1078, circa July
Prince Vsevolod I becomes Grand Prince of Kiev, marking a significant period in Kievan Rus' history.
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What Happened in July?
Natural disasters, battles, and rulers being crowned. Discover the significant events and milestones from July throughout history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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The Crusaders, led by Godfrey of Bouillon, capture the city of Jerusalem from the Fatimid Caliphate, marking the conclusion of the First Crusade. More
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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
By Domingos Sequeira (1793) Public Domain.
King Amalric I of Jerusalem dies of dysentery on July 11, 1174, while returning from a campaign in Syria. His death, following that of Nur ad-Din, created a power vacuum, leaving the kingdom to his 13-year-old son, Baldwin IV.
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.
The attack and siege of Constantinople was the result of Alexios IV promise to pay the Crusaders' debts to the Venetians and unite the Orthodox and Catholic churches. More
1206, c. July
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.
On July 2, 1214, English King John orders a major retreat during the siege of the Roche-aux-Moines Fortress, despite having a larger force, when French Prince Louis army approached. This allowed the French to secure the region and solidify on July 27, 1214 their victory in the decisive Battle of Bouvines where French Philip II Augustus defeated the main Allied army.
The combination of the retreat, the loss at the battle of Bouvines, where his coalition was defeated, and the failure of his campaign to recover Normandy lands, led to the collapse of his continental alliance and to the subsequent baron rebellion that forced him to seal the Magna Carta in June 1215.
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.
King Louis IX of France defeats Henry III of England at the two day battle of Taillebourg on July 21-22, 1242. It was the decisive engagement of the Saintonge War; a feudal dynastic conflict between Capetian forces supportive of King Louis IX's brother Alphonse, Count of Poitiers and those of Hugh X of Lusignan, Raymond VII of Toulouse and Henry III of England.
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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