1268 CE
Battle of Antioch: The Principality of Antioch, a crusader state, falls to the Mamluk Sultan Baibars; his destruction of the city of Antioch is so great, as to permanently negate the city's importance. Battle of Tagliacozzo: The army of Charles of Anjou defeats the Ghibellines supporters of Conradin of Hohenstaufen, marking the fall of the Hohenstaufen Family from the Imperial and Sicilian thrones, and leading to the new chapter of Angevin domination in Southern Italy. Conradin, the last legitimate male heir of the Hohenstaufen Dynasty of Kings of Germany and Holy Roman Emperors, is executed, along with his companion Frederick I, Margrave of Baden, by Charles I of Sicily, a political rival and ally to the hostile Roman Catholic Church.
Geopolitics & Diplomacy
Conflict & Security
- February 18 – Battle of Rakvere: The Livonian Order is defeated by Dovmont of Pskov.source
- May 18 – Battle of Antioch: The Principality of Antioch, a crusader state, falls to the Mamluk Sultan Baibars; his destruction of the city of Antioch is so great, as to permanently negate the city's importance.source
- August 23 – Battle of Tagliacozzo: The army of Charles of Anjou defeats the Ghibellines supporters of Conradin of Hohenstaufen, marking the fall of the Hohenstaufen Family from the Imperial and Sicilian thrones, and leading to the new chapter of Angevin domination in Southern Italy.source
- King Stephen V of Hungary launches a war against Bulgaria.source
- Kublai Khan sends an emissary to the Kamakura shogunate of Japan, demanding an acknowledgment of suzerainty and payment of tribute; the Japanese refuse, starting a diplomatic back-and-forth, lasting until the Mongols attempt to invade in 1274.source
- The Battle of Xiangyang, a 6-year battle between the Chinese Song dynasty and the Mongol forces of Kublai Khan, begins in what is today Hubei.source
Exploration & Expansion
- The town of Guta is founded (currently Kolárovo, Slovakia).source
Religion & Belief
- October 29 – Conradin, the last legitimate male heir of the Hohenstaufen Dynasty of Kings of Germany and Holy Roman Emperors, is executed, along with his companion Frederick I, Margrave of Baden, by Charles I of Sicily, a political rival and ally to the hostile Roman Catholic Church.source
- New election procedures for the election of the doge are established in Venice, in order to reduce the influence of powerful individual families and possibly to prevent the popular Lorenzo Tiepolo from becoming elected.source
- The Tibetan monk Drogön Chögyal Phagpa of the Sakya School completes the 'Phags-pa script, which was sponsored by Kublai Khan as a new writing system in his empire.source
Health & Medicine
- In France, the use of hops as the exclusive flavoring agent used in the manufacture of beer is made compulsory.source
Climate & Environment
- An earthquake in Cilicia occurs in 1268 northeast of the city of Adana. Over 60,000 people perished in the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia in southern Asia Minor.source
Culture & Society
Births
Deaths
- May 15 – Peter II, Count of Savoy (b. 1203)source
- July 7 – Reniero Zeno, Doge of Venicesource
- August 11 – Agnes of Faucigny, Dame ruler of Faucigny, countess consort of Savoysource
- October 29 – Conradin, Duke of Swabia (executed) (b. 1252)source
- October 29 – Frederick I, Margrave of Baden (executed) (b. 1249)source
- December 9 – Vaišvilkas, Prince of Black Rutheniasource
- Pope Clement IV dies; the following papal election fails to choose a new pope for almost three years, precipitating the later creation of stringent rules governing the electoral procedures.source
- Henry de Bracton, English juristsource
- Barral of Baux, Grand Justiciar of Sicilysource