1208

This article is about the year 1208. For the punk band, see1208 (band).

Millennium:	2nd millennium
Centuries:	12th century 13th century 14th century
Decades:	1180s 1190s 1200s 1210s 1220s
Years:	1205 1206 1207 1208 1209 1210 1211

1208 in variouscalendars

Gregorian calendar	1208 MCCVIII
Ab urbe condita	1961
Armenian calendar	657 ԹՎ ՈԾԷ
Assyrian calendar	5958
Balinese saka calendar	1129–1130
Bengali calendar	615
Berber calendar	2158
English Regnal year	9Joh. 1– 10Joh. 1
Buddhist calendar	1752
Burmese calendar	570
Byzantine calendar	6716–6717
Chinese calendar	Đinh mãoNiên (FireRabbit) 3905 or 3698 — to — Mậu thần niên (EarthDragon) 3906 or 3699
Coptic calendar	924–925
Discordian calendar	2374
Ethiopian calendar	1200–1201
Hebrew calendar	4968–4969
Hindu calendars
-Vikram Samvat	1264–1265
-Shaka Samvat	1129–1130
-Kali Yuga	4308–4309
Holocene calendar	11208
Igbo calendar	208–209
Iranian calendar	586–587
Islamic calendar	604–605
Japanese calendar	Jōgen2 ( thừa nguyên ２ niên )
Javanese calendar	1116–1117
Julian calendar	1208 MCCVIII
Korean calendar	3541
Minguo calendar	704 beforeROC Dân tiền 704 niên
Nanakshahi calendar	−260
Thai solar calendar	1750–1751
Tibetan calendar	Âm hỏa thỏ niên (female Fire-Rabbit) 1334 or 953 or 181 — to — Dương thổ long niên (male Earth-Dragon) 1335 or 954 or 182

Murder ofPhilip of Swabia(1177–1208)

Year1208(MCCVIII) was aleap year starting on Tuesday(link will display the full calendar) of theJulian calendar.

Events

By place

Asia

• April 15– A fire breaks out in theSong Chinesecapital city ofHangzhou,raging for four days and nights, destroying 58,097 houses over an area of more than 3 miles (4.8 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 nearbyBuddhistandTaoistmonasteries. 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 rentedboathouseson the nearbyWest Lake.

Europe

• January 15–Pierre de Castelnauis murdered by heretics supported byRaymond VI,count ofToulouse.He is held responsible and excommunicated by PopeInnocent III,leading to theAlbigensian Crusade.
• January 31–Battle of Lena:Swedish forces under KingEric Xdefeat the invading Danish army (some 12,000 men). KingSverker II( "the Younger" ) is deposed as king ofSwedenand is succeeded by Eric X.
• Livonian Crusade:The CrusaderLivonian Brothers of the Sword,supported by tribes ofLivsandLetts,initiate raids intoUgandi Countyin southernEstonia,resulting in the Estonian fight for independence.
• March 24– Innocent III placesEnglandundera Papal Interdict,as punishment forJohn, King of England( "Lackland" )'s refusal to acceptStephen Langtonas archbishop ofCanterbury.During the interdict, religious services asmarriages,burials, or baptisms cannot be performed.John confiscates church property of clergy who are unwilling to conduct services. Many bishops in the country flee abroad to theContinent.
• Autumn –William Marshalis recalled and humiliated by King John at court inLondon,while John gives hisjusticiarinIreland,Meiler Fitzhenrythe order to invade Marshal's lands there, burning the town ofNew Ross.
• June 21–Philip of Swabia,king ofGermany,is assassinated inBambergby the German countOtto of Wittelsbach,because Philip has refused to give him his 10-year-old daughterBeatricein marriage.
• June 30–Battle of Philippopolis:Bulgarian forces under Emperor (tsar)Borilare defeated by the Latin army (some 30,000 men) led by EmperorHenry of Flanders,near modern-dayPlovdiv,Bulgaria.
• August 27– QueenIrene Angelinadies in childbirth after the death of her husband Philip of Swabia atHohenstaufen Castle,leaving four daughters: Beatrice,Maria,KunigundeandElisabeth.
• November 11–Otto IVis elected by the German nobles as king of Germany atFrankfurt.He is engaged to Beatrice and travels toMilanwhere he receives theIron Crownand the title ofKing of Italy,which continues until the end ofWorld War Iin1918.

By topic

Literature

• Robert of Courçon,an English cardinal, writes hisSumma– devoted to questions ofcanon lawand ethics – dealing at length with the question ofusury.

Religion

• November 17– Innocent III asks the nobles in NorthernFranceto take military action (the so-calledAlbigensian Crusade) against theCatharsinLanguedoc.

Births

• February 2–James I( "the Conqueror" ), king ofAragon(d.1276)
• Ada van Holland,Dutchnoblewomanand abbess (d.1258)
• BerkeKhan, Mongol ruler of theGolden Horde(d.1266)
• Bolesław I of Masovia,Polish nobleman and knight (d.1248)
• Coloman of Galicia,Hungarian prince ofHalych(d.1241)
• Gissur Þorvaldsson,Icelandic chieftain (orgoði) (d.1268)
• Kolbeinn ungi Arnórsson,Icelandic chieftain (d.1245)
• Knut Haakonsson,Norwegian nobleman (jarl) (d.1261)
• Margaret Skulesdatter,queen consort ofNorway(d.1270)
• Sempad the Constable,Armenian nobleman (d. 1276)
• Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester,English nobleman (d.1265)
• Thomas de Beaumont,English nobleman (d.1242)

Deaths

• January 15–Pierre de Castelnau,French priest (assassinated)
• January 28–Julian of Cuenca,Spanish bishop (b.1127)
• February 18–Mark Ibn Kunbar,EgyptianCopticpriest
• April 22–Philip of Poitou(or Poitiers), bishop ofDurham
• June 21–Philip of Swabia,king ofGermany(b.1177)
• August 27–Irene Angelina,queen consort ofSicilyand Germany
• August 29–Dietrich von Kittlitz,bishop ofMeissen
• October 6–Geoffrey de Muschamp,bishop ofCoventry
• November 9–Sancha of Castile,queen consort of Aragon
• December 29–Zhangzong of Jin,Chinese emperor (b.1168)
• Bridget Haraldsdotter,queen consort ofSweden(approximate date)
• Ermengol VIII(or Armengol), count ofUrgell(b.1158)
• Kolbeinn Tumason,Icelandic chieftain and poet (b.1173)
• Knut Birgersson,Swedish nobleman (jarl) and knight
• Leo Sgouros(or Sgurus), Byzantine governor anddespot
• Peter of Angoulême,Latin bishop and patriarch ofAntioch
• William IV of Forcalquier,French nobleman (b.1130)
• Ya'qub ibn Ishaq al-Israili,EgyptianJewishphysician