For broader historical context, see 13th century.

Events

Europe

War and politics

• September 4 - The forces of King Manfred of Sicily, in league with the Ghibellines, defeat the Guelphs at Monte Aperto .
• King Otakar II of Bohemia captures Styria from King Bela IV of Hungary in the Battle of Kressenbrunn .
• The Baltic Samogatians and Curonians defeat the Teutonic knights in the Battle of Durbe .
• The Duchy of Saxony is divided into Saxony-Lauenberg and Saxony-Wittenberg, marking the end of the first Saxon state.
• War breaks out in the Valais (today in Switzerland) as the Bishopry of Sion defends against an invasion by the County of Savoy.

Culture

• October 24 - The spectacular Cathedral of Chartres is dedicated in the presence of King Louis IX of France; the cathedral is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Construction on the Dunkeld Cathedral begins in Perthshire, Scotland.
• Construction begins on the cathedral at Meißen.
• Construction begins on the cathedral at Schwerin.
• Jacobus de Voragine compiles his work, the Golden Legend, a late medieval best-seller.
• Nicola Pisano sculpts the pulpit of the Pisa Baptistery.
• German musical theorist Franco of Cologne publishes Ars Cantus Mensurabilis, in which he advances a new theory of musical notation in which the length of a musical note is denoted by the shape of that note, a system still used today.
• The mosaic Christ between the Virgin and St Minias is made on the facade of Florence's Basilica di San Miniato al Monte.

Asia

• May 5 - Kublai Khan becomes ruler of the Mongol Empire.
• September 3 - The Mamluks defeat the Mongols at the Battle of Ain Jalut in Palestine, marking their first decisive defeat and the point of maximum expansion of the Mongol Empire.
• The Sena Dynasty of Bengal falls.
• The Chinese era Jingding begins and ends in the Northern Song Dynasty of China.
• The Japanese Shogen era ends, and the Bun'o era begins.
• The Hindu Silharya Dynasty , which ruled an area around Mumbai, ends.
• The newly formed Sukhothai kingdom of Thailand adopts Theravada Buddhism.

Africa

• October 24 - Saif ad-Din Qutuz, Mamluk sultan of Egypt, is assassinated by Baibars, who seizes power for himself.

Births

• Andronicus II, Byzantine Emperor
• Enguerrand de Marigny, minister to King Philip IV of France
• Guillaume de Nogaret, keeper of the seal to King Philip IV of France
• Henry Cobham, 1st Baron Cobham
• Matthew Csák, ruler of the Váh and the Tatras regions in present-day Slovakia
• Maximus Planudes, Byzantine grammarian and theologian
• Meister Eckhart, German theologian, philosopher and mystic

Deaths

• October 24 - Saif ad-Din Qutuz, Mamluk sultan of Egypt
• Aymer de Valence, Bishop of Winchester
• Franciscus Accursius, Italian jurist
• Matilda II of Bologne , sovereign Countess of Bologne

In fiction

• Disney comic book character Sir Swamphole McDuck dies.
• In the television series Babylon 5, the first Shadow War occurs between the Shadows and an alliance led by the Vorlons and Minbari.

See also

List of state leaders in 1260