1088
University of Bologna traditionally founded
Italian scholars teaching Roman law at Bologna organized themselves into a formal studium, traditionally dated to this year.
Shen Kuo completes Dream Pool Essays
The Song polymath, retired from government service, compiled his Brush Talks from Dream Brook, an encyclopedic miscellany describing the magnetic compass…
Shen Kuo Describes the Magnetic Compass Needle
In his Dream Pool Essays, the retired polymath Shen Kuo provided the world's first explicit description of a magnetized needle - suspended on silk thread…
Urban II elected pope
The French Cluniac monk Odo of Chatillon was elected at Terracina after the brief pontificate of Victor III.
Dream Pool Essays Documents Geological Insights
Among the hundreds of entries in Shen Kuo's masterwork was an observation that would not be surpassed for centuries…
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1088?
Saeculum lists 5 events from 1088. The most significant is University of Bologna traditionally founded: Italian scholars teaching Roman law at Bologna organized themselves into a formal studium, traditionally dated to this year.
What era was 1088 part of?
1088 falls within the High Middle Ages (1000-1300). Crusades, cathedrals, and the slow waking of Europe.
Which regions saw notable events in 1088?
The events from 1088 span Europe and East Asia.