The Second Crusade is formally announced by Pope Eugene III in Vézelay, France.
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What Happened in April?
Sieges, raids, and monumental deaths. Discover key historical events from April that influenced the world. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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Eleanor of Aquitaine marries Henry Plantagenet, who later becomes King Henry II of England.
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Malcolm IV becomes King of Scotland at the age of 12 after the death of his grandfather David I.
Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, escapes from Northampton and flees to France.
Saladin becomes the emir of Egypt.
Construction begins on the Campanile (Leaning Tower of Pisa).
The Battle of Myriokephalon: The Byzantine Empire suffers a decisive defeat by the Seljuk Turks.
The Treaty of Łęczyca is signed, ending a war between Casimir II the Just of Poland and Mieszko III the Old.
Richard the Lionheart officially ascends to the throne of England.
Emperor Henry VI is crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Celestine III in Rome.
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 (the Lionheart) dies shortly after being wounded while besieging the castle of Châlus-Chabrol in France. His brother, John, becomes King of England with his coronation taking place on May 27, 1199. He was King of England until his death in 1216.
During the Fourth Crusade, crusaders launch a second, successful assault on Constantinople. They sack the city, looting its wealth and treasures and dividing the Byzantine Empire between themselves and the Venetians.
The city of Constantinople falls to the Crusaders on April 12, 1204 during the Fourth Crusade, second siege. The city was sacked for three days as the crusaders loot holy relics, destroyed ancient artwork, and committed widespread violence during their brutal attack.
The Crusaders established the Latin Empire (1204–1261), which splintered the Byzantine state into smaller successor states. But the brutality and cruelty of the attack fueled the the permanent The Byzantines recovered the city in 1261 but the empire was never able to regain its former strength and it eventually fell to the Ottoman Empire on May 29, 1453, when Sultan Mehmed II's forces captured Constantinople after a lengthy siege, marking the end of the Byzantine Empire and the city becoming Istanbul, the new Ottoman capital.
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.
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.
The Treaty of Meaux-Paris is signed, officially ending the Albigensian Crusade and granting amnesty to the Cathars in Languedoc, France.