Medieval Timeline

Fall of Roman Empire

476

St Benedict established monestry

520

St. Benedict established the first monastery at Monte Cassino, Italy. He drew up a set of rules for the monks, which included vows of obedience, poverty and manual labour.
AD

Arab forces conquer

Feb 6, 650

Arab forces conquer most of the Byzantine territories, formerly occupied by the Persians.

Arabs attempt conquer

Feb 6, 677

The Arabs attempt to conquer Constantinople but fail.

Charlemagne crowned ruler

Feb 6, 800

Charlemagne was crowned ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. This act symbolized a union of church and state.
AD

Charlemagne dies

Feb 6, 814

Charlemagne dies without leaving competent successors to continue the glory of the Carolingian dynasty. The Carolingian Empire falls apart
AD

William invades England

Feb 6, 1066

William the Conqueror invades England and asserts his right to the English throne at the Battle of Hastings. The Norman Conquest fuses French and English cultures because William is both the King of England and the Duke of Normandy. William brought feudalism and culture from France to England William achieves political stability in England with the introduction of the feudal system. The system progresses over the next two centuries into a national monarchy.
AD

First crusade began

Feb 6, 1096

First Crusade began. The Crusaders were armies of Christians from all over Europe who marched to the Holy Land to regain lands captured by the Turks.

Second Crusade was launched

Feb 6, 1147

Second Crusade was launched. This Crusade is generally considered to have been a failure
AD

Third Crusade was one of the more successful

Feb 6, 1189

Third Crusade was one of the more successful. In it King Richard the Lion-Hearted obtained certain privileges for Christians from the Turkish ruler, Saladin.
AD

Fourth Crusade launched

Feb 6, 1202

Fourth Crusade launched. In this Crusade the original purpose of the Crusades was abandoned, and the Crusaders burned and sacked many cities and villages on their route. They never reached the Holy Land.
AD

King John forced to sign Magna Carta

Feb 6, 1215

King John of England was forced to sign the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta gave some basic rights to the people and also said that the king was not above the law.

Fall of Acre marked the end of the Crusades

Feb 6, 1291

Fall of Acre marked the end of the Crusades. Acre, the last Christian city in the Near East, was lost to the Turks.

The black plague swept England and Europe.

Feb 6, 1348

It was estimated that one out of every five people in England died. Spread by fleas which infested a huge rat population, the disease is characterized by the victim turning dark purple in the last hours of life due to respiratory failure, hence the name, black plague.

Joan of Arc seeks out leader to drive the England out of France

Feb 6, 1429

Joan of Arc, a peasant girl in France, seeks out the French leader and relates her divinely-inspired mission to drive the English out of France. She takes control of the French troops and liberates most of central France.

Joan of Arc is captured and taken to England

Feb 6, 1430

Joan of Arc is captured and taken to England. The English accuse her of being a witch and condemn her for heresy. Joan is publicly burned in the city of Rouen.
AD

The Medici banking family dominates the government of Florence.

Feb 6, 1434

AD

: Ottoman Turks take Constantinople and end Byzantine civilization.

Feb 6, 1453

AD

Italy is divided into five major regions

Feb 6, 1454

Italy is divided into five major regions: Venice, Milan, Florence, the Papal States and the southern kingdom of Naples.

Henry VI of England (1422-1461) wages the Wars of the Roses

Feb 6, 1455

Henry VI of England (1422-1461) wages the Wars of the Roses. The two sides of the war are the red rose (Henry's family at Lancaster) and the white rose (the house of York). Yorkist Richard III gains the kingship for a short time.
AD

Ferdinand marries Isabella of Castile

Feb 6, 1469

Ferdinand of Aragon marries Isabella of Castile, and the two Spanish kingdoms end their conflicts but remain separate powers.

The end of the Wars of the Roses in England

Feb 6, 1485

The end of the Wars of the Roses in England, the Tudor dynasty replaces Richard III. Henry VII, the first Tudor king, rules for twenty-four years and revives the English throne. He reestablishes royal power over the aristocracy, ends funding of foreign wars and reforms finances. Parliament also becomes a stable part of the governmental system.

Ferdinand and Isabella annex Granada

Feb 6, 1492

Ferdinand and Isabella annex Granada, expel all Jews from Spain and seek overseas expansion (for example, as patrons of Christopher Columbus). The flow of American gold and silver through Spain, the conquest of Mexico and Peru and superiority on the battlefield make Spain the most powerful state in Europe.
AD

Henry VIII succeeds his father, Henry VII, for the English crown.

Feb 6, 1509

AD

Elizabeth I succeeds the throne of England.

Feb 6, 1558

AD

Elizabeth I dies.

Feb 6, 1603

AD