1160

By place

Byzantine Empire

• Spring - Emperor Manuel I sends an embassy led by John Kontostephanos to Jerusalem to ask King Baldwin III to nominate one of the princesses of Crusader States as bride for the widowed emperor. There two candidates, the 15-year-old Maria of Antioch and Melisende of Tripoli. Baldwin suggests Melisende, and her brother Count Raymond III sets about gathering an enormous dowry. The ambassadors are not satisfied and delay the marriage for over a year. They hear rumours about Melisende's birth, based on her mother's infidelity and therefore Melisende's possible legitimacy.

  Europe

• January 25 - Emperor Frederick I captures Crema after a 6-month siege, as part of his campaign against the independent Italian city-states. Some 20,000 survivors are allowed to leave the city with whatever they could carry before Crema is looted and burnt to the ground. The expense of the siege and Frederick's determination to enforce it over the winter, demonstrates his ability to hold troops in the field and to keep his allies on side.
• May 18 - Erik Jedvardsson is murdered, after which his murderer Magnus Henriksen proclaims himself king of Sweden as Magnus II. He is murdered in turn the following year, however. Erik is soon worshipped as a saint. Though never formally canonized by Pope Alexander III, he eventually becomes the patron saint of Sweden.
• A plot of land at Miholjanec is donated to the Knights Templar, who build a monastery in nearby Zdelia. This is the earliest historical mention of the Templars in Croatia and Hungary.
• Spital am Semmering is founded by Margrave Ottokar III. He erects a hospital and completes the colonization of the area around the Traisen and Gölsen rivers.
• Autumn - Within weeks of the death of his second wife, Queen Constance of Castile, King Louis VII marries Adela of Champagne, daughter of Count Theobald II.
• A large Portuguese offensive begins in the Alentejo region, against the Almoravids. The city of Tomar is founded by Gualdim Pais, Grand Master of the Knights Templar.

  Levant

• Autumn - Raynald of Châtillon, prince of Antioch, makes a plundering raid in the valley of the Euphrates at Marash to seize cattle, horses and camels from the local peasants. On his way back to Antioch, he and his retinue are attack by Zangid warriors. Raynald is unhorsed and captured, and sent to Aleppo where he is put in jail.

  Africa

• The Almohads conquer Mahdia from the Normans after an important naval success near the city, against Christian reinforcements coming from Sicily.
• A commercial treaty, between the Almohad Caliphate and the Republic of Pisa, opens the North African ports to Tuscan merchants.

  Asia

• Siege of Sanjō Palace: A rebel force under Minamoto no Yoshitomo launches a night attack against Emperor Nijō. They kidnap the retired-Emperor Go-Shirakawa and set fire to the palace in Kyoto.
• Emperor Dharanindravarman II dies and is succeeded by his cousin Yasovarman II as ruler of the Khmer Empire. Dharanindravarman's son Jayavarman VIIgoes in exile in neighboring Champa.

  By topic

Education

• The Derby School is founded at Derby, England.