: Richard I orders the execution of some 3,000 Muslim prisoners (captured after the siege of Acre), including women and children. The bound prisoners are mercilessly beheaded or cut down using swords and lances. A small group of Saladin's forces (located on Mount Tabor) tries to intervene in order to stop the massacre – but they are repelled. In response, Saladin executes all the Latin prisoners he himself has taken. In the Ayyubid Sultanate, Latin prisoners are tortured and murdered in reprisal for their infamy.


date: August 22

text: August 22 – Richard I leads the Crusader forces (some 15,000 men) out of Acre and marches south along the coast, being closely supported by the Crusader fleet, carrying most of the supplies. Meanwhile, Saladin has given his son Al-Afdal orders to remain close to the Crusader rearguard under Hugh III, and strengthens the Muslim garrison both in Jerusalem and Ascalon with 20,000 men each. Richard advances at an unexpectedly slow pace and decides to make camp near Haifa – which Saladin has dismantled shortly before the fall of Acre.


date: August 25

text: August 25–26 – Richard I leads a fast-moving advance-guard and establishes a strong position at the fortress near Merle before Saladin arrives. He then hurries back to support the rearguard, to regain contact with the Crusader forces. Richard reorganizes his marching column. The elite Templar and Hospitaller knights hold the van and rearguard, while Richard and a central mass of knights are screened on their landward left side by dense ranks of well-armoured infantry, whose panoply makes them almost immune to Muslim missile attacks.


date: August 30

text: August 30 – Richard I advances in three divisions towards Caesarea, with the Crusader fleet accompanying him off-shore. The rearguard becomes engaged, and the French forces under Hugh III are nearly annihilated. Saladin has selected this part of the road for a major assault, but the Muslim attacks have little effect. The main effort to harass the Crusaders from a distance fails. Richard makes camp at the mouth of the Zarqa River, despite the intense heat, thirst, and the loss of many lives. Both armies rest and watch each other the rest of the day.


date: August

text: August – Margaritus of Brindisi defeats the Pisan fleet during the siege of Naples, and nearly destroys the late-arriving Genoese contingent. He keeps the harbour approaches open for supplies and reinforcements.


date: September 2

text: September 2 – Richard I leads the Crusader army past Caesarea and is forced to turn inland, where he is separated from his supply ships. Saladin personally attacks the massed Crusader infantry, by bombarding them with arrows before charging their line with cavalry. During this brief but indecisive engagement, Richard is struck in the side by a crossbow bolt – though his armour absorbs much of the blow. By the end of the day, only 25 miles from Jaffa, Richard allows his men to rest (while recovering from his wounds) and re-assembles his forces.


date: September 5

text: September 5 – Richard I dispatches envoys to request for peace talks and meets Al-Adil under a flag of truce. Saladin allows the Crusaders to forage in the Forrest of Arsuf. But Richard is in no mood for actual negotiations and demands nothing less than the cession of Palestina. Al-Adil at once breaks off the negotiations. Richard orders his forces to march quietly through the woods, and the Crusaders manage to reach the limits of the forest unhindered and unharmed. The Crusaders pitch their tents in the "Rochetaille" and rest for the night.


date: September 7

text: September 7 – Battle of Arsuf: Richard I fights a pitched battle – while waiting for the ideal moment to mount a counterattack. However, the Hospitaller knights led by Garnier de Nablus break formation and launch a charge. Richard restores order in the turmoil and is forced to commit his entire army to support the attack. The Muslim forces flee in panic, but Saladin rallies them in time to defend his camp, and even to lead a counter-charge. By evening, Richard has defeated the Muslim forces, and Saladin retreats in good order to Ramallah.


date: September 9

text: September 9–10 – Richard I and his Crusader forces march on to Jaffa and set about rebuilding its fortifications, which Saladin has destroyed by his scorched-earth policy. Mid-September, a large number of French nobles begin to resist – such as Hugh III. They argue about the refortification of Jaffa, instead of a direct strike inland on Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Saladin evacuates and demolishes most of the fortresses of southern Palestina.


date: October 29

text: October 29 – Richard I marches with the Crusader forces onto the plains east of Jaffa and begins the slow, steady work of rebuilding a string of sites through which to advance on Jerusalem. During this period, the Third Crusade degenerates into a series of skirmishes. Richard uses diplomacy alongside military threats, hoping to bring Saladin to the point of submission before he has to make the siege of Jerusalem itself.


date: October

text: October – William de Longchamp tries to hold the Tower of London against John's supporters for three days. He surrenders the Tower and escapes to continue his support for Richard I. On October 29, William is captured when disguised as a female merchant. John orders that he be expelled from the country.


date: November 13

text: November 13 – Battle of Tarain: Sultan Muhammad of Ghor invades northern India, but is defeated by Rajput forces under Prithviraja III, ruler of Ajmer and Delhi. Prithviraj marches against the Ghurid army (some 100,000 men) with infantry, cavalry, and an elephant force. He repulses the Ghurid invasion near Taraori (some 70 miles of Delhi), Muhammad escapes the battlefield.


date: December

text: December – Richard I and his Crusader forces occupy Latrun, while the advance-guard takes Bayt Nuba. He is warned by his nobles to take no further risks – due to winter conditions, and for being cut off if he presses on. Amongst those keenest on continuing are the French Crusaders under Hugh III. On December 25, Richard is now just 12 miles from Jerusalem.


text: Siege of Silves – Almohad forces under Caliph Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur reconquer Silves in Portugal. In the same campaign, the Almohads take also Alcácer do Sal, while Palmela and Almada are sacked.


text: King Jayavarman VII of the Khmer Empire sacks the capital of Champa (approximate date).


text: Henry VI is forced to raise the siege of Naples, due to an epidemic, and returns to Germany. Upon Henry's retreat, the Lombard cities that have surrendered to the Germans resubmit to Tancred of Lecce, king or usurper of Sicily. The populace of Salerno turn against Empress Constance during her visit to the city, and Margaritus of Brindisi delivers her to Tancred at Messina. Later, Constance is imprisoned at Castel dell'Ovo at Naples.


text: Autumn – Emperor Isaac II (Angelos) leads a punitive expedition against Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja. The Serbians are defeated at South Morava and retreat into the mountains. The Byzantine forces raid all lands around the bank of the river and burn down Stefan's court in Kuršumlija. Nemanja does not surrender and starts irregular warfare and Isaac negotiates a peace treaty. The Serbians are forced to give up a large part of their conquests, east of the Velika Morava, and recognize Byzantine rule. Isaac recognizes Nemanja as Grand Prince of Serbia.


text: Prince Yury Bogolyubsky leads a rebellion of disaffected Georgian nobleman against his ex-wife, Queen Tamara (the Great), but her forces win a two pitched battle at Tmogvi and Erusheti. Yury is captured, and Tamara allows him to withdraw to Constantinople.


text: King Canute VI leads a Danish Crusade to Finland.


text: Berthold V, duke of Zähringen, founds the city of Bern (modern Switzerland).


date: April 15

text: April 15 – Henry VI, son of the late Emperor Frederick I (Barbarossa), is crowned as Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, together with his wife Constance by Pope Celestine III, on Easter Monday at Rome. Henry marches south and begins a campaign in Apulia. He besieges Naples, but encounters the resistance of Sicilian forces under Margaritus of Brindisi, who come to support the city's defense. Tusculum is destroyed by the rebel army of the Commune of Rome, on April 17.


date: April

text: April – John and William de Longchamp meet at Winchester to discuss their differences. Several senior bishops are appointed as arbitrators. At the end of the meeting, both John and William agree to follow the recommendations. William is to return Lincoln Castle to Gerard de Canville and accepts limits to his powers. In return, John is to surrender Nottingham and Tickhill castles.


text: The monks of Glastonbury Abbey dig up the remains of a large knight and a blonde woman, and announce they have discovered the tomb of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere.


text: Spring – William de Longchamp, Chief Justiciar and regent, besieges Lincoln Castle accusing the castellan Gerard de Canville of corruption. In response, Prince John captures Nottingham and Tickhill castles from William. News of the dispute reaches Richard I, who sends Walter de Coutances, archbishop of Rouen, with orders to lead negotiations, for a peace between John and William.


text: The administration of the Taungoo region (modern Myanmar) is first recorded. King Narapatisithu appoints his son-in-law, Ananda Thuriya, as governor of Kanba Myint.


date: September

section: Crime & Justice

text: September – Geoffrey, illegitimate son of the late King Henry II and half-brother to Richard I and John, lands secretly at Dover. He has been consecrated as the new archbishop of York while in Tours, and on his return is arrested by William de Longchamp. Citing the Winchester treaty, John seeks a meeting with William. Geoffrey is freed, William flees and heads to Dover Castle.


date: February 8

text: February 8 – Yaroslav II, Grand Prince of Vladimir (d. 1246)


text: Tolui, Mongol general and son of Genghis Khan (d. 1232)


text: Richard Marshal, Norman nobleman and knight (d. 1234)


text: Geoffrey de Mandeville, English nobleman (approximate date)


text: Joanna of Hohenstaufen, countess of Burgundy (d. 1205)


text: George IV (or Lasha Giorgi), king of Georgia (d. 1223)


text: Yan Yu, Chinese poetry theorist and writer (d. 1241)


text: Theobald I, German nobleman (House of Lorraine) (d. 1220)


text: Mafalda of Castile, Spanish princess (infanta) (d. 1204)


text: Stephen Devereux, Norman nobleman (approximate date)


date: January 14

text: January 14 – Berno, German missionary and bishop


date: January 20

text: January 20 – Frederick VI, son of Frederick I (Barbarossa) (b. 1167)


date: February 24

text: February 24 – John I, French nobleman (House of Alençon)


date: March 20

text: March 20 – Pope Clement III dies at Rome after a pontificate of less than 3½ years. He is succeeded by the 85-year-old Celestine III as the 175th pope of the Catholic Church.


text: March 20 – Clement III, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 1130)


date: July 3

text: July 3 – Albéric Clément, Marshal of France (b. 1165)


date: July 7

text: July 7 – Judith of Hohenstaufen, German noblewoman


date: August 1

text: August 1 – Philip of Alsace, Flemish nobleman (b. 1143)


date: August 5

text: August 5 – Rudolf of Zähringen, archbishop of Mainz


date: August 13

text: August 13 – Philip I, archbishop of Cologne (b. 1130)


date: September 9

text: September 9 – Conrad II, duke of Bohemia (b. 1136)


date: September 10

text: September 10 – Ralph de Warneville, Norman bishop


date: December 15

text: December 15 – Welf VI, margrave of Tuscany (b. 1115)


date: December 26

text: December 26 – Reginald Fitz Jocelin, English bishop


date: September 2

text: September 2 – After negotiations between Richard and Saladin, the Treaty of Jaffa is signed, which makes sure Jerusalem remains in Muslim hands, but insures visiting rights for pilgrims to come to the Holy City. The Third Crusade ends.

source_section: Events › The Third Crusade


date: April 28

text: April 28 – Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I), King of Jerusalem, is assassinated in Tyre, only days after his title to the throne is confirmed by election. The killing is carried out by Hashshashin, later the basis of folk etymology for the English word "assassin."

source_section: Events


text: August 5 – Battle of Jaffa: Richard I of England defeats the forces of Saladin and ends hostilities, paving the way for a truce.


date: December 11

text: December 11 – Returning from the Third Crusade, Richard I of England is taken prisoner by Leopold V, Duke of Austria, and secured at Dürnstein.


text: Second Battle of Tarain in India: The Ghurid forces of Mu'izz al-Din are victorious over Prithviraj Chauhan.


date: October 9

text: October 9 – Richard leaves the Holy Land, setting sail from Acre and beginning his return to Europe.


text: Margaritus of Brindisi becomes the first Count of Malta after capturing Constance, Holy Roman Empress in 1191.


text: Constance, Holy Roman Empress is released by Tancred, King of Sicily under the pressure of Pope Celestine III in May, and returns to Germany in June.


date: August 21

section: Technology & Infrastructure

text: August 21 – Minamoto no Yoritomo is granted the title of shōgun, thereby officially establishing the first shogunate in the history of Japan.


text: The Lugouqiao (later the Marco Polo) Bridge is completed in Beijing.


date: January 7

section: Science & Discovery

text: January 7 – Venus occults Jupiter.


text: Prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich of Novgorod burns down Tartu and Otepää Castles, in Estonia.


date: September 17

text: September 17 – Minamoto no Sanetomo, Japanese shōgun (d. 1219)


text: Saint Syed Jalaluddin Bukhari of Uch Sharif (d. 1291)


text: King Stefan Radoslav of Serbia (d. 1234)


text: Queen Maria of Jerusalem (d. 1212)


date: April 26

text: April 26 – Emperor Go-Shirakawa of Japan (b. 1127)


text: April 28 – Conrad of Montferrat, King of Jerusalem (b. mid-1140s)


date: May 8

text: May 8 – Duke Ottokar IV, Duke of Styria (b. 1163)


date: August 25

text: August 25 – Hugh III, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1142)


date: August 31

text: August 31 - Garnier de Nablus, 10th Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller


text: Kilij Arslan II, Sultan of Rum


text: Ikhtiyar al-Din Hasan ibn Ghafras, vizier of the Sultanate of Rum


text: Rashid ad-Din Sinan, the "Old Man of the Mountain", leader of the Hashashin sect (b. 1132/1135)


text: Prithviraj Chauhan, King of the Chauhan Dynasty (b. 1177)


text: Saint Margaret of England, English saint


date: May

text: May – The Pisan colony at Tyre plots to seize the city, and hand it over to Guy of Lusignan – the ruler of Cyprus. King Henry I of Jerusalem arrests the ringleaders, and orders that the colony be reduced to only 30 people. The Pisans retaliate, by raiding the coastal villages between Tyre and Acre.

source_section: Events › By place › Levant


text: Ghurid forces under Qutb al-Din Aibak capture Delhi. General Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khilji sacks and burns the ancient city of Nalanda, India's greatest Buddhist seat of learning, and the university of Vikramashila.


date: February 14

text: February 14 – King Richard I (the Lionheart), previously imprisoned on his return from the Third Crusade by Leopold V (the Virtuous), duke of Austria is handed over to Emperor Henry VI, and moved to Trifels Castle.


text: King Philip II (Augustus) marries Ingeborg of Denmark, daughter of King Valdemar I (the Great). After the marriage, Philip changes his mind, wishes to obtain a separation, and attempts to send her back to Denmark.


date: July 28

text: July 28 – Kujō Michiie, Japanese nobleman (d. 1252)


text: William de Ferrers, English nobleman (d. 1254)


text: John Angelos (Good John), Byzantine prince (d. 1253)


text: Giovanni da Penna, Italian Franciscan priest (d. 1271)


text: Alice of Champagne, queen of Cyprus (d. 1246)


text: John III (Doukas Vatatzes), emperor of Nicaea (d. 1254)


text: Juliana of Liège, Belgian nun and mystic (d. 1258)


text: Margaret of Scotland, English noblewoman (d. 1259)


text: Sayyed ibn Tawus, Arab jurist and theologian (d. 1266)


text: Beatrice II, French countess palatine (d. 1231)


text: John Devereux, Norman nobleman (approximate date)


text: Henri de Dreux, French archbishop (d. 1240)


text: Frederick of Isenberg, German nobleman (d. 1226)


text: Altheides, Cypriot philosopher and writer (d. 1262)


date: March 4

text: March 4 – Saladin (the Lion), sultan of Egypt and Syria (b. 1137)


date: June 13

text: June 13 – Pedro de Artajona, Spanish nobleman and bishop


date: June 27

text: June 27 – Robert FitzRalph, English archdeacon and bishop


date: August 2

text: August 2 – Mieszko the Younger, duke of Kalisz (House of Piast)


date: September 14

text: September 14 – Minamoto no Noriyori, Japanese general (b. 1150)


date: September 23

text: September 23 – Robert IV, French nobleman and Grand Master


date: December 23

text: December 23 – Thorlak Thorhallsson, Icelandic bishop (b. 1133)


date: December 24

text: December 24 – Roger III, king of Sicily (House of Hauteville)


text: Düsum Khyenpa, Tibetan spiritual leader (karmapa) (b. 1110)


text: Derbforgaill ingen Maeleachlainn (or Derval), Irish princess


text: Balian of Ibelin (the Younger), French nobleman and knight


text: Ren Zong, Chinese emperor of the Western Xia (b. 1124)


text: King Tancred of Sicily arranges a marriage between his son Roger III and the 12-year-old Irene Angelina, daughter of the Byzantine emperor Isaac II (Angelos). Roger suddenly dies on December 24.


text: Fan Chengda, Chinese politician and geographer (b. 1126)


date: July 24

text: July 24 – Emperor Guangzong of Song (or Zhao Dun) is forced to abdicate the throne to his 25-year-old son Ningzong, who succeeds him as ruler of the Song dynasty. During his reign, he will be dominated by his prime-minister Han Tuozhou (or Han T'o-Chou).

source_section: Events › By place › China


text: Hubert Walter, vice-regent in the absence of Richard I, institutes the office of coroner to keep records of crown pleas. He also presides over the feudal judgment of John and makes an inquiry into land tenure.

source_section: Events › By topic › Economy and society


text: Hunac Ceel drives the Itza people out of Chichen Itza, forcing them to start the Itza Kingdom on Lake Petén Itzá (modern Guatemala).

source_section: Events › By place › Mesoamerica


date: March 10

text: March 10 – Sultan Toghrul III is defeated and killed in battle with Ala ad-Din Tekish, near Rey in Persia – ending the Seljuq dynasty of Hamedan. The Seljuk Empire passes to the Khwarazmian dynasty.

source_section: Events › By place › Seljuk Empire


date: March 12

text: March 12–28 – Richard I besieges Nottingham Castle (occupied by supporters of John) – which falls after a siege of several days. Richard is aided by English troops under Ranulf de Blondeville and David of Scotland.


date: July 3

text: July 3 – Battle of Fréteval: English forces under Richard I defeat Philip II, and capture the French baggage train. It contains the royal archives – including a list of the treasure of the French kingdom (transported in a wagon behind the army). Philip withdraws across the River Epte, where the bridge collapses under the weight of the retreating army. Meanwhile, Richard sacks the town of Évreux, which is a possession of Philip's ally, John.

source_section: Events › By place › Europe


date: October

text: October – Leo I ("Lord of the Mountains"), ruler of Armenian Cilicia, invites Bohemond III of Antioch to Bagras, ostensibly to resolve their differences. Upon Bohemond's arrival, Leon captures him and his family, and takes them to the capital of Sis.


text: May – Richard I calls for a council in Nottingham to raise funds for an expedition to France. On May 12, he leaves for Normandy with a large fleet (some 300 ships), to reclaim lands lost to King Philip II of France ("Augustus").


date: March

text: March – Richard returns to England, and remains for only a few weeks before returning to the Continent. He leaves the administration of England in the hands of Hubert Walter, archbishop of Canterbury, who accompanied Richard on the Third Crusade and led his army back to England. He levied the taxes to pay the king's ransom and put down a plot against Richard by his younger brother John.


date: May 15

text: May 15 – Michael the Syrian reconsecrates the Mor Bar Sauma Monastery, which he reconstructed after its destruction by a fire. The monastery stays a center of the Syriac Orthodox Church until the end of the thirteenth century.

source_section: Events › By topic › Religion


date: July 10

text: July 10 – A fire devastates Chartres Cathedral. Only the crypt, the towers, and the new facade survives. Funds are collected from nobles, as well as small donations from ordinary people, to start the rebuilding.


text: The Carthusian monastery of Scala Dei is founded in the region of Montsant in Catalonia.


text: Ordinance of the Jewry: Beginning of strict records of financial transactions by Jews liable to taxation. The Exchequer of the Jews at Westminster regulates the taxes and the law-cases (also in Wales).

source_section: Events › By place › England


date: May 2

text: May 2 – Richard I grants Portsmouth market-town status with a royal charter. He orders the construction of docks on The Solent – having seen that the harbour is a perfect base for trade and the English fleet.

source_section: Events › By topic › Commerce


date: February 4

text: February 4 – King Richard I of England ("the Lionheart") is ransomed for an amount of 150,000 marks (demanded by Emperor Henry VI), raised by his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine – who travels to Austria to gain his release. Henry will never receive the full amount he demanded.


text: The Yellow River experiences a major course change, taking over the Huai River drainage system for the next 700 years.


date: April 17

text: April 17 – Richard I is crowned for the second time, at Winchester, to underline his rightful position as monarch. During the coronation, he wears a golden crown and is followed by notables from the Church and State.


date: December 25

text: December 25 – Henry VI deposes the 8-year-old William III (son of Tancred de Lecce) and is crowned king of Sicily. The next day, Constance I, who stays in the town of Iesi, gives birth to Frederick II, the future emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.


date: April 25

text: April 25 – Ezzelino III, Italian nobleman and knight (d. 1259)

source_section: Births


date: July 16

text: July 16 – Clare of Assisi, Italian nun and saint (d. 1253)


date: November 30

text: November 30 – Andrea Caccioli, Italian priest (d. 1254)


text: Majd al-Din Taymiyyah, Seljuk judge and theologian (d. 1255)


text: Saionji Saneuji, Japanese nobleman and waka poet (d. 1269)


text: Margaret, marchioness of Namur (House of Vianden) (d. 1270)


text: Moses ben Nahman, Spanish rabbi and philosopher (d. 1270)


text: Jacopo Contarini, doge of Venice (House of Contarini) (d. 1280)


text: Lý Huệ Tông, Vietnamese emperor (Lý dynasty) (d. 1226)


text: Rusudan, queen of Georgia (House of Bagrationi) (d. 1245)


text: Richard Mór de Burgh, Norman nobleman (approximate date)


text: Otto I, Dutch nobleman and bishop (House of Gelre) (d. 1215)


text: Maurice FitzGerald, Norman nobleman and justiciar (d. 1257)


text: Jacob Anatoli, French Jewish translator and writer (d. 1256)


date: February 20

text: February 20 – Tancred of Lecce, king of Sicily (b. 1138)


date: March 19

text: March 19 – Toghrul III, sultan of the Seljuk Empire


date: April 3

text: April 3 – Sigurd Magnusson, Norwegian nobleman


text: April 3 – Bård Guttormsson, Norwegian nobleman


date: April 20

text: April 20 – Odon of Poznań, duke of Greater Poland


date: May 5

text: May 5 – Casimir II the Just, duke of Lesser Poland


date: June 27

text: June 27 – Sancho VI ("the Wise"), king of Navarre (b. 1132)


date: June 28

text: June 28 – Xiao Zong, Chinese emperor (Song dynasty) (b. 1127)


date: July 27

text: July 27 – Sviatoslav III, Kievan Grand Prince (b. 1126)


date: November 15

text: November 15 – Margaret I, countess of Flanders


date: November 20

text: November 20 – Emperor Henry VI enforces the inheritance claims by his wife, Constance I, against her illegitimate nephew, King Tancred of Lecce (who died on February 20). He takes Palermo (supported by the navy of Pisa and Genoa) and gains control of all of Sicily – ending Norman rule in Italy after 90 years.


date: December 26

text: December 26 – Aubrey de Vere, 1st Earl of Oxford


date: December 31

text: December 31 – Leopold V, duke of Austria (b. 1157)


text: Spring – Casimir II the Just, High Duke of Poland, organizes an expedition against the Baltic Yotvingians. The expedition ends with full success, and Casimir has a triumphant return in Kraków. On May 5, after a banquet, which is held to celebrate his return, Casimir dies unexpectedly (possibly poisoned). He is succeeded by his eldest surviving son Leszek the White, who has to face strong opposition from his uncle Mieszko III the Old.


text: Temüjin, in alliance with the Jin dynasty of China, launches his first major campaign against the Tatars. This military action marks a new, formalized phase in Temüjin's rise to power and his ongoing unification of the various steppe tribes.


date: June 1

text: June 1 – Battle of Shamkor: Georgians defeat the Ildenizids of Azerbaijan.


date: July 18

text: July 18 – Battle of Alarcos: Almohad ruler Abu Yusuf Ya'qub al-Mansur decisively defeats Castilian King Alfonso VIII.


text: Alexius III Angelus overthrows Isaac II, and becomes Byzantine Emperor.


text: The Abbasid Caliph, Al-Nasir, takes military action against the Ayyubid Sultan, Al-Aziz Uthman, who controls Egypt and Syria. The Caliph mobilizes his forces and marches into Mesopotamia, directly challenging Ayyubid authority in the region of Iraq.


text: The Priory of St Mary's is founded in Bushmead.


date: August 15

text: August 15 – Anthony of Padua, Portuguese preacher and saint (d. 1231)


text: Roger de Quincy, 2nd Earl of Winchester (d. 1265)


text: Princess Shōshi of Japan (d. 1211)


date: March 3

text: March 3 – Hugh de Puiset, bishop of Durham (b. c. 1125)


date: August 6

text: August 6 – Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony and Bavaria (b. 1129)


date: October 13

text: October 13 – Gualdim Pais, Great Master of the Templars in Portugal (b. 1118)


date: December 17

text: December 17 – Baldwin V, Count of Hainaut (b. 1150)


text: Ascelina, French nun and mystic (b. 1121)


date: December

text: December – Emperor Alexios III Angelos is threatened by Emperor Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor, who demands 5,000 pounds of gold or the Byzantines will face an invasion, this due to a convoluted system of dynastic claims of Henry gaining control of Alexios' daughter Irene Doukaina. The amount is negotiated down to 1,600 pounds of gold – with Alexios plundering the imperial tombs within the Church of the Holy Apostles – as well as levying a heavy and unpopular tax, known as the Alamanikon (or German Tax).

source_section: Events › By place › Byzantine Empire


text: Battle of Serres: Bulgarian forces under Tsar Ivan Asen I defeat the Byzantine army near Serres. During the winter Ivan continues his campaign in Central Macedonia and captures many Byzantine fortresses.


text: Ch'oe Ch'ung-hŏn, a Korean general, massacres his rivals and restores unity. After a coup d'état, he takes full power and becomes prime-minister of the Korean state Goryeo (until 1219).

source_section: Events › By place › Asia


text: Spring – William Fitz Osbert, a rebel leader, leads an uprising of the poor against the rich in London. He gathers over 52,000 supporters, stocks of weapons are cached throughout the city by breaking into the houses of the rich. Finally, the riots are suppressed and William is hanged, drawn and quartered by orders of Hubert Walter, archbishop of Canterbury.


text: Spring – Henry VI persuades a diet at Würzburg. He manages to convince the majority of the German nobles and clergy to recognize his 2-year-old son, Frederick II, as king of the Romans and heir to the imperial throne. However, Archbishop Adolf of Cologne thwarts the will of the diet and arouses the resistance of several Saxon and Thuringian nobles against Henry, who realizes that he is unable to establish a hereditary monarchy (his Erbreichsplan) in the Holy Roman Empire without resistance.


text: Ivan Asen I is stabbed to death by Ivanko, a Bulgarian boyar (aristocrat), who is accused of having an affair with Ivan's wife's sister. He is succeeded by his brother Kaloyan as co-ruler of the Bulgarian Empire.


text: England is struck by pestilence and a resulting famine.


date: January 3

text: January 3 – Tsuchimikado, emperor of Japan (d. 1231)


date: March 27

text: March 27 – Sviatoslav III, Kievan Grand Prince (d. 1252)


text: William II of Dampierre, French nobleman (d. 1231)


text: Henry II the Pious, High Duke of Poland (d. 1241)


text: Aurembiaix, Spanish countess (House of Urgell) (d. 1231)


text: Abul Hasan ash-Shadhili, Almohad scholar (d. 1258)


text: Henry VI, Count Palatine of the Rhine ("the Younger"), German nobleman (d. 1214)


text: Prince Dōjonyūdō, Japanese nobleman and waka poet (d. 1249)


text: Pedro Alfonso de León, Spanish nobleman (d. 1226)


text: Alberico II, Italian troubadour and statesman (d. 1260)


date: January 6

text: January 6 – Burchard du Puiset, Norman archdeacon


date: April 23

text: April 23 – Béla III of Hungary dies after a 23-year reign in which he has supported the former Byzantine emperor Isaac II Angelos against the invading Bulgarians. Having made the Hungarian court one of the most brilliant in Europe and made his hereditary monarchy. Béla is succeeded by his 22-year-old son Emeric as ruler of Hungary, Croatia and Dalmatia (until 1204).


text: April 23 – Béla III, king of Hungary and Croatia (b. 1148)


date: April 25

text: April 25 – Alfonso II ("the Chaste"), king of Aragon (b. 1157)


text: April 25 – King Alfonso II of Aragon ("the Chaste") dies after a 32-year reign at Perpignan. He leaves a will that divides his realm (Aragon loses Provence) and is succeeded by his 21-year-old son Peter II (the Catholic).


date: April 30

text: April 30 – Baldwin II van Holland, bishop of Utrecht


date: July 12

text: July 12 – Maurice II de Craon, Norman nobleman


date: August 14

text: August 14 – Henry IV ("the Blind"), count of Luxembourg


text: August 15 – Conrad II, Duke of Swabia, German nobleman (b. 1172)


date: September 11

text: September 11 – Maurice de Sully, bishop of Paris


date: November 30

text: November 30 – Richard of Acerra, Norman nobleman


text: William of Salisbury, English nobleman and high sheriff


text: Canute I (Eriksson), king of Sweden (approximate date)


text: Vira Bahu I, ruler of the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa


date: June

text: June/July – German crusaders launch a raid on Silves.


text: Autumn – A brothers' quarrel breaks out between Emeric, King of Hungary and his younger brother Duke Andrew. After a brief skirmish, Emeric is forced to cede Croatia and Dalmatia to Andrew, who begins to administer the provinces as a de facto sovereign monarch.


text: Genghis Khan (or Temüjin), with help from the Keraites, defeats the Jurchens of the Jin dynasty. The Jin bestow Genghis' blood brother Toghrul with the honorable title of Ong Khan, and Genghis receives the lesser title of j'aut quri. During the winter, Toghrul returns and re-establishes himself as leader of the Keraites.


text: Summer – Gruffydd ap Rhys II is captured and handed over to Gwenwynwyn, who transfers him to the English. Gruffydd is imprisoned at Corfe Castle and Maelgwn ap Rhys claims the throne.

source_section: Events › By place › Wales


text: Civil war era in Norway: conflict between king Sverre of Norway and the party of Bagler.


text: Northern Crusades: Danish forces led by King Canute VI raid the area of present-day Estonia.


text: Summer – Henry VI takes cruel measures to put down Jordan Lupin's insurrection in Sicily and southern Italy, which has been provoked by the oppression of his German officials.


text: Winter – Duke Ottokar I forces his brother, Vladislaus III, to abandon Bohemia. Ottokar restores power and Vladislaus accepts the margravial title of Moravia.


text: Arbroath Abbey located in the Scottish town of Arbroath, is consecrated and dedicated to St. Thomas Becket.


text: Saracen pirates, from the Balearic Islands, raid the city of Toulon in Provence, and the Benedictine monastery of Saint Honorat, on the Lérins Islands.


text: Spring – Emperor Henry VI travels to Italy to persuade Pope Celestine III to crown his infant son Frederick II, who has been elected "King of the Romans" at Frankfurt.


text: King Richard I of England (the Lionheart) has Château Gaillard (Normandy) built on the Seine River as he fights to restore Angevin power in northern France (approximate date).


date: October 22

text: October 22 – Juntoku, emperor of Japan (d. 1242)


text: William de Braose, English nobleman (d. 1230)


text: Ibn al-Baitar, Moorish botanist and pharmacist (d. 1248)


text: Oberto Pallavicino, Italian nobleman (signore) (d. 1269)


text: Nikephoros Blemmydes, Byzantine theologian (d. 1272)


text: John de Braose (Tadody), English nobleman (or 1198)


text: Amadeus IV, count of Savoy (House of Savoy) (d. 1253)


text: Richard of Chichester, English bishop of Chichester (d. 1253)


text: Naratheinga Uzana, Burmese prince and regent (d. 1235)


text: Raymond VII, French nobleman and knight (d. 1249)


text: Dharmasvamin, Tibetan monk and pilgrim (d. 1264)


text: Nicola Paglia, Italian priest and preacher (d. 1256)


date: April 28

text: April 28 – Rhys ap Gruffydd, a Welsh prince, dies and is succeeded by his eldest son Gruffydd ap Rhys II. With the help of Gwenwynwyn, his brother Maelgwn ap Rhys invades southern Wales.


text: April 28 – Rhys ap Gruffydd, Welsh prince of Deheubarth


date: June 1

text: June 1 – Gertrude of Bavaria, queen consort of Denmark


date: July 9

text: July 9 – Rudolf of Wied, archbishop of Trier


date: September 10

text: September 10 – Henry II, Count of Champagne, king of Jerusalem, dies from falling out a first-floor window at his palace in Acre. His widow, Isabella I, becomes regent while the kingdom is thrown into consternation.


text: September 10 – Henry II, Count of Champagne (or Henry II), king of Jerusalem (b. 1166)


date: September 18

text: September 18 – Margaret of France, Queen of England and Hungary, consort, daughter of Louis VII


date: September 22

text: September 22 – About 16,000 German crusaders reach Acre, starting the crusade of 1197. Emperor Henry VI, who planned to join the forces later on, was forced to stay behind in Sicily due to illness. On September 28 he dies at Messina. Meanwhile, the crusaders manage to reconquer Sidon and Beirut but return to Germany after receiving the news of the emperor's death.


date: September 28

text: September 28 – Henry VI dies of malaria at Messina (also possibly poisoned), while preparing an expedition against the Byzantine usurper Alexios III Angelos.


date: November 13

text: November 13 – Homobonus of Cremona, Italian merchant and saint


date: December 12

text: December 12 – Wu (or Xiansheng), Chinese empress (b. 1115)


text: Peter II (or Theodor-Peter), ruler (tsar) of the Bulgaria


text: Tughtakin ibn Ayyub, Ayyubid emir (prince) of Arabia


text: Autumn – A German throne dispute begins upon the sudden death of Henry VI. Henry's brother, Philip of Swabia, takes over the family lands and claims his inheritance.


date: February 18

text: February 18 – Emperor Go-Toba (or Toba the Second) abdicates the throne in favor of his two-year-old son Tsuchimikado, after a 14-year reign.


date: September 27

text: September 27 – Battle of Gisors: Richard I defeats the French forces led by Philip II (Augustus) at Courcelles-lès-Gisors, in Picardy. Richard captures three castles on the border of the Vexin. The French troops, many of them mounted, crowd the bridge leading into Gisors Castle but it collapses beneath them. The French king is among those who plunge into the water in his armor. Many French knights drown, but Philip is pulled to safety.


date: January 6

text: January 6; Prince Leo II of Cilician Armenia crowned as Leo I — king of Armenia


date: March 8

text: March 8 – Philip of Swabia, son of the late Emperor Frederick I, is elected "King of Germany" by his supporters at Mühlhausen in Thuringia. Archbishop Adolf of Cologne elects Otto of Brunswick, son of Henry the Lion, as Philip's rival. Otto IV is crowned as King of the Romans in Aachen by supporters of the House of Welf. Philip's coronation does not take place until September 8, at Mainz.


text: Innocent III excommunicates Philip II for repudiating his marriage to Ingeborg of Denmark (see 1193), to whom he took an almost instant dislike, but public opinion forces Philip to effect a reconciliation with the pope.


text: Emperor Ningzong of Song bans the practice of Neo-Confucianism.


text: John of England captures a party of 18 French knights and many men-at-arms, in the ongoing conflict against France. His brother, King Richard I (the Lionheart) introduces a new Great Seal – in an attempt to keep the war against France funded. The government proclaims that charters previously struck with the old seal are no longer valid and must be renewed with a fresh payment. The office of Lord Warden of the Stannaries is also introduced, to tax the produce of tin mines in Cornwall and Devon.


text: Spring – Amalric I, ruler of Cyprus, marries Princess Isabella I, daughter of the late King Amalric I. A few days later they are crowned as King and Queen of Jerusalem at Acre. On July 1, Amalric signs a truce with Al-Adil I, sultan of Egypt and Syria, securing the Crusader possessions from Acre to as far as Antioch.


date: May 4

text: May 4 – Kyaswa, ruler of the Pagan Empire (d. 1251)


date: July 11

text: July 11 – Hōjō Shigetoki, Japanese samurai (d. 1261)


date: August 24

text: August 24 – Alexander II, king of Scotland (d. 1249)


date: September 25

text: September 25 – Ai Zong, Chinese emperor (d. 1234)


text: Ordoño Álvarez, Spanish abbot and cardinal (d. 1285)


text: Baldwin III, Flemish nobleman and knight (d. 1244)


text: Siraj al-Din Urmavi, Ayyubid philosopher (d. 1283)


text: Beatrice of Swabia, Holy Roman Empress (d. 1212)


text: Koun Ejō, Japanese Sōtō Zen monk and priest (d. 1280)


text: Sybilla of Lusignan, queen of Lesser Armenia (d. 1230)


text: Fujiwara no Tameie, Japanese waka poet (d. 1275)


text: Beatrice of Savoy, countess of Provence (d. 1266)


text: Ramon Berenguer IV, Spanish nobleman (d. 1245)


text: Jalaluddin Surkh-Posh Bukhari, Arab missionary (d. 1292)


date: January 8

text: January 8 – Celestine III, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 1106)


text: January 8 – Pope Celestine III dies at Rome, after a pontificate of nearly 7 years. He is succeeded by Innocent III, as the 176th pope of the Catholic Church. Shortly after he lays an interdict on Laon, in an attempt to create independent beliefs there. This will be followed by interdicts against France in 1199, and Normandy in 1203.


date: February 1

text: February 1 – Walram I (of Laurenburg), German nobleman


date: March 11

text: March 11 – Marie of France, French princess and countess (b. 1145)


date: April 16

text: April 16 – Frederick I (the Catholic), duke of Austria (b. 1175)


date: July 7

text: July 7 – George II (Xiphilinos), patriarch of Constantinople


date: July 24

text: July 24 – Berthold of Hanover, German apostle and bishop


date: August 13

text: August 13 – Hellicha of Wittelsbach, duchess of Bohemia


date: September 10

text: September 10 – Richard FitzNeal, bishop of London (b. 1130)


date: November 27

text: November 27 – Abraham ben David, French rabbi (b. 1125)


date: November 29

text: November 29 – Al-Aziz Uthman, sultan of Egypt (b. 1171)


date: December 2

text: December 2 – Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair, High King of Ireland


date: December 11

text: December 11 – Averroes (or Ibn Rushd), Arab polymath and physician, dies. He is the author of more than 100 books, for which he is known in the western world as The Commentator and Father of Rationalism.

source_section: Events › By topic › Literature


text: December 11 – Averroes, Arab judge and physician (b. 1126)

source_section: Deaths


text: Summer – King William the Lion of Scotland supports John's claim to the English throne, in exchange for ownership of the northern territories (including Northumberland and Cumberland).

source_section: Events › By place › Britain


date: January 13

text: January 13 – A short-lived truce is declared, between the Kings Richard I (the Lionheart) and Philip II (Augustus). Two of Europe's most powerful rulers meet on the banks of the Seine River, while shouting terms to one another. With a peace secured, Richard is able to refocus on bringing internal order to the south of the Angevin Empire.


date: March 26

text: March 26 – Richard I besieges the unarmed castle of Châlus-Chabrol, and is shot in the left shoulder with a crossbow, by the French boy Pierre Basile. The war between the kingdoms of England and France has become so brutal, that Hugh of Lincoln is warned that "nothing now is safe, neither the city to dwell in nor the highway for travel".


text: Summer – Philip II renews his war against England, supporting the rival claim to the English throne of John's 12-year-old nephew Arthur I, duke of Brittany.


text: Summer – After uncovering a plot against him, Emeric, King of Hungary defeats his brother Duke Andrew in a battle, forcing him into exile in Austria. Thereafter, border clashes occurs between Hungary and Austria.


date: May 26

text: May 26 – John returns to London and chooses people to help him to rule the kingdom. He appoints Archbishop Hubert Walter as his advisor and chancellor. Geoffrey Fitz Peter is chosen as Chief Justiciar and William (the Marshal) becomes Marshal of John's household. On May 27, John is crowned as king of England at Westminster Abbey.


text: Summer – Pope Innocent III calls for a fourth Crusade at Rome. Due to the preaching of Fulk of Neuilly, an army is organized at a tournament held at Ecry-sur-Aisne by Theobald III, count of Champagne, on November 28.


text: St. Laurence's Church, Ludlow, in England is rebuilt.


date: April 17

text: April 17 – Marie of Ponthieu, French noblewoman (d. 1250)


text: Isobel of Huntingdon, daughter of David of Scotland (d. 1252)


text: Sturla Sighvatsson, Icelandic chieftain (or goði) (d. 1238)


text: Al-Mansur al-Hasan, Yemeni imam and politician (d. 1271)


text: Ibn al-Abbar, Andalusian biographer and historian (d. 1260)


text: Ferdinand III (the Saint), king of Castile and León (d. 1252)


text: Joan of Constantinople, Flemish noblewoman (d. 1244)


text: Thomas II, Flemish nobleman (House of Savoy) (d. 1259)


text: Jalal al-Din Mangburni, Khwarezmid ruler (shah) (d. 1231)


text: Bohemond V, prince of Antioch (House of Poitiers) (d. 1252)


text: Aisha Al-Manoubya, Almohad female Sufi mystic (d. 1267)


text: Guttorm of Norway (Sigurdsson), king of Norway (d. 1204)


date: January 23

text: January 23 – Caliph Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur dies at Marrakesh after a 15-year reign in which he has defeated the Castilian forces of King Alfonso VIII (the noble) (see 1195) and other Christian enemies in Al-Andalus. He is succeeded by his son Muhammad al-Nasir as ruler of the Almohad Caliphate (until 1213).

source_section: Events › By place › Africa


date: February 9

text: February 9 – Minamoto no Yoritomo, Japanese shogun, dies at Kamakura after a 7-year reign in which he has established the Kamakura Shogunate (see 1192). He is succeeded by his 16-year-old son Minamoto no Yoriie, his grandfather Hōjō Tokimasa proclaims himself regent for Yoriie (until 1202).

source_section: Events › By place › Japan


text: February 9 – Minamoto no Yoritomo, Japanese shogun (b. 1147)


date: February 13

text: February 13 – Stefan Nemanja, Serbian Grand Prince (b. 1113)


date: March 17

text: March 17 – Jocelin of Glasgow (or Jocelyn), Scottish bishop


date: April 5

text: April 5 – Ashikaga Yoshikane, Japanese samurai and monk


date: April 6

text: April 6 – Richard I dies from gangrene, caused by his crossbow wound. His younger brother, John (Lackland), becomes King of England. Richard's jewels are left to his nephew, Otto IV, King of the Romans. Mercadier, a mercenary captain and Richard's second in command, has Pierre Basile flayed alive and hanged.


text: April 6 – Pierre Basile (or Bertran de Gurdun), French knight


date: September 4

text: September 4 – Joan of England, queen of Sicily (b. 1165)


date: November 6

text: November 6 – Hatim ibn Ibrahim, Yemeni religious leader


date: November 25

text: November 25 – Albert III (the Rich), count of Habsburg


date: December 25

text: December 25 – Helena of Hungary, duchess of Austria


text: Michael the Syrian (the Great), Syriac patriarch (b. 1126)


text: Roman Mstislavich (the Great), Grand Prince of Vladimir-Volhynia, unites his realm with its westerly neighbor Galicia (after the death of Vladimir II). He makes the Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia more powerful than Kiev.


year_label: 12 CE

text: Quirinius returns from Judea to become a counselor to Tiberius.

source_section: Events › 12 AD › Roman Empire


text: Annius Rufus is appointed Prefect of Judea.

source_section: Events › 12 AD › Palestine


text: The Armenian Artaxiad dynasty is overthrown by the Romans.


text: Augustus orders a major invasion of Germany beyond the Rhine.


text: Ovid stops writing Fasti, because of the lack of resources (being far from the libraries of Rome). He completes 6 books that detail festivals found in the Roman calendar.


date: August 31

text: August 31 – Caligula, Roman emperor (d. 41 AD)

source_section: Births › 12 AD


text: Mark the Evangelist, Christian evangelist, martyr, known for The Gospel of Mark (approximate date) (d. 68 AD)


text: Rhoemetalces I – king of the Odrysian kingdom of Thrace from 12 BC to 12 AD

source_section: Deaths › 12 AD


text: Emperor Hadrian visits Britain.

source_section: Events › By place › Roman Empire


text: The Scythians dominate western India: Punjab, Sind, the north of Gujarat and a portion of central India.


text: Change of era name from Yuanchu (7th year) to Yongning of the Chinese Eastern Han dynasty.


text: Suetonius becomes Hadrian's secretary ab epistolis.


text: Foss Dyke is constructed in Britain.


text: The Market Gate of Miletus is built at Miletos (moved in modern times to Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Antikensammlung).


text: A Kushan ambassadorial contingent visits with Hadrian.


text: Legio IX Hispana last known to be in existence.


date: February 8

text: February 8 – Vettius Valens, Greek astrologer (d. 175)


text: Tatian, Syrian Christian writer and theologian (d. 180)


text: Irenaeus, Greek bishop and apologist (approximate date)


text: Lucian, Syrian rhetorician and satirist (approximate date)


text: Marcian of Tortona, Roman bishop (or 117)


text: Nicomachus, Greek mathematician (b. AD 60)


text: Dio Chrysostom, Greek historian (approximate date)


text: Faustinus and Jovita, Roman Christian martyrs


text: Hermes, Greek Christian martyr and saint


text: Sextus Pedius, Roman jurist (b. AD 50)


text: Getulius, Roman officer and Christian martyr


text: Ban Zhao, Chinese historian and philosopher (b. AD 49)


text: Matthias of Jerusalem, bishop of Jerusalem


text: Plutarch, Greek philosopher (approximate date)


date: May 22

text: May 22 – The Kings John of England and Philip II of France, sign a peace treaty at Le Goulet, an island in the middle of the Seine River, near Vernon in Normandy. The agreement recognizes John as overlord of most of the English owned lands in France, but John has to give Philip the lands of Norman Vexin and Évreux and a large sum of money (some 20,000 marks) – a "relief" payment for recognition of John's sovereignty of Brittany.

source_section: Events › By place › Europe


text: The University of Paris receives its charter, from Philip II. He issues a diploma "for the security of the scholars of Paris", which affirms that students are subject only to ecclesiastical jurisdiction.

source_section: Events › By topic › Education


text: Temüjin (or Genghis Khan) manages to unite about half the feuding Mongol clans under his leadership. He delegates authority based on skill and loyalty, rather than tribal affiliation or family. The main rivals of the Mongol confederation are the Naimans to the west, the Merkits to the north, the Tanguts to the south and the Jin Dynasty (or Great Jin) to the east.


date: February 17

text: February 17 – Al-Adil I, Ayyubid ruler of Damascus, Jerusalem, and parts of the Jazira takes control of Egypt, and is recognized as sultan of the Ayyubid Empire. During his reign, he promotes trade and good relations with the Crusader States. His son Al-Kamil becomes the effective ruler (viceroy) of Egypt.

source_section: Events › By place › Levant


date: August 25

text: August 25 – Eager to make peace with Aymer Taillefer, count of Angoulême, John marries 15-year-old Isabella of Angoulême at Bordeaux. In order to remarry, John needs to abandon his first wife, Isabella of Gloucester. John accomplishes this by arguing that he has failed to get the necessary papal dispensation to marry Isabella of Gloucester.


text: Spring – Boniface I, Marquis of Montferrat, sends envoys to Venice, Genoa and other city-states to negotiate a contract for transport to the Levant. Meanwhile, Boniface and various nobles are mustering an expeditionary army (mainly forces from France and the Holy Roman Empire) at Paris. On February 23, Baldwin IX, count of Flanders and his brother Henry of Flanders take the cross at Bruges (modern Belgium), and agree to take part in the Fourth Crusade called by Pope Innocent III (see 1199).


text: The rebel leader Ivanko is captured and executed by the Byzantine general Alexios Palaiologos (son-in-law of Emperor Alexios III Angelos).


date: November 22

text: November 22 – During a tour of the Midlands, John receives homage from William the Lion, king of Scotland, at Lincoln. William is looking to move into the areas of Northumberland, Cumberland, and Westmoreland. John on the other hand ensures that these areas are controlled by English nobles he can trust.


date: January 19

text: January 19 – Dōgen Zenji, founder of the Sōtō Zen school (d. 1253)

source_section: Births


date: January

text: January – Theobald le Botiller, Norman nobleman and knight (d. 1230)


date: September

text: September – Philip I, French prince and nobleman (House of Capet) (d. 1235)


date: October 9

text: October 9 – Isabel Marshal, English countess and regent (d. 1240)


date: October 22

text: October 22 – Louis IV (the Saint), landgrave of Thuringia (d. 1227)


text: Alix (or Alis), Breton noblewoman (House of Thouars) (d. 1221)


text: Adam Marsh, English Franciscan scholar and theologian (d. 1259)


text: Rolandino of Padua, Italian professor, jurist and writer (d. 1276)


text: Jutta of Kulmsee, German noblewoman, hermit and saint (d. 1260)


text: Matthew Paris, English Benedictine monk and chronicler (d. 1259)


text: Ulrich von Liechtenstein, German minnesinger and poet (d. 1275)


text: Rudolf von Ems, German nobleman, knight and poet (d. 1254)


text: Ingerd Jakobsdatter, Danish noblewoman and landowner (d. 1258)


text: Chen Rong (Ch'en Jung), Chinese painter and politician (d. 1266)


date: January 13

text: January 13 – Otto I, German nobleman (House of Hohenstaufen)


date: January 14

text: January 14 – Odo of Novara, Italian priest and saint (b. 1105)


date: January 20

text: January 20 – Odo of Canterbury, English abbot and theologian


date: February 6

text: February 6 – Kajiwara Kagetoki, Japanese samurai and spy


date: April 23

text: April 23 – Zhu Xi, Chinese historian and philosopher (b. 1130)


date: May 25

text: May 25 – Nicholas I, German nobleman (House of Mecklenburg)


date: July 16

text: July 16 – Li Fengniang (or Cixian), Chinese empress (b. 1144)


date: July 26

text: July 26 – Raymond of Piacenza (the Palmer), Italian pilgrim


date: September 17

text: September 17 – Guang Zong, Chinese emperor (b. 1147)


date: September 24

text: September 24 – Heinrich Walpot, German Grand Master


date: October 25

text: October 25 – Conrad of Wittelsbach, German archbishop


date: November 16

text: November 16 – Hugh of Avalon, French monk and bishop


date: December 12

text: December 12 – Lochlann of Galloway, Scottish nobleman


text: Joel ben Isaac ha-Levi, German rabbi and Tosafist (b. 1115)


text: King John puts an embargo on wheat exported to Flanders, in an attempt to force an allegiance between the states. He also puts a levy of a fifteenth on the value of cargo exported to France and disallows the export of wool to France without a special license. The levies are enforced in each port by at least six men – including one churchman and one knight. John affirms that judgments made by the court of Westminster are as valid as those made "before the king himself or his chief justice".

source_section: Events › By place › British Isles


text: Battle of Stellau: Count Adolf III of Holstein is defeated by the Danish army under King Canute VI. Adolf retreats with his forces to Hamburg, where he is besieged and later captured by Duke Valdemar of Schleswig.


text: Spring – A treaty is signed between the Crusade leaders and Venice. Doge Enrico Dandolo agrees to manufacture a fleet capable of transporting the Crusader army to the Levant, and to provide provisions for 33,500 men and 4,500 horses, for the price of 85,000 silver marks while Venice will also take half of whatever the expedition conquers. As part of this deal the Venetians will provide – at their own expense – sufficient ships to carry the Crusader forces, plus 50 galleys to defend it.


date: March 25

text: March 25 – Constance, duchess of Brittany, founds Villeneuve Abbey and gives it a charter.

source_section: Events › By topic › Religion


text: Autumn – Prince Alexios Angelos, son of the deposed, blinded and imprisoned late Emperor Isaac II Angelos, escapes from Constantinople. He makes his way to Sicily and then Rome where he is turned away by Pope Innocent III. Next, Alexios travels to the court of his brother-in-law, Philip of Swabia, the King of Germany, who receives him well.

source_section: Events › By place › Byzantine Empire


text: Pope Innocent III recognizes Otto IV as the only legitimate ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, against his rival King, Philip of Swabia. In return, Otto promises to support the pope's interests in Italy.


text: Northern Crusades: The town of Riga is chartered as a city by Albert of Buxhoeveden, bishop of Livonia, who has landed on the site with some 1,500 Crusaders earlier in the year.


date: April 10

text: April 10 – John, King of England, permits Jews to live freely in England and Normandy.


date: July 11

text: July 11 – Llywelyn the Great pays homage to John, King of England after Llywelyn has added Eifionydd and Llŷn to his kingdom of Gwynedd in north Wales.


date: February 18

text: February 18 – Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, Persian scientist and writer (d. 1274)


date: May 30

text: May 30 – Theobald I of Navarre ("the Troubadour"), French-born nobleman (d. 1253)


date: August 9

text: August 9 – Arnold Fitz Thedmar, English chronicler and writer (d. 1274)


date: October 9

text: October 9 – Robert de Sorbon, French monk and theologian (d. 1274)


date: October 10

text: October 10 – Richard de Fournival, French philosopher (d. 1260)


text: Diana degli Andalò (or d'Andalo), Italian nun and saint (d. 1236)


text: Thomas of Cantimpré, Flemish priest and preacher (d. 1272)


text: Eison, Japanese Buddhist scholar-monk and disciple (d. 1290)


text: Uriyangkhadai, Mongol general and son of Subutai (d. 1272)


text: Danylo Romanovych, ruler (knyaz) of Galicia–Volhynia (d. 1264)


text: Agnes of the Palatinate, duchess of Bavaria (House of Guelf) (d. 1267)


date: March 1

text: March 1 – Shikishi, Japanese princess, poet and writer (b. 1149)


date: March 21

text: March 21 – Absalon, Danish archbishop and statesman (b. 1128)


date: April 7

text: April 7 – Baha al-Din Qaraqush, Egyptian regent and architect


date: April

text: April – Bohemond III ("the Stammerer"), prince of Antioch (b. 1148)


date: May 24

text: May 24 – Count Theobald III of Champagne suddenly dies and is replaced by Boniface I, marquis of Montferrat, as leader of the Fourth Crusade. He travels to France, where he meets his chief colleagues at Soissons.


text: May 24 – Theobald III, French nobleman and knight (b. 1179)


date: June 16

text: June 16 – Ibn al-Jawzi, Arab historian and philologist (b. 1116)


date: June 20

text: June 20 – Imad ad-Din al-Isfahani, Persian historian (b. 1125)


date: July 25

text: July 25 – Gruffydd ap Rhys II, Welsh prince of Deheubarth


date: July 31

text: July 31 – John Komnenos the Fat, Byzantine nobleman


date: July

text: July – Agnes of Merania, queen consort of King Philip II of France


date: August 20

text: August 20 – Gardolf of Hertbeke, bishop of Halberstadt


date: September 5

text: September 5 – Constance, duchess of Brittany (b. 1161)


date: December 7

text: December 7 or 8 – Bolesław I the Tall, Duke of Wroclaw, Polish nobleman and knight (b. 1127)


text: April–May – The bulk of the Crusader army gathers at Venice, although with far smaller numbers than expected: about 12,000 men (4–5,000 knights and 8,000 soldiers) instead of 33,500 men. Several contingents decide to make their own way to the Holy Land by different routes. A Crusader fleet, sailing from Flanders, carrying supplies for the Counts Baldwin IX and his brother Henry of Flanders, winters in Marseille, but is slowed by adverse weather. Later it sails on to the Middle East, along with other contingents from southern France.

source_section: Events › By place › Fourth Crusade


date: July 27

text: July 27 – Battle of Basian: Seljuk forces (some 150,000 men) under Suleiman II of Rûm advance toward the Georgian border and are met by a 65,000-strong army led by King David Soslan, husband of Queen Tamar I of Georgia, at Basian. The Georgians assail the enemy's camp and in a pitched battle, the Seljuk forces are overwhelmed and defeated. The loss of the sultan's banner (while Suleiman himself is wounded), results in panic within the Seljuk ranks. The victory at Basian secures the Georgian preeminence in the region.


date: August 1

text: August 1 – Battle of Mirebeau: Arthur of Brittany, supported by the Lusignans, lays siege to Mirebeau Castle trapping Eleanor of Aquitaine inside. John launches a rescue mission to free his mother, and with a mercenary army defeats the Breton-Lusignan forces. Arthur is captured by William de Braose and is handed over to John who imprisons him in the Château de Falaise in Normandy. Many other important knights are captured and shipped to England (where John treats them badly and keeps them as prisoners in dungeons).


date: November 10

text: November 10–24 – Siege of Zara: The Crusaders under Boniface of Montferrat besiege and conquer Zara (modern-day Zadar) in Dalmatia. Despite letters from Innocent III forbidding such an action, and threatening excommunication. The leading citizens of Zara hang banners of crosses along the outer walls, professing their Catholic faith. Nevertheless, the Crusaders breach and sack the city, killing many.


text: Spring – King Philip II of France ("Augustus") summons John, King of England ("Lackland") to Paris to answer his charges against the Lusignans. On April 28, failing to attend Philip's court, John is declared to be a 'rebel' and to have forfeited the areas of Aquitaine, Poitou and Anjou. Philip tries to mediate the political problems between John and the Lusignans (who are charged with treason) but this is ignored by John. The lands are given to Arthur of Brittany. Philip supports Arthur's claim to the English throne and betrothes his 4-year-old daughter Marie.


text: The Almohad fleet expels the Banu Ghaniya from the Balearic Islands.


text: Summer – The Crusader army, encamped on the island of San Niccolo di Lido, between the Venetian Lagoon and the Adriatic Sea, is threatened by Doge Enrico Dandolo to keep them interned unless full payment is made as agreed in 1201. As the Crusaders wait on the Lido for men to arrive, they also use up food supplies that Venice has agreed to supply. Dandolo faces a financial catastrophe, having halted Venice's commerce for a year to prepare the expedition. The Crusader lords can offer Dandolo only 51,000 silver marks.


date: September 8

text: September 8 – Enrico Dandolo takes the cross and agrees to lead a Venetian force, which, in an outburst of Crusading enthusiasm, reaches some 21,000 men – the largest contingent of the Fourth Crusade. He proclaims the debts will be wiped if the Crusaders take the 'rebel' Dalmatian city of Zara (modern-day Zadar) which has pledged its loyalty to Emeric, king of Hungary and Croatia. The Zara proposal causes disquiet in the Crusader ranks and also upsets Pope Innocent III who threatens to excommunicate those who attack Zara.


date: September

text: September – Byzantine Prince Alexios Angelos sends representatives from Verona to the Crusader leaders in Venice. He promises to submit the Greek Orthodox Church to papal obedience and to provide the Crusade with 200,000 silver marks, together with provisions for a year. Alexios also will contribute 10,000 mounted soldiers to the expedition. In return he wants the Crusade to overthrow his uncle, the Byzantine emperor Alexios III Angelos.


text: Winter – Innocent III excommunicates the Crusader army, along with the Venetians, who winter at Zara. Many Crusaders, including some senior men, either abandon the Fourth Crusade or make their own way to the Holy Land. However, the majority remain in Zara, where the army receives some welcome reinforcements. During the winter, negotiations continue with Alexios Angelos.


text: Spring – Pope Innocent III reasserts his right to evaluate and crown the Holy Roman Emperor, in a letter to Berthold V, Duke of Zähringen.


text: Rueda Abbey is founded by Cistercians at Sástago, in the Kingdom of Aragon (modern Spain).


text: Danish forces make a Crusade to Finland which is led by Anders Sunesen, archbishop of Lund, and his brother.