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.
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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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Edward II of England is formally deposed on January 20, 1327, becoming the first English King to be deposed. He was imprisoned at Berkeley Castle, where he is believed to have been murdered on September 21, 1327.
His son, Edward III, becomes king, at age 14 on January 25, 1327, with Isabella and Mortimer ruling in his name until 1330, when Edward III staged a coup on October 19, 1330 to take power himself.
Edward III becomes King of England at the age of 14, after the forced abdication of his father, Edward II. He was coronated on February 1, 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 by staging a coup on October 19, 1330 and taking full control of the government.
King Edward III of England proclaims himself rightful heir to the French throne on January 26, 1337, sparking the Hundred Years' War.
1338, c, January 13
King Edward III secures significant loans from foreign bankers, primarily from the Florentine banking houses of the Bardi and Peruzzi, to finance and cover the costs of the conflict with France, which would become the Hundred Years' War.
Later, the principle of "common consent" (agreement by Parliament) became essential, and the English Parliament began granting funds for King Edward III's war against France. Linking taxation to national interest gave the Commons leverage as the scale of Edward's ambitions had led to huge debts, with massive borrowing from foreign bankers s and a reliance on profits from war exploits.
The Truce of Malestroit is signed on January 19, 1343, between King Edward III of England and King Philip VI of France, in the chapel de la Madeleine; temporarily halting hostilities.
1347, c. May 15
Henry, Duke of Lancaster, arrives in Calais c. May 15, 1347 to aid King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War.He arrived during the prolonged siege to bring supplies and reinforcements, playing a key role in holding the English position against French attempts to relieve the city.
Pope Clement VI, acting on a request from his friend, King Charles IV of Bohemia, issues a papal bull on January 26, 1347, granting the privileges for the establishment of a university in Prague. The university was officially founded by Charles IV on April 7, 1348.
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, issues the first part of the "Golden Bull" of 1356, on January 10, 1356. The Bull formalized the electoral college that selected the King of the Romans, who would later become Holy Roman Emperor.
The Bull also defined a process to end disputes over imperial elections. The second part of the Bull consisting the final eight chapters was issued at the Diet of Metz on December 25, 1356. The Golden Bull remained a central part of the Holy Roman Empire's constitution until its dissolution in 1806.
The Battle of Saintes takes place during the Hundred Years' War between England and France, resulting in an English victory.
King Charles V of France creates the first franc coin, a new currency for France.
King Peter I of Portugal dies on January 18, 1367 and is succeeded by his son Ferdinand I of Portugal.
The Ming Dynasty officially begins in China on January 23, 1368 with the ascension of Zhu Yuanzhang as the Hongwu Emperor; marking the end of the Yuan dynasty and the beginning of a new era of Chinese rule.
c.1377, January 7
John Wycliffe presents his views on church reform to Parliament in England, c. January 7, 1377
Pope Gregory XI moves the Papal See back to Rome from Avignon, on January 17, 1377 ending the Avignon Papacy; a nearly 70 year period where popes resided in France under French influence.
The move back to Rome was prompted by pleas from St. Catherine of Siena, but his return immediately led to the Western Schism after his death.Gregory XI was the last French pope and the final of the Avignon Popes. He died on March 27, 1378 shortly after returning the papal court from Avignon. The disputes over his successor led to the election of rival popes an Italian pope (Urban VI) and an Antipope (Clement VII); marking the start of the Western Schism which lasted from 1378 to 1417.
King Richard II of England marries Anne of Bohemia on January 20, 1382 at Westminster Abbey. Anne was the daughter of the Emperor Charles IV of Bohemia; the marriage helped form an alliance with the Holy Roman Empire against France. Anne was crowned Queen on January 22.
They were both only 15 when they marry but the union developed into a deep, affectionate bond. Anne died from the plague in 1394, leading to Richards profound grief at her early death, which led him to demolish Sheen Manor where she died.
John Montacute, Earl of Salisbury, and Thomas Holland, Duke of Surrey, are executed around January 7, 1400 for their involvement in a plot against King Henry IV of England.
King Henry IV, wary of anything that could weaken the crown, signed the Act Against Multipliers into law in an effort to protect the authority of the government by preventing the debasement of currency.
The Act forbade the transmutation of base metals into gold or silver, which one might then use to create counterfeit coins. Later, although the law was meant to outlaw the process, the government charged alchemists expensive licenses to practice. The act remained in effect until it was repealed in 1689. More
The Medici Bank in Florence suffers a financial crisis, leading to its restructuring. The restructuring helped consolidate power and wealth setting the stage for the bank's heyday under Giovanni's son, Cosimo de' Medici, who took over management in 1429 and expanded the model into a vast, powerful financial network across Europe.
The trial of Joan of Arc began in Rouen, France, on January 9, 1431, before an ecclesiastical court presided over by Bishop Pierre Cauchon. The trial was conducted by an English-backed church tribunal on charges of heresy, which included wearing men's clothes and acting on what the court claimed were demonic visions.
The trial concluded with Joan being burned at the stake on May 30, 1431. The verdict was later overturned in 1456 after a reinvestigation found the original trial was "tainted by deceit and procedural errors".