1378 facts for kids

The year 1378 was a time of big changes, especially for the Christian Church in Europe. It saw the start of a major split, new leaders taking power, and even a famous comet appearing in the sky!

Important Events of 1378

• In March, a man named John Wycliffe in England shared his ideas for changing the Catholic Church. He wrote down his thoughts and made them public. Because of this, he was called to explain himself to the Archbishop of Canterbury at a palace in Lambeth.
• On September 20, many important church leaders (cardinals) were unhappy with the new Pope, Urban VI. They met in a town called Fondi and chose a different pope, Clement VII. This new pope set up his own court in Avignon, France. This big split in the Catholic Church is known as the Western Schism.

Other Events of the Year

• Emperor Charles IV met with his nephew, Charles V of France. They publicly celebrated the friendship between their two countries.
• Later, Emperor Charles IV died. His son, Wenceslaus, became the new emperor.
• The Pope's main office moved back to Rome from Avignon. This ended a period called the Avignon Papacy, where popes had lived in France for many years.
• Pope Gregory XI died. Because people in Rome wanted a Roman pope, the cardinals (who were mostly French) chose Pope Urban VI as the new Pope.
• Many countries had to choose which pope to support during the Western Schism. France, Aragon, Castile and León, Cyprus, Burgundy, Savoy, Naples, and Scotland chose to follow Antipope Clement VII.
• Other countries like Denmark, England, Flanders, the Holy Roman Empire, Hungary, northern Italy, Ireland, Norway, Poland, and Sweden continued to support Pope Urban VI.
• Dmitri Donskoi, a leader in Russia, fought off a small attack by the Mongol Blue Horde.
• In Florence, Italy, there was a protest called the Revolt of the Ciompi. Workers who prepared wool briefly took control of the government. This was a rare time when a European government included people from all social classes.
• A leader named Tokhtamysh took over as Khan (ruler) of the White Horde, replacing Timur Malik.
• Kara Osman started a new ruling family called the Turkomans of the White Sheep dynasty. They were based in Diyarbakır, which is in modern-day southeast Turkey.
• The Turks captured the town of Ihtiman in western Bulgaria.
• An English spy killed Owain Lawgoch. He was a Welsh leader who claimed the throne of Wales and was an ally of France.
• Gian Galeazzo Visconti became the ruler of Milan after his father, Galeazzo II Visconti, died.
• Uskhal Khan became the new ruler of the Yuan Dynasty in Mongolia. He took over after his father, Biligtü Khan.
• Balša II became the ruler of Zeta (now Montenegro) after his father, Durađ I, died.
• Tai Bian became King of Mong Mao (now northern Myanmar), taking over from Zhao Bing Fa.
• The famous Halley's Comet was seen in the sky this year.
• In southern India, Da'ud Shah became the Bahmani Sultan after his nephew was killed. However, Da'ud Shah was also killed in the same year. Mohammed Shah II then became the new Sultan.

Births

• August 16 – Hongxi Emperor, who would later become an emperor of China.
• October 24 – David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay, a Scottish prince.
• December 31 – Pope Callixtus III, who would later become a pope.
• Robert Campin, a famous Flemish painter.
• Vittorino da Feltre, an important Italian teacher and scholar.
• Lorenzo Ghiberti, a well-known Italian sculptor and metal worker.
• John Hardyng, an English writer who kept records of history.

Deaths

• February 6 – Jeanne de Bourbon, the queen of Charles V of France.
• March 27 – Pope Gregory XI, the pope whose death led to the Western Schism.
• May 29 – King Henry II of Castile.
• July – Owain Lawgoch, a Welsh prince who was killed.
• August 16 – San Rocco di Venezia, a saint known for helping people with diseases.
• November 29 – Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, a powerful European ruler.
• Galeazzo II Visconti, a ruler of Milan.

Images for kids

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  Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor

See also

In Spanish: 1378 para niños