1386

1381 1382 1383 1384 1385 1386 1387 1388 1389 1390

political events

Hungary's Charles III (Károly Durrazzói) is assassinated at Buda February 17 at age 40 by order of Elizabeth, widow of the late Louis I. He has been king of Naples since 1381, and his death after less than a year as king of Hungary leaves Naples as well as Hungary without a monarch.

The Treaty of Windsor signed May 9 allies England and Portugal by joining Portugal's João I in marriage with Philippa, daughter of John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster. Much detested in England, the duke leaves for Spain to pursue his claim to the throne of Castile and Léon based upon his marriage in 1371 to Constance of Castile (see 1379), and although his expedition will end in failure he will succeed in having his daughter Catherine married to the child who will become Enrique III of Castile and Léon 4 years hence.

The Battle of Sempach 10 miles northwest of Lucerne July 9 gives the Swiss a victory over an Austrian army, whose commander, Leopold III, dies fighting at age 34 as the cantons struggle to gain independence from Vienna. The 4,000-man Austrian army includes a high proportion of cavalry and several guns. The Swiss have only 1,600 pikemen and halberdiers under the command of cantonal leaders from Lucerne, Uri, Underwalden, and Schwytz, but the Austrians turn tail after 1,800 of them have been killed (Swiss casualties total 200 killed), and the triumph establishes the Swiss as a military force to be reckoned with (see Näfels, 1388).

Jagiello, grand duke of Lithuania, is baptized at Kraków February 15, marries the 12-year-old Jadwiga (Hedwig) February 18, and is crowned king of Poland at Kraków (see 1384). He will be titular head of Poland until 1434 as Wladyslaw II Jagiello, but it is Jadwiga who will control the country until her death in 1399.

Tamerlane sacks the Georgian capital Tiflis and battles with the great khan Toqtamish of the Golden Horde, giving his Muscovite hostage Basil (Vasily) Dmitriyevich an opportunity to escape from the Tatar court and return to Moscow (see 1383; Kars, 1387).

1381 1382 1383 1384 1385 1386 1387 1388 1389 1390

Communication

Heidelberg University is founded, the oldest continuously existing university in Germany. See also 1253 Communication; 1409 Communication.

Construction of the cathedral in Milan begins. Its design with four towers at the corners of the central tower is intended to represent Christ surrounded by the four evangelists. After a few years of construction, however, it becomes apparent that there are structural flaws and French and German advisers are called in. They recommend more geometry and less "art." See also 1263 Construction; 1387 Transportation.

The earliest built mechanical clock that survives today is a device in Salisbury Cathedral in England built at this time. The clock does not tell time with hands, but sounds the hour and indicates astronomical events. See also 1280 Tools; 1406 Tools.

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