| 1100 | Jul 18 | Godfrey of Bouillon dies |
| Godfrey of Bouillon died just a year after the crusaders had captured Jerusalem. Agreeing who should succeed Godfrey as ruler of Jerusalem was not easy. The head of the Church in Jerusalem, Dagobert of Pisa, claimed that the Church itself should rule and as he was its representative he should have the job. Godfrey's brother, Baldwin of Edessa, had other ideas and travelled to Jerusalem with an army to claim the throne. | ||
| Dec 25 | Baldwin I becomes king of Jerusalem | |
| Supported by an army of over a thousand men, Baldwin claimed the throne of Jerusalem. Baldwin of Edessa was Godfrey's brother and he claimed the throne as his heritage. Baldwin was crowned on Christmas Day at Bethlehem. | ||
| 1102 | - 1109 Jul | Siege of Tripoli |
| The crusaders began the siege of the city of Tripoli in the County of Tripoli, now Lebanon. The siege was led by Raymond of Toulouse. | ||
| 1103 | Construction of Toron Castle | |
| Hugh of Saint-Omer, a crusader knight built a castle to the east of Tyre. This is now known as Tebnine. | ||
| Construction of a castle at Mount Pilgrim | ||
| The crusader Raymond of Toulouse had a castle built overlooking the city of Tripoli in order to lay siege to it. | ||
| 1104 | Port of Acre captured by the Crusaders | |
| King Baldwin I captured the important port of Acre on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean. The port was an important supply route for Jerusalem. | ||
| 1109 | Jul 12 | Fall of Tripoli |
| After a siege lasting many years Tripoli fell to the Crusaders. The Banu Ammar Emirs had an important library in the city but it was attacked and all the books were destroyed. The Crusader state of Tripoli was then founded, the last of the Crusader states. Bertrand of Toulouse, the son of Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse, became the ruler of the state alongside William-Jordan. | ||
| 1110 | Krak des Chevaliers | |
| The construction of this important crusader castle was begun in around 1110. | ||
| 1113 | Knights Hospitallers Recognised | |
| A Papal Bull (a formal proclamation issued by the pope) recognised and named the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem as an independent religious order. | ||
| 1114 | Count of Champagne travels to the Holy Land | |
| The Count of Champagne was preparing to travel to the Holy Land when he received a letter from the bishop of Chartres. The letter stated that the count was planning to join 'la milice du Christ' (the original name for the Templars ?). This seems to indicate that the order existed at this time, as the letter speaks of chastity, something not usually expected of a Crusader. | ||
| Nov | Earthquake | |
| A large earthquake damaged the areas of the Frankish control in the East. Antioch and Edessa were hit by the shocks. | ||
| 1118 | Baldwin II becomes King of Jerusalem | |
| Baldwin II became King of Jerusalem following in his cousin's footsteps. | ||
| Apr 14 | Baldwin II crowned | |
| Baldwin of le Bourg was crowned as King of Jerusalem in Jerusalem on Easter Sunday. | ||
| 1119 | Knights Templar in Jerusalem | |
| The Knights Templars travelled to the Holy Lands twenty years after Jerusalem was captured by European powers. | ||
| Knights Templar order founded in Jerusalem | ||
| Knights Templar order founded in Jerusalem, by Hughes de Payen. | ||
| - 1136 | Hughes de Payen: Master of the Temple | |
| Hughes de Payen became the Master of the Temple. | ||
| 1123 | Apr | Baldwin II is captured |
| Baldwin, the king of Jerusalem, was captured by Balak of Aleppo. To save the situation the Venetians were asked to help and so Doge Michiel lifted the siege of Corfu and took his fleet to Acre, arriving at the port in May. | ||
| May | Egyptian navy destroyed off Ascalon | |
| The Venetian fleet arrived at Ascalon and instantly set about attacking the Egyptian fleet. The Egyptian fleet was totally destroyed or captured. | ||
| 1124 | Feb - 1124 Jul | Siege of Tyre |
| The Crusaders laid siege to the city of Tyre in February and the city's inhabitants managed to hold out for five months before succumbing to starvation. The Crusaders were assisted by a fleet of ships from Venice. | ||
| 1125 | Hugh of Champagne joins the Templars | |
| Hugh of Champagne joins the Templars. | ||
| 1126 | Hughes de Payen travels West | |
| Hughes de Payen travels west to obtain more authority of the Order. | ||
| 1129 | Fulk V marries Melisende | |
| Fulk V married Melisende, the heir to the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Fulk gave up his title of Count of Anjou which passed to his son Geoffrey Plantagenet. | ||
| 1131 | Fulk V becomes King of Jerusalem | |
| King Baldwin of Jerusalem died and Fulk V, who had married the King's daughter Melisende, became the King of Jerusalem. | ||
| 1142 | Hospitallers granted Krak de Chevaliers | |
| The Kinghts Hospitaller were given the massive castle Krak des Chevaliers by Raymond II, Count of Tripoli. | ||
| 1143 | Baldwin III becomes king of Jerusalem | |
| When his father Fulk died, Baldwin became king of Jerusalem. But at only 13 years of age Baldwin was too young to rule unaided. He was made co-ruler of the Crusader state along side his mother Melisende. | ||
| 1170 | Jun 29 | Huge Eastern Mediterranean Earthquake |
| A large earthquake hit the eastern Mediterranean along the fault line that runs along that region. A huge amount of damage was done causing a major loss of life. The earthquake was so powerful that the massive castle Krak des Chevaliers was damaged and needed repairing. | ||
| 1218 | Construction of Castle Pelerin | |
| The Knights Templar, with the help of pilgrims, built this castle in the Holy Land. | ||
| 1271 | Mar 3 - 1271 Apr 8 | Krak de Chevaliers siege |
| The final siege at Krak des Chevaliers began in early March. Led by Sultan Beibars and Mumlaks the attackers managed to capture the outer defences and undermine one of the outer towers. The inner defences were much stronger and a direct assult was too difficult. A trick was used instead. A forged letter was delivered to th castle supposedly from the Hospitaller Grand Commander ordering the knights to abandon Krak. The trick worked and the knights left, given safe passage to the coast. |
