Edward the Confessor, King of England, dies on January 5, 1066, leading to a succession crisis, the Battle of Hastings. and the Norman Conquest.
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What Happened in January?
Tragic deaths, ravaged cities, and great acts of heroism. Discover what happened this month in history and the defining moments that shaped the world. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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Harold Godwineson, head of the most powerful noble family in England, is crowned King Harold II on January 6, 1066, following the death of Edward the Confessor, leading to a war of succession involving Tostig, brother of Harold, King Harald III Hardraade of Norway and William, duke of Normandy.
King Harold managed to fight and kill Tostig and King Harald III at the Battle of Stamford Bridge near York but was himself soon defeated and killed by William at the Battle of Hastings. Almost a year after Edward the Confessor's death, on Christmas Day, 1066, William the Conqueror was crowned the first Norman king of England. More
Norman forces under Hauteville (Roger I) of Sicily capture the city of Palermo, a major Arab cultural and economic hub, on January 10, 1072 after a five-month siege. The victory severely weakened the Muslim power in Western Sicily and it went on to become the capital of the emerging County of Sicily, paving the way for the later Kingdom of Sicily.
The Normans adopted a policy of relative tolerance, which allowed the Palermo residents to retain their property and follow their faith, leading to a unique blend of Latin, Byzantine, and Islamic cultures.
Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV arrives at the fortress of Canossa, on January 25, 1077 beginning the famous Walk to Canossa to seek forgiveness from Pope Gregory VII after being excommunicated.
Edgar, King of Scots dies on January 8, 1107, he was buried at Dunfermline Abbey and was succeeded by his brother, Alexander I.
Henry I of England's daughter, Matilda (Maud), marries Holy Roman Emperor Henry V on January 7, 1114, strengthening Anglo-German relations. The marriage took place in Worms, Germany, when she was 12 years old.
Pope Gelasius II (Giovanni da Gaeta) succeeds Pope Paschal II as the 161st pope on January 24, 1118. His short pontificate was defined by the ongoing Investiture Controversy with Holy Roman Emperor Henry V, which forced him into exile shortly after his election.
The Investiture Controversy was a conflict between the Church and the state over the ability to choose and install bishops (investiture). Pope Gelasius II was driven from Rome by the Emperor who installed Antipope Gregory VIII. Gelasius II spent much of his short reign in exile before dying in Cluny, France, on January 29, 1119. He was succeeded by Callixtus II, who eventually brought the struggle over investiture to a close.
The Council of Troyes, meets on January 13, 1129 and grants official sanction from the papacy to the Templar Order (Knights Templar) officially recognizing the military order as an "army of God". The order had been founded in 1119 by some French noblemen.
The Council of Troyes was convened by Bernard of Clairvaux, acting as a Legate of Pope Honorius II, The order and the rules were subsequently approved by Pope Honorius II. The Templar Order gradually increase it size, power, gaining considerable influence. It was eventually abolished by Pope Clement V who disbanded the order in 1312. More
King Stephen of England and Empress Matilda sign the Treaty of Wallingford, recognizing Stephen as king while allowing Matilda's son to inherit the throne.
Lotario dei Conti di Segni is elected Pope Innocent III on January 8, 1198, He was elected at age 37, shortly after the death of Pope Celestine III at the age of 37 and became one of the most influential popes of the Middle Ages. His papacy is considered by many historians to be the peak of medieval papal power.
The Fourth Crusade, in route to Jerusalem, enters into an agreement with the Byzantine prince Alexios Angelos on January 21, 1203, to divert their main force to Constantinople to restore his deposed father, Isaac II Angelos, as emperor.
Both promising to add his support to their invasion of Jerusalem and pay their debts to the Venetians for their fleet. On June, 23 1203, the main Crusader army reached Constantinople, starting their siege on July 17, 1203.
1254, c. January 18
The Cortes of Leiria in Portugal is convened by King Afonso III to address various issues in the kingdom. It was the first Portuguese assembly to broadened representation and include representatives (burghers) from the municipalities, alongside the nobles and clergy, to discuss taxes and trade laws, establishing an important precedent for royal power and consent.
Afonso III used this assembly to gain support for his policies, including taxing the burghers and challenging Rome, marking a shift in Portuguese governance.
Michael VIII Palaiologos was proclaimed co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire on January 1, 1259 through a coup, becoming the senior co-ruler to the young John IV Laskaris. He later became the sole emperor in 1261 after overthrowing and blinding John IV.
He went on to the restoration of the Byzantine Empire after the fall of Constantinople in 1204. This event established the last ruling dynasty of the empire, the Palaiologan dynasty which ruled for nearly two centuries until the empire's fall in 1453.
Simon de Montfort summons the first English Parliament on January 20, 1265 to include knights from counties and burgesses (representatives from towns) alongside nobles and clergy. The action was a way to consolidate power after capturing King Henry III, and his heir, Prince Edward, at the Battle of Lewes.
Although Montfort rule did not last long, his concept of a more representative Parliament known as Simon de Montfort's Parliament, set an important precedent for future parliaments. Henry III's son and successor, Edward I, adopted the practice of including knights and burgesses in parliament, which became standard procedure by the end of the 13th century.
Pope Innocent V becomes the head of the Catholic Church on January 21, 1276. A Dominican Pope, born Pierre de Tarentaise. He only ruled for 5 months, dying on June 22, 1276. He was later beatified in 1898
François Grimaldi, known as "Malizia" (the Cunning), captures the fortress of Monaco on January 8, 1297, by gaining entry by deception disguised as a Franciscan monk and establishing the Grimaldi family's rule.
This event marked the beginning of the Grimaldi dynasty's claim to Monaco and is commemorated on the country's coat of arms, which features two monks brandishing swords. François Grimaldi only held Monaco for four years when he was expelled by the Genoese. It was his cousin Rainier I, and later Rainier's descendants, who solidified the Grimaldi family's long-term rule over Monaco, which continues to this day.
Scottish forces under William Wallace achieve victory against English troops at the Battle of Scone Moor.
The city of Pamplona in Spain becomes a part of the Kingdom of Navarre.
Serbian King Stefan Milutin conquers the city of Skopje from the Byzantine Empire.
The Mamluks capture the city of Jaffa, ending Crusader control in the Holy Land.