1300, Circa June
Dante Alighieri becomes one of the six priors of Florence, Italy.
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What Happened in June?
Deaths, raids, and battles. Examine landmark historical events that took place in June. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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Pope Clement V succeeds Pope Benedict XI, becoming the 195th pope. His election came following an eleven-month conclave after the death of Pope Benedict XI.
His election took place in Perugia after a lengthy delay caused by disputes between French and Italian factions within the cardinals and was heavily influenced by the French King Phillip IV.
The Battle of Bannockburn begins between the army of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots, and the army of King Edward II of England. It was a decisive engagement in Scottish history whereby the Scots defeated the English, regained their independence and established Robert the Bruce as Robert I. It was a major turning point in the war, which ended 14 years later with the de jure restoration of Scottish independence under the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton. More
Louis X of France dies, while his wife, Queen Clémence, is pregnant at the time of his death. His newborn son, John I, died shortly after birth, and then Louis's brother, Philip, claimed the throne, arguing that a woman could not inherit the crown setting a precedent for the Salic Law, which prevented women from inheriting the French throne for centuries to come.
Emperor Frederick III of Sicily dies, leading to a succession crisis.
Peasants' Revolt begins in England. More
The Battle of Kosovo takes place between the Ottoman Empire led by Sultan Murad I, and a coalition of Balkan states led by Serbian Prince Lazar. Both leaders were killed during the battle. Ultimately, the Ottomans were able to regroup under Murad's son, Bayezid I. The battle was costly on both sides and it ultimately led to Serbia becoming an Ottoman vassal state.
The Council of Pisa officially opens on June 6, 1409, attempting to resolve the Western Schism by electing a new pope, Alexander V.
The Council of Pisa elects Alexander V as the new pope on June 26,1409 further deepening the Western Schism, since the two existing popes refused to abdicate resulting in three competing claims to the papacy, further weakening the authority of the Church.
The Western Schism was not resolved until the Council of Constance in 1417, which deposed the three claimants and elected Martin V, finally reuniting the papacy.
The Battle of San Romano takes place between the Republic of Florence, led by Niccolò da Tolentino, and the Republic of Siena, under Francesco Piccinino. It took place near San Romano, a town approximately 30 miles outside Florence, Italy. The battle lasted for several hours and is generally considered a Florentine victory. The battle was part of a broader conflict in the 1430s involving Florence, its rival Lucca, and allies Siena and Milan.
Alfonso V of Aragon formally conquers Naples on June 2, 1442, from the Angevins; establishing Aragonese rule in southern Italy and reunifying the kingdoms of Sicily and Naples under one crown.
Spain and Portugal sign the Treaty of Tordesillas on June 7, 1494, dividing the New World into Spanish and Portuguese spheres of influence; establishing a new demarcation line between the two crowns, running from pole to pole, 370 leagues to the west of the Cape Verde islands.
The treaty amended papal bulls issued by Pope Alexander VI in 1493. These declarations had granted Spain an exclusive claim to the entirety of North and South America. More The New treaty granted Spain rights to lands to the west and Portugal to the east, an agreement that would later result in Portugal claiming Brazil.
Map by Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (1622)
Italian explorer John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) lands in North America, possibly in Newfoundland. Labrador, or Cape Breton Island. Commissioned by England's King Henry VII to find a westward route to Asia, his voyage was the first European one to North America since the Vikings and help establish an early English claim to the continent. Cabot had set sail from Bristol, England, on one ship, the Matthew, and made landfall on June 24, 1497.
Cabot made a second trip in 1498, from which he and his ships disappeared, but his explorations laid the groundwork for future English settlements in the area.
Circa 1503, June
Leonardo da Vinci is commissioned to paint the Mona Lisa by Francesco del Giocondo a wealthy Florentine merchant who wanted a portrait of his wife Lisa Gherardini,, for the couple's home. Leonardo began work on the portrait in the same year and continued to refine it until his death in 1519.
Michelangelo's David, the renowned marble sculpture is believed to have been temporarily installed next to the entrance to the Palazzo della Signoria, where it was placed on a wooden platform replacing Donatello's bronze sculpture of Judith and Holofernes. While the installation at the piazza occurred on this date, the statue was "unveiled" to the public and fully revealed on September 8, 1504.
The work, was originally commissioned in 1501 by the Opera del Duomo (the Overseers of the Office of Works of the Florence Cathedral) when Michelangelo was only 26 years old, It is considered to be one of the great works of art of the Renaissance. Michelangelo sculpted the statue from a single block of Carrara marble which had remained neglected for 25 years because of the presence of too many imperfections. The colossal statue stands at 17 feet (5.17 meters) tall. In 1873, it was removed from the piazza to protect it from damage, and was moved to the Accademia Gallery. The statue was not placed in its permanent setting in the Accademia until 1882. A replica was placed in the Piazza della Signoria in 1910. More
English King, Henry VIII weds his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. In 1527 Pope Clement VII, refused to annul the marriage which led to Henry's break with the Catholic Church and the establishment of the Church of England.
Henry VIII was crowned at Westminster Abbey when he was 18 years old. It was a grand affair that included a procession from the Tower of London.
Charles I of Spain, crowned Holy Roman Emperor, becomes Charles V. Becoming one of the most powerful European rulers of all times. he reign over territories in Europe and the Americas. His goal as Holy Roman Emperor was to unite Europe, but instead, his reign was filled with war and conflict. More
Pope Leo X issues the bull Exsurge Domine (“Arise O Lord”) in response to the teachings of Martin Luther which opposed the views of the Catholic Church; giving Luther 60 days to recant.
Luther refused and continued to rebuke the papacy. As a result, Luther was excommunicated on Jan 3, 1521. More
The Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés forces fight their way out of Tenochtitlan suffering severe loses as the Aztecs revolt against their rule. Many Spanish soldiers drowned in Lake Texcoco. The exit is known as the "Noche Triste" or “the Night of Sadness".