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466
Clovis
France was a highly valued country in Europe, a place where wars occurred and where the catholic religion is rooted. -
466
Clovis
Clovis (c. 466– November 27, 511) Leuthwig was the son of Childeric I and Basina. In 481 he succeeded his father as King of the Franks. During his time period there were two Frankish tribes who were occupying the area west of the lower Rhine. He was the first Frankish King to unite all the Frankish tribes under one ruler. He was also the first Catholic King to expand his dominion of almost all of the old Roman province of Gaul (France). -
466
Clovis
He is considered to be the founder of the Merovingian dynasty which ruled the Franks for the next two centuries. Another important part of Clovis’ legacy is that he was able to reduce the power of the Romans in 486. Clovis is remembered for three main accomplishments: the Unification of the Frankish nation, the conquest of Gaul and his conversion to Christianity. Clovis is significant to Medieval Europe because he is regarded as the originator of the French nation. -
Period: 466 to May 29, 1453
Historic Events in Medieval Europe
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Period: 466 to 511
Clovis
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Jan 1, 701
Viking Invasion
The Viking Age is the term for the period in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, spanning the late 8th to 11th centuries. Scandinavian (Norse) Vikings explored Europe by its oceans and rivers through trade and warfare. The Vikings also reached Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland, and Anatolia. Additionally, there is evidence to support the Vinland legend that Vikings reached farther south to the North American continent. -
Jan 1, 701
Viking Invasion
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates, who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century. The Viking Invasions are significant to Medieval Europe because they helped to explore and find Europe– expanding the medieval world in the process. -
Period: Jan 1, 701 to Dec 31, 1099
Viking Invasion
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Oct 10, 732
Battle of Tours
The Battle of Tours (October 10, 732), also called the Battle of Poitiers, was fought in an area between the cities of Poitiers and Tours, located in north-central France, near the village of Moussais-la-Bataille, about 20 kilometres northeast of Poitiers. The battle pitted Frankish and Burundian forces against an army of the Umayyad Caliphate. The Franks were victorious, notably, without cavalry. -
Oct 10, 732
Battle of Tours
The Battle of Tours is significant to Medieval Europe because it had been said that Charles' victory is widely believed to have stopped the northward advance of Umayyad forces from the Iberian Peninsula, and to have preserved Christianity in Europe during a period when Muslim rule was overrunning the remains of the old Roman and Persian Empires. -
Period: Oct 10, 732 to Oct 11, 732
Battle of Tours
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Jan 1, 742
Charlemagne
Charlemagne, ca. 742 – 28 January 814, is the son of King Pepin the Short and Bertada of Laon, a Frankish queen. He, succeeding his father, was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned Imperator Augustus by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800. -
Jan 1, 742
Charlemagne
Today, Charlemagne is regarded as being not only the founding father of both French and German Monarchies, but of also being a Patar Europae (father of Europe). This is because his empire united most of Western Europe for the first time since the Romans, and the Carolingian renaissance (a revival of art, religion, and culture through the medium of the Catholic Church) that encouraged the formation of a common European identity. -
Jan 1, 742
Charlemagne
Through his foreign conquests and internal reforms, Charlemagne helped define both Western Europe and the middle Ages. -
Period: Jan 1, 742 to
Charlemagne
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Jan 1, 1054
East-West Schism
The Great Schism, also called the East-West Schism, usually dated to 1054, was the result of an extended period of tension and sometimes estrangement between the Latin and Greek Churches. It divided Christendom into Western (Latin) and Eastern (Greek) branches, which then became the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, respectively. This break became permanent after the sacking of Byzantium Constantinople by Western Christians in 1204 during the Fourth Crusade. -
Jan 1, 1054
East-West Schism
One of the primary causes of the Great Schism was the dispute over the authority of the Western papacy to make rulings affecting the whole Church. The East-West Schism is significant to Medieval Europe because it was the first significant split of the Christian Church. This showed the citizens living during that time period that Religion was not, in fact, something solid and that it could be broken. -
Jan 1, 1054
East-West Schism
This was important for the citizens to realize because Religion was such a big part of everyday life and because there were disputes within the church it showed everyone that Religion wasn’t always concrete. -
Period: Jan 1, 1054 to Jan 2, 1054
East-West Schism
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Jan 1, 1066
Norman Conquest of England
It created one of the most powerful monarchies in Europe and engendered a sophisticated governmental system. The conquest changed (developed) the English language and culture, and set the stage for rivalry with France, which would continue intermittently until the nineteenth century. It also remains the last successful military conquest of England. -
Jan 1, 1066
Norman Conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England was the invasion of the Kingdom of England by William the Conqueror (Duke of Normandy), in 1066 at the Battle of Hastings and the subsequent Norman control of England. It is a significant part of Medieval Europe because it was an important watershed event in English history for a number of reasons. The conquest linked England more closely with Continental Europe through the introduction of a Norman aristocracy, thereby lessening Scandinavian influence. -
Period: Jan 1, 1066 to Jan 2, 1066
Norman Conquest of England
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Jan 1, 1088
University of Bologna
The University of Bologna is one of the oldest and most famous universities in Europe, founded in the Italian city of Bologna in the 11th century. It became the principal centre for studies in civil and canon law and attracted students from all over Europe in the 12th and 13th centuries. The organizations formed at Bologna became models for modern universities. The university is believed to have been founded in 1088. -
Jan 1, 1088
University of Bologna
The University is significant to Medieval Europe because it gave its students a greater knowledge of the way laws needed to be in order for a place to be civilized. -
Period: Jan 1, 1088 to Jan 2, 1088
University of Bologna
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Jan 1, 1122
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine was the daughter of William X of Aquitaine and Aenor of Chatellerault. She was born in 1122 and on April 1st, 1204 died at 82. Eleanor was the queen consort in France and England, a ruler in her own right. She was also the queen mother of England. She is known from serving as Queen of England, of France and of being the Duchess of Aquitaine. -
Jan 1, 1122
Eleanor of Aquitaine
She is also known for the conflicts she had with her husbands, Louis VII of France and Henry II of England, as well as being credited with holding a “court of love” in Poitiers. While she was married to Louis she accompanied him and his army on the Second Crusade. When she was married to Henry, her sons rebelled against him, and she supported them. Legend says that she did this as revenge for Henry’s adultery. -
Jan 1, 1122
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine is significant to Medieval Europe because she gave women more rights, helped gender equity between both sexes, helped popularize the idea of “courtly love” and helped people believe that education was important. -
Period: Jan 1, 1122 to Apr 1, 1204
Eleanor of Equitaine
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Jan 1, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta is an English charter, originally issued in the year 1215 and reissued later in the 13th century in modified versions. The charter first passed into law in 1225. The 1215 Charter required King John of England to proclaim certain liberties, and accept that his will was not arbitrary. The Magna Carta is significant to Medieval Europe because it included the most direct challenges to the monarch's authority to date. -
Jan 1, 1215
Magna Carta
It was the first document forced onto an English King by a group of his subjects in an attempt to limit his powers by law and protect their privileges. This shows that people were getting closer to the idea of democracy, seen today all over the world. -
Period: Jan 1, 1215 to Jan 2, 1215
Magna Carta
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Sep 15, 1254
Marco Polo
Marco Polo was born on September 15, 1254 and died in Venice in the month of January, 1324. Polo was a Christian merchant from the Venetian Republic and probably the most famous Westerner who travelled on Silk Road. He travelled with his dad and uncle to China, than called Cathay. He became the confidant of Kublai Khan, the fifth great Khan of the Mongol empire. Polo’s journey through Asia lasted 24 years. -
Sep 15, 1254
Marco Polo
An interesting fact about the book of Marco Polo is that a famous Genoese, Christopher Columbus, found his book about hundred & seventy-five years after it was written and used it to plan his voyage across the Atlantic. It is believed that Columbus had read the description by Marco Polo of Java, Sumatra and other East India Islands, and thought he had reached them when he had discovered Haiti & Cuba. -
Sep 15, 1254
Marco Polo
This may have helped in persuading citizens that their old ways needed to be changed and that living differently (with a different belief system) was possible. -
Sep 15, 1254
Marco Polo
This makes it entirely possible that Marco Polo may have suggested to Columbus the voyage which led to discovery of America. Polo is significant to Medieval Europe because through his retelling of the adventures he had (documented in manuscripts that were translated into many different languages) he was able to spread a view of different cultures throughout Europe. -
Period: Sep 15, 1254 to Jan 1, 1324
Marco Polo
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Jan 1, 1337
Hundred Years' War
The Plantagenet kings were the 12th-century rulers of the kingdom of England and had their roots in the French regions of Anjou & Normandy. Though the conflict was punctuated by several periods of peace, it only ended in the expulsion of the Plantagenets from France. The final outcome was a victory for the house of Valois. The Hundred Years’ War is significant to Medieval Europe because it pushed England & French towards nationalism. Militarily, it saw the introduction of new weapons & tactics. -
Jan 1, 1337
Hundred Year' War
The Hundred Years War was a series of wars from 1337 to 1453 (116 years) between England and France. The wars were by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings. The House of Valois claimed the title of King of France, while the Plantagenet’s claimed the thrones of both France and England. -
Period: Jan 1, 1337 to Jan 2, 1453
Hundred Years' War
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Jan 1, 1398
Johann Gutenberg
Johannes Gensfleish zur Laden zum Gutenberg (c. 1398 – February 3rd, 1468) was a German goldsmith, printer, and publisher who introduced modern book printing. Gutenberg was the first European to use movable type printing, in around 1439, and the global inventor of the printing press. His invention of mechanical movable type printing started the Printing Revolution and is widely regarded as the most important event of the modern role. -
Jan 1, 1398
Johann Gutenberg
Johannes is significant to Medieval Europe because he played a key role in allowing the development of the Renaissance, the Reformation, and of the Scientific Revolution. He laid the material basis for the modern knowledge-based economy and the spread of learning to the masses. This was very important to Europe at the time because it allowed people to see that the practise of learning was actually something that needed to be valued. -
Period: Jan 1, 1398 to Feb 3, 1468
Johann Gutenberg
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Jan 1, 1412
Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc, ca. 1412 – 30 May 1431, was born in Eastern France as a peasant girl and claimed divine guidance from God, which instructed her to recover her homeland from English domination. Joan led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years’ War, which paved the way for the coronation of Charles VII, who she believed was the rightful heir to the French throne. -
Jan 1, 1412
Joan of Arc
During one of her campaigns she was captured by Burundians (rom Burundi), sold to the English, tried by an ecclesiastical court for 12 counts and burned at the stake. She was only 19 years old. Twenty-five years after her execution, Pope Callixtus III examined her trial, pronounced her innocent & declared her a martyr. She was also beatified in 1909 and canonized in 1920. She is considered to be one of the patron saints of France, a national heroine for the French, and a Catholic Saint. -
Jan 1, 1412
Joan of Arc
Because of her humble roots, Joan of Arc gave Medieval Europe something to talk about. She showed European citizens that it was possible for anyone to make a change, even they weren’t royal or rich. -
Period: Jan 1, 1412 to
Joan of Arc
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Apr 6, 1453
Fall of Constantinople
The Fall of Constantinople was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire, which occurred after a siege by the Ottoman Empire (under the command of Sultan Mehmed II) against the defending army commanded by Emperor Constantine XI. The siege lasted from Friday, 6 April 1453 until Tuesday, 29 May 1453 (according to the Julian calendar), when the city was conquered by the Ottomans. -
Period: Apr 6, 1453 to May 29, 1453
Fall of Constantinople
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May 29, 1453
Fall of Constantinople
The Fall of Constantinople is significant to Medieval Europe because is marked the end of the Roman Empire, one that had lasted for over 2 200 years, and because it was a massive blow for Christendom. The Fall helped to fuel the beginning of the Renaissance and it’s been said that it marked the end of the Middle Ages. -
Justinian I
Justinian I (483– 13 or 14 November 565), was known as Justinian the Great and was the Roman (Byzantine) Emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the empire's greatness and re-conquer the lost western half of the classical Roman Empire. One of the most important figures of Late Antiquity and the last emperor to speak Latin as a first language, Justinian's rule constitutes a distinct epoch in the history of the Eastern Roman Empire. -
Justinian I
The impact of his administration extended far beyond the boundaries of his time and domain. Justinian's reign is marked by the ambitious but only partly realized restoration of the empire. His ambition was expressed by the partial recovery of the territories of the Western Roman Empire. Justinian is considered a saint amongst Eastern Orthodox Christians, and is also commemorated by some Lutheran Churches. -
Justinian I
. Justinian I is significant to Medieval Europe because his reign was a turning-point in Late Antiquity. It is the period when paganism finally lost its long struggle to survive, and when the schism in Christianity between the Monophysite east and the Chalcedonian west became insurmountable. From a military viewpoint, it marked the last time that the Roman Empire could go on the offensive with hope of success. -
Period: to 565
Justinian I
