1179

By area

Middle East

• 23–30 August - Battle of Jacob's Ford, Syria: Saladin destroys the still-in-construction Castle of Chastellet at Jacob's Ford, killing 700 knights and taking 800 civilians captive.

  America

• The Maya city of Chichen Itza is sacked and burned by Hunac Ceel, the Mayapan king.

  Europe

• June 19 - Battle of Kalvskinnet : Earl Erling Skakke is killed, and the battle changes the tide of the civil wars.
• Afonso I is recognized as King of Portugal by Pope Alexander III, bringing Portugal the protection of the Catholic Church against the Leonese monarchy.
• November 1 - Philip II is crowned King of France. He assumes his office, however, in the next year, following the death of his father Louis VII.
• The city of Aberdeen is chartered by William the Lion.
• A large offensive, by the Almohad army in southern Portugal, aims at the reconquest of the Alentejo. Further north, a fleet led by Abd Allah b. Ishaq b. Jami is sails to attack Lisbon, but is repelled by the Portuguese admiral D. Fuas Roupinho, near the Cape Espichel. The Portuguese admiral later manages to enter in the harbor of Ceuta, and destroy a number of Muslim ships. It is the beginning of a four-year naval conflict between the Almohads and Portuguese.

  By topic

Religion

• The Third Council of the Lateran condemns Waldensians and Cathars as heretics, institutes a reformation of clerical life, and creates the first "ghettos" for Jews. It also rules that the Pope must receive ⅔ of the cardinals' votes to be elected.
• Westminster School is founded by the monks of Westminster Abbey in England.
• The Drigung Kagyu school of Kagyu Buddhism is founded.