Directory

1266 CE

Second Barons' War: Battle of Chesterfield: English forces led by Henry of Almain, son of Richard of Cornwall, defeat rebels under Robert de Ferrers in a minor skirmish at Chesterfield. Robert is taken as a prisoner to London, and at the Parliament of England disinherits. In July, he is forced to surrender land and Liverpool Castle to Edmund Crouchback, second son of King Henry III of England. Treaty of Perth: King Alexander III of Scotland agrees to a peace settlement with King Magnus VI of Norway ("the Law-mender") in which the Outer Hebrides and Isle of Man are ceded to Scotland in exchange for 4,000 marks. In return, Alexander confirms Norwegian sovereignty over the islands of Shetland and Orkney. Siege of Safed: Mamluk forces capture the castle of Safed, defended by a garrison of 1,700 men (including some 500 Knights Templar), after a 6-week siege. Sultan Baibars promises safe conduct but when the Christians and Templars are on their way towards Acre, they are seized and beheaded.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • July 2 – Treaty of Perth: King Alexander III of Scotland agrees to a peace settlement with King Magnus VI of Norway ("the Law-mender") in which the Outer Hebrides and Isle of Man are ceded to Scotland in exchange for 4,000 marks. In return, Alexander confirms Norwegian sovereignty over the islands of Shetland and Orkney.source
  • October 31 – Dictum of Kenilworth provides terms of peace in the Second Barons' War between supporters of the slain rebel leader Simon de Montfort and Henry III.source
  • In France, the gold écu (or crown) and silver grosh coins are minted for the first time during the reign of Louis IX.source

Conflict & Security

  • May 15 – Second Barons' War: Battle of Chesterfield: English forces led by Henry of Almain, son of Richard of Cornwall, defeat rebels under Robert de Ferrers in a minor skirmish at Chesterfield. Robert is taken as a prisoner to London, and at the Parliament of England disinherits. In July, he is forced to surrender land and Liverpool Castle to Edmund Crouchback, second son of King Henry III of England.source
  • June 23 – Battle of Trapani: The Venetian fleet (24 galleys) led by Admiral Jacopo Dondulo moves to Marsala and attacks the larger Genoese fleet anchored at Trapani, capturing all its ships. Some 1,200 Genoese drown and many are killed. Dondulo is acclaimed a hero on his return to Venice in July and elected as Captain General of the Sea, Venice's highest naval command position.source
  • June – The Mudéjar revolt of 1264–1266 ends. The rebels make their formal submission to Alfonso X. They recognize the error that the Moors of Murcia have committed against their overlord Alfonso. Representatives of the aljama, or municipal council, renew their allegiance and humbly beg for pardon, mercy and favour. With this, the Mudéjar uprising in the Kingdom of Murcia is formally ended.source
  • July 23 – Siege of Safed: Mamluk forces capture the castle of Safed, defended by a garrison of 1,700 men (including some 500 Knights Templar), after a 6-week siege. Sultan Baibars promises safe conduct but when the Christians and Templars are on their way towards Acre, they are seized and beheaded.source
  • August 24 – Battle of Mari: Mamluk forces (some 30,000 men) led by Baibars defeat the Armenian army in Cilicia, in retaliation for the support of the Mongol invasion in Syria. He expands his domain, capturing the city of Byblos (modern Lebanon) and the important castle of Toron from the Crusader States.source
  • October 28 – A Crusader advance guard is ambushed by the Egyptian garrison of Safed, while local Arabs attack the Crusader camp. The 13-year-old Hugh II, ruler of Cyprus, is advised to retire and withdraw with heavy losses. Meanwhile, Baibars campaigns in Galilee and leads a lightning raid to Tripoli.source
  • December 13 – Siege of Kenilworth: English forces under Henry III capture Kenilworth Castle from remaining rebels in the Second Barons' War after a 6-month siege. During the siege Archbishop William Freney tries to negotiate with the garrison but is refused entry.source

Exploration & Expansion

  • Niccolo and Maffeo Polo, father and uncle of Marco Polo, reach the Mongol capital Khanbaliq (modern-day Beijing), setting the stage for Marco's famous expedition 5 years later. Kublai Khan sends the Polos back with a message, requesting that Pope Clement IV dispatch western scholars to teach in the Mongol Empire; however, this request is largely ignored.source

Crime & Justice

  • Ode de Pougy, French Abbess of Notre Dame aux Nonnains, sends a gang to attempt to destroy the nearby part-completed Église Saint-Urbain, Troyes.source

Climate & Environment

  • In the modern-day United States, a period of drought (up until 1299) begins in the Four Corners Region, putting an end to the ancient Puebloans Civilization.source

Births

  • Jadwiga of Kalisz, queen consort of Poland (d. 1339)source
  • Ravivarman Kulaśēkhara, Indian ruler of Venad (d. 1317)source
  • Ki Cha-o, Korean nobleman (d. 1328)source
  • Margaret of Villehardouin, princess of Achaea (d. 1315)source
  • Gilbert Segrave, English nobleman and bishop (d. 1316)source
  • John of Brittany, English courtier, nobleman and knight (d. 1334)source
  • Rigdzin Kumaradza, Tibetan Dzogchen master (d. 1343)source
  • Herman VII, Margrave of Baden-Baden ("the Rouser"), German nobleman (d. 1291)source
  • Duns Scotus, Scottish priest and philosopher (d. 1308)source
  • Hethum II, king of Cilician Armenia (assassinated 1307)source
  • Alauddin Khalji, Sultan of Delhi (d. 1316)source

Deaths

  • January 11 – Swietopelk II, Duke of Pomerania ("the Great"), Polish noblemansource
  • February 26 – Manfred, King of Sicily, illegitimate son of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1232)source
  • February 26 – Richard of Lauria, Italian nobleman and condottieresource
  • March – Margaret de Quincy, Countess of Lincoln, English noblewoman and heiresssource
  • April 14 – Roger of Torre Maggiore, Italian archbishopsource
  • April 23 – Gilles of Saumur, French cleric and archbishop of Tyresource
  • May 7 – Fariduddin Ganjshakar, Ghurid preacher (b. 1179)source
  • June 12 – Henry II, Prince of Anhalt-Aschersleben, German nobleman (b. 1215)source
  • August 4 – Odo, Count of Nevers (Odo or Eudes of Burgundy), French noblemansource
  • August 8 – Sayyed Ibn Tawus, Abbasid theologian (b. 1193)source
  • October 29 – Margaret of Austria, queen consort of Germany and later of Bohemia (b. 1204)source
  • November 19 – Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah, Mamluk ruler of Delhisource
  • December 3 – Henry III the White), duke of Silesia-Wrocławsource
  • December – John of Ibelin ("John of Jaffa"), Outremer nobleman, crusader knight and legal writer (b. 1215)source