Events - Browse By Major Periods - Islamic Era (622 to 1491)

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Maurice defeats Sassanians and wins battles in Balkans and Italy
582
War, Byzantine Empire
Journey of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad and His followers from Mecca to Medina
622
Religion, Islamic Empire
Chinese monk Xuanzang begins travels to India to gather Buddhist texts
629
Religion, China
Umar, the second caliph, campaigns in the Persian and Byzantine Empires
634
Religion, Islamic Empire
Aidan, a monk from Iona, becomes bishop of Lindisfarne
635
Religion, England (<1707)
In November, Muslims win battle of Qadissiya over Sassanid Empire
636
War, Islamic Empire
In August, Muslim forces defeat Byzantine army of Heraclius at Battle of Yarmouk
636
War, Byzantine Empire
Muslims conquer Jerusalem and remain in control of the city until 1099
638
War, Islamic Empire
The Merovingian kingdom declines after the death of Dagobert
639
Government, Europe
Byzantine Dark Ages follows defeat of Heraclius by Muslims
641
Culture, Byzantine Empire
Lombard king Rothari, elected in 636, throws off Byzantine control
643
Government, Italy
Umar murdered by a disgruntled slave and Uthman succeeds him as caliph
644
Religion, Islamic Empire
Kotoku revolutionizes laws and administration in Japan with Taika Reforms
645
Government, Japan
Earliest Indonesian kingdom emerges (Buddhist, Sumatra-based Sri-Vijaya empire)
650
Government, Indonesia
Islam first arrives in China
650
Religion, China
Battle of the Camel, first fight over the caliphate, begins civil war (the Fitna)
656
Religion, Islamic Empire
Islam schism (Sunni and Shi'a) after murder of Caliph Ali
661
Religion, Islamic Empire
Caliph Muawiya begins Umayyad dynasty after Ali's death & Hasan's resignation
661
Religion, Islamic Empire
Constans II wages war to regain Italy
663
War, Byzantine Empire
Synod at Whitby chooses Roman tradition, not Irish, for the Northumbrian church
664
Religion, England (<1707)
Arabs begin seige of Constantinople and abandon it 4 years later
674
War, Islamic Empire
Silla conquers Koguryo and unifies Korea after forming an alliance with China
676
Government, Korea
Martyrdom of Husayn and followers in Karbala by army of Caliph Yazid I
680
Religion, Islamic Empire
First Bulgarian Empire established in treaty with Byzantine Empire
681
Geography, Bulgaria
Al-Malik builds Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem
691
Religion, Islamic Empire
Byzantine and Arab armies meet south of Black Sea at Battle of Sebastopolis
694
War, Islamic Empire
Emperor Leontius sent to monastery after Arabs win Carthage
698
Government, Byzantine Empire
North-South States Period begins in Korea
698
Government, Korea
Al-Malik conquers North Africa & makes Arabic official language of empire
702
Religion, Islamic Empire
Empress Gemmei founds the first permanent capital of Japan in Heijo
710
Geography, Japan
Saracens (Arab/Berber army) led by Tariq invade the Visigothic kingdom of Spain
711
Religion, Islamic Empire
Umayyad conquest of Hispania under Tarik
711
War, Spain
North Africans are known as "Moors" during the Al-Andalus era (711-1492)
711
Geography, North Africa
Moslem forces abandon Seige of Constantinople after defeat by Byzantines
717
War, Turkey
Pope commissions Boniface for missionary work in pagan Germany
717
Religion, Europe
Christian warriors defeat a Muslim army at the Battle of Covadonga
722
Religion, Spain
Iconoclast movement begins in the Byzantine Empire under Leo III
726
Religion, Byzantine Empire
Emperor Leo III bans the use of Icons
726
Religion, Byzantine Empire
Bede completes "Ecclesiastical History of the English People"
731
Religion, Europe
The Franks under Charles Martel defeat the Arabs at the Battle of Tours
732
War, France
A decree in Japan orders the construction of Buddhist monasteries and nunneries.
741
Religion, Japan
Constantine V becomes Byzantine emperor
741
Government, Byzantine Empire
Umayyad dynasty overthrown after Abbasids kill 80 members of family
750
Religion, Islamic Empire
Arabs make Islam the dominant religion of central Asia after the Battle of Talas
751
War, Islamic Empire
Pope Stephen II confirms Peppin the Short king of Franks after opposing Lombards
754
Government, Europe
Abd ar-Rahman I proclaims himself Umayyad emir of Cordoba
756
Government, Spain
Caliph al-Mansur chooses Bagdad as new Abbasid capital
762
Religion, Islamic Empire
Peppin the Short dies and Frankish kingdom split between Charles and Carloman
768
Government, Europe
Charlemagne aids Pope Hadrian to defeat Lombards at the Seige of Pavia
773
War, Italy
Basques at Roncesvalles destroy Charlemagne's rearguard--becomes epic poem
778
War, Spain
Harun al-Rashid begins golden age of Islamic culture inspiring "1001 Nights"
786
Religion, Islamic Empire
Empress Irene calls Second Council of Nicea which condemns iconoclasm
787
Religion, Byzantine Empire
Vikings cross the North Sea and plunder the monastery of Lindisfarne
793
War, England (<1707)
Emperor Kammu moves capital in Japan from Nara to Kyota
794
Geography, Japan
Pope Leo III proclaims Charlemagne emperor December 25 at St. Peter's Basilica
800
Government, Europe
Formula for gunpowder (saltpeter, sulphur, and charcoal) discovered in China
800
War, China
Bulgars become major power located between Charlemagne & Byzantine Empires
803
Geography, Bulgaria
Banknotes invented by Chinese in Tang Dynasty
806
Invention, China
Al-Rashid sends Charlemagne decree protecting pilgrims to holy sites in Jerusalem
807
Religion, Islamic Empire
Belief that the tomb of St. James is found in Spain inspires the Reconquest
813
Religion, Spain
Al-Khwarizmi publishes book on algebra
820
Mathematics, Islamic Empire
Egbert (Wessex) defeats Mercians at Battle of Ellandun, becoming leading kingdom
825
War, England (<1707)
Muslims invade Byzantine Sicily--finally conquered in 965
827
War, Italy
Caliph al-Mamun founds astronomical observatory in Baghdad
828
Science, Islamic Empire
Kenneth MacAlpin becomes the first king of Scotland
843
War, Scotland
Verdun Treaty partitions Charlemagne's empire (Louis--Germany, Charles--France)
843
Peace, Europe
Use of icons is restored
843
Religion, Byzantine Empire
Carolingian Empire declines after 100 Viking ship sail down Seine to plunder Paris
845
War, Europe
Anarchy of Samarra
861
Religion, Iraq
Cyril & Methodius are missionaries to Serbia (863), Hungary (864), & Kiev (875)
863
Religion, Europe
African (Zanj) slaves revolt against Abbasid caliph and set up their own capital
868
War, Islamic Empire
Chinese in Tang Dynasty invent woodblock printing
868
Invention, China
Alfred becomes King of Wessex and fights waves of Danish Vikings
871
Government, England (<1707)
"Disappearance of Al-Mahdi, the Hidden Imam of Twelver Shi'ites"
874
Religion, Islamic Empire
Charles the Bald recognizes hereditary fiefdoms & decentralizes Holy Roman Empire
877
Government, Europe
Alfred, the king of Wessex, defeats the Danes at the Battle of Edington
878
War, England (<1707)
Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum gives London to Alfred and redraws boundary line
886
Peace, England (<1707)
New abbey at Cluny in Burgundy stimulates monastic revival
909
Religion, France
Battle of Tettenhall won by King Edward the Elder, son of King Alfred
910
War, England (<1707)
The Duchy of Normandy begins as a fiefdom granted to the Viking leader, Rollo
911
Peace, Europe
Byzantines lose Balkans to Bulgaria in Battle of Anchialus
917
War, Balkan States
Henry I the Fowler establishes Ottonian Dynasty & is first king of East Francia
919
Government, Germany
King Henry I of Franconia unites the German duchies
919
Government, Germany
King Aethelstan the Glorious unites the heptarchy of the Anglo-Saxon nations
927
Government, England (<1707)
Abd ar-Rahman III in Iberian Peninsula (al-Andalus) declares himself a caliph
929
Religion, Islamic Empire
Magyar advance into Germany stopped by army of Henry the Fowler
933
War, Germany
Wenceslaus killed (refuses to give up Christianity & break alliance with Germany)
935
Government, Czech Republic
Buyids capture Baghdad
945
War, Islamic Empire
Otto I the Great subdues the Magyars, nomadic horsemen, at the Battle of Lechfeld
955
War, Germany
German nun Hrosritha writes about Cordoba as "the ornament of the world"
955
Culture, Europe
Poppo, a Denmark missionary, converts King Harald Bluetooth to Christianity
960
Religion, Denmark
Pope John XII crowns Otto I Holy Roman Emperor and protector of Papal States
962
Government, Europe
Future pope begins 3 yrs. of school in Catalonia exposing him to Islamic sciences
967
Education, Islamic Empire
Cairo is founded by the Fatimid dynasty
969
Geography, Egypt
Ottonian dynasty establishes Christian states in Poland, Bohemia, & Hungary
973
Religion, Germany
Al-Mansur seizes power from caliphs in Al-Andalus
976
Government, Spain
Chinese invent canal lock during construction of Grand Canal
984
Invention, China
Eric the Red leads 1000 Iceland settlers to Greenland--colony perished by 1350
986
Discovery, Iceland
The crowning of Hugh Capet as king of France begins the Capetian royal dynasty
987
Government, France
Grand Prince Vladimir is baptized in the Byzantine church and his empire follows
988
Religion, Russia
Al-Mansur leads destructive raid of Santiago de Compostela taking church bells
997
War, Spain
Mahmud, a Turk and a Sunni, becomes new emir of Ghazni (the Ghaznavid Empire)
998
War, Islamic Empire
Leif Eriksson sails from Greenland to Vinland discovering North America
1000
Discovery, Americas
Tribes in North America build adobe houses, mounds, and cities
1000
Culture, Americas
Mahmud of Ghazni invades India and conquers the Punjab
1001
War, India
Abu 'Amir al-Mansur (Almanzor) dies in battle at Calatanazor in Spain
1002
War, Spain
Song emperor agrees to humiliating peace terms--Treaty of Chanyuan
1005
Peace, China
Lavish palace on outskirts of Cordoba, Madinat al-Zahra, destroyed by Berbers
1009
War, Europe
Caliph al-Hakim orders the destruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
1009
Religion, Middle East
Germany's Henry II (canonized a saint in 1146) becomes Holy Roman Emperor
1014
War, Italy
Basil II, the Bulgar Slayer, has Bulgarian prisoners blinded after battle
1015
War, Balkan States
Canute the Great becomes King of England after the death of Edmund Ironside
1016
Government, England (<1707)
Togrul, head of Seljuk Turks, makes treaty with Byzantines
1042
Peace, Byzantine Empire
Anawrahta becomes Burma's first supreme king
1044
Religion, Myanmar
Chinese first use compass for navigation in the Song Dynasty
1050
Invention, China
Revolution in poetry spreads from Iberian Peninsula to all of Europe
1050
Arts, Spain
East-West schism begins between Western Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy
1054
Religion, Europe
Seljuk Turks capture Baghdad becoming major players in the Muslim world
1055
War, Islamic Empire
Edward the Confessor completes building of Westminster Abbey
1060
Architecture, England (<1707)
Upon his death, Ferdinand's kingdoms divided by his three sons
1065
Government, Spain
William, Duke of Normandy, defeats King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings
1066
War, England (<1707)
Seljuk Turks defeat Byzantine forces at Battle of Manzikert
1071
War, Islamic Empire
Robert Guiscard wins victory at Palermo after seige
1072
War, Italy
Henry IV crosses Alps to seek forgiveness from Pope Gregory VII at Canossa (Italy)
1077
Religion, Europe
The great age of cathedral building in Europe begins
1078
Architecture, Europe
William the Conqueror collects statistics of realm in the Domesday Book
1085
Geography, England (<1707)
Iglesia de San Roman built in the aftermath of Christian Reconquest of Toledo
1085
Architecture, Spain
Alfonso VI conquers Toledo causing panic among the remaining Muslim taifas
1085
War, Spain
First European university established in Bologna
1088
Education, Italy
Urban II starts First Crusade in response to appeal from Byzantine Emperor Alexius
1095
War, Papacy
Peter the Hermit begins People's Crusade leading 100,000 to recapture Jerusalem
1096
Religion, Global
Muslims trade with merchants in central and east African states
1097
Trade, Sub-Saharan Africa
Cistercian Order of monks begins in France
1098
Religion, France
Christian Crusaders capture Jerusalem and slaughter inhabitants
1099
War, Islamic Empire
Constantine the African translates the great masters of Arabic medicine
1100
Science, Italy
Croatia and Hungary form union of two kingdoms united under Hungarian king
1102
Government, Europe
Catholic church rules that capturing Zaragoza in Almoravid Spain is a crusade
1118
Religion, Spain
Knights Templar begin protecting pilgrims to Jerusalem
1119
Religion, Middle East
"The Anarchy" in England (1139-1154) when Matilda fights Stephen for crown
1120
War, England (<1707)
Peter Abelard, theologian and philosopher, falls in love with Heloise
1120
Culture, France
Henry V conforms to Concordant of Worms
1122
Religion, Germany
Adelard of Bath is translator of first Latin introduction to Euclid's Elements
1126
Mathematics, England (<1707)
Gaozong establishes the Southern Song dynasty in Lin'an (present-day Hangzhou)
1127
War, China
Khmer king builds the largest temple on earth, dedicated to Vishnu
1127
Architecture, Cambodia
Dai Vet adopts the Mandate of Heaven for the Southern Kingdoms
1127
Government, Vietnam
Chinese first use cannon during the Song Dynasty
1128
Invention, China
Crusaders build Krak des Chevaliers in Syria
1131
War, Syria
In Paris, Abbot Suger begins rebuilding St. Denis Basilica in Gothic style
1137
Architecture, France
King Roger II of Sicily mints coins (Hindu-Arabic numbers) & makes new world map
1138
Geography, Italy
Song sign Shaoxing Treaty to end war with Jurchen invaders to the north
1141
Peace, China
Empress Matilda's bid to be crowned opposed by London crowds
1141
Government, England (<1707)
"Peter the Venerable commissions the first Latin translation of the Koran."
1142
Religion, France
William of Conches becomes tutor of future king of England, Henry II
1145
Religion, Europe
Second Crusade abandons Edessa and begins with unsuccessful siege of Damascus
1148
War, Syria
Islam penetrates Indonesia
1150
War, Indonesia
Manuel victorious against Hungary, but Serbia (Stefan Nemanja) gains independence
1161
War, Byzantine Empire
Becket appointed by Henry II as Archbishop of Canterbury and conflict begins
1162
Government, England (<1707)
Building of Notre Dame de Paris begins
1163
Architecture, France
Henry II issues Assize of Clarendon which becomes foundation of criminal law
1166
Government, England (<1707)
Norman troops to Ireland--first significant English involvement in Irish affairs
1169
War, Ireland
Four knights of Henry II murder Becket in Canterbury Cathedral
1170
Government, England (<1707)
Byzantine Emperor Manuel I has all Venetians in Constantinople arrested
1171
War, Byzantine Empire
End of Fatimid Dynasty--Shirkuh captures Egypt and Saladin becomes governor
1171
Government, Islamic Empire
Battle of Huete is turning point for Christian kingdoms in Reconquista
1172
War, Spain
Mongols use captured fleets of Song Dynasty to send expeditions overseas
1174
Trade, China
King William I of Scotland accepts the feudal lordship of the English crown
1174
War, Scotland
Saladin, a Sunni Kurdish general, seizes Damascus and declares himself sultan
1174
War, Syria
Gerard of Cremona translates scientific books from Arabic into Latin in Toledo
1175
Science, Spain
Frederick I Barbarossa defeated by Lombard League at Battle of Leg Nano (Legnano)
1176
War, Italy
Frederick Barbarossa signs the final Peace of Constance
1183
Peace, Germany
Pope Lucius III issues the papal bull Ad Abolendam to abolish Christian heresy
1184
Religion, Italy
Bulgarian Empire reestablished after the Uprising of Asen and Peter
1185
War, Bulgaria
Minamoto Yoshitsune destroys the Taira clan at the Battle of Dan no Ura
1185
War, Japan
Minamota Yoshitsune (1/2 brother of Yoritomo) defeats Taira Samurai clan
1185
War, Japan
Henry of Hohenstaufen marries Constance of Sicily as Germans rule Sicily
1186
Government, Europe
Henry VI marries Constance of Sicily, heiress to the Sicilian throne
1186
Government, Italy
Saladin recovers Jerusalem for Muslims winning the Battle of Hattin
1187
War, Islamic Empire
Emperor Frederick Barbarossa drowns in river on route to the Holy Land
1190
Religion, Global
Monk Myo-an Eisai brings Zen Buddhism to Japan
1191
Religion, Japan
Richard I (12,000 men) repels Saladin (20,000) men at Battle of Arsuf
1191
War, Middle East
Richard the Lionheart slaughters three thousand prisoners at Acre
1191
War, Middle East
Islamic presence in India ensured by Battle of Tarain--won by Mohammad of Ghor
1192
War, India
The Duke of Austria holds Richard the Lionheart for ransom
1192
Government, Austria
Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khilji destroys the university at Nalanda
1193
War, India
Holy relic survives fire and Chartres Cathedral rebuilt in Gothic splendor
1194
Architecture, France
Almohad Caliphate defeats the Kingdom of Castile at Battle of Alarcos
1195
War, Spain
Philip II Augustus fights the Plantagenets in the Anglo-French War of 1202–14
1202
War, France
Leonardo of Pisa (Fibonacci) completes "The Book of Calculation"
1202
Mathematics, Italy
Constantinople attacked (1203) and sacked (1204) by Venetian & French Crusaders
1203
War, Middle East
French forces under Philip II capture Chateau Gaillard in Normandy
1204
War, Europe
Crusaders vent frustration by burning Constantinople
1204
Religion, Global
Philip II Augustus becomes "first king of France" after capturing Rouen & Normandy
1204
War, France
Bulgarians under Emperor Kaloyan defeat Baldwin I at Battle of Adrianople
1205
War, Turkey
Temujin becomes Genghis Khan (universal ruler) after uniting Mongolian tribes
1206
Government, Mongolia
St. Francis of Assisi hears call to establish Franciscan Order of Friars
1208
Religion, Italy
Pope calls Crusade against Cathars in Languedoc
1208
Religion, Europe
Citizens of Beziers massacred in Albigensian Crusade against Cathar heresy
1209
Religion, Europe
Translations of Averroes by Michael Scot reach Paris
1210
Philosophy, Europe
Christians win at Las Navas de Tolosa after Pope calls Crusade against Almohads
1212
Religion, Spain
Innocent III declares crusade against John (Lackland), King of England
1213
Government, England (<1707)
Nation of France is born and Germany is weakened at the Battle of Bouvines
1214
War, France
Pope Innocent III in 4th Lateran Council begins 5th Crusade
1215
Religion, Italy
King John, son of Henry II, is forced to submit to Magna Carta at Runnymede
1215
Government, England (<1707)
Damietta falls in 5th Crusade, but Crusaders cannot advance to Cairo
1219
War, Egypt
St. Francis of Assisi takes part in the failed Fifth Crusade by talking to Sultan
1219
Religion, Egypt
King Andrew II of Hungary signs Golden Bull to protect the rights of the nobility
1222
Government, Hungary
Treaty of Paris: Toulouse under control of French crown & establishes Inquisition
1229
Peace, Europe
Frederick II 'captures' Jerusalem after months of negotiations with the Arabs
1229
Peace, Middle East
Teutonic Knights start Baltic Crusade to convert pagans in Baltic region & Prussia
1233
Religion, Lithuania
Sundiata, king of the Kieta & Islamic hero, conquers Ghana & makes Mali empire
1235
War, Sub-Saharan Africa
Ferdinand III captures Cordoba for the Reconquista after a seige of several months
1236
War, Spain
Mongol invasion of Rus' resumes (1237-1240)
1237
War, Russia
King Louis IX buys Christian relics & begins Sainte-Chapelle, near Notre Dame
1239
Religion, France
Swedish fleet invades Russia, but Prince Alexander victorious at Battle of Neva
1240
War, Russia
Keivan Rus' submits to Mongols (Batu Khan) becoming part of Golden Horde empire
1241
War, Russia
Mongols conquer Poland and Hungary but turn back from invasion of Europe
1241
War, Poland
Battle of Lake Peipus: Alexander Nevski leads Russians to defeat Teutonic Knights
1242
War, Russia
Mongols break up sultanate of Konya in Battle of Kose Dag
1243
War, Middle East
Khwarazmian Turks capture Jerusalem--Christians never to hold it again
1244
War, Israel
Foundation stone laid for Cologne Cathedral--not to be completed until 1880
1248
Architecture, Germany
Louis IX the Saint leads two disastrous crusades
1248
War, France
Alfonso X takes the throne of Castile-Leon with Jews, Christians, and Muslims
1252
Government, Spain
The first of three Mongol invasions of Vietnam
1258
War, Vietnam
Hulegu leads Mongols to destroy Baghdad, vast library, and last Abbasid caliph
1258
War, Islamic Empire
Hulegu constructs an observatory at Maragha (northwest Iran)
1259
Science, Iran
Nasir al-Din Tusi publishes revision of Ptolemaic astronomy
1260
Science, Iran
Mamluks (led by Baibars) defeat Mongols at Battle of Ain Jalut in eastern Galilee
1260
War, Middle East
Kublai Khan was Great Khan from 1260 to 1294
1260
Government, Mongolia
Michael VIII restores Byzantium as Latin Empire falls
1261
War, Byzantine Empire
"The Book of the Ladder" or "Miraj" in its original Arabic is translated
1264
Arts, Europe
Battle of Evesham--end of 2nd Barons' War & power King Henry III
1265
Government, England (<1707)
Rudolf crowned in Aachen Cathedral as king of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor
1273
Government, Europe
Kublai Khan defeats Southern Song dynasty at the Battle of Xiangyang
1273
War, China
Summa Theologica is published after the death of Thomas Aquinas
1274
Religion, France
Kubai Khan invades Japan, but typhoon sinks about 4,000 Mongol ships
1281
War, Japan
Sicilian Vespers rebellion begins in Palermo to oust French rule by Charles I
1282
War, Italy
Sea Battle of Malta: King Pedro of Aragon defeats King Charles, Duke of Anjou
1283
War, Europe
End of Crusader states in Levant (Outremer) as Mamluks take Acre
1291
War, Middle East
Hindu-Buddhist Java-based Jajapahit empire succeeds the Sri-Vijaya empire;
1293
War, Indonesia
Edward I (Longshanks) invades Scotland
1296
War, England (<1707)
The Travels of Marco Polo written & later translated into many languages
1298
Discovery, Global
Philip IV agrees to peace with Edward I and no further aid to Scotland
1299
Peace, France
Philip IV beats Flemish, has Clement V elected, & destroys Jews & Knights Templars
1305
Government, France
William Wallace, Scottish patriot, gruesomely executed in London by Edward I
1305
War, England (<1707)
"Lamentation" by Giotto
1306
Arts, Italy
Pope Clement V begins "Avignon Papacy" that lasted until 1377
1309
Religion, France
"Maesta" by Duccio
1311
Arts, Italy
Barons execute Piers Gaveston, who had moved into Edward II's household in 1300
1312
Government, England (<1707)
Jacques de Molay, last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, executed in Paris
1314
Religion, France
Robert Bruce upholds Scottish independence defeating Edward II at Bannockburn
1314
War, Scotland
Turks win Battle of Brusa--Osman becomes the first Sultan of the Ottoman Empire
1323
War, Islamic Empire
Aztecs select new capital at Tenochtitlan (current Mexico City)
1325
Geography, Mexico
Ibn Battuta visits Cairo
1325
Culture, Egypt
Edward III transforms England into a formidable military power
1327
Government, England (<1707)
Battle of Sluys: A naval battle won by the English during the 100 Years' War
1340
War, Belgium
English/Welsh army uses longbow to defeat Philip VI at Crecy in northern France
1346
War, France
In the siege of Kaffa, corpses of Black Death victims are catapulted into the city
1347
Disaster, Europe
Black Death in Europe and Asia
1347
Disaster, Global
Shipborne artillery was developed in about 1350 in Europe
1350
Invention, Europe
Ibn Battuta arrives in Mali
1352
Culture, Mali
Hanseatic League holds its first diet at Lubeck
1356
Trade, Europe
Edward the Black Prince defeats French king at the Battle of Poitiers
1356
War, France
Charles IV of Luxemburg proposes new procedures to elect Holy Roman Emperors
1356
Government, Europe
Battle of Najera: Black Prince fights for Pedro the Cruel in Castilian civil war
1367
War, Spain
Peasant Zhu Yuanzhang unites China and founds Ming dynasty
1368
Government, China
Tamerlane establishes Samarkand as the capital of his empire
1370
Government, Mongolia
Election of two popes begins Great Schism of the West lasting 1378-1417
1378
Religion, Europe
Chaucer begins to write The Canterbury Tales.
1380
Arts, England (<1707)
Richard II, a boy of 14, persuades the leaders of the Peasants' Revolt to disperse
1381
Government, England (<1707)
King Joao preserves independence of Portugal by defeating army of Castile
1385
War, Portugal
Portuguese defeat Castilians at the Battle of Aljubarrota
1385
War, Europe
Jagiello of Lithuania, last European pagan ruler, crowned king of Poland
1386
Government, Europe
Serbs lose Battle of Kosovo to Ottoman Turks beginning 4 centuries of Turkish rule
1389
War, Islamic Empire
Joseon dynasty founded in Korea
1392
Government, Korea
Battle of Nicopolis: Crusaders lose to Ottoman Turks in Bulgaria
1396
War, Bulgaria
Margaret of Denmark unites three kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden & Norway
1397
Government, Europe
Richard II abdicates the throne to Henry of Bolingbroke, who becomes Henry IV
1399
Government, England (<1707)
Timur the Lame sacks Baghdad
1401
War, Iraq
Timur the Lame defeats Ottoman Army
1402
War, Turkey
Bayezid I is captured by Tamerlane--interregnum of Ottoman Empire
1402
War, Turkey
Admiral Zheng He displays Chinese sea power with fleet of 62 ships
1405
Trade, China
Poland-Lithuania defeat German-Prussian Teutonic Knights at Battle of Tannenberg
1410
War, Poland
Outnumbered army of Henry V defeats the French at Agincourt
1415
War, France
Jan Hus burned at the stake after heresy ruled by Council of Constance in 1414
1415
Religion, Czech Republic
Kingdom of Portugal conquers Ceuta
1415
War, Portugal
Papal schism ends at Council of Constance and election of Pope Martin V
1417
Religion, Italy
King Sejong begins his reign and invents phonetic alphabet in mid-15th century
1418
Education, Korea
Battle of Vitkov: Hussite forces defend city of Prague attacked by Crusaders
1420
War, Czech Republic
"The Expulsion Of Adam and Eve from Eden" by Masaccio
1428
Arts, Italy
Itzcoatl founds Aztec Empire after capturing the city-state of Azcapotzalco
1428
Government, Mexico
Joan of Arc leads French to break English seige of Orleans
1429
War, France
Joan of Arc, a 19-year-old girl, burns as the stake in Rouen
1431
Religion, France
Council of Basel convened regarding Hussite wars, Ottomans rise & papal supremacy
1431
Religion, Europe
"Madonna of the Canon van der Paele" by Jan van Eyck
1434
Arts, Belgium
"Deposition" by Rogier van der Weyden
1435
Arts, Belgium
Cathedral with Brunelleschi's dome is dedicated in Florence
1436
Architecture, Italy
Hussites recognized as part of Catholic Church in the Compacta of Basel
1436
Peace, Europe
Pachacuti founds Inca Empire after defeating Chanca at the capital in Cuzco
1438
War, Peru
Victory of Hungary led by Hunyadi over the Ottomans at the Battle of Szeben
1442
War, Hungary
Last Christian Crusade against Turks fails as Murad II wins Battle of Varna
1444
War, Ottoman Empire
Constantinople falls to Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II
1453
War, Turkey
The Gutenberg Bible is Europe's first printed book for mass production
1455
Invention, Germany
Mehmed II defeated at Belgrade by peasant crusaders and Hungarian knights
1456
War, Serbia
"Resurrection" by Piero della Francesca
1463
Arts, Italy
After his father's death, Lorenzo de' Medici takes control--Golden Age of Florence
1469
Government, Italy
Battle of Brunkeberg: Swedish rebels repel attack by Danish King Christian
1471
War, Denmark
"The Court of Mantua" by Andrea Mantegna
1474
Arts, Italy
Ottoman Empire conquers Khanate of Crimea and makes it a vassal state
1475
War, Europe
"Primavera" by Sandro Botticelli
1482
Arts, Italy
Pope Sixtus IV supports Inquisition throughout Ferdinand's Aragon territories
1483
Religion, Spain
Richard III killed in Battle of Bosworth Field--ends War of Roses & York dynasty
1485
War, England (<1707)
"Saint Francis in the Desert" by Giovanni Bellini
1485
Arts, Italy
Bartolomeu Dias rounds the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa
1488
Discovery, South Africa
Portuguese rulers convert to Christianity Nzinga, king of tribe in central Africa
1490
Religion, Sub-Saharan Africa
"Madonna with Musical Angels" by Geertgen tot Sint Jans
1490
Arts, Netherlands
The rifled barrel was invented in about 1490
1490
Invention, Europe