ALL ABOUT TODAY

Today In Medieval History

622: Hijrah begins

Muhammad and some of his followers emigrated from Mecca to Medina to escape persecution. It is this event which marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar.

1054:West excommunicates East

As the papacy sought to enhance its power in the west, it enforced Latin customs upon Greeks in southern Italy. In response, Latin churches in Constantinople were closed by the patriarch, Michael Cerularius. When Cardinal Humbert came to Constantinople to protest he was not welcomed warmly, and accordingly he left a bull excommunicating Michael Cerularius on the altar of the Hagia Sophia.

This event, while minor at the time, is seen as the final split between the two Churches.

1377:Richard II crowned King of England

WHO WAS BORN

1194: St. Clare of Assisi

Clare was profoundly influenced by St. Francis, and choosing a spiritual life over the marriage her parents wished for her, she founded the Poor Clares.