Humans of Holland invent wooden clogs
Wooden clogs originated in Holland, eventually spreading to France, England and Scandinavia. The clog shoe became the most common work shoe in Europe throughout the Industrial Revolution era.
Europe
Marco Polo publishes his tales of his journey to China
The Travels of Marco Polo, is a 13th-century travelogue describing Polo’s travels through Asia between 1271 and 1295, and his experiences at the court of Kublai Khan.
Scottish army, led by William Wallace, defeats the English at the Battle of Sterling Bridge
The Battle of Stirling Bridge was a battle of the First War of Scottish Independence. On 11 September 1297, the forces of Andrew Moray and William Wallacedefeated the combined English forces of John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey, and Hugh de Cressingham near Stirling, on the River Forth.
Construction begins at Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey is a large, mainly Gothic abbey church in London. It is one of the United Kingdom’s most notable religious buildings and the traditional place of coronation and burial site for monarchs.
An unknown author completes Færeyinga Saga
The Færeyinga Saga, the saga of the Faroe Islands, is the story of how the Faroe Islanders were converted to Christianity and became a part of Norway. It was written in Iceland shortly after 1200.
The University of Cambridge is founded
Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world’s fourth-oldest surviving university.
Construction begins at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris
The cathedral is widely considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture.
The Hanseatic League is formed, marking a new period of trade and economic development in Europe
The Hanseatic League was a commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Northwestern and Central Europe.
The University of Oxford, oldest in the English-speaking world, is founded
There is no clear date of foundation, but teaching existed at Oxford in some form in 1096 and developed rapidly from 1167, when Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris.
The first settlement appears at the site of modern-day Moscow
The first known reference to Moscow dates from 1147 as a meeting place of Yuri Dolgoruky and Sviatoslav Olgovich. At the time it was a minor town on the western border of Vladimir-Suzdal Principality.