The following is a timeline of major events in post-classical history from the 5th to 15th centuries, loosely corresponding to the Old World Middle Ages, intermediate between Late antiquity and the early modern period.
This timetable gives a basic overview of states, cultures and events which transpired roughly between the years 200 and 1500. Sections are broken by political and geographic location.[1][2]
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Further information: Early Middle Ages |
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See also: 5th century and 6th century |
| Year | Date | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| c. 400 | Highland Maya fall to the lowland city of Teotihuacan | Begins the decline of Maya culture and language in some parts of the highlands.[3] | |
| 405 | St. Jerome finished the Vulgate. | The Christian Gospel is translated into Latin.[4] | |
| 410 | August 24 | Rome is sacked by Alaric, King of the Visigoths | Decisive event in the decline of the Western Roman Empire.[5] |
| 431 | June 22 – July 31 | Council of Ephesus | Confirmed the original Nicene Creed,[6] and condemned the teachings of Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople, that led to his exile and separation with the Church of the East. |
| 455 | June 2 | Rome is sacked by Genseric, King of the Vandals.[7] | Another decisive event in the Fall of Rome and held by some historians to mark the "end of the Roman Empire".[8] |
| 476 | September 4 | Odoacer deposes the Roman Emperor Romulus Augustulus | Considered by some historians to be the starting point of the Middle Ages. |
| 480 | April 25 | Death of Julius Nepos, last Roman Emperor to be recognized as such by the Roman Senate and the Byzantine Empire | Considered by some historians to be the starting point of the Middle Ages. |
| 493 | March 15 | Theodoric the Great killed Odoacer at a banquet after the Siege of Ravenna (490–493). | The Ostrogothic Kingdom ruled Italy from 493 to 553. |
| c. 500 | Tikal becomes the first great Maya city | Significant cultural exchange between the Maya of Tikal and the citizens of Teotihuacan.[3] | |
| c. 500 | Battle of Mons Badonicus. | The West Saxon advance is halted by Britons in England. Chiefly known today for the supposed involvement of King Arthur but because of the limited number of sources, there is no certainty about the date, location, or details of the fighting.[9][10] | |
| 507 | Spring | The Franks under Clovis defeat the Visigoths in the Battle of Vouillé. | The Visigoths retreated into Spain.[11] |
| c. 524 | Boethius writes his Consolation of Philosophy | It has been described as the single most important and influential work in the West on Medieval and early Renaissance Christianity.[12] | |
| 525 | Dionysius Exiguus publishes the Dionysius Exiguus' Easter table. | This initiated the Anno Domini era, used for the Gregorian and Julian calendars. | |
| 527 | August 1 | Justinian I becomes Eastern Roman Emperor. | Justinian is best remembered for his Code of Civil Law (529), and expansion of imperial territory retaking Rome from the Ostrogoths. |
| 529–534 | Justinian I publishes the Code of Civil Law. | This compiled centuries of legal writings and imperial pronouncements into three parts of one body of law. | |
| 529 | Benedict of Nursia founds monastery at Monte Cassino. | The first of twelve monasteries founded by Saint Benedict, beginning the Order of Saint Benedict. | |
| 532 | January 1 | Nika riots in Constantinople. | Nearly half the city being burned or destroyed and tens of thousands of people killed.[13] |
| 533 | December 15 | Byzantines, under Belisarius, retake North Africa from the Vandals. | Vandal kingdom ends and the Reconquest of North Africa is completed. |
| 535–554 | Gothic War in Italy as a part of Justinian's Reconquest. | Byzantines retook Italy but crippled the Byzantine economy and left Italy unable to cope against the oncoming Lombards. | |
| 563 | Saint Columba founds mission in Iona. | Constructed an abbey which helped convert the Picts to Christianity until it was destroyed and raided by the Vikings in 794.[14] | |
| 568 | The Kingdom of the Lombards is founded in Italy. | Survived in Italy until the invasion of the Franks in 774 under Charlemagne. | |
| c. 570 | Muhammad is born. | Professed receiving revelations from God, which were recorded in the Quran, the basis of Islamic theology, in which he is regarded as the last of the sent prophets. | |
| 577 | The West Saxons continue their advance at the Battle of Deorham. | Led to the permanent separation of Cornwall, England from Wales. | |
| 581–618 | March 4 – May 23 | Sui dynasty in China. | China unified once again during this period for the first time in almost 400 years. |
| 590 | September 3 | Gregory the Great becomes Pope. | The missionary work reached new levels during his pontificate, revolutionized the way of worship for the Catholic Church (Gregorian chant), liturgy, etc., and was soon canonized after his death. |
| 597 | Augustine arrives in Kent. | Christianization of England (Anglo-Saxons) begins. | |
| 598–668 | Massive Chinese (Sui and Tang) invasions against Korean Goguryeo. | Contributed to the fall of the Sui dynasty, and Goguryeo fell under the forces of the Tang and Silla. | |
| c. 600 | Deliberate fires set for unknown reasons destroy major buildings in Teotihuacan.[15] | Destroys the Teotihuacan civilization and empire. Tikal is now the largest city-state in Mesoamerica.[3] |
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See also: 7th century |
| Year | Date | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 602–629 | Last great Roman–Persian War. | Long conflict leaves both empires exhausted and unable to cope with the newly united Arab armies under Islam in the 630s | |
| 604–609 | Grand Canal in China is fully completed[16] | Its main role throughout its history was the transport of grain to the capital. | |
| 618–907 | June 18 – June 1 | Tang dynasty in China. | The essential administrative system of this dynasty lasts for 286 years. |
| 622 | 9 September – 23 September | Muhammad migrates from Mecca to Medina. | Event will have designated first year of the Islamic calendar, as Anno Hegirae. |
| 626 | Joint Persian–Avar–Slav Siege of Constantinople | Constantinople saved, Avar power broken, and Persians henceforth on the defensive | |
| 627 | December 12 | Battle of Nineveh. | The Byzantines, under Heraclius, crush the Persians. |
| 632 | June 8 | Death of Muhammad | By this point, all of Arabia is under the religion of Islam. |
| 632–668 | Establishment and expansion of Old Great Bulgaria. | The demise of Old Great Bulgaria lead to the founding of the First Bulgarian Empire and Volga Bulgaria by the sons of Kubrat. | |
| 632 | June 8 | Accession of Abu Bakr as first Caliph. | Though the period of his caliphate was not long, it included successful invasions of the two most powerful empires of the time. |
| 633–634 | Battle of Heavenfield. | Northumbrian army under Oswald defeat Welsh army. | |
| 638 | Jerusalem captured by the Arab army, mostly Muslims, but with contingents of Syrian Christians. | ||
| 642 | Battle of Nahavand. Muslims conquer Persia. | ||
| 643 | Arab Army led by Amr ibn al-As takes Alexandria. | ||
| 645 | In Japan, the Soga clan falls. | This initiates a period of imitation of Chinese culture, The Nara period begins a year later. | |
| 650 | Slav occupation of Balkans complete. | ||
| c. 650 | The city-state Xochicalco is founded by the Olmeca–Xicallanca. | Becomes an important cultural and commercial center.[17] | |
| 663 | Synod of Whitby. | Roman Christianity triumphs over Celtic Christianity in England. | |
| 668 | End of the Three Kingdoms period in Korea. | Established a Unified Silla which led to the North–South States Period 30 years later.[18] | |
| 674–678 | First Arab siege of Constantinople. | First-time Islamic armies defeated, forestalling Islamic conquest of Europe. | |
| 680 | October 10 | Slaughter of Hussain Ibn Ali, grandson of Muhammad by Umayyad Dynasty in Battle of Karbala. | Thus Yazid I secured Umayyad rule form line of Muhammad for more than 60 years. |
| 681 | Establishment of the Bulgarian Empire. | A country with great influence in European history in the Middle Ages. | |
| 685 | Battle of Dun Nechtain. | Picts defeat Northumbrians, whose dominance ends. | |
| 687 | Battle of Tertry. | Established Pepin of Herstal as mayor over the entire realms of Neustria and Austrasia, which further dwindled Merovingian power. | |
| 698 | Arab army takes Carthage. | End of Byzantine rule in North Africa | |
| 698 | North–South States Period begins in Korea. | Silla and Balhae coexisted in the south and north of the peninsula, respectively, until 926[19][20] |
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See also: 8th century |
| Year | Date | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 711 | Umayyad conquest of Hispania under Tarik. | Will begin a period of Muslim rule in the Al-Andalus (with various portions of the Iberian peninsula) until nearly the end of the Fifteenth Century. | |
| 718 | Second Arab attack on Constantinople, ending in failure. | The combined Byzantine–Bulgarian forces stop the Arab threat in Southeastern Europe. | |
| 726 | Iconoclast movement begun in the Byzantine Empire under Leo III. This was opposed by Pope Gregory II, and an important difference between the Roman and Byzantine churches. | ||
| 732 | October | Battle of Tours. Charles Martel halts Muslim advance. | Significant moment that led to the forming of the Carolingian Empire for the Franks, and halted the advancement of the Moors in southwestern Europe. |
| 735 | 26 May | Death of Bede. | Bede was later regarded as "the father of English history". |
| 750 | 25 January | Beginning of Abbasid Caliphate. | Would become the longest-lasting caliphate, until 1519 when conquered and annexed into the Ottoman Empire. |
| 751 | Pepin the Short founds the Carolingian dynasty. | ||
| 754 | Pepin promises the Pope central Italy. This is arguably the beginning of the temporal power of the Papacy. | ||
| 768 | Beginning of Charlemagne's reign. | ||
| 778 | 15 August | Battle of Roncevaux Pass. | Caused the death of Roland, and elevated him into legend, becoming the role model for knights and influencing the code of chivalry in the Middle Ages. |
| 786 | 14 September | Accession of Harun al-Rashid to the Caliphate in Baghdad. | |
| 793 | Sack of Lindisfarne. Viking attacks on Britain begin. | Generally considered the beginning of the Viking Age that would span over two centuries, and reach as far south as Hispania and as far east as the Byzantine Empire, and present-day Russia. | |
| 794 | Heian period in Japan. | Considered to be the last classical period of History of Japan. Chinese influence was at its strongest during this era in Japan. | |
| 795 | 29 July | Death of Offa. | Marks the end of Mercian dominance in England. |
| 800 | 25 December | Charlemagne is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. | With his crowning, Charlemagne's kingdom is officially recognized by the Papacy as the largest in Europe since the fall of the Roman Empire. |
| 800 | Gunpowder is invented in China (somewhere around 9th century) |
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See also: 9th century |
| Year | Date | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 814 | 28 January | Death of Charlemagne. | Would be a factor towards the splitting of his empire almost 30 years later. |
| 820 | Birth of Legendary Viking Ragnar Lodbrok | ||
| 820 | Algebrae et Alumcabola Algorithm | Muhammad ibn Musa- al-Khwarizmi | |
| 825 | Battle of Ellandun. Egbert defeats Mercians. | Wessex becomes the leading kingdom of England. | |
| 827 | Muslims invade Sicily. | First encounter of attempts to conquer Byzantine Sicily, until the last Byzantine outpost was conquered in 965. | |
| 840 | Muslims capture Bari and much of southern Italy. | ||
| 843 | Division of Charlemagne's Empire between his grandsons with the Treaty of Verdun. | Sets the stage for the founding of the Holy Roman Empire and France as separate states. | |
| 843 | Kenneth McAlpin becomes king of the Picts and Scots, creating the Kingdom of Alba. | ||
| 862 | Viking state in Russia founded under Rurik, first at Novgorod, then Kiev. | ||
| 864 | Christianization of Bulgaria. | The emperor of Bulgaria Boris I was baptized in 864 and was named Michael. Bulgaria fall under the influence of Byzantine Empire.[21] | |
| 866 | Fujiwara period in Japan. | Would become the most powerful clan during the Heian period in Japan for around three centuries. | |
| 865 | Death of Ragnar Lodbrok | Viking Great Army rises. | |
| 866 | Viking Great Army arrives in England. | Northumbria, East Anglia, and Mercia were overwhelmed. | |
| 868 | Earliest known printed book Diamond Sutra in China with a date. | ||
| 871 | Alfred the Great assumes the throne, the first king of a united England. | He defended England from Viking invaders, formed new laws and fostered a rebirth of religious and scholarly activities. | |
| c. 872 | Harold Fairhair becomes King of Norway. | ||
| 874 | Iceland is settled by Norsemen. | ||
| 882 | Kievan Rus' is established. | Would be sustained until the Mongol invasion of Rus' over four and a half centuries, despite peaking during the middle 11th century during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise. | |
| 885 | Arrival of the disciples of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Bulgaria | Creation of the Cyrillic script; in the following decades the country became the cultural and spiritual centre of the whole Eastern Orthodox part of the Slavic World. | |
| 885–886 | Vikings attack Paris. | ||
| 893 | Emperor Simeon I becomes ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire in the Balkans. | Golden age of the First Bulgarian Empire (896–927). The Cyrillic alphabet was developed in the Preslav Literary School and Ohrid Literary School.[22][23][24] | |
| 896 | Arpad and the Magyars are present in Pannonia. | ||
| 899 | 27 October | Death of Alfred the Great. | |
| c. 900 | Lowland Maya cities in the south collapse. | Signifies the end of the Classic Period of Maya history. The Maya in northern Yucatán continue to thrive. |
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See also: 10th century |
| Year | Date | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 907 | Tang Dynasty ends with Emperor Ai deposed. | The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in China commences. | |
| 910 | King Edward the Elder of England, son of King Alfred, defeats the Northumbrian Vikings at the Battle of Tettenhall. | Vikings never raid south of the River Humber again. | |
| 910 | Cluny Abbey is founded by William I, Count of Auvergne. | Cluny goes on to become the acknowledged leader of Western Monasticism. Cluniac Reforms initiated with the abbey's founding. | |
| 911 | The Viking Rollo and his tribe settle in what is now Normandy by the terms of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte, founding the Duchy of Normandy. | ||
| 913 | Sri Kesari Warmadewa reigned in Walidwipa (Bali) | ||
| 917 | Battle of Anchialus. Simeon I the Great defeats the Byzantines. | Recognition of the Imperial Title of the Bulgarian rulers. | |
| 919 | Henry the Fowler, Duke of Saxony elected German King. First king of the Ottonian Dynasty. | Henry I considered the founder and first king of the medieval German state. | |
| 925 | The first King of Croatia (rex Croatorum), Tomislav (910–928) of the Trpimirović dynasty was crowned. | Tomislav united Croats of Dalmatia and Pannonia into a single Kingdom, and created a sizeable state. | |
| 927 | King Aethelstan the Glorious unites the heptarchy of The Anglo-Saxon nations of Wessex, Sussex, Essex, Kent, East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria founding the Kingdom of England. | ||
| 927 | According to Theophanes Continuatus (The Continuer of Theophanes's Chronicle) – Tomislav of Croatia defeated Bulgarian army of Tsar Simeon I under Duke Alogobotur, in battle of the Bosnian Highlands. | Bulgarian expansion to the west was stopped. | |
| 927 | Death of Simeon I the Great. Recognition of the Bulgarian Patriarchate, the first independent National Church in Europe. | ||
| 929 | Abd-ar-Rahman III of the Umayyad dynasty in al-Andalus (part of the Iberian peninsula) takes the title of Caliph or ruler of the Islamic world. | Beginning of the Caliphate of Córdoba (929–1031). | |
| 936 | Wang Geon unified Later Three Kingdoms of Korea. | ||
| 938 | Ngo Quyen won the battle of Bach Dang against the Chinese Southern Han army. | This event marked the independence of Vietnam after 1000 years under the Chinese colony. | |
| 955 | Battle of Lechfeld. Otto the Great, son of Henry the Fowler, defeats the Magyars. | This is the defining event that prevents the Hungarians from entering Central Europe. | |
| c. 960 | Mieszko I becomes duke of Polans. | First historical ruler of Poland and de facto founder of the Polish State. | |
| 960 | Song Dynasty begins after Emperor of Taizu usurps the throne from the Later Zhou, last of the Five Dynasties. | A 319-year period of Song rule (Northern & Southern combined) goes underway. | |
| 962 | Otto the Great crowned the Holy Roman Emperor. | First to be crowned Holy Roman Emperor in nearly 40 years. | |
| 963–964 | Otto deposes Pope John XII who is replaced with Pope Leo VIII. | Citizens of Rome promise not to elect another Pope without Imperial approval. | |
| 965–967 | Mieszko I of Poland and his court embrace Christianity, which becomes the national religion. | ||
| 969 | John I Tzimiskes and Nikephoros II are executed. | Sultane of Rums are proclaimed. | |
| 976 | Death of John I Tzimiskes; Basil II (his co-emperor) takes sole power. | Under Basil II zenith of the power of Eastern Empire after Justinian I. | |
| 978 | Al-Mansur Ibn Abi Aamir becomes de facto ruler of Muslim Al-Andalus. | Peak of power of Moorish Iberia under "Almanzor". | |
| 981 | Basil II (called "Bulgar Slayer") begins final conquest of Bulgaria. | Complete subjugation of the First Bulgarian Empire. | |
| 985 | Eric the Red, exiled from Iceland, begins Scandinavian colonization of Greenland. | ||
| 987 | Succession of Hugh Capet to the French Throne. | Beginning of Capetian Dynasty. | |
| 988 | Volodymyr I of Kiev embraces Christianity, which becomes national religion. | ||
| 989 | Peace and Truce of God formed. | The first movement of the Catholic Church using spiritual means to limit private war, and the first movement in medieval Europe to control society through non-violent means. |
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Further information: High Middle Ages |
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See also: 11th century |
| Year | Date | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| c. 1001 | Leif Erikson is to settle during the winter in present-day Canada at L'Anse aux Meadows. | Ericson is to be the first European to settle in the Americas during the Norse exploration of the Americas. | |
| 1016 | Canute the Great becomes King of England after the death of Edmund Ironside, with whom he shared the English throne. | Danes become kings of England for the next 26 years before the last rise of the Anglo-Saxons before the Norman Conquest. | |
| 1018 | The Byzantines under Basil II conquer Bulgaria after a bitter 50-years struggle. | Concludes the Byzantine conquest of Bulgaria. | |
| 1021 | The Tale of Genji, written by Murasaki Shikibu, is completed sometime before this date.[25] | It is sometimes called the world's first novel, the first modern novel, the first psychological novel or the first novel still to be considered a classic.[26] | |
| 1025 | The Canon of Medicine is written. | Persian polymath Avicenna set the standard for medical textbooks through 18th century Europe. | |
| 1037 | The Great Seljuk Empire is founded by Tughril Beg. | Would be a major force during the first two Crusades, and an antagonist to the Byzantine Empire over the next century. | |
| 1049 | Pope Leo IX ascends to the papal throne. | Leo IX was the pope that excommunicated Patriarch of Constantinople, Michael Cerularius (who also excommunicated Leo), which caused the Great Schism. | |
| 1050 | The astrolabe, an ancient tool of navigation, is first used in Europe. | Early tool of marine navigators, astrologers, astronomers. | |
| 1050 | Westminster Abbey is built. | Notable religious building in England and a burial site for English monarchs. | |
| 1054 | The East-West Schism which divided the church into Western Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. | Tensions will vary between the Catholic and Orthodox churches throughout the Middle Ages. | |
| 1066 | William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, invades England and becomes King after the Battle of Hastings. | End of Anglo-Saxon rule in England and start of Norman lineage. | |
| 1067 | Pope Gregory VII elevated to the papal throne. | This begins a period of church reform. | |
| 1071 | The Seljuks under Alp Arslan defeat the Byzantine army at Manzikert. The Normans capture Bari, the last Byzantine possession in southern Italy. | Beginning of the end of Byzantine rule in Asia Minor. | |
| 1075 | Dictatus Papae in which Pope Gregory VII defines the powers of the pope. | Peak of the Gregorian Reform, and an immense factor in the Investiture Controversy. | |
| 1077 | Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV walks to Canossa where he stands barefoot in the snow to beg forgiveness of the Pope for his offences, and admitting defeat in the Investiture Controversy. | This helps establish Papal rule over European heads of state for another 450 years. | |
| 1077 | The Construction of the Tower of London begins. | The tower of London was the ultimate keep of the British Empire. | |
| 1086 | The compilation of the Domesday Book, a great land and property survey commissioned by William the Conqueror to assess his new possessions. | This is the first such undertaking since Roman times. | |
| 1088 | University of Bologna is formed. | Currently the oldest university in Europe. | |
| 1095 | Pope Urban issues the Crusades to capture the Holy Land, and to repel the Seljuk Turks from the Byzantine Empire from Alexios I Komnenos. | This would be the first of 9 Major Crusades, and a number of other crusades that would spread into the late 13th century. | |
| 1098 | The Cistercian Order is founded. | Was a return to the original observance of the Rule of St. Benedict. | |
| 1099 | First Crusade. Jerusalem is re-taken from the Muslims on the urging of Pope Urban II. | This would lead to the beginning of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, which would last for nearly two centuries; within the era of the Crusades to the Holy Land. |
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See also: 12th century |
| Year | Date | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | Latin-translation of the great masters of Arabic medicine: Rhazes, Ishaq Ibn Imran, Ibn Suleiman, and Ibn al-Jazzar. | Translated by Constantine the African. | |
| 1102 | Kingdom of Croatia and Kingdom of Hungary formed a personal union of two kingdoms united under the Hungarian king. The act of union was deal with Pacta conventa, by which institutions of separate Croatian statehood were maintained through the Sabor (an assembly of Croatian nobles) and the ban (viceroy). In addition, the Croatian nobles retained their lands and titles. | Medieval Hungary and Croatia were (in terms of public international law) allied by means of personal union until 1526. Although, Hungarian-Croatian state existed until the beginning of the 20th century and the Treaty of Trianon. | |
| 1102 | Synods of Westminster. | End of simony, clerical marriages, slavery under Anselm of Canterbury | |
| 1106 | 28 September | Henry I of England defeats his older brother Robert Curthose, duke of Normandy, at the Battle of Tinchebrai, and imprisons him in Devizes castle; Edgar Atheling and William Clito are also taken prisoner. | This victory made a later struggle between England and the rising Capetian power in France inevitable. |
| 1107 | Through the Compromise of 1107, suggested by Adela, the sister of King Henry, the Investiture Struggle in England is ended. | This compromise removed one of the points of friction between the English monarchy and the Catholic Church. | |
| 1109 | In the Battle of Naklo, Boleslaus III Wrymouth defeats the Pomeranians. | Polish access to the sea is re-established. | |
| 1109 | 24 August | In the Battle of Hundsfeld, Boleslaus III Wrymouth defeats Emperor Henry V. | German expansion to the centre of Europe is stopped. |
| 1116 | The Byzantine army defeats the Turks at Philomelion. | The Turks abandon the entire coastal area of Anatolia and all of western Anatolia | |
| 1117 | The University of Oxford is founded. | It is the oldest university in the United Kingdom. | |
| 1118 | The Knights Templar are founded to protect Jerusalem and European pilgrims on their journey to the city. | Becomes the most recognizable, and impactful military orders during the Crusades. | |
| 1121 | 25 December | St. Norbert and 29 companions make their solemn vows marking the beginning of the Premonstratensian Order. | This order played a significant role in evangelizing the Slavs, the Wends, to the east of the Holy Roman Empire. |
| 1122 | 23 September | The Concordat of Worms was drawn up between Emperor Henry V and Pope Calixtus II. | This concordat ended the investiture struggle, but bitter rivalry between emperor and pope remained. |
| 1123 | 18 March - 27 March | The First Lateran Council followed and confirmed the Concordat of Worms. | |
| 1125 | Lothair of Supplinburg, duke of Saxony, is elected Holy Roman Emperor instead of the nearest heir, Frederick of Swabia. | This election marks the beginning of the great struggle between the Guelfs and the Ghibellines. | |
| 1125–1127 | Jingkang Incident. | The Jurchen soldiers sack Kaifeng, bringing an end to the Northern Song Dynasty in China; the Song moves further south and makes Lin'an their new capital. | |
| 1130 | 25 December | Roger II is crowned King of Sicily, a Royal title given him by the Antipope Anacletus II. | This coronation marks the beginning of the Kingdom of Sicily and its Mediterranean empire under the Norman kings, which was able to take on the Holy Roman Empire, the Papacy, and the Byzantine Empire. |
| 1135 | The Anarchy begins in England. | This will mark a 19-year period of Government strife and Civil War between the supporters of Stephen and Matilda, and end with the crowning of Matilda's son, Henry II, and beginning the Plantagenet dynasty. | |
| 1139 | April | The Second Lateran Council declared clerical marriages invalid, regulated clerical dress, and punished attacks on clerics by excommunication. | Enforces the major reforms that Gregory VII began to heavily campaign for several decades earlier. |
| 1140 | Decretum | Gratian | |
| 1144 | Rebuild of Basilica of Saint Denis | Suger | |
| 1147–1149 | The Second Crusade was in retaliation for the fall of Edessa, one of the first Crusader States founded in the First Crusade. It was an overall failure. | This was the first Crusade to have been led by European kings. | |
| 1150 | Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona, married Queen Petronilla of Aragon. They had been betrothed in 1137. | This marriage gave the Kingdom of Aragon access to the Mediterranean Sea, creating a powerful kingdom which expanded to control many of the Mediterranean lands. | |
| 1150 | Founding of the University of Paris | ||
| 1152 | The Synod of Kells-Mellifont established the present diocesan system of Ireland (with later modifications) and recognized the primacy of Armagh. | This synod marks the inclusion of the Irish Church into mainstream European Catholicism. | |
| 1154 | Common Law | Henry II | |
| 1158 | The Hanseatic League is founded. | This marks a new period of trade and economic development for northern and central Europe. | |
| 1163 | The first cornerstone is laid for the construction of Notre Dame de Paris. | One of the most famous Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages | |
| 1166 | Stefan Nemanja united Serbian territories, establishing the Medieval Serbian state. | This marks the rise of Serbia which will dominate the Balkans for the next three hundred years. Allies of Serbia at this moment become the Hungarian Kingdom and the Republic of Venice. | |
| 1171 | King Henry II of England lands in Ireland to assert his supremacy and the Synod of Cashel acknowledges his sovereignty. | With his landing, Henry begins the English claim to and occupation of Ireland which would last some seven and a half centuries. | |
| 1174 | 7/12 | King William I of Scotland, captured in the Battle of Alnwick by the English, accepts the feudal lordship of the English crown and does ceremonial allegiance at York. | This is the beginning of the gradual acquisition of Scotland by the English. |
| 1175 | Hōnen Shōnin (Genkū) founds the Jōdo shū (Pure Land) sect of Buddhism. | This event marks the beginning of the Buddhist sectarian movement in Japan. | |
| 1176 | 5/29 | At the Battle of Legnano, the cavalry of Frederick Barbarossa is defeated by the infantry of the Lombard League. | This is the first major defeat of cavalry by infantry, signaling the new role of the bourgeoisie. |
| 1175 | Latin-translation | Gerard of Cremona | |
| 1179 | church schools | Third Council of the Lateran | |
| 1179 | March | The Third Lateran Council limits papal electees to the cardinals alone, condemns simony, and forbids the promotion of anyone to the episcopate before the age of thirty. | |
| 1183 | The final Peace of Constance between Frederick Barbarossa, the pope, and the Lombard towns is signed. | The various articles of the treaty destroyed the unity of the Empire and Germany and Italy underwent separate developments. | |
| 1183 | The Taira clan are driven out of Kyōto by Minamoto Yoshinaka. | The two-year conflict which follows ends at the Battle of Dan no Ura (1185). | |
| 1184 | November | Pope Lucius III issues the papal bull Ad Abolendam. | This bull set up the organization of the medieval inquisitions. |
| 1185 | Windmills are first recorded. | ||
| 1185 | Uprising of Asen and Peter. The reestablishment of the Bulgarian Empire. | ||
| 1185 | At the Battle of Dan no Ura, Minamoto Yoshitsune annihilates the Taira clan. | The elimination of the Taira leaves the Minamoto the virtual rulers of Japan and marks the beginning of the first period of feudal rule known as the Kamakura Period. | |
| 1186 | 1/27 | The future emperor Henry VI marries Constance of Sicily, heiress to the Sicilian throne. | This marriage shifts the focus of the Guelphs/Ghibelline struggle to Sicily and marks the ruin of the House of Hohenstaufen. |
| 1187 | Saladin recaptures Jerusalem. | Would lead to the Third Crusade. | |
| 1188 | Tractatus of Glanvil | Oxford University | |
| 1189 | July 6 | Richard I ascends the throne of England. | His heavy taxation to finance his European ventures created an antipathy of barons and people toward the crown, but his being absent enabled the English to advance in their political development. |
| 1189 | November 11 | William II of Sicily died and was succeeded by Tancred of Sicily instead of Constance. | A result to the displeasure of Constance and her husband Henry that would lead to expeditions in 1191 and 1194. |
| 1189–1192 | The Third Crusade follows upon Saladin's uniting the Muslim world and recapturing Jerusalem. | Despite managing to win several major battles, the Crusaders did not recapture Jerusalem. | |
| 1191 | May to August | New Emperor Henry VI sets an expedition to conquer Kingdom of Sicily however fails and Empress Constance is captured. | In 1192 Margaritus of Brindisi was created the first Count of Malta for capturing the empress; in the same year Pope Celestine III forced Tancred to release the empress. |
| 1192 | Minamoto no Yoritomo is appointed Sei-i Taishōgun, or shōgun for short. | He is the first of a long line of military dictators to bear this title. The institution would last until 1913. | |
| 1193 | Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khilji sack and burn the university at Nalanda. | This is the beginning of the decline of Buddhism in India. | |
| 1193 | The first known merchant guild. | ||
| 1195 | Battle of Alarcos The Almohad Caliphate decisively defeat the Kingdom of Castile. | The Almohads pushed Christians to the north and established themselves as the supreme power in Al-Andalus | |
| 1199 | Europeans first use compasses. |
|
See also: 13th century |
| Year | Date | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1202 | The Fourth Crusade sacked Croatian town of Zadar (Italian: Zara), a rival of Venice. Unable to raise enough funds to pay to their Venetian contractors, the crusaders agreed to sack the city despite letters from Pope Innocent III forbidding such an action and threatening excommunication. | Siege of Zara was the first major Crusade's action and the first attack against a Catholic city by Catholic crusaders. | |
| 1202 | 1 August | Battle of Mirebeau. John of England captures Arthur I of Brittany and Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany sister of Arthur. | John secured his English throne with Arthur disappeared in 1203 and Eleanor imprisoned till her death in 1241. |
| 1204 | Sack of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. | Considered to be the beginning of the decline of the Byzantine Empire. | |
| 1205 | Battle of Adrianople. The Bulgarians under Emperor Kaloyan defeat Baldwin I. | Beginning of the decline of the Latin Empire. | |
| 1206 | Genghis Khan was elected as Khagan of the Mongols and the Mongol Empire was established. | The Mongols would conquer much of Eurasia, changing former political borders. | |
| 1208 | Pope Innocent III calls for the Albigensian Crusade which seeks to destroy a rival form of Christianity practiced by the Cathars. | ||
| 1209 | The University of Cambridge is founded. | ||
| 1209 | Founding of the Franciscan Order. | One of the more significant orders in the Roman Catholic church, founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. | |
| 1212 | Spanish Christians succeed in defeating the Moors in the long Reconquista campaigns, after the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa. | By 1238, only the small southern Emirate of Granada remained under Muslim control. | |
| 1214 | 27 June | Battle of Bouvines. | King John of England gave up his ambition to recover his continental lands. |
| 1215 | 15 June | The Magna Carta is sealed by John of England. | This marks one of the first times a medieval ruler is forced to accept limits on his power. |
| 1215 | Fourth Lateran Council. Dealt with transubstantiation, papal primacy and conduct of clergy. Proclaimed that Jews and Muslims should wear identification marks to distinguish them from Christians. | ||
| 1216 | Papal recognition of the Dominican Order. | ||
| 1219 | Serbian Orthodox Church becomes autocephalous under St. Sava, its first Archbishop. | ||
| 1227 | 18 August | Genghis Khan dies. | His kingdom is divided among his children and grandchildren: Empire of the Great Khan, Chagatai Khanate, Mongolian Homeland, and the Blue Horde and White Horde (which would later become the Golden Horde). |
| 1237–1240 | Mongol invasion of Rus' resumes. | Causes the split of Kievan Rus' into three components (present day Russia, Ukraine, Belarus), greatly affects various regions of raided lands in other parts of Europe; Golden Horde formed. | |
| 1246 | Election of Güyük Khan. | Güyük ruled the Mongol Empire from 1246 to 1248. | |
| 1250 | Louis IX is captured at the last major battle of the Seventh Crusade. | ||
| 1257 | Opening of the College of Sorbonne. | ||
| 1257 | Provisions of Oxford forced upon Henry III of England. | This establishes a new form of government-limited regal authority. | |
| 1258 | 29 January– 10 February | Siege of Baghdad | Mongols (the Ilkhanate) ensure control of the region; Generally considered the end of the Islamic Golden Age. |
| 1258 | The first Mongol invasion of Vietnam | The Mongol army was defeated by emperor Tran Thai Tong of Đại Việt. | |
| 1272–73 | The Ninth Crusade occurs. | Considered to be the Last Major Crusade to take place in the Holy Land. | |
| 1273 | 29 September | Rudolph I of Germany is elected Holy Roman Emperor. | This begins the Habsburg de facto domination of the crown that lasted until is dissolution in 1806. |
| 1274 | Thomas Aquinas' work, Summa Theologica is published, after his death. | Is the main staple of theology during the Middle Ages. | |
| 1279 | 19 March | Battle of Yamen. | Marks the end of the Song Dynasty in China, and all of China is under the rule of Kublai Khan as the emperor. |
| 1282 | Sicilian Vespers. Sicilians massacre Angevins over a six-week period, after a Frenchman, harassed a woman. | Would mark a two-decade period of war, and peace treaties mainly between Aragon, Sicily, and the Angevins. | |
| 1283 | First regulated Catalan Courts. | Presided by king Peter III of Aragon for the whole Principality of Catalonia, it became in one of the first parliamentary bodies that banned the royal power to create legislation unilaterally. | |
| 1285 | The second Mongol invasion of Vietnam. | The Mongol army was defeated by emperor Tran Nhan Tong and general Tran Hung Dao. | |
| 1287 | The third Mongol invasion of Vietnam. | Decisive Vietnam victory. To avoid further conflict, Đại Việt agreed to a tributary relationship with the Yuan dynasty. | |
| 1293 | Mongol invasion of Java. | Failed invasion of the Javanese Majapahit Kingdom. Which led Majapahit to rise as a significant regional power.[27] | |
| 1296 | Edward I of England invades Scotland, starting the First War of Scottish Independence. | ||
| 1297 | 11 September | The Battle of Stirling Bridge. | William Wallace emerges as the leader of the Scottish resistance to England. |
| 1298 | Marco Polo publishes his tales of China, along with Rustichello da Pisa. | A key step to the bridging of Asia and Europe in trade. | |
| 1299 | 27 July | The Ottoman Empire is founded by Osman I. | Becomes longest lasting Islamic Empire, lasting over 600 years into the 20th century. |
|
Further information: Late Middle Ages |
|
See also: 14th century |
| Year | Date | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1305 | Wednesday August 23 | William Wallace is executed for treason. | |
| 1307 | Friday, October 13th | The Knights Templar are rounded up and murdered by Philip the Fair of France, with the backing of the Pope. | Hastens the demise of the order within a decade. |
| 1307 | Beginning of the Babylonian Captivity of the Papacy during which the Popes moved to Avignon. | Begins a period of over seven decades of the Papacy outside of Rome that would be one of the major factors of the Western Schism. | |
| 1310 | Dante publishes his Divine Comedy. | Is one of the most defining works of literature during the Late Middle Ages, and among the most recognizable in all of literature. | |
| 1314 | 23–24 June | Battle of Bannockburn. | Robert the Bruce restores Scotland's de facto independence. |
| 1325 | The Mexica found the city of Tenochtitlan. | This would later be the epicenter and capital of the Aztec Empire until the Siege of Tenochtitlan 200 years later.[28] | |
| 1328 | The First War of Scottish Independence ends in Scottish victory with the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton and de jure independence. | ||
| 1330 | 28 July | Battle of Velbazhd. | |
| 1333 | Emperor Go-Daigo returns to the throne from exile, and begins the Kenmu Restoration. | The Kamakura shogunate comes to an end, and the Kenmu Restoration only lasts a few years before the Ashikaga shogunate begins. | |
| 1337 | The Hundred Years' War begins. England and France struggle for a dominating position in Europe and their region. | The war will span through three/four different war periods within a 116-year period. | |
| 1346 | August 26 | Battle of Crécy. | English forces led by Edward III and Edward, the Black Prince defeat the French forces of Philip VI despite being outnumbered at least 4 to 1, with the longbow being a major factor in favor of England. Also considered to be the beginning of the end of classic chivalry. |
| 1347 | The Black Death ravages Europe for the first of many times. An estimated 20% – 40% of the population is thought to have perished within the first year. | The first of many concurrences of this plague, This was believed to have wiped out as many as 50% of Europe's population by its end. | |
| 1347 | The University of Prague is founded. | It is the oldest Czech and German-Speaking University in the world | |
| 1364 | Astrarium | Giovanni de Dondi | |
| 1368 | The fall of the Yuan dynasty. Its remnants, known as Northern Yuan, continued to rule Mongolia. | The breakup of the Mongol Empire, which marked the end of Pax Mongolica. | |
| 1370 | Tamerlane establishes the Timurid dynasty. | During this 35-year period, Tamerlane would ravage his fellow Islamic states such as the Golden Horde and the Delhi Sultanate in order to accomplish his goal of a restored Mongol Empire. | |
| 1371 | King Marko's realm is established, the capital is located in Prilep. | ||
| 1378 | The Western Schism during which three claimant popes were elected simultaneously. | The Avignon Papacy ends. | |
| 1380 | Prince Dmitry Donskoy of Moscow led a united Russian army to a victory over the Mongols in the Battle of Kulikovo. | The first successful (temporary) attempt to overthrow the Tatar-Mongol yoke over the Russian principalities. Moscow becomes the center of unification of the northeastern Russian lands. | |
| 1380 | Chaucer begins to write The Canterbury Tales. | Chaucer's greatest work, and one of the foundations towards the formation of the Modern English language | |
| 1381 | Peasants' Revolt in England. | Quickest-spread revolt in English history, and the most popular revolt of the Late Middle Ages. | |
| 1381 | The Bible is translated into English by John Wycliffe. | First print published in English (Vulgate) | |
| 1386 | October 18–19th | The University of Heidelberg is founded. | It is the oldest university in Germany. |
| 1389 | June 15 | Battle of Kosovo in Serbia. | This was in many respects the decisive battle between the Turks, led by Sultan Murat, and Christian army, led by the Serbs and their duke Lazar. The battle took place in Kosovo, the southern province of the Medieval Serbian Empire. After this battle Turkish empire continued to spread over the Balkans, to finally reach Vienna. |
| 1392 | Joseon dynasty founded in Korea. | Becomes longest reigning Korean dynasty. | |
| 1396 | The Battle of Nicopolis. | The last great Crusade fails. Bulgaria was conquered by the Ottomans | |
| 1397 | The Kalmar Union is formed. | Queen Margaret I of Denmark unites the Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, and lasts until 1523. | |
| 1399 | Richard II abdicates the throne to Henry of Bolingbroke, who becomes Henry IV of England. | End of Plantagenet dynasty, beginning of the Lancaster lineage of kings. |
|
See also: 15th century |
| Year | Date | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| c. 1400 | Establishment of the Malaccan Sultanate. | The earliest state that was unified on what is now modern Malaysia (except Sabah and Sarawak state). | |
| 1402 | July 20 | Battle of Ankara | Bayezid I is captured by Tamerlane's forces, causing the interregnum of the Ottoman Empire. |
| 1405 | Chinese naval expeditions of Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean (to Eastern Africa) begin, under the leadership of Zheng He. | This will be the first of seven of the Ming Dynasty-sponsored expeditions, lasting until 1433. | |
| 1409 | Ladislaus of Naples sells his "rights" on Dalmatia to the Venetian Republic for 100,000 ducats. | Dalmatia would with some interruptions remain under Venetian rule for nearly four centuries, until 1797. | |
| 1410 | Battle of Grunwald | Major turning point in history of Lithuania, Poland and the Teutonic Order. | |
| 1415 | Kingdom of Portugal conquers Ceuta. | Beginning of the Portuguese Empire. Beginning of the Age of Discovery. | |
| 1415 | October 25 | Battle of Agincourt. Henry V and his army defeat a numerically superior French army, partially because of the newly introduced English longbow. | The turning point in the Hundred Years' War for 15th-century England that leads to the signing of the Treaty of Troyes five years later, making Henry V heir to the throne of France. |
| 1417 | The Council of Constance ends. | The Western Schism comes to a close, and elects Pope Martin V as the sole pope. | |
| 1419 | Hussite Wars begin after four years after the death of Jan Hus in central Europe, dealing with the followers of Jan Hus and those against them. | Although the war was a stalemate (ended around 1434), it was another factor that[clarification needed] between the Catholics and Protestants before the Protestant Reformation. | |
| 1428 | Itzcoatl, the fourth Mexica king in Tenochtitlán, allied with Texcoco and Tlacopan, defeats Azcapotzalco. | Signifies the birth of the Aztec Empire and the start of an aggressive expansion lasting 90 years. Itzcoatl and his men began burning historic hieroglyphic books of conquered states, rewriting history with the Mexica at its center.[28] | |
| 1429 | Joan of Arc lifts the siege of Orléans for the Dauphin of France, enabling him to eventually be crowned at Reims. | The battle at Orléans is the first of many which ultimately drive the English from continental Europe. | |
| 1431 | 30 May | Trial and execution of Joan of Arc. | Death of the woman who helped turn the Hundred Years' War in favor of the French over the past two years. |
| 1434 | The Medici family rises to prominence in Florence. | This ushers in a period of significance of the Medicis, such as bankers, popes, queens (regents) and dukes, throughout Europe (mainly Italy, especially the Florentine Republic), over the next three centuries. | |
| 1434 | Aronolfini Portrait Jan van Eyck | evidence on usage of convex mirror | |
| 1438 | Prince Cusi Yupanqui becomes the first Inca emperor. | Inca civilization begins expanding and the Inca Empire is born.[28] | |
| 1439 | Johannes Gutenberg invents the printing press. | Literature, news, etc. becomes more accessible throughout Europe. | |
| 1442 | Battle of Szeben | Third significant victory for the Hungarian forces led by Janos Hunyadi over the Ottoman forces. | |
| 1443 | Sejong the Great creates Hangul | Koreans gain an alphabet suited to their language | |
| 1444 | November 10 | Battle of Varna | Final battle of the Crusade of Varna; Ottomans are victorious over the Hungarian-Polish armies, and Władysław III of Poland dies. |
| 1450 | Jack Cade's Rebellion | Unsuccessful popular rebellion in South East England | |
| 1452 | Coronation of Frederick III | ||
| 1453 | Constantinople falls to the Ottoman Turks. | End of the Byzantine Empire (or Eastern Roman Empire to some); Constantinople becomes capital of Ottoman Empire. | |
| 1453 | The Hundred Years' War ends. | England's once vast territory in France is now reduced to only Calais, which they eventually lose control of as well. | |
| 1455 | May 22 | Battle of St. Albans | Traditionally marks the beginning of the War of the Roses. |
| 1456 | Siege of Belgrade | Major Ottoman advances are halted for seven decades; last major victory for Hunyadi. | |
| 1459 | Smederevo falls under the Turks | Marks the end of the Medieval Serbian state. | |
| 1461 | The Empire of Trebizond falls to the Ottoman Turks. | Last Roman outpost to be conquered by the Ottomans. | |
| 1464 | Dardanelles gun constructed. | A siege cannon made by the Turkish Munir Ali, modelled after a cannon used in the Fall of Constantinople | |
| 1467–1477 | Ōnin War takes place in Japan. | First of many significant civil wars between shogunates that would continue for another century during the Muromachi period. | |
| 1469 | April 15 | Guru Nanak is born. | Found Sikhism and becomes the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. |
| 1475 | The Khanate of Crimea is conquered and made a vassal state by the Ottoman Empire. | Venice is defeated and the Ottoman Empire becomes master of the Aegean Sea. | |
| 1480 | Great Stand on the Ugra River. | The end of the Tatar-Mongol yoke over the Russian principalities. | |
| 1485 | Thomas Malory composes Le Morte d'Arthur | Perhaps the best-known work of Arthurian literature in English. | |
| 1485 | August 22 | Battle of Bosworth Field. | Richard III dies in battle, and Henry Tudor becomes king of England; last shift of Houses/kingship during the War of the Roses. |
| 1487 | June 16 | Battle of Stoke. | Marks end of the War of the Roses. |
| 1492 | Reconquista ends. | Marks end of Moorish-Muslim rule within Iberian Peninsula; Unification of Spain. | |
| 1492 | Christopher Columbus reaches the New World. | Age of Discovery into the New World begins. | |
| 1494 | June 10 | Spain and Portugal sign the Treaty of Tordesillas and agree to divide the World outside of Europe between themselves. | Pope's ruling will lead to the division of Brazil and Spanish America, as well as the formation of the Spanish Philippines and Portuguese colonies in India and Africa. |
| 1494–1559 | The Italian Wars. | Italian Wars will eventually lead to the downfall of the Italian city-states. | |
| 1497 | Vasco da Gama begins his first voyage from Europe to India and back. | Vasco da Gama sailed round the Cape of Good Hope, established the first direct sea route from Europe to India.[29] | |
| 1499 | Ottoman fleet defeats Venetians at the Battle of Zonchio. | The first naval battle that used cannons in ships.[30] |
|
For later events, see Timeline of early modern history |
