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The first Crusade began.
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1271 - Marco Polo leaves on his famous journey to explore Asia.
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Fall of Acre marked the end of the Crusades. Acre, the last Christian city in the Near East, was lost to the Turks.
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The Hundred Years War begins between England and France for control of the French throne.
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The black plague swept England and Europe. 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.
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The Ottoman Empire captures the city of Constantinople. This signals the end of the Eastern Roman Empire also known as Byzantium.
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Charlemagne was crowned ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. This act symbolized a union of church and state.
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Vikings from the Scandinavian lands (Denmark, Norway, and Sweden) begin to invade northern Europe. They would continue until 1042.