Genghis Khan dies campaigning against Western Xia

August 18, 1227

After a fall from his horse and a lingering illness, the founder of the Mongol empire died in Gansu as his armies were completing the extermination of the Tangut kingdom. His body was carried secretly to an unmarked grave in Mongolia. The empire continued to expand. Every person who witnessed the funeral procession was reportedly killed to keep the burial site secret for eternity.