Browse Historical Events by Month: What Happened in April?

Richard the Lionheart officially ascends to the throne of England.

Siege of Acre: Crusaders under King Richard I capture Acre from the Muslims after a prolonged siege.

Richard the Lionheart is released from captivity in Germany after paying a ransom.

King Richard I of England dies from an infection following the removal of an arrow during a siege in France.

King John of England marries Isabella of Angoulême.

Fourth Crusade: The siege of Zara (now Zadar, Croatia) begins.

Fourth Crusade: Constantinople falls to the Crusaders, leading to the sack of the city.

Pope Innocent III excommunicates Count Raymond VI of Toulouse due to his failure to suppress the Cathar heresy.

King Alexander II of Scotland is born.

King John of England submits to the demands of the barons, sealing the Magna Carta at Runnymede.

The Second Battle of Lincoln takes place during the First Barons' War in England.

Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, grants the Golden Bull of Sicily, establishing constitutional reforms in Sicily.

Ferdinand III of Castile captures Córdoba, ending Muslim rule in the region.

The University of Padua is chartered in Italy.

Pope Gregory IX issues the papal bull "Excommunicamus" against Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor.

Batu Khan's Mongol horde inflicts a devastating defeat on the Polish and German forces at the Battle of Liegnitz.

The construction of Cologne Cathedral in Germany begins.

King Louis IX of France is ransomed after being captured by the Egyptians during the Seventh Crusade.

King Louis IX of France is ransomed after being captured by the Egyptians during the Seventh Crusade.

The Mongols, led by Hulagu Khan, capture and sack Baghdad, effectively ending the Abbasid Caliphate.