1209
Francis of Assisi founds his order
A cloth merchant's son who had stripped naked in the Assisi piazza to renounce his inheritance gathered eleven companions and walked to Rome.
Mongol campaign subdues the Uighurs
The Uighur kingdom of Qocho, a literate Buddhist and Manichaean oasis state along the northern Silk Road, submitted peacefully to Genghis Khan and provided…
Massacre at Beziers in Languedoc
Crusader troops under Simon de Montfort and the legate Arnaud Amalric stormed the city and killed thousands of inhabitants, Catholic and Cathar alike.
Cambridge scholars flee Oxford to found a university
After a townsman killed a student in Oxford and two scholars were hanged in reprisal, masters fled up the fen road to a small market town.
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1209?
Saeculum lists 4 events from 1209. The most significant is Francis of Assisi founds his order: A cloth merchant's son who had stripped naked in the Assisi piazza to renounce his inheritance gathered eleven companions and walked to Rome.
What era was 1209 part of?
1209 falls within the High Middle Ages (1000-1300). Crusades, cathedrals, and the slow waking of Europe.
Which regions saw notable events in 1209?
The events from 1209 span Europe and Central Asia.