| Date | Country | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 910 | United Kingdom | Edward the Elder, King of England, wins a decisive victory against the Danes at Tettenhall in Staffordshire and extends his kingdom north to the Humber estuary. |
| 910 | France | Foundation of the abbey at Cluny (near to Mâcon), whose monks followed the Benedictine order. The monks at Cluny travelled throughout Europe and played an important role in 11th-century reform. |
| 911 | Algeria | The Kharijites leave Tahert and take refuge at Sedrata. |
| 911 | Germany | King Konrad I (911–18) of the Conradine Dynasty becomes king. |
| 911 | Sweden | The Russian Nestor Chronicle tells of an agreement in this year, stating, among other things, that: If a Rus (Swede) kills a Christian or a Christian a Rus he has to die where he commits this manslaughter. This law is typical for regional Scandinavian jurisdiction. Laws like this were written down in the 13th century, but this is one of very few proofs that they existed much earlier. |
| 914 | Palestine | The mother of Caliph al-Muqtadir orders several construction works in Palestine including renewal of the gates of the Dome of the Rock. |
| 918 | Jordan | Muhammad ibn Tughj, governor of Amman under the Tulunids, defeats the Bedouins and bandits who attack pilgrim caravans; this gives him celebrity in Baghdad. |
| 920–950 | Türkiye | Conversion of Oghuz Turks to Islam. |
| 920 | Germany | Under Duke Henry of Saxony the term ‘Kingdom of the Germans’ (Regnum teutonicum) is used for the first time. |
| 921 | Tunisia | Foundation of the town of Mahdia, capital of the Fatimids. |
| 925 | Morocco | Musa ibn Abi ’l-Afiya, chief of the Miknassa tribe, conquers Fez and takes control of all of Maghreb. |
| 925 | Algeria | Msila founded by the Fatimids. |
| 925 | Croatia | According to some, the Croatian kingdom was established and Duke Tomislav became its first king. The first Church Synod is held in Split. |
| 928 | Spain | Bobastro taken and the rebel ‘Umar ibn Hafsun defeated. |
| 929 | Spain | ‘Abd al-Rahman III establishes the Caliphate of Córdoba. |
| 929 | Portugal | ‘Abd al-Rahman III lays siege to Beja and Faro. Establishment of the Caliphate of Córdoba. |
| 935 | Jordan | Jordan and Syria submit to the Ikhshidids under Muhammad bin Tughj, the founder of this dynasty in Egypt. |
| 935 | Egypt | Muhammad ibn Tughj rules Egypt autonomously under the title of al-Ikhshid given to him by the Abbasid Caliph. |
| 935–969 | Syria | The Ikhshidid dynasty, based in Egypt, extends its rule to Damascus. The Abbasid empire begins to fragment. |
| 936 | Algeria | Achir founded by Ziri ibn Manad. |
| 938 | Palestine | Fire causes great damage to the Holy Sepulchre Church. |
| 940 | Palestine | Muhammad al-Ikhshid (r. 935–46) conquers Palestine and annexes it to Egypt. |
| 946 | Algeria | End of the rebellion of Kharijite Abu Yazid (‘the Man of the Donkey’) against the Fatimids. |
| 946 | Palestine | Muhammad Ibn Ahmad al-Maqdisi (al-Muqaddasi), the famous geographer is born in Jerusalem. |
| 947 | Tunisia | Foundation of princely town of Sabra-al Mansuriya. |
| 947–967 | Syria | Sayf al-Dawla al-Hamdani rules Aleppo as an independent Hamdanid emirate. His court poets, Abu Firas and al-Mutannabi, glorify his many raids on the Byzantine frontier. |
| 954 | United Kingdom | Erik Bloodaxe, the Scandinavian king of York, is defeated and killed; this allows Edred, King of England, to rule over a united kingdom for the first time. |
| 960 | Algeria | Algiers founded by Buluggin ibn Ziri. |
| 962 | Germany | On 2 February King Otto I (r. 936–73) of the Ottonian Dynasty, later called Otto the Great, is crowned emperor in Rome. |
| 965 | Italy | The Arab conquest of Sicily is complete with the fall of Rometta, the last Byzantine stronghold. |
| 965 | Czech Republic | Prague described in narration of Jewish-Arabian merchant Ibn Jákúb. Establishment of first (Benedictine) monasteries and Prague bishopric (974). Foundation of the Czech state under the Przemyslid dynasty. |
| 968 | Egypt | Kafur al-Ikhshid dies and political and economic strife encourages the Fatimid conquest of Egypt. |
| 969 | Palestine | The Fatimids conquer Palestine, annexing it to Egypt. |
| 969 | Jordan | In November the Fatimids of Egypt take control of Jordan during the region of al-Mu’izz Li-Deenillah. |
| 969 | Egypt | The Fatimids enter Fustat with little resistance. Jawhar Al-Siqili founds al-Qahira (Cairo) to the north of al-Fustat in anticipation of the arrival of the Fatimid Caliph al-Mu’izz from North Africa to make Cairo his seat of rule. |
| 969–1076 | Syria | The Fatimids of Cairo take control of Damascus, causing great turbulence. The Byzantines control northwestern Syria (999–1001). Thus Syria is pressured by expansionists on both sides. |
| 969 | Croatia | Crowning of the first Croatian king, Stjepan Držislav (969–97), a member of the Trpimirović Dynasty. The Byzantine Emperor Basil II gave him symbols of royal power. |
| 971–973 | Tunisia | Foundation of Cairo (Egypt). The Fatimids leave for Cairo. |
| 972 | Germany | King Otto II (r. 973–83) marries the Byzantine princess Theophanu and Byzantine influence enters German art and culture. |
| 976 | Türkiye | Basil II, also known as Bulgar-Slayer, ascends the throne of the Byzantine Empire. |
| 978 | Morocco | Death of the historian Ibn al-Warraq, whose work, dedicated to the towns of Tahert, Oran, Sijilmassa, Nekkour and al-Basra, would later be used by the geographer al-Bakri in his Description of Northern Africa. |
| 985 | Spain | First of series of retaliatory raids lead by al-Mansur against the Christian kingdoms of the north, lasting until 1002. |
| 987 | France | Hugh Capet, son of Odo Count of Paris, takes the crown of France and starts a new dynasty. |
| 988 | Egypt | Al-Azhar mosque becomes a centre for higher religious education under vizier Ya’qub ibn Killis, minister of the Fatimid Caliph al-Aziz Billah. |
| 991 | Morocco | Amir Ziri ibn Atiya of the Maghrawa takes Fez. |
| 994 | Morocco | Amir Ziri ibn Atiya of the Maghrawa founds the town of Oujda in Eastern Morocco. |
| 995 | Sweden | The Swedish King Olaf establishes a mint in his town Sigtuna, which he probably calls Sigtune Dei (God’s Sigtuna), and strikes his first coins. |
| 996 | Germany | King Otto III (983–1002) is crowned emperor in Rome by Pope Gregory V (996–9). |
| 997 | Hungary | Prince Géza is succeeded by his son István who continues the Hungarian conversion to Christianity. Following nomadic tradition Prince Koppány claims the rulership but is defeated and killed. |
| 1000 | Croatia | The Venetians install Krešimir III (1000–30) as king of Croatia; he ruled with his brother Gojislav. They attempted to restore rule over the Dalmatian cities that were under Venetian control. |
| 1000 | Hungary | Coronation of (St) István who affirms his authority over the Hungarian leaders (e.g. in 1003 over Gyula in Transylvania) and establishes Hungary’s legal, administrative and ecclesiastical system. |
| 1000 | United Kingdom | The epic Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf, consisting of 3,182 lines of Old English, is probably written; the poet is anonymous. |
| 1002 | Italy | The reign of Henry II (1002–24) sees the establishment of a feudal system, particularly in Northern Italy, which will leave a lasting mark on Italy’s social and economic make-up. |
| 1007 | Tunisia | Foundation of the Qal’at Bani Hammad (Algeria). |
| 1007 | Algeria | Hammad ibn Buluggin ibn Ziri founds the Qal’at Bani Hammad. His mosque and palaces were to inspire the architects of the Giralda in Seville and the Cuba in Palermo. |
| 1009 | Italy | The first Normans arrive in Southern Italy. |
| 1009 | Palestine | The Fatimid Caliph al-Hakim bi-Amrillah (r. 996–1021) orders the destruction of the Holy Sepulchre Church. Ten years later he would order its rebuilding. |
| 1013 | Portugal | Appearance of the first taifa kingdoms in al-Andalus. |
| 1015 | Tunisia | The Zirid princes share out the kingdom of Ifriqiya and the fortress of the Bani Hammad. |
| 1016–1062 | Tunisia | Foundation of the kingdom of al-Mu‘izz ibn Badis, which splits from the Fatimid Caliphate of Cairo. |
| 1023–1079 | Syria | The Mirdasid dynasty takes control of Aleppo amidst numerous rivalling emirates, thanks to its skilful diplomacy, particularly with the court of Badr al-Din Lu’lu’ in Mosul. |
| 1026 | Sweden | At the Battle of Helge å the Danish King Canute, who has already conquered England, wins a victory and gains control also of Sweden. It does not last, but it is one of the first major battles in what will become seven centuries of war and peace between Denmark and Sweden. |
| 1027 | Palestine | The Fatimids restore the Dome of the Rock. |
| 1028 | Jordan | The Fatimid caliphate defeats the alliance army of Bilad al-Sham, whose ambition was to establish a state for themselves, and dominates southern Bilad al-Sham again. |
| 1031 | Czech Republic | Origination of the Moravian Margraviate as part of the Czech state, with main centres Znojmo, Brno and Olomouc. |
| 1031 | Spain | Abolition of the Caliphate of Cordova. |
| 1032 | Croatia | Croatian king Stjepan I (1030–58) focused on rebuilding Croatia’s military strength and in 1032 he sent his naval fleet to assist Byzantium in its war against the Arabs. |
| 1033 | Palestine | The Fatimid restore the city walls of Jerusalem. |
| 1033 | Germany | Union of the German Reich with the Kingdom of Burgundy under King Konrad II (1024–39) of the Salian Dynasty. |
| 1034 | Palestine | An earthquake destroys half of Ramla, most of Jericho and Nablus, and causes some damage in Jerusalem. A year later, the Fatimid Caliph al-Zahir (r. 1021–36) orders reconstruction of the Aqsa Mosque and repair of the Dome of the Rock. |
| 1037 | Türkiye | Great Seljuk Empire is founded by Tughril Beg. |
| 1038 | Morocco | Abu Imran al-Fassi, originally from Fez and celebrated faqih from Ifriqya (Tunisia), where he settled to teach, dies in Kairouan. |
| 1040 | United Kingdom | Macbeth, king of Moray, kills Duncan I near Elgin and becomes king of the Scots; his rule ends when he is killed by Duncan’s son Malcolm Canmore in 1057. |
| 1042 | Algeria | The Hammadids and the Zirids reach an agreement to share Central Maghreb. |
| 1044 | Portugal | Abbasid campaigns in the south. Conquest of Lisbon and Mértola. |
| 1047 | France | Saracen raid on the Lerins Islands (the most significant of a series of raids on the Provençal coast). The monks taken are bought back through the Abbey of Saint-Victor. |
| 1048 | Palestine | Merchants from Amalfi (Italy) construct a huge social institution including a hospital in Jerusalem. |
| 1050 | Algeria | Foundation of the Kharijite cities of Mzab and start of the Hilalian invasions. |
| 1050–1052 | Tunisia | Ifriqiya is invaded by Hilalian tribes from Egypt. Split into several different kingdoms, Ifriqiya falls to the invaders. |
| 1054 | Morocco | The Almoravid Sanhaja set out the conquer the Maghreb under the leadership of ‘Abdallah ibn Yassine. |
| 1055 | Morocco | The Almoravids take the town of Sijilmassa. |
| 1055 | Hungary | Foundation letter of the Benedictine abbey in Tihany by King András I (its Latin text contains the first Hungarian text fragment). András was buried in the abbey church in 1060. |
| 1055 | Syria | The Seljuqs take Baghdad and northern Syria. The beginning of the Seljuq sultanate and the revival of Islamic military and urban development along Sunni doctrines. |
| 1055 | Algeria | Sijilmasa taken by the Almoravids. |
| 1058 | Syria | Abu al-Alaa al-Ma'arri, blind Syrian poet, dies. His most famous literary work, Risalat al-Ghufran (Letter of Forgiveness), inspires Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy three centuries later. |
| 1059 | Italy | The Council of the Lateran reorganises the Church. The Pope makes Robert Guiscard (1059–85) Duke of Puglia and Calabria. It is the first acknowledgement of Norman domination of Southern Italy. |
| 1061 | Italy | Roger I of Hautville (1072–1101) begins the conquest of Sicily against the Arabs, which is completed in 1091. |
| 1062 | Morocco | The Almoravids found the town of Marrakesh, heralding the start of a new era in Maghreb and al-Andalus. |
| 1062 | Italy | The Muslim fleet is defeated by the Pisans at Palermo. |
| 1063 | Czech Republic | Founding of Olomouc bishopric. Vratislav II made first Czech King (1085). The first Czech chronicle known as the Chronicle of Cosmas. Premonstratensian and Cistercian monasteries founded (1140). |
| 1064 | Portugal | Sisnando takes Coimbra. |
| 1066 | United Kingdom | William of Normandy lands at Pevensey, defeats and kills Harold II at the Battle of Hastings and becomes William I, the Conqueror; the first Norman King of England (until 1087). |
| 1068 | Algeria | The town of Béjaia founded by the Hammadid prince al-Nasir. Bab al-Bunud (Gateway of the Standards) and Bab al-Bahr (Gateway of the Sea) erected. |
| 1069 | Morocco | The Almoravids enter Fez and take control of the Maghreb. |
| 1069 | Algeria | The town of Sedrata destroyed. Kharijite exodus to Mzab. |
| 1071 | Türkiye | Victory of the Great Seljuqs over the Byzantine army at Manzikert. |
| 1072 | Palestine | The Turkomans under the command of Utsuz, in the name of the Seljuqs, invade Palestine, defeating and ejecting the Fatimid army. The Fatimids reconquer it 25 years later. |
| 1075 | Türkiye | Foundation of the Anatolian Seljuqs (1077–1308). |
| 1077 | Hungary | Coronation of King (St) László I who reforms Hungary’s legal codes, administrative and ecclesiastical system and life (1083: canonisation of King István and Prince Imre; 1092: synod of Szabolcs). |
| 1077 | Germany | On 25–28 January Emperor Henry IV (1056–1106) of the Salian Dynasty is forced on a walk of penitence to Canossa to beg forgiveness of Pope Gregor VII and to accept him as arbitrator. The Way (or Walk) to Canossa refers to the walk itself and the events surrounding his journey. |
| 1080 | Türkiye | Süleyman Bey, conquering Iznik, declares it the capital of the Anatolian Seljuqs. |
| 1080 | Portugal | Council of Burgos abolishes the Mozarabic rite in favour of the Roman rite. |
| 1082 | Algeria | Foundation of the town of Taghrart on the site of modern-day Tlemcen. |
| 1086 | Morocco | The Almoravid amir Yusuf ibn Tashufin wins the Battle of Zallaca near to Badajoz and mints a gold coin, known as the maravedis in the Christian West. |
| 1086 | Spain | Almoravid invasion following the Christian conquest of Toledo. Almoravid victory at the Battle of Sagrajas or Zallaqa (Badajoz). |
| 1086 | United Kingdom | The Domesday Book is completed. A survey of every English county south of the rivers Ribble and Tees, it was commissioned by William I at Christmas 1085 to enable him to tax his landowning subjects. |
| 1087 | Egypt | Badr Al-Jamali, the Fatimid vizier, consolidates Cairo’s walls while extending its perimeter. |
| 1091 | Hungary | Having already founded the Zagreb bishopric, King (St) László I founds the St Egid Benedictine monastery in Somogyvár (his first burial site before Várad [today: Oradea, Romania]), inviting monks from Saint Gilles. |
| 1094 | Morocco | Yusuf ibn Tashufin annexes Andalusia to the Almoravid empire. |
| 1094 | Croatia | The Hungarian King Ladislas establishes the Zagreb Diocese. |
| 1095 | Palestine | Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (d.1111), the great philosopher, visits Palestine and takes refuge for three years in the Haram al-Sharif. |
| 1095 | Portugal | Establishment of the Portucuese Counties. |
| 1095 | Syria | Al-Ghazali, la principal figura religiosa del siglo XI, reside en Damasco. Sus obras representan un renacimiento de las ciencias religiosas. |
| 1096 | France | Start of the First Crusade, preached by Pope Urban II at Clermont. The People’s Crusade is mostly annihilated, but the Princes’ Crusade reaches Palestine and takes Jerusalem in 1099, establishing the Frankish Kingdom in the east. |
| 1096 | Türkiye | The First Crusaders on their way to the Holy Lands arrive in Constantinople in December. |
| 1097 | Palestine | Al-Afdal Ibn Badr al-Jamali (d.515/1121), the commander-in-chief of the Fatimid armies completes the construction of the huge mosque of ‘Asqalan with its magnificent minbar (pulpit), which is exhibited to this day in the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron. |
| 1097 | Algeria | Great Mosque of Algiers built. Yusuf ibn Tashufin, having conquered Spain and Central Maghreb, promotes the emergence of Afro-Andalusian Moorish art: stalactite domes, poly-lobed arches and mosque orientation. |
| 1098 | Syria | The Crusaders take Antioch in June after a nine-month siege, founding the first Crusader state in the Levant. |
| 1099 | Palestine | The Crusaders conquer Palestine with a huge massacre in Jerusalem; the estimated number of the victims is ca 70,000. Major parts of the cities are destroyed. Godfrey de Bouillon is elected as the leader of the Latin Kingdom. |
| 1099 | Egypt | Fall of Jerusalem to the Franks. |
| 1099 | Jordan | The Crusaders occupy Jordan and Palestine during their first campaign to the area until 1187. |
| 1100 | Türkiye | Kılıç Arslan moves the capital of the Anatolian Seljuqs to Konya after being defeated by the Crusaders. |
| 1100 | Morocco | The geographer al-Sharif al-Idrissi is born in Sebta. Half a century later he writes a geography book entitled Kitab nuzhat al-Mouchtaq at the request of the Norman King Roger II. |
| 1102 | Croatia | Pacta conventa between Hungarian King Koloman and Croatia. Koloman Arpadović crowned as Croatian king in Biograd and the personal union established. |
| 1104 | Algeria | Badis, son of al-Mansur, leaves Qalaa for the last time and goes to Béjaia. |
| 1106 | Germany | Henry IV is forced to abdicate and is followed by King Henry V (1106–25) of the Salian Dynasty. |
| 1108 | France | Start of the reign of Louis VI. Establishment and growth of the commune movement in France. |
| 1111 | Portugal | Consolidation of Almoravid power in the southwest of the peninsula. Attack on Coimbra. |
| 1115 | Jordan | Baldwin I, the Crusader king of Jerusalem, erects a huge castle at Shawbak on a high mountain in Jordan in order to dominate the area, naming it Le Crac de Montreal. |
| 1116 | Palestine | Baldwin I (r. 1100–18) expands the Kingdom. |
| 1117 | Algeria | Meeting at Mellalah (Béjaia) between the mahdi Ibn Tumart and ‘Abd al-Mu’min, founders of the Almohad dynasty. |
| 1118–1156 | Tunisia | Norman incursions on the coast of Ifriqiya. The Djerba and Kerkennah islands, along with the towns of Gabès, Sfax, Mahdia and Sousse, are occupied by the Normans. |
| 1119 | Syria | Battle of Sarmada, between the Crusader Principality of Antioch and the Artuqid Atabeg ruler of Aleppo, witnessing the success of the local Muslim forces even without assistance from the Seljuq sultanate. |
| 1123 | Morocco | Al-Mahdi ibn Tumart takes action against the Almoravids to aid the Hargha, Tinmel, Hintata tribes, etc. |
| 1128 | Portugal | Battle of São Mamede. Afonso Henriques takes control of the Portucuese Counties. |
| 1128–1146 | Syria | Atabeg ‘Imad Zangi rules Aleppo, uniting it with Mosul and strengthening the northern frontier against the Crusaders. |
| 1130 | Italy | Roger II, governor of Sicily since 1112, is crowned King of Sicily and reigns until 1154. |
| 1131 | Algeria | ‘Abd al-Mu’min restores Tlemcen. |
| 1134 | Croatia | Issue of the Charter of Felicianus mentioning the founder of the Diocese, King Ladislas, the first bishop of Zagreb, Bishop Duh, and other clergy. |
| 1135 | United Kingdom | On the death of Henry I of England, his nephew Stephen of Blois stages a coup and seizes the English throne in place of Henry’s daughter and designated successor, the Empress Matilda. |
| 1136 | Algeria | Construction of the Great Mosques of Constantine and Tlemcen. |
| 1141 | Palestine | Belvoir citadel (Kawkab al-Hawa) is built in a wave of citadel-building all over Palestine. |
| 1142 | Jordan | Karak Castle is built by Payen le Boutellier. It is named Crac de Moab or simply le Crac by the Franks. It was a very important castle to Crusaders due to its position as a watch centre of the Islamic army movements. |
| 1143 | Italy | The Commune of Rome is born, an expression of the nascent communal civility that will have a profound effect on Italian cultural identity. |
| 1143 | Portugal | Second taifas in al-Gharb. Afonso Henriques recognised as king at the Zamora Conference. |
| 1145 | Algeria | Decisive encounter between the armies of ‘Abd al-Mu’min and Tashufin ibn Ali near Oran. Death throes of the Almoravid dynasty. |
| 1146 | France | Preaching of the Second Crusade, in particular by Saint Bernard. King Louis VII returns defeated to France, and Jerusalem is taken back by the Muslims in 1187. |
| 1147 | Türkiye | The Second Crusades arrive in Anatolia on the way to the Holy Lands. |
| 1147 | Spain | Almohad invasion of al-Andalus. |
| 1147 | Portugal | Conquest of Lisbon and Santarém. |
| 1147 | Morocco | ‘Abd al-Mu’min, who succeeds Al-Mahdi ibn Tumart, makes a ceremonious entrance in Marrakesh, announcing the triumph of the Almohad movement. |
| 1148 | Algeria | Hammadid coinage minted in Béjaia. |
| 1148 | Syria | The second Crusade arrives in Syria, led by Louis VII of France and Conrad III of Germany, besieging Damascus for four days, but failing to conquer it. |
| 1148–9 | Morocco | ‘Abd al- Mu’min rebuilds the mosque of Tinmel, birthplace of the Almohad dynasty and the prototype of its mosques. |
| 1151 | Germany | Hildegard von Bingen (1098–1179), a mystic and a composer of hymns who had visions of God, collects her visions in the book Scivias (‘Know the Way’). |
| 1152 | Algeria | Hammadid kingdom conquered by the Almohads. |
| 1152 | Morocco | The Almohads take Algiers and Constantine, overcoming the last heir of the Bani Hammad, Yahia ibn ‘Abd al-Aziz (515–47/1121–52) and unifying Morocco and the Central Maghreb. |
| 1153 | Portugal | Foundation of the abbey at Alcobaça. |
| 1153 | Palestine | The fall of ‘Asqalan, the last Fatimid military base in Palestine. |
| 1153 | Algeria | Decisive victory of the Almohads over the nomads at Sétif. Widespread use of Almohad coinage as the industry and commerce of war flourishes. Political unity and religious dogmatism. The apogee of Almohad rule. |
| 1154 | Italy | Frederick Barbarossa (1123–90) arrives in Italy to side with the Pope against the Commune of Rome and the Normans. In the same year, Barbarossa is crowned King of Italy in Pavia. |
| 1154 | Syria | Nur al-Din, son of Zangi, takes control of Damascus and establishes it as a capital city. It becomes the new cultural, economic, religious, political and educational hub of the Islamic world at large, attracting many scholars. |
| 1155 | Germany | Friedrich I Barbarossa (1152–90) of the Hohenstaufen Dynasty is crowned emperor. He drowned during the Third Crusade near Konya in Turkey in 1190. |
| 1155 | United Kingdom | Adrian IV grants a papal bull, Laudabiliter, which recognises Henry II of England as lord of Ireland and licenses English colonisation of Ireland; the process begins with Henry’s arrival in 1171. |
| 1156 | Portugal | Almohad dominance in the south. |
| 1158 | Morocco | ‘Abd al-Mu’min starts the construction of the Great Mosque of the Koutoubiya in Marrakesh. |
| 1159 | Morocco | ‘Abd al-Mu’min conquers Ifriqiya and unifies the three countries of the Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia). |
| 1160 | Tunisia | Reconquest of the coast by the Almohads and reunification of Ifriqiya. |
| 1164 | Sweden | The monk Stefan becomes the first Swedish Archbishop. The ceremony was in Lund, which was then Danish but is now a town in southern Sweden. Stefan was ordained by the Danish archbishop Eskil on 5 August and Pope Alexander III was among the participants. Stefan’s see was in Uppsala. He went to work immediately and one of his letters from 1165 still exists. This is the oldest preserved letter in Sweden. It is written in Latin. |
| 1168 | Egypt | Amuri, King of Jerusalem and leader of the Crusader army, captures the city of Bilbis and slaughters every man, woman and child. The burning of Fustat is ordered by Shawar, minister of the Fatimid caliph, to prevent the Crusaders from reaching Cairo. Twenty thousand barrels of oil were used for this purpose and the fire continued for 54 days. |
| 1169 | Egypt | Salah al-Din Ayyub (Saladin) takes control of Egypt. |
| 1170 | United Kingdom | Four knights who believe they are working on the implicit orders of King Henry II murder Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in Canterbury Cathedral. |
| 1171 | Egypt | Salah al-Din becomes sultan, extends Cairo’s fortifications and constructs the Citadel. |