1340

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1331 1332 1333 1334 1335 1336 1337 1338 1339 1340

Contents:

political events
commerce
transportation
medicine
education

political events

Denmark's anarchy ends in April with the murder of Gerhard, count of Holstein, during a visit to Jutland (see 1332). The youngest (20-year-old) son of the late Kristoffer II has lived until 2 years ago at the court of the Holy Roman Emperor Ludwig IV (the Bavarian), receiving the emperor's help and that of Ludwig, margrave of Brandenburg, in his efforts to end the rule of Gerhard and Johann the Mild, counts of Holstein. He comes to an agreement with John and ascends the throne as Valdemar IV Atterdag, beginning a reign that will continue until his death in 1375 (see 1346).

The Battle of Sluys June 24 gives England's Edward III victory over a French fleet after Philippe VI has dismissed two squadrons of Levantine mercenary ships. Sir John Chandos distinguishes himself in the engagement; Edward gains mastery of the Channel and free access to northern France (see Crécy, 1346). Heavily in debt despite having received generous parliamentary grants since 1336, Edward has seized wool exports and borrowed recklessly from English, Flemish, and Italian bankers; Parliament increases its power by requiring parliamentary sanction for non-feudal levies and changes in levies (see commerce, 1341); it grants Edward one ninth of all produce, but the grant fails to yield significant financial returns, and when Edward returns home in the fall he accuses John Stratford, archbishop of Canterbury, of having worked against him while running the country in the king's absence.

The Battle of Río Salado (Battle of Tarifa) near Seville October 30 ends forever the Moorish threat to Granada and the rest of Spain. Aided by Portuguese troops under the command of Afonso IV, Castile's Alfonso XI gains a decisive victory over a combined force of Spanish and Moroccan Muslims. Led by Abual-Hasan, the Marinids have mobilized a huge Maghribian army, destroyed the Castilian fleet in the Strait of Gibraltar, and marched inland. But although they use cannon for the first time in any European battle their defeat is so disastrous that they are obliged to retreat to North Africa. Observers of the battle include Henry of Grosmont, earl of Derby (later 1st duke of Lancaster), who has served with the Royal Navy at the Battle of Sluys and returns home with reports of the cannon used by the Moors (see Battle of Crécy, 1346).

commerce

Some 300 families control 60 percent of all the wealth in Western Europe; about 50 of them are in England, and their annual income is beyond reckoning.

The Florentine bankers financing Edward III in his war with France demand and receive as collateral the person of John Stratford, archbishop of Canterbury. Florence's Peruzzi banking house asks 120 percent interest and charges an additional 60 percent when payment is not prompt, taking a lien on state income and installing two merchants to supervise Edward's household accounts (but see 1343).

transportation

The road from the Black Sea to Cathay (China) is safe both by day and by night, reports The Merchant's Handbook by Pegolotti.

medicine

Travelers on the road from China will return with rat-borne ticks or fleas that will bring bubonic plague (the Black Death) to Europe (see 1333; 1343).

education

Queen's College is founded at Oxford University by the queen consort Philippa of Hainaut's chaplain (see Oriel, 1326; New College, 1394).

1331 1332 1333 1334 1335 1336 1337 1338 1339 1340


Materials

The first blast furnace is developed in or around Liège (Belgium). See also 1200 Materials; 1856 Materials.

Transportation

A German miniature representing the Flight from Egypt shows a cart with a suspension for absorbing shocks. Such suspensions are believed to have been introduced about this time. See also 100 bce Transportation; 1457 Transportation.


Millennium: 2nd millennium
Centuries: 13th century14th century15th century
Decades: 1310s  1320s  1330s  – 1340s –  1350s  1360s  1370s
Years: 1337 1338 133913401341 1342 1343
1340 by topic
Politics
State leaders - Sovereign states
Birth and death categories
Births - Deaths
Establishments and disestablishments categories
Establishments - Disestablishments
Art and literature
1340 in poetry
1340 in other calendars
Gregorian calendar 1340
MCCCXL
Ab urbe condita 2093
Armenian calendar 789
ԹՎ ՉՁԹ
Assyrian calendar 6090
Bahá'í calendar -504–-503
Bengali calendar 747
Berber calendar 2290
English Regnal year 13 Edw. 3 – 14 Edw. 3
Buddhist calendar 1884
Burmese calendar 702
Byzantine calendar 6848–6849
Chinese calendar 己卯年十二月初二日
(3976/4036-12-2)
— to —
庚辰年十二月十二日
(3977/4037-12-12)
Coptic calendar 1056–1057
Ethiopian calendar 1332–1333
Hebrew calendar 5100–5101
Hindu calendars
 - Vikram Samvat 1396–1397
 - Shaka Samvat 1262–1263
 - Kali Yuga 4441–4442
Holocene calendar 11340
Iranian calendar 718–719
Islamic calendar 740–741
Japanese calendar
Korean calendar 3673
Minguo calendar 572 before ROC
民前572年
Thai solar calendar 1883


Year 1340 (MCCCXL) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

Events

January–December

Date unknown

Births

Deaths

References


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