The Battle of Lincoln, on February, 2,1141, takes place, resulting in the capture of King Stephen of England by forces loyal to Empress Matilda commanded by Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester, Matilda's half-brother.
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What Happened in February?
Emperor ascensions, legendary battles, and assassinations. Discover what happened this month in history. Explore pivotal events from February that helped shape the world. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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The Treaty of Winchester: Stephen of Blois recognizes Henry Plantagenet as his heir in exchange for peace.
Henry II becomes King of England after the death of King Stephen.
Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa grants Lübeck city rights, leading to the establishment of the Hanseatic League.
The Council of Clarendon: King Henry II of England attempts to assert control over the church and clergy.
Revolt of 1173–1174: Henry the Young King rebels against his father, Henry II of England, with the support of King Louis VII of France and other allies.
Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, is formally canonized as a saint by Pope Alexander III on February 21, 1173. Becket, also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, and Thomas of London, served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder on December 29, 1170.
He engaged in conflict with Henry II, King of England, over the rights and privileges of the Church and was murdered by followers of the King in Canterbury Cathedral. Soon after his death, he was Canonized by Pope Alexander III. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. More
The Uprising of Asen and Peter: Asen and Peter declare independence from the Byzantine Empire, establishing the Second Bulgarian Empire.
Richard the Lionheart is released from captivity in Germany on February 4, 1194, after paying a ransom for his release.
Doukas was proclaimed Emperor of the Byzantine Empire as Alexios V on February 5, 1204, following the overthrow and killing of Alexios IV and his co-emperor father Isaac II, who, had failed to produce the funds promised to the Fourth Crusade, Crusaders and their Venetian partners, who had placed a siege of the city.
As further negotiations proved unfruitful, on April 12, 1204, the Crusaders and Venetian partners went ahead with a full three -day assault and brutal sacking of the city; desecrating holy sites and destroying countless treasures. Alexios V fled the city that night and a Latin Empire was established with Baldwin of Flanders as the new emperor. The Fourth Crusade permanently weakened Byzantium, and the restored empire in 1261 was all but a shadow of its former self and ultimately fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453.
Byzantine co-emperor Alexios IV is strangled during the Fourth Crusade on February, 8, 1204 by the usurper Alexios V Doukas (Mourtzouphlus) after being deposed by a popular uprising.
Alexios V, then took a hardline stance against the crusaders. This led directly to the Crusaders' sack of Constantinople a few months later on April 12, 1204.
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, crowns himself King of Jerusalem in Jerusalem.
The Mongols begin their siege of the city of Ryazan in Russia.
Mongol forces led by Batu Khan captured and devastated the city of Vladimir on February 4, 1238, The battle was part of a brutal Mongol winter campaign which led to the destruction of Moscow, marking the start of the "Mongol-Tatar Yoke" over Russia.
The Mongols, led by Hulagu Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, captured and sacked Baghdad on February 10, 1258, resulting in the near-total destruction of the city, massive casualties and ending the Abbasid Caliphate and the Islamic Golden Age. Caliph: Al-Musta'sim was executed on February 20, 1258, reportedly rolled in a rug and trampled by horses to avoid shedding royal blood.
Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos recaptures Constantinople, ending the Latin Empire.
The Battle of Benevento, is fought on February 26, 1266, where Charles of Anjou defeated and killed Manfred, King of Sicily. This battle marked the end of the Hohenstaufen dynasty in Italy, shifting power to the Angevins and solidifying papal authority in the region.
Charles of Anjou defeats the Hohenstaufen forces led by King Manfred of Sicily (son of Frederick II) on February 26, 1266 at the Battle of Benevento. Manfred was killed and the Hohenstaufen rule in Italy came to an end with the French gaining control over southern Italy.
The Battle of Worringen: Duke John I of Brabant defeats Duke Henry VI of Limburg, leading to the collapse of the Duchy of Limburg.
Kublai Khan, the founder of the Yuan dynasty and grandson of Genghis Khan, died on February 18, 1294. in Khanbaliq, China (modern-day Beijing). He was succeeded by his grandson, Temür Khan (Emperor Chengzong of Yuan).