-
Period: 1000 to 1500
Top 10 Events of the Middle Ages
-
Oct 14, 1066
The Norman Conquest of England
Battle of Hastings, battle on October 14, 1066, that ended in the defeat of Harold II of England by William, duke of Normandy, and established the Normans as the rulers of England. -
Aug 15, 1096
The First Crusade
At the Council of Clermont, Pope Urban II calls upon Christians to undertake a military expedition in support of the Byzantine Empire against the Seljuk Turks. It would lead to the conquest of Jerusalem four years later and a concerted effort by Western Europeans to take control of the near east. -
1206
Genghis Khan becomes Leader of the Mongols
Temüjin unites the various nomadic tribes in Mongolia and begins a series of conquests that would stretch across Asia and parts of Europe. -
1215
Magna Carta Libertatum
Magna Carta, English Great Charter, charter of English liberties granted by King John on June 15, 1215, under threat of civil war and reissued, with alterations, in 1216, 1217, and 1225. By declaring the sovereign to be subject to the rule of law and documenting the liberties held by “free men,” the Magna Carta provided the foundation for individual rights in Anglo-American jurisprudence. -
Apr 6, 1291
Siege of Acre
The last major Crusader stronghold in the Near East is captured by the Mamluks. It is often seen as the end of the Crusades. This event was important because it marked the end of the crusades. -
1315
The Great Famine of 1315 - 1317
The Great Famine of 1315–1317 (occasionally dated 1315–1322) was the first of a series of large-scale crises that struck Europe early in the 14th century. Most of Europe (extending east to Russia and south to Italy) was affected. The famine caused many deaths over an extended number of years and marked a clear end to the period of growth and prosperity from the 11th to the 13th centuries. -
May 24, 1337
Beginning of the Hundred Years War
Hundred Years' War was a conflict between England and France over territorial rights and the issue of succession to the French throne. It began when Edward III invaded Flanders in 1337 in order to assert his claim to the French crown. The consequences and effects of the Hundred Years' War may be summarised as: The loss of all English-held territory in France except Calais, a high number of casualties amongst the nobility, particularly in France. -
1346
The Black Death
The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causing the deaths of 75-200 million people, peaking in Europe from 1347 to 1351 and wiped out a third of Europe. -
May 29, 1453
Siege of Constantinople
Sultan Mehmed II Conquers the capital of the Byzantine Empire, establishing the Ottomans as a major international power for the next several centuries. -
Oct 12, 1492
Discovery of the America's
Christopher Columbus sailed from Spain to India by going the other way around the earth since the earth was round. However, Colombus didn't reach India, he entered the Americas where he found all sorts of new items he hadn't heard of before. He came back to Spain and informed the king that there is a whole other continent.