May 7 –
Second Council of Lyon: Pope
Gregory X convenes a council at
Lyon, after Emperor
Michael VIII (Palaiologos) gives assurances that the
Orthodox Church is prepared to reunite with
Rome. The council agrees to a settlement between the
Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church over several key issues – Orthodox acceptance of papal primacy and the acceptance of the
Nicene Creed with the Filioque clause. Gregory approves a
tithe to support efforts to liberate the
Holy Land from Muslims, and reaches apparent resolution of the schism, which ultimately proves unsuccessful. All but four
mendicant orders of friars are suppressed. Catholic teaching on
Purgatory is defined for the first time.[1]
November – The
Imperial Diet at
Nuremberg orders that all crown estates seized since the death of Emperor
Frederick II be restored to King
Rudolf I. Almost all European rulers agree, with the exception of
Ottokar II, king of
Bohemia, who has benefited greatly by conquering or otherwise coming into possession of many of those lands.
England
August 2 – Prince
Edward (the Lord Edward) finally returns from the Holy Land, to be crowned king of
England, two years after his father King
Henry III's death, on
August 19.
November 4–
19 –
Battle of Bun'ei: Forces of the Mongol-led
Yuan Dynasty of
China invade
Japan. After conquering the Japanese settlements on
Tsushima and
Iki islands,
Kublai Khan's fleet moves on to Japan and lands at
Hakata Bay. Their landing is not unopposed: an old sea wall runs along much of the bay, and behind it are stationed the warriors of
Hōjō Tokimune. The Japanese open combat with whistling arrows (kabura-ya), designed to unnerve and intimidate their foes. The Mongols use bombs against the Japanese forces and manage to break through at a few places, burning down the nearby town of
Hakata (modern-day
Fukuoka). The invaders are eventually repelled, and after inflicting heavy losses on the Japanese, a withdrawal is ordered. Credit for a great typhoon – called a
kamikaze, or divine wind – the Mongol fleet is dashed on the rocks and destroyed. Some sources suggest that 200 warships are lost. Of the 30,000 strong invasion force, some 13,000 does not return.[4]
Nichiren, Japanese priest and philosopher, enters exile on
Mount Minobu. He leads a widespread movement of followers in
Kantō and
Sado mainly through his prolific letter-writing.
May 1 – In
Florence, the 9-year-old Dante first sees the 8-year-old
Beatrice, his lifelong muse. She appears later as one of his guides in the Divine Comedy, Paradiso and Purgatorio.[6]
Religion
Pope
Gregory X decrees that
conclaves (gatherings of the
College of Cardinals where the elections of a
bishop of Rome are convened) should be used for papal elections, reforming the electoral process which had taken over 3 years to elect him.
Gregory X obtains the region of
Romagna from Rudolf I, in exchange for acknowledging him as
Holy Roman Emperor. With this important acquisition, the
Papal States become the second-largest power block in Italy after the
Kingdom of Sicily.[7]