By place Levant •
April 10 – A Crusader army, led by King
Baldwin IV of Jerusalem ("the Leper"), is ambushed by Muslim forces in a narrow valley in the forest of
Banyas. Baldwin is only able to extricate his forces owing to the heroism of
Humphrey II, lord of
Toron, who holds up the Muslims with his bodyguard till Baldwin and his army escape. Humphrey suffers mortal wounds and dies on
April 22. He is succeeded by his 13-year-old grandson
Humphrey IV. •
June 10 –
Battle of Marj Ayyun: A Crusader army (some 10,000 men) led by Baldwin IV is defeated by Muslim forces under
Saladin near the
Litani River (modern
Lebanon). The
Knights Templar join the battle, but they are driven back in confusion. Baldwin narrowly escapes being captured in the route. Amongst Saladin's prisoners are
Odo de St. Amand, Grand Master of the Templars, and Lord
Baldwin of Ibelin. •
August 30 –
Siege of Jacob's Ford: Muslim forces led by Saladin conquer and destroy the unfinished Castle of Chastellet at
Jacob's Ford, killing 80 knights and taking 700 civilians captive.
Europe •
June 18 –
Battle of Kalvskinnet: Norwegian forces led by King
Sverre Sigurdsson defeat and kill Earl
Erling Skakke, outside
Nidaros in
Norway. The battle changes the tide of the civil wars. •
June 24 –
Henry the Lion, duke of
Saxony, is put under the ban of the empire when he refuses to appear before Emperor
Frederick I (
Barbarossa) to answer charges of misgovernment. • Summer –
Afonso I (
the Conqueror) is recognized as
King of Portugal by Pope
Alexander III – bringing
Portugal the protection of the
Catholic Church against the
Leonese monarchy. •
Mieszko III (
the Old), duke of
Poland, travels to
Germany and ask Frederick I to offer help in his restoration of the Polish throne. But Frederick demands a payment of 10,000 silver. •
November 1 – The 14-year-old
Philip II is crowned at
Rheims by Archbishop
William of the White Hands. He becomes joint ruler of
France, together with his father King
Louis VII. • King
William I (
the Lion) establishes two castles at the
Beauly Firth and the
Cromarty Firth in northern
Scotland. On his return, the city of
Aberdeen is chartered by Wiliam.
England • Summer –
Richard de Luci (or
Lucy), High Sheriff of
Essex, resigns his judicial office. He enters
Lesnes Abbey (near
London) that he founded in
Kent, as penance for his part in the events leading to the murder of
Thomas Becket (see
1170). Richard dies there on
July 14.
Africa •
September 17 – A large offensive, by the
Almohad army led by
Yusuf I in southern
Portugal, aims at the reconquest of the
Alentejo. Further north, an Almohad fleet sails to attack
Lisbon, but is repelled by the Portuguese, near the
Cape Espichel. • The
Drigung Kagyu school of
Kagyu Buddhism is founded (approximate date). == Births ==