May 14 –
Siege of Nicaea: The Crusaders begin their campaign with the siege of
Nicaea (the capital of the
Sultanate of Rum), assigning their forces to different sections of the walls, which are well-defended with 200 towers. Towards the end, an advance party of the
Seljuk Turks is defeated by troops of
Raymond IV (Saint-Gilles) and
Robert II.[1]
June 19 – The Seljuk Turks surrender Nicaea to the Crusaders after a month siege. The Byzantines occupy the city; their commander
Manuel Boutoumites is named by Emperor
Alexios I (Komnenos) as doux of Nicaea. In the consternation the Crusaders are not allowed to plunder the city and are forced (again) to pledge their allegiance to Alexios.
July 1 –
Battle of Dorylaeum: The Crusaders defeat a Seljuk army led by
Kilij Arslan I, ruler of the Sultanate of Rum, who wants revenge for the capture of Nicaea. During the battle many Crusaders are killed but the Seljuk Turks are forced to flee and abandon their tents and treasure after being surprised by the arrival of a second Crusader army.
October 21 –
Siege of Antioch: The Crusaders arrive outside the city and begin the siege. They can not impose a complete blockade on Antioch. The Seljuk garrison comes out of the city to harass Crusader siege-lines and intercept supply convoys (supported by a Genoese fleet of 12 galleys) from
Saint Symeon and
Alexandretta (modern
Turkey).[2]
December 31 – Battle of Harenc: The Crusaders under the command of Bohemond I and Robert II defeat Seljuk forces from
Aleppo, which try to relieve besieged Antioch.[3]
Europe
April/May –
Battle of Gvozd Mountain: In an attempt to win the crown of the
Kingdom of Croatia, the Hungarian army crosses the
Drava River and invades Croatia. King
Peter II of Croatia moves his residency at
Knin Castle to defend his kingdom. The two armies meet each other near Gvozd Mountain (modern-day
Mala Kapela). After a fierce battle Peter, the last Croatian king, is defeated and killed by the Hungarians.
Summer – Almoravid forces launch a new campaign in
Al-Andalus (modern
Spain). Sultan
Yusuf ibn Tashfin, leader of the
Almoravid Empire, is honored with the title of Amir al Muslimin ("Commander of the Muslims").[4]
King
Donald III (the Fair) is deposed by his nephew
Edgar (who is supported by King
William II) after a 4-year reign. Edgar (nicknamed Probus, "the Valliant") becomes ruler of
Scotland (until
1107).
England
William II orders the construction of
Westminster Hall near
Westminster Abbey in
London. The hall is designed to hold
banquets, ceremonies and coronations that take place in the Abbey nearby.
By topic
Religion
October –
Anselm, archbishop of
Canterbury, goes into
exile. Conflicts between him and William II result in Anselm leaving
England and heading for
Rome. William confiscates Anselm's land.