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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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1297 CE, January 8

François Grimaldi, known as "Malizia" (the Cunning), captures the fortress of Monaco 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.

1299 CE, January

Scottish forces under William Wallace achieve victory against English troops at the Battle of Scone Moor.

1299 CE, January

The city of Pamplona in Spain becomes a part of the Kingdom of Navarre.

1299 CE, January

Serbian King Stefan Milutin conquers the city of Skopje from the Byzantine Empire.

1299 CE, January

The Mamluks capture the city of Jaffa, ending Crusader control in the Holy Land.

1301 CE, January 27

Andrew III of Hungary dies, leading to succession disputes and internal conflicts in Hungary.

1302 CE, January 27

Dante Alighieri is accused of corruption in political office like others from the White Guelphs political party (supporters independence for the city-state who were not aligned with the Pope). Dante's sentence was a hefty fine and banishment for two years from Florence and permanent exclusion from public office.

Dante refused any pardon that required him to admit guilt against the city he loved and later that year, he was banned for life and threatened with execution if he returned. The poet never returned to Florence and died of malaria 20 years later in Ravenna on the Adriatic coast.

1304 CE, January 3

The town of Helsingborg in Sweden receives its city rights.

1306 CE, January 5

Robert the Bruce renounces his allegiance to England's King Edward I, beginning his campaign for the Scottish throne.

1307 CE, January 12

Marriage negotiations between King Edward II of England and Isabella of France, daughter of King Philip IV, begin.

1308 CE, January 19

Edward II of England marries Isabella of France at Boulogne-sur-Mer.

1313 CE, January 20

Emperor Henry VII is crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Clement V in Rome.

1320 CE, January 20

King Władysław I of Poland was crowned on January 20, 1320 at Wawel Cathedral in Kraków, a significant event that officially reestablished the Kingdom ending the period of feudal fragmentation.

1324 CE, January 24

Louis IV becomes King of Germany, later Holy Roman Emperor.

1326 CE, January 24

Isabella of France and Roger Mortimer invade England, starting the downfall of Edward II.

1327 CE, January 25

Edward II of England is formally deposed, and his son, Edward III, becomes king.

1327 CE, January 29

Edward III becomes King of England at the age of 14, after the forced abdication of his father, Edward II. He was coronated on January 29, 1327, at Westminster Abbey. His mother, Isabella of France, and her lover, Roger Mortimer, ruled as regents in young Edward's name until Edward III asserted his own power and took full control of the government in 1330.