1170

Events

* Henry II of England wishes aloud that Thomas Becket be destroyed.
* December 29 — Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, is assassinated in Canterbury Cathedral.
* The city of Dublin is captured by the Normans.
* According to folklore, the Welsh prince Madoc sailes to North America and founds a colony.
* Estimation: Fes in the Almohad Empire becomes the largest city of the world, taking the lead from Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. [http://geography.about.com/library/weekly/aa011201a.htm]
* The Danes attack Estonia.
* The palace guards massacre the civil officials at the Korean court and place a new king on the throne. The coup leaders scrap the privileges that have kept the aristocrats in power and appoint themselves to top posts.

Births

* Eustace the Monk, French pirate (d. 1217)
* Isabelle of Hainaut, queen of Philip II of France (d. 1190)
* Mukhali, general of Genghis Khan
* Saint Dominic, founder of the Dominicans (d. 1221)
* Valdemar II of Denmark (d. 1241)
* Leonardo of Pisa (Leonardo Fibonacci) (d. 1250)

Deaths

* January 22 — Wang Chongyang, Chinese Daoist and co-founder of the Quanzhen School (b. 1113)
* November 18 — Albert I of Brandenburg (b. c. 1100)
* November 28 — Owain Gwynedd, King of Gwynedd (b. c. 1100)
* December 29 — Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury (assassinated) (b. c. 1118)
* Al-Mustanjid, Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad
* Ruben II of Armenia (b. 1160)
* Mstislav II of Kiev
* Eliezer ben Nathan, Jewish poet and writer (b. 1090)
* Eudes, Viscount of Porhoet, co-ruler of the duchy of Brittany