1396 facts for kids

The year 1396 was a special kind of year called a leap year starting on Saturday. This means it had an extra day, February 29th, making it 366 days long instead of the usual 365. Many important things happened around the world in 1396!

Key Events of 1396

New Rulers and Royal Weddings

• On May 19, a new king took the throne in Aragon, a kingdom in what is now north-east Spain. Martin I became king after his brother, John I, passed away.
• A temporary peace was made between England and France. This happened because Richard II of England, the King of England, married Isabella of Valois, who was the daughter of Charles VI of France, the King of France. Royal weddings were often used to create peace between countries back then!
• France also took control of the Republic of Genoa, an important trading city-state in what is now Italy.
• After 14 years without a clear ruler, Peter of Saint Superan was declared the new leader of the Principality of Achaea, which is in southern Greece today.

Major Battles and Conflicts

• On September 25, a huge battle took place called the Battle of Nicopolis. The Ottomans, a powerful empire that controlled much of what is now Turkey, fought against a large group of soldiers from many European countries. These countries included Hungary, France, England, and others. This battle was one of the last big "crusades" – a type of religious war – from the Middle Ages. The Ottomans won this battle.
• In Scotland, a famous fight happened called the "Battle of the Thirty." This was a special kind of trial by combat where two large family groups, the Clan Cameron and the Clan MacKintosh, fought each other. The Clan Cameron won this battle, which took place on the North Inch of Perth.

Important Changes in Kingdoms

• Queen Margaret was a very powerful queen who ruled Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. In 1396, she made her adopted son, Eric of Pomerania, a joint ruler of Sweden. Eric was already a joint ruler of Norway. This helped to strengthen her control over these northern kingdoms.
• In present-day Morocco, a new ruler named Abu Amir took over the Marinid dynasty after Abdul Aziz II.
• The famous conqueror Timur appointed his son, Miran Shah, to be in charge of Azerbaijan, a region in Western Asia.
• The Kartid Dynasty, a ruling family in eastern Persia, came to an end. Their remaining leaders were sadly murdered at a banquet by Miran Shah, Timur's son.

Other Notable Events

• Philibert de Naillac became the new Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller. This was a very important group of knights who protected pilgrims and fought in crusades.
• The Ulu Camii mosque, a large and beautiful place of worship, was built in the city of Bursa by the Ottomans.
• On November 24, a rare event happened in the sky: a transit of Venus. This is when the planet Venus passes directly in front of the Sun, looking like a small black dot moving across its face. This was the last transit of Venus that wasn't part of a pair (meaning two transits close together). Some historians think that Aztec astronomers in ancient Mexico might have even seen this event!

People Born in 1396

• July 31 – Philip III, Duke of Burgundy (died 1467)
• October 16 – William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk (died 1450)
• Date unknown
  • Alfonso V of Aragon (died 1458)
  • Ambroise de Loré, a baron from Normandy (died 1446)
  • John de Ros, 8th Baron de Ros (died 1421)
  • Paolo Uccello, a famous painter (died 1475)

People Who Died in 1396

• July 31 – William Courtenay, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury, a very important religious leader in England.
• November 29 – Robert Ferrers, 3rd Baron Ferrers of Wemme (born 1373)
• Date unknown
  • John Beaumont, 4th Baron Beaumont, who was in charge of Dover Castle (born 1361)
  • Frederick II, a margrave (a type of ruler) of Saluzzo.
  • Saint Stephen of Perm (born 1340)

See also

In Spanish: 1396 para niños