Medieval Chronology and Notes
The Middle Ages occurred between the great Roman and Greek Empires and the Renaissance (from about A.D. 500 to A.D. 1450). A time line of some medieval events with historical notes is included as an additional resource. 

A.D. 614 The great library at Alexandria burns, marking the decline of Greek scholarship.

742 – 814 Charlemagne, the greatest king of the Middle Ages, becomes King of the Franks in 768 and conquers much of Europe. His reign was noted for brutal warfare and for introducing feudalism (a political and military system that lasted many years). He was devoted to improving education and culture as well as the law and good government.

1096 – 1291 The Crusades were a series of holy wars. When Muslim Turks blocked the traditional pilgrimage routes to the Holy Lands, Christian armies from Europe attempted to capture the Holy Land in Palestine from Muslims. The pope promised that everyone Crusade means cross in Latin and refers to the cross worn on the soldiers' uniforms. Ultimately, many people died and the Crusades were unsuccessful in keeping control of the Holy Lands; however, there was one positive outcome. The Crusades increased the exchange of ideas and products that greatly enriched both regions.

1100s Stories about a great ruler, King Arthur, and his Knights of the Round Table are written in France. The legend may have been based on real people, but the stories are not historically accurate. The folktale begins with a young boy, Arthur, who is unaware that he is the son of a king. Arthur pulls a sword known as Excalibur out of a stone where it had been lodged for many years. This proves Arthur is of royal blood and he is declared King of England. He lives in a castle called Camelot, marries his queen, Guinevere, and assembles a group of noble knights around a round table where all are considered equal.

1200 The Inquisition begins. The Inquisition was a religious court that investigated and tried people accused of heresy. (Heresy is any belief that is different from what is generally accepted by the Church.) Rewards were given to people who would give the court names of heretics. If anyone tried to help a friend who was accused, they could be punished too. 

1271 Cultural exchanges between East and West begin when Italian explorer, Marco Polo embarks on his travel to China. He returns 24 years later with fascinating stories about unusual people and places. Even Christopher Columbus was captivated by tales of Marco Polo's travels, which helped inspire him to explore nearly 200 years later.

1300s Was Robin Hood a real person? No one knows for sure, but at about this time, minstrels began singing about the adventures of an outlaw who lived in the woods and stole from the rich to give to the poor.

mid 1300s to1700 Magic was viewed as dangerous witchcraft by the Church. People (mostly women) who were accused of witchcraft were frequently tortured until they confessed. During this period it is estimated that over 100,000 women were burned at the stake for witchcraft.

1340 Geoffrey Chaucer, a much-loved writer of the Middle Ages, is born in England about this time. Chaucer wrote Canterbury Tales, a series of clever and delightful stories about a diverse group of travelers making a pilgrimage.

1347 – 1351 Thousands all over Europe die from the Black Death also know as the plague, a deadly and extremely contagious disease. Diseased rats from merchant ships brought Black Death to Sicily and then the rest of Europe. Bacteria in the rats infected fleas that spread to people. The disease also caused millions to die in Russia, North Africa, the Near East and even as far as Greenland. People thought that Black Death was God's way of punishing them, so they became even more religious. As farmers and craftspeople died with no one to take their places in their fields and shops, shortages arose. This caused an increase in price and a higher demand for workers. Those who survived were paid more so their standard of living increased, thus helping bring an end to the Middle Ages.

1412 – 1431 Joan of Arc was born during the Hundred Years' War between France and England. She heard the voices of saints instructing her to help Charles, the oldest son of the King of France to become king. She was only 13 years old, but she was able to convince Charles 
and the Church that her calling was true. Joan dressed in armor and led the French army to an important victory (which was quite uncommon for a girl). Joan was later captured by the enemy, convicted of heresy and burned at the steak.

1450 Johannes Guttenberg invents the printing press. Before the printing press, books were written one at a time by hand, using quills or reeds and ink. (In fact, the word manuscript is Latin for written by hand.) But this process changed forever with the printing press. Now books could be produced faster and made available to more people. This is one of the events that played a part in ending the Middle Ages and beginning the Renaissance (along with the conclusion of the 100 Years' War, The Plague, the invention of guns and increased travel and trade).