Historical Events 511 Clovis, King of Franks, dies. 527 Justinian becomes Byzantine emperor. 529 Benedictine order established. Justinian Code of Roman laws issued. 532 St. Sophia Basilica begun in Constantinople. 550 St. David christianizes Wales. 570 Muhammad, founder of Islam, born. 597 St. Augustine of Canterbury christianizes England. 600 Pope Gregory I institutes Gregorian chants. 622 The Hegira, Muhammad's flight from Mecca. First year of Muslim calendar. 632 Muhammad dies. 637 Jerusalem captured by Arabs. 642 Arabs destroy 300,000 scrolls at Alexandria library 700 Greek replaces Latin in Eastern Roman Empire. 700 Heroic poem Beowulf written in Old English. 712 Arabs conquer Seville, Spain. 732 Charles Martel stems Arab expansion at Tours and Poitiers. 735 Venerable Bede dies. 790 Golden Age of Arabic learning. 800 Charlemagne crowned emperor. 814 Building of Doge's Palace in Venice. 851 French start to use crossbow. 861 Vikings discover Iceland. 871 Alfred the Great crowned King of England. 900 Vikings discover Greenland. 939 Arabs lose Madrid. 962 Otto the Great crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 1000 The Millennium. Leif Ericsson said to have discovered America. 1016 Danes defeat Aethelred and control England. 1026 Guido d'Arezzo introduces solfeggio: do, re, mi. 1040 Duncan murdered by Macbeth. 1050 Time values given to musical notes. Chanson de Roland written. 1057 Macbeth murdered by Malcolm. 1066 Battle of Hastings. William the Conqueror crowned King of England. 1078 Tower of London begun. 1086 Domesday Book compiled. 1094 St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice completed. 1095 First Crusade to Jerusalem begun. 1123 Omar Khayyam, Persian poet, dies. 1125 Troubadour and trouvere music arises in France. 1144 Failure of Second Crusade. 1150 Paper manufactured in Spain by Moors. 1151 Chinese use explosives in warfare. 1167 Genghis Khan, founder of Mongol Empire, born. 1155 Carmelite order founaed. 1163 Notre–Dame de Paris built. 1170 Thomas a Beckett murdered in Canterbury Cathedral. 1170Lancelot written by Chretien de Troyes. 1174 Leaning Tower of Pisa built. 1178 Bridge at Avignon built. 1185Tristan und Isolde written. 1189 Richard the Lionheart crowned King of England. 1200 Cambridge University founded. 1202 Fourth Crusade. 1211 Genghis Khan invades China. 1214 Roger Bacon born. 1215 King John of England signs Magna Carta. 1216 Dominican Friars founded. 1218 Genghis Khan conquers Persia. 1221 Sonnet develops in Italy. 1227 Genghis Khan dies. Empire divided among three sons and grandsons. 1240 Motet popular music form. 1255 Kublai Khan emperor of China. St. Thomas Aquinas begins Summa
theologica. 1271 Marco Polo travels to China, visits Kublai Khan. 1285 Pied Piper of Hamelin. 1290 Invention of spectacles. 1291 Last crusade.
Literature
St. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274)
Roger Bacon (ca. 1214–1294)
Omar Khayyam (fl. 1220s)
Marco Polo (ca. 1254–ca.1324)
Music
Adam de la Halle (ca.1230–1288)
Fine Arts
Bonnoof Pisa (fl.1180s)
Giovanni Cimabue (ca.1240–1302)
Pietro Cavallini (1273–1308)
Duccio di Buoninsegna (1255–1319)
Bernard Gilduin (fl.1090s)
Gislebertus (fl.1130s)
Giovanni Pisano (1245–1314)
Nicola Pisano (1220–1284)
Jean Pucelle (1320s)
Villard de Honnecourt (fl.1230s)
