What Happened in July?

The First Crusaders launch an assault on Jerusalem, ultimately leading to the capture of the city and the establishment of the Crusader states.

King William II of England, also known as William Rufus, is killed in a hunting accident in the New Forest. Some believe that his brother Henry plotted his death since shortly after his brother William's death, he rushed to be crowned king before anyone could contest him. Also, Walter Tirel, the person that killed King William, fled to France following the incident, which over time has been viewed as an admission of guilt. Yet hunting was not a particularly safe at the time with frequent hunting accidents some of which were  fatal. More

The Siege of Tripoli during the First Crusade began in 1102 and concluded with its capture on July 12, 1109. This siege led to the establishment of the County of Tripoli which remained under the control of the crusaders until it was captured by the Muslim Mamluks in 1289

The Battle of Ourique takes place, where the forces of Portuguese count Afonso Henriques (of the House of Burgundy) defeat those led by the Almoravid governor of Córdoba, Muhammad Az-Zubayr Ibn Umar, identified as "King Ismar" in Christian chronicles. More

Pope Alexander III and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I sign the Treaty of Venice, ending their long-running dispute.

The Siege of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade, begins on July 17, 1203, as the Crusaders, aboard a Venetian fleet, attack the city; resulting in the Sack of Constantinople, the fleeing of the reigning emperor, Alexios III and the restoration of Isaac II and his son Alexios IV as co-emperors on August 1, 1203. Expand +

Genghis Khan is proclaimed the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire.

The Massacre at Béziers takes place during the Albigensian Crusade, with Crusaders led by Simon de Montfort sacking the city and killing thousands.

Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father, Philip II. His coronation took place on 6 August of the same year, in the cathedral at Reims. Louis VIII, nicknamed The Lion, was King of France from 1223 to 1226. More

The Treaty of San Germano is signed between Emperor Frederick II and Pope Gregory IX, ending the Papal-Imperial conflict.

The Battle of Posada takes place between the Mongol Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary, resulting in a Hungarian victory.

The Battle of Lake Peipus occurs between the Teutonic Knights and the Novgorod Republic, with the Novgorod forces emerging victorious.

Mindaugas is crowned as the first and only King of Lithuania, establishing the Kingdom of Lithuania. This day is celebrated as Statehood Day (or King Mindaugas' Coronation Day) in Lithuania. Mindaugas is now generally considered the founder of the Lithuanian state, he is also credited with stopping the advance of the Tatars towards the Baltic Sea and turning it towards Western civilization.

The Battle of Ain Jalut occurs between the Mongol Empire and the Mamluk Sultanate, resulting in a decisive Mamluk victory and halting the Mongol expansion into the Middle East.

The Nicaean Empire, one of the Byzantine successor states, recovers Constantinople as Michael VIII enters the city in triumph ending the Latin Empire on July 25, 1261. The Fourth Crusade sack of Constantinople and other actions cemented the schism between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches and delivered a fatal blow to the already declining Byzantine Empire. leaving an enduring legacy of chaos and division.

King Edward I of England issues the Edict of Expulsion on July 18, 1290, ordering all Jews to leave the country before November 1, 1290. The expulsion was motivated by a combination of economic and religious factors, and it remained in effect for 366 years, until 1656 when Oliver Cromwell allowed for the readmission of Jews. More

King Edward I of England issues the Edict of Expulsion, which mandated the expulsion of all Jews from England by November 1, 1290. This edict was not an isolated incident but the culmination of increasing antisemitism and restrictions imposed on Jewish communities over the preceding two centuries. The expulsion was a permanent ban that remained in effect for over 350 years. It wasn't until 1657, during the Protectorate under Oliver Cromwell, that Jews were permitted to return to England.

Duke Albert I of Austria defeats deposed King Adolf of Germany at the Battle of Göllheim where Adolf was also killed. Adolf had been unilaterally deposed by the prince-electors to dethrone him after who then proclaimed Albert as the new King of Germany.

The Mongols under Ghazan Khan capture the Syrian Citadel of Aleppo during the Summer of 1299,, marking Mongol expansion into the region. Ghazan's conquest did not result in a permanent Mongol control of the region, and they withdrew the majority of their forces from Syria, to their bases in the north in February 1300.

The Battle of the Golden Spurs takes place on July 11, 1302 on the outskirts of Kortrijk in Flanders (present day Belgium) in which an untrained Flemish infantry militia, defeats a professional force of the French king, Philip IV and patrician Flemish cavalry, thus checking the growth of French control over the area.