Directory

1161 CE

Battle of Oslo: King Inge I of Norway ("the Hunchback") is defeated and killed while fighting the forces of Haakon II ("the Broadshouldered") who succeeds Inge, with 5-year-old Magnus V as co-ruler, but not without challenges to his sovereignty. Theobald of Bec, archbishop of Canterbury in England dies after an illness. King Henry II is informed and expresses the wish to have his friend Thomas Becket elected as the successor. Wanyan Liang, Chinese prince of Hailing, is assassinated while on campaign. He is succeeded by Emperor Shizong of Jin (until 1189).

Conflict & Security

  • February 3 – Battle of Oslo: King Inge I of Norway ("the Hunchback") is defeated and killed while fighting the forces of Haakon II ("the Broadshouldered") who succeeds Inge, with 5-year-old Magnus V as co-ruler, but not without challenges to his sovereignty.source
  • December 15 – Wanyan Liang, Chinese prince of Hailing, is assassinated while on campaign. He is succeeded by Emperor Shizong of Jin (until 1189).source
  • An Almoravid offensive against the Kingdom of Portugal reaches the city of Almada, located on the Tagus river.source
  • Jin–Song Wars: The Battle of Tangdao (November 16) and Battle of Caishi (November 26–27) on the Yangtze River, between the Jin dynasty and the Song dynasty in China result in two pivotal Song naval victories.source

Religion & Belief

  • January 5 – Canonization of Edward the Confessor (d. 1066) in England.source
  • late summer/early autumn – Géza II of Hungary and the envoys of Pope Alexander III conclude the Concordat of 1161, by which Géza agrees to support the Pope in exchange for concessions.source
  • after April 18 – Bartholomew is consecrated as bishop of Exeter in England (until 1184).source

Crime & Justice

  • The Cross of Saint Euphrosyne, commissioned by Euphrosyne of Polotsk in Belarus, is created by craftsman Lazar Bohsha. (It goes missing during World War II, and is not recovered subsequently).source
  • Magnus Henriksson, pretender to the throne of Sweden, is murdered by Charles VII, who becomes king of Sweden until 1167.source

Culture & Society

  • December 24 – The widowed Emperor Manuel I Komnenos marries Maria of Antioch, aged 16, at Hagia Sophia.source

Births

  • February 22 – Innocent III, pope of the Catholic Church (d. 1216)source
  • September 20 – Takakura, emperor of Japan (d. 1181)source
  • Guðmundur Arason, Icelandic bishop (d. 1237)source
  • Sasaki Yoshikiyo, Japanese nobleman (d. 1242)source
  • Sancho, Count of Provence (or Sanche), Spanish nobleman (d. 1223)source
  • Da'ud Abu al-Fadl, Ayyubid physician (d. 1242)source
  • Belgutei, half-brother of Genghis Khan (d. 1271)source
  • Satō Tadanobu, Japanese samurai (d. 1186)source
  • Beatrice of Albon, duchess of Burgundy (d. 1228)source
  • Constance, duchess of Brittany (approximate date)source
  • Börte, wife of Genghis Khan (approximate date)source
  • Alfonso Téllez de Meneses, Spanish nobleman (d. 1230)source
  • Eleanor of England, queen of Castile (d. 1214)source
  • Tsangpa Gyare, Tibetan Buddhist leader (d. 1211)source

Deaths

  • February 3 – Inge I ("the Hunchback"), king of Norway (b. 1135)source
  • April 18 – Theobald of Bec, archbishop of Canterbury (b. 1090)source
  • April 18 – Theobald of Bec, archbishop of Canterbury in England dies after an illness. King Henry II is informed and expresses the wish to have his friend Thomas Becket elected as the successor.source
  • May 12 – Fergus of Galloway, Scottish noblemansource
  • June 14 – Qinzong, Chinese emperor (b. 1100)source
  • September 10 – Tala'i ibn Ruzzik, Fatimid viziersource
  • September 11 – Melisende, queen of Jerusalem (b. 1105)source
  • October 12 – Henry V, duke of Carinthia (House of Sponheim)source
  • October 28 – Imar of Tusculum, French abbot and bishopsource
  • November 21 – William III, count of Nevers and Auxerresource
  • November 23 – Adam of Ebrach, German monk and abbotsource
  • December 15 – Wanyan Liang, Chinese emperor (b. 1122)source
  • Roger IV, duke of Apulia and Calabria (b. 1152)source
  • Magnus Henriksson, king of Sweden (b. 1130)source