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In 1095, Pope Urban II made a speech calling for people to help defend the Byzantine empire.
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After the Pope's call to arms, more than 50,000 people left Europe to help free the holy lands from the Muslims. They were an unstructured fighting force, yet succeeded in taking the city of Jerusalem.
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Before Antioch, Stephen wrote a letter to his wife describing his travels during the crusade.
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Saladin was the ruler of Egypt, and one of the main Muslim opponents of the Frankish Crusades. Later in his rule, his reputation was almost completely mythical.
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Eihei Dogen brought Zen Buddhism to Japan during his life.
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William was a Franciscan Monk who was sent to Karakorum to try and convert the Khan to Christianity. He recorded what he saw while he was there.
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Marco Polo was born in Venice, and later in his life traveled throughout China. After returning from his travels, he would write one of his most famous works, The Travels of Marco Polo.
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During this period of time, there was a recurrence of plague outbreaks due to increased trade and movement of people.
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Mansa Musa ruled the kindom of Mali from either 1307-1332, or 1312-1337.
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Mansa Musa's haji was well known for his extremely generous giving of wealth.
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Ibn Battuta was a Moroccan scholar, sometimes referred to as the "Marco Polo of the Muslim World". He traveled throughout Muslim regions, documenting what he saw.
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Jean de Venette was a carmelite book who recorded what he saw of the plague.
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Zheng He was a chinese Eunich and admiral who was chosen to lead the Chinese sea-faring expeditions to gain new tribute territories.