1212

Events

• July 10 – The most severe of several early fires of London burns most of the city to the ground, Over 3,000 people die.
• July 17 – Battle of Navas de Tolosa: The Christian kingdoms of Spain decisively defeat the Almohads.
• December – Frederick II of Hohenstaufen is crowned King of Germany with the support of Pope Innocent III.
• The Children's Crusade, led by 12-year-old Stephen of Cloyes, sets out for the Holy Land from France.
• In Japan, Kamo no Chōmei writes the Hōjōki, one of the great works of classical Japanese prose.
• Bran Castle is erected by the Teutonic Knights.
• John of England impounds the revenue of all prelates appointed by bishops who had deserted him at his excommunication.^[1] He remains on good terms, however, with churchmen who stood by him, including Abbot Sampson, who this year bequeaths John his jewels.^[2]
• The Banner of Las Navas de Tolosa is begun. It is a trophy of Ferdinand III of Castile, and will end up in the Museo de Telas Medievales.

Births

• March 22 – Emperor Go-Horikawa of Japan (d. 1234)
• Yolande of Jerusalem (d. 1228)
• Malatesta da Verucchio, Italian condottiero, founder of the Malatesta family (d. 1312)
• Zita, patron saint of maids and domestic servants (d. 1272)

Deaths

• March 26 – King Sancho I of Portugal (b. 1154)
• April 12 – Vsevolod the Big Nest, Grand Prince of Vladimir (b. 1154)
• October 9 – Philip I of Namur, Marquis of Namur (b. 1175)
• November 4 – Felix of Valois, French saint (b. 1127)
• December 12 – Geoffrey, Archbishop of York (b. 1152)
• Dirk van Are, bishop and lord of Utrecht
• William de Brus, 3rd Lord of Annandale
• Margaret of Huntingdon, eldest daughter of David of Scotland, 8th Earl of Huntingdon by his wife (b. 1180)
• Maria of Montferrat, Queen of Jerusalem (b. 1192)
• Peter de Preaux, Norman knight in the service of the Angevin kings of England
• Robert of Auxerre, French chronicler (b. 1156)
• Hōnen, founder of Jodo Shu, a branch of Pure Land Buddhism (b. 1133)
• Robert of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bangor

References