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{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2011}}
{{About year|1242}}
{{Year nav|1242}}
{{C13 year in topic}} 
[[File:Facial Chronicle - b.06, page 085 - Battle of the Ice.jpg|upright=1.35|thumb|Depiction of the [[Battle on the Ice|Battle of Lake Peipus]] in the late 16th century illuminated manuscript ''[[Life of Alexander Nevsky (illuminated manuscript)|Life of Alexander Nevsky]]'']]
Year '''1242''' ('''[[Roman numerals|MCCXLII]]''') was a [[common year starting on Wednesday]] of the [[Julian calendar]].

== Events ==
<onlyinclude>

=== By place ===

==== Europe ====
* Spring &ndash; Prince [[Alexander Nevsky]] is joined by his brother [[Andrey II of Vladimir|Andrey II]] (Yaroslavich) at [[Veliky Novgorod|Novgorod]], supported with his elite ''[[druzhina]]'' (or 'household') from [[Suzdal]]. They head southwest across the frozen marshes, which cover much of the land between Novgorod and [[Pskov]]. On [[March 5]], Alexander retakes the city almost without a struggle, before the larger Crusader garrison in nearby [[Izborsk]] can intervene.<ref>[[David Nicolle]] (2005). Osprey: ''Lake Peipus 1242 – Battle on the Ice'', p. 60. {{ISBN|1-85532-553-5}}.</ref>
* [[April]] &ndash; A Russian force led by Alexander Nevsky crosses the frontier between Novgorod and Livonian Crusader territory, to raid into Catholic [[Estonia]]. After that, Alexander breaks his army off into contingents to ravage the countryside. He is forced to turn back, when a local Crusader force under Bishop [[Hermann of Dorpat|Hermann von Buxhövden]] defeats Alexander's advance guard at [[Mooste]] bridge south of [[Tartu]].<ref>David Nicolle (2005). Osprey: ''Lake Peipus 1242 – Battle on the Ice'', pp. 62–63. {{ISBN|1-85532-553-5}}.</ref>
* [[April 5]] &ndash; [[Battle on the Ice|Battle of Lake Peipus]] (or Battle on the Ice): Russian forces led by Alexander Nevsky, rebuff an invasion attempt by a Crusader army (some 2,600 men), including German [[Teutonic Order|Teutonic Knights]]. The opposing armies meet upon the frozen surface of [[Lake Peipus]]. The outnumbered Teutonic Knights are defeated on the slippery surface, by Alexander's elite ''druzhina'' and the Novgorod forces.<ref>David Nicolle (2005). Osprey: ''Lake Peipus 1242 – Battle on the Ice'', pp. 72–73. {{ISBN|1-85532-553-5}}.</ref>
* [[May 28]] &ndash; [[Avignonet massacre]]: A group of [[Cathars]], with the probable connivance of Count [[Raymond VII of Toulouse]], murder the inquisitor [[William Arnaud (inquisitor)|William Arnaud]] and eleven of his companions.<ref>{{citation |page=394 |author-link=Zoé Oldenbourg |author=Zoé Oldenbourg |title=Massacre at Montségur: A History of the Albiegensian Crusade |publisher=Pantheon Books |year=1961 |translator=Peter Green}}.</ref>
* [[July 21]]&ndash;[[July 22|22]] &ndash; [[Battle of Taillebourg]]: French forces (some 25,000 men) under King [[Louis IX of France|Louis IX]] (the Saint) defeat King [[Henry III of England|Henry III]] at the bridge over the [[Charente (river)|Charente River]] near [[Taillebourg, Charente-Maritime|Taillebourg]]. After the battle, Louis continues to pursue the English troops, capturing many prisoners. Henry retreats with the remnants of his army to [[Bordeaux]], where he spends the winter.
* Summer &ndash; Alexander Nevsky sends envoys to [[Batu Khan]], preemptively capitulating before the Mongols even though they have not reached Novgorod, and accepts his rule as Mongol overlord.
* [[November 16]] &ndash; King [[Béla IV of Hungary|Béla IV]] issues the [[Golden Bull of 1242|Golden Bull]] to the inhabitants of [[Gradec, Zagreb|Gradec]] (modern-day [[Zagreb]]) and [[Samobor]] in [[Croatia]]. By this golden bull, Béla proclaimes Gradec a [[royal free city]].
* [[Siegfried III (archbishop of Mainz)|Siegfried III]], archbishop of [[Mainz]], conquers [[Wiesbaden]] (a [[free imperial city]]) and orders the city's destruction, during the war of Emperor [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]] against the [[Papal States]].
* King [[Sancho II of Portugal|Sancho II]] (the Pious) conquers the cities of [[Tavira]], [[Alvor (Portimão)|Alvor]] and [[Paderne, Albufeira|Paderne]], in his continuing expansion against the Muslims, known as the [[Reconquista]].<ref name=picard2000>{{cite book|last=Picard|first=Christophe|title=Le Portugal musulman (VIIIe-XIIIe siècle. L'Occident d'al-Andalus sous domination islamique|year=2000|publisher=Maisonneuve & Larose|location=Paris|isbn=2-7068-1398-9|page=110}}</ref>

==== Mongol Empire ====
* Spring &ndash; [[Siege of Esztergom (1241)|Siege of Esztergom]]: The Mongols under Batu Khan assault and destroy most of the Hungarian city of [[Esztergom]]. Batu Khan sends a reconnaissance party against the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. 
* [[Battle of Grobnik Field]]: Croatian forces under Béla IV stop the Mongol invasion in [[Kingdom of Hungary (1000–1301)|Hungary]] and [[Croatia]]. Béla rebuilds the country and orders the building of fortifications through his kingdom.
* Batu Khan establishes the [[Golden Horde]] at [[Sarai (city)|Sarai]] and withdraws his forces after messengers arrive with the news that the Great Khan [[Ögedei Khan]] has died (see [[1241]]).

==== England ====
* May &ndash; [[Isabella of Angoulême]], mother of Henry III, persuades him to mount an expedition to retake [[Poitou]]. On [[May 20]], Henry arrives at [[Royan]] and joins the rebelling French nobles –  forming an army (some 30,000 men). Louis IX exchanges letters with Henry to resolve the conflict, but the dispute escalates further.

==== Africa ====
* Summer &ndash; In the [[Maghreb]], after a string of successes against the [[Almohad Caliphate]], Hafsid forces under Sultan [[Abu Zakariya Yahya]], conquer the city of [[Tlemcen]] (modern [[Algeria]]). The [[Kingdom of Tlemcen]] becomes a vassal of Abu Zakariya, and is formed in a series of small states between his rule and the states of the Western Maghreb.<ref>Gilbert Meynier (2010). ''L'Algénie cœr du Maghreb classique. De l'ouverture islamo-arabe au repli (658-1518)''. Paris: La Découverte; pp. 38.</ref>

==== Middle East ====
* Spring &ndash; The [[Knights Templar|Templar Knights]] raid the city of [[Hebron]]. Meanwhile, [[An-Nasir Dawud]], Ayyubid ruler of [[Damascus]], sends forces to cut off the road to [[Jerusalem]], and to levy tolls on the pilgrims and merchants that pass by.<ref>Steven Runciman (1952). ''A History of The Crusades. Vol III: The Kingdom of Acre'', pp. 183–184. {{ISBN|978-0-241-29877-0}}.</ref>
[[File:Dirham of Al-Mustansir, AH 623-640.jpg|250px|thumb|[[Dirham]] of [[Al-Mustansir I|al-Mustansir]], Abbasid caliph]]
* Death of [[Abbasid dynasty|Abbasid]] caliph [[al-Mustansir I|al-Mustansir]] and succession of [[al-Musta'sim]] to the Caliphal throne.

==== Asia ====
* [[February 10]] &ndash; The 10-year-old [[Emperor Shijō]] of Japan dies suddenly; despite a dispute over who should follow him as sovereign, [[Emperor Go-Saga|Go-Saga]] (son of former [[Emperor Tsuchimikado]]) ascends to the throne.

=== By topic ===

==== Religion ====
* [[William of Modena]], Italian bishop and papal diplomat, sets up four [[diocese]]s in Poland, including the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Warmia|Archdiocese of Warmia]].

==== Science ====
* [[Ibn al-Nafis]], Arab polymath and writer, suggests that the right and left [[ventricle (heart)|ventricles]] of the heart are separate, and describes the lesser [[circulation of blood]].
</onlyinclude>

== Births ==
* [[January 27]] &ndash; [[Margaret of Hungary (saint)|Margaret of Hungary]], Hungarian nun (d. [[1270]])
* [[March 17]] &ndash; [[Maud de Prendergast]], Irish noblewoman (d. [[1272]])
* [[June 25]] &ndash; [[Beatrice of England]], English princess (d. [[1275]])
* [[July 24]] &ndash; [[Christina von Stommeln]], German mystic (d. [[1312]])
* [[December 15]] &ndash; [[Prince Munetaka|Munetaka]], Japanese [[shogun]] (d. [[1274]])
* [[Al-Ashraf Umar II]], Arab ruler and astronomer (d. [[1296]])
* [[Beatrice of Castile (1242–1303)|Beatrice of Castile]], queen consort of [[Kingdom of Portugal|Portugal]] (d. [[1303]])
* [[Beatrice of Navarre, Duchess of Burgundy|Beatrice of Navarre]], duchess of [[Duchy of Burgundy|Burgundy]] (d. [[1295]])
* [[George Pachymeres]], Byzantine historian (d. [[1310]])
* [[Hōjō Tokimura]], Japanese [[Nobility|nobleman]] (''[[rensho]]'') (d. [[1305]])
* [[Patrick IV, Earl of March|Patrick IV]] (de Dunbar), Scottish nobleman (d. [[1308]])
* [[Stephen I, Ban of Bosnia|Stephen I Kotromanić]], Bosnian nobleman (d. [[1314]])
* [[Theobald Butler, 4th Chief Butler of Ireland|Theobald Butler]], Norman chief governor of Ireland (d. [[1285]])
* [[Theodoric of Landsberg]], German nobleman (d. 1285)
* [[William I of Berg|William I]], German nobleman and archbishop (d. 1308)
* [[William de Leybourne]], English nobleman (d. 1310)

== Deaths ==
* [[February 10]]
** [[Emperor Shijō|Shijō]] (or Mitsuhito), emperor of Japan (b. [[1231]])
** [[Verdiana]], Italian noblewoman and saint (b. [[1182]])
* [[February 12]] &ndash; [[Henry (VII) of Germany|Henry VII]], king of [[Kingdom of Germany|Germany]] (b. [[1211]])
* [[March 26]] &ndash; [[William de Forz, 3rd Earl of Albemarle|William de Forz]], English nobleman (b. [[1190]])
* [[March 28]] &ndash; [[Theoderich von Wied]], German archbishop
* [[April 22]] &ndash; Abubakar ibn Gussom, Arab poet (b. [[1168]])
* [[May 13]] &ndash; [[Gerard of Villamagna]], Italian [[hermit]] (b. [[1174]])
* [[May 15]] &ndash; [[Muiz ud din Bahram]], Indian ruler (b. [[1212]])
* [[June 26]] &ndash; [[Thomas de Beaumont, 6th Earl of Warwick|Thomas de Beaumont]], English nobleman
* [[July 1]] &ndash; [[Chagatai Khan]], son of [[Genghis Khan]] (b. [[1183]])
* [[July 14]] &ndash; [[Hōjō Yasutoki]], Japanese [[regent]] (b. 1183)
* [[October 7]] &ndash; [[Emperor Juntoku|Juntoku]], emperor of Japan (b. [[1197]])
* [[November 12]] &ndash; [[Jocelin of Wells]], English bishop
* [[November 20]] &ndash; [[Narchat]], Moksha queen (b. [[1216]])
* [[December 2]] &ndash; [[Al-Mustansir (Baghdad)|Al-Mustansir]], Abbasid caliph (b. [[1192]])
* [[December 9]] &ndash; [[Richard le Gras]], English [[abbot]] and bishop
* [[December 26]] &ndash; [[Hugh de Lacy, 1st Earl of Ulster]], Norman nobleman (b. [[1176]])
* [[Aimeric de Belenoi]], French cleric, [[troubadour]] and writer
* [[Archambaud VIII of Bourbon]] ("the Great"), French nobleman (b. [[1189]])
* [[Ceslaus]], Polish nobleman, jurist and missionary (b. [[1184]])
* [[Da'ud Abu al-Fadl]], Ayyubid Jewish physician (b. [[1161]])
* [[Enguerrand III, Lord of Coucy]], French nobleman and knight (b. 1182)
* [[Muhammad Aufi]], Persian historian and writer (b. [[1171]])
* [[Nuño Sánchez]], Spanish nobleman and knight (b. [[1185]])
* [[Ogasawara Nagakiyo]], Japanese [[samurai]] (b. [[1162]])
* [[Richard de Morins]], English archdeacon and jurist
* [[Richard Mór de Burgh, 1st Baron of Connaught]], Norman nobleman (b. [[1194]])
* [[Sasaki Yoshikiyo]], Japanese nobleman (b. 1161)

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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