Browse Historical Events by Month:

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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1130 CE, February 13

Pope Innocent II is elected on February 13, 1130 after Pope Honorius II died. It was a contested election, where a faction of cardinals quickly elected Gregorio Papareschi as Innocent II, but a larger group of cardinals elected Anacletus II, creating a major schism.

1130 CE, February 14

Roger II is crowned King of Sicily.

1130 CE, February 22

Antipope Anacletus II crowns Roger II of Sicily as King of Sicily.

1138 CE, February

Battle of the Standard: Scottish forces under King David I are defeated by the English near Northallerton in Yorkshire.

1141 CE, February 2

Empress Matilda, daughter of Henry I, is declared the Lady of the English.

1144 CE, February

The siege of Edessa: Zengi, Atabeg of Mosul, captures Edessa, sparking the Second Crusade.

1153 CE, February

The Treaty of Winchester: Stephen of Blois recognizes Henry Plantagenet as his heir in exchange for peace.

1154 CE, February

Henry II becomes King of England after the death of King Stephen.

1158 CE, February

Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa grants Lübeck city rights, leading to the establishment of the Hanseatic League.

1164 CE, February

The Council of Clarendon: King Henry II of England attempts to assert control over the church and clergy.

1173 CE, February

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.

1173 CE, February 21

Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, is formally canonized as a saint by Pope Alexander III. 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.

1185 CE, February

The Uprising of Asen and Peter: Asen and Peter declare independence from the Byzantine Empire, establishing the Second Bulgarian Empire.

1189 CE, February

Richard the Lionheart is crowned Duke of Normandy.

1199 CE, February 6

Death of King Alfonso II of Aragon.

1204 CE, February 5

Doukas was proclaimed Emperor of the Byzantine Empire as Alexios V, 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.

1204 CE, February 8

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, takes a hardline stance against the crusaders. This led directly to the Crusaders' sack of Constantinople a few months later on April 12, 1204.

1214 CE, February 27

Battle of La Roche-aux-Moines: English forces under William Marshal defeat the French.

1215 CE, February 3

King John of England offers his kingdom to the Pope, making England a papal fief.

1229 CE, February

Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, crowns himself King of Jerusalem in Jerusalem.

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