Editing 1208

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2011}}
{{About year|1208|the punk band|1208 (band)|the 2008 cell phone model|Nokia 1208}}
{{Year nav|1208}}
{{C13 year in topic}} 
[[File:Ermordung Philipps von Schwaben.jpg|upright=1.35|thumb|Murder of [[Philip of Swabia]] (1177–1208)]]
Year '''1208''' ('''[[Roman numerals|MCCVIII]]''') was a [[leap year starting on Tuesday]] of the [[Julian calendar]].

== Events ==

<onlyinclude>

===By place ===

==== Asia ====
* [[April 15]] &ndash; A fire breaks out in the [[Song dynasty|Song Chinese]] capital city of [[Hangzhou]], raging for four days and nights, destroying 58,097 houses over an area of more than {{convert|3|mi|km}}, killing 59 people, and an unrecorded number of other people, who are trampled while attempting to flee. The government provides temporary lodging for 5,345 people, in nearby [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] and [[Taoism|Taoist]] monasteries. The collective victims of the disaster are given 160,000 strings of cash, along with 400 tons of rice. Some of the government officials who lose their homes take up residence in rented [[boathouse]]s on the nearby [[West Lake]].

==== Europe ====
* [[January 15]] &ndash; [[Pierre de Castelnau]] is murdered by heretics supported by [[Raymond VI, Count of Toulouse|Raymond VI]], count of [[County of Toulouse|Toulouse]]. He is held responsible and excommunicated by Pope [[Pope Innocent III|Innocent III]], leading to the [[Albigensian Crusade]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sumption |first=Jonathan |date=1978 |title=The Albigensian Crusade |publisher=Faber |location=London, England |isbn=0-571-11064-9 |author-link=Jonathan Sumption, Lord Sumption |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/albigensiancrusa00jona }}</ref>
* [[January 31]] &ndash; [[Battle of Lena]]: Swedish forces under King [[Eric X of Sweden|Eric X]] defeat the invading Danish army (some 12,000 men). King [[Sverker II of Sweden|Sverker II]] ("the Younger") is deposed as king of [[Sweden]] and is succeeded by Eric X.
* [[Livonian Crusade]]: The Crusader [[Livonian Brothers of the Sword]], supported by tribes of [[Livonians|Livs]] and [[Latvians|Letts]], initiate raids into [[Ugandi County]] in southern [[Estonia]], resulting in the Estonian fight for independence.
* [[March 24]] &ndash; Innocent III places [[Kingdom of England|England]] under [[Papal Interdict of 1208|a Papal Interdict]], as punishment for [[John, King of England]] ("Lackland")'s refusal to accept [[Stephen Langton]] as archbishop of [[Diocese of Canterbury|Canterbury]]. During the interdict, religious services as [[marriage]]s, burials, or baptisms cannot be performed.<ref>{{cite web |title=Church history: Pope Innocent III and the interdict - Our Sunday Visitor |url=https://osvnews.com/2019/07/12/church-history-pope-innocent-iii-and-the-interdict/ |website=osvnews.com |date=July 12, 2019 |access-date=10 June 2021}}</ref> John confiscates church property of clergy who are unwilling to conduct services. Many bishops in the country flee abroad to the [[Continental Europe|Continent]].<ref>''King John'' by Warren. Published by University of California Press in 1961. p. 171</ref>
* Autumn &ndash; [[William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke|William Marshal]] is recalled and humiliated by King John at court in [[London]], while John gives his [[justiciar]] in [[Ireland]], [[Meiler Fitzhenry]] the order to invade Marshal's lands there, burning the town of [[New Ross]].
* [[June 21]] &ndash; [[Philip of Swabia]], king of [[Kingdom of Germany|Germany]], is assassinated in [[Bamberg]] by the German count [[Otto VIII, Count Palatine of Bavaria|Otto of Wittelsbach]], because Philip has refused to give him his 10-year-old daughter [[Beatrice of Swabia|Beatrice]] in marriage.
* [[June 30]] &ndash; [[Battle of Philippopolis (1208)|Battle of Philippopolis]]: Bulgarian forces under Emperor (''[[tsar]]'') [[Boril of Bulgaria|Boril]] are defeated by the Latin army (some 30,000 men) led by Emperor [[Henry of Flanders]], near modern-day [[Plovdiv]], [[Bulgaria]].
* [[August 27]] &ndash; Queen [[Irene Angelina]] dies in childbirth after the death of her husband Philip of Swabia at [[Hohenstaufen Castle]], leaving four daughters: Beatrice, [[Maria of Swabia|Maria]], [[Kunigunde of Hohenstaufen|Kunigunde]] and [[Elisabeth of Swabia|Elisabeth]].<ref>Ciggaar, Krijna Nelly (1996). ''Western Travellers to Constantinople: The West and Byzantium, 962–1204'', p. 240. Brill.</ref>
* [[November 11]] &ndash; [[Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Otto IV]] is elected by the German nobles as king of Germany at [[Frankfurt]]. He is engaged to Beatrice and travels to [[Milan]] where he receives the [[Iron Crown of Lombardy|Iron Crown]] and the title of [[King of Italy]], which continues until the end of [[World War I]] in [[1918]].<ref>Dunham, S. A. (1835). ''A History of the Germanic Empire, Vol I'', p. 195.</ref>

=== By topic ===

==== Literature ====
* [[Robert of Courçon]], an English cardinal, writes his ''Summa'' – devoted to questions of [[canon law]] and ethics – dealing at length with the question of [[usury]].

==== Religion ====
* [[November 17]] &ndash; Innocent III asks the nobles in Northern [[France in the Middle Ages|France]] to take military action (the so-called [[Albigensian Crusade]]) against the [[Catharism|Cathars]] in [[Languedoc]].<ref>Hywel Williams (2005). ''Cassell's Chronology of World History'', p. 133. {{ISBN|0-304-35730-8}}.</ref></onlyinclude>

== Births ==
* [[February 2]] &ndash; [[James I of Aragon|James I]] ("the Conqueror"), king of [[Kingdom of Aragon|Aragon]] (d. [[1276]])
* [[Ada van Holland (died 1258)|Ada van Holland]], Dutch [[Nobility|noblewoman]] and abbess (d. [[1258]])
* [[Berke]] Khan, Mongol ruler of the [[Golden Horde]] (d. [[1266]])
* [[Bolesław I of Masovia]], Polish nobleman and knight (d. [[1248]])
* [[Coloman of Galicia]], Hungarian prince of [[Principality of Halych|Halych]] (d. [[1241]])
* [[Gissur Þorvaldsson]], Icelandic chieftain (or ''[[Gothi|goði]]'') (d. [[1268]])
* [[Kolbeinn ungi Arnórsson]], Icelandic chieftain (d. [[1245]]) 
* [[Knut Haakonsson]], Norwegian nobleman (''[[Earl#Norway|jarl]]'') (d. [[1261]]) 
* [[Margaret Skulesdatter]], queen consort of [[Kingdom of Norway (872–1397)|Norway]] (d. [[1270]])
* [[Sempad the Constable]], Armenian nobleman (d. 1276) 
* [[Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester]], English nobleman (d. [[1265]])
* [[Thomas de Beaumont, 6th Earl of Warwick|Thomas de Beaumont]], English nobleman (d. [[1242]])

== Deaths ==
* [[January 15]] &ndash; [[Pierre de Castelnau]], French priest (assassinated)<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Pierre de Castelnau |volume=21 |page=591}}</ref>
* [[January 28]] &ndash; [[Julian of Cuenca]], Spanish bishop (b. [[1127]]) 
* [[February 18]] &ndash; [[Mark Ibn Kunbar]], Egyptian [[Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria|Coptic]] priest
* [[April 22]] &ndash; [[Philip of Poitou]] (or Poitiers), bishop of [[Diocese of Durham|Durham]]
* [[June 21]] &ndash; [[Philip of Swabia]], king of [[Kingdom of Germany|Germany]] (b. [[1177]])
* [[August 27]] &ndash; [[Irene Angelina]], queen consort of [[Kingdom of Sicily|Sicily]] and Germany
* [[August 29]] &ndash; [[Dietrich von Kittlitz]], bishop of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Dresden–Meissen|Meissen]]
* [[October 6]] &ndash; [[Geoffrey de Muschamp]], bishop of [[Diocese of Coventry|Coventry]]
* [[November 9]] &ndash; [[Sancha of Castile, Queen of Aragon|Sancha of Castile]], queen consort of Aragon
* [[December 29]] &ndash; [[Emperor Zhangzong of Jin|Zhangzong of Jin]], Chinese emperor (b. [[1168]])
* [[Bridget Haraldsdotter]], queen consort of [[Sweden]] (approximate date)
* [[Ermengol VIII, Count of Urgell|Ermengol VIII]] (or Armengol), count of [[County of Urgell|Urgell]] (b. [[1158]])
* [[Kolbeinn Tumason]], Icelandic chieftain and poet (b. [[1173]])
* [[Knut Birgersson, Riksjarl of Sweden|Knut Birgersson]], Swedish nobleman (''[[Swedish jarls|jarl]]'') and knight
* [[Leo Sgouros]] (or Sgurus), Byzantine governor and [[Despot (court title)|despot]]
* [[Peter of Angoulême]], Latin bishop and patriarch of [[Latin Patriarchate of Antioch|Antioch]]
* [[William IV of Forcalquier]], French nobleman (b. [[1130]])
* [[Ya'qub ibn Ishaq al-Israili]], Egyptian [[Jews|Jewish]] physician

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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