Media History Project
mediahst@umn.edu

1100-1399 C.E.

  • 1100: Anselm’s writings; they will influence Scholastic thought for centuries.
  • 1100: Gothic Textus script introduced when quill pen is cut at an angle.
  • 1100: Art and poetry flourish during China’s Sung dynasty.
  • 1104: Gospel of St. John, written in 687 in uncial, found in St. Cuthbert’s casket.
  • 1116: Chinese sew pages to make stitched books.
  • 1126: In Korea, palace fire destroys library with tens of thousands of books.
  • 1126: Greek and Arabic scientific books are translated into Latin.
  • 1131: Persian mathematician Omar Khayyam dies after writing the Rubáiyát.
  • 1140: In Egypt, cloth is stripped from mummies to make paper.
  • 1140: The University of Bologna, is founded as a center for the study of law.
  • 1142: French logician Peter Abelard dies; best known for doomed love of Héloïse.
  • 1147: Crusader taken prisoner escapes with papermaking art, according to a legend.
  • 1147: Benedictine nun, Hildegard of Bingen, publishes visionary Scivias.
  • 1148: Anna Comnena, daughter of Byzantine emperor, writes history of her time.
  • 1150: England’s Adelard of Bath dies after translating Arabic algebra book into Latin.
  • 1150: Caliph of Baghdad orders burning of books by philosopher Avicenna.
  • 1150: Start of 350 years of Middle English.
  • 1150: Koreans print books from movable type.
  • 1151: French abbot Suger dies after developing Gothic architecture.
  • 1151: Papermill built at Jativa, Spain, under the Moors may be first in Europe.
  • 1154: Monks discontinue Angle-Saxon Chronicle after 183 years.
  • 1155: Oldest known printed map shows western China.
  • 1158: Hildegard completes “symphony” of 77 songs.
  • 1158: Peter Lombard’s Four Books of Sentences are grounding for Scholasticism.
  • 1161: Ibn Daud’s works establish him as the first Jewish Aristotelian.
  • 1168: Oxford University is founded.
  • 1168: Maimonides’ Commentary on the Mishnah shows Aristotelian influence.
  • 1180: German minnesingers entertain with love songs.
  • 1190: Aristotelian views of Islamic philospher Ibn Rushd; they will influence Aquinas.
  • 1190: Maimonides’ Guide to the Perplexed reconciles Judaism, Aristotelianism.
  • 1194: Emir of Seville, Spain, burns books of philosophy and logic.
  • 1195: Pictorial encyclopedia composed and illustrated by Herrad of Landsberg.
  • 1198: Averroës, Spanish-Arab philosopher, dies; famously wrote on Aristotle.
  • 1200: The University of Paris is granted its charter, starts mail, messenger service.
  • 1200: Books are copied and sold for profit by stationers, usually at universities.
  • 1200: Tales of love and chivalry, based on an Arab practice, are sung by troubadours.
  • 1200: European monasteries communicate by letter system.
  • 1200: Cymbals join musical performance.
  • 1200: French Dominicans begin the Inquisition to snuff out heresy.
  • 1200: Some religious texts are written in the English vernacular.
  • 1202: Leonardo Fibonacci’s Liber Abaci establishes Arabic numerals in Europe.
  • 1204: Maimonides dies, revising his 14-volume Mishneh Torah to the last.
  • 1215: The Magna Carta sets limits on a king’s power.
  • 1222: The University of Padua is founded.
  • 1224: The University of Naples is founded.
  • 1225: “The Fibonacci series” introduced in his Book of Square Numbers.
  • 1229: The University of Toulouse is founded.
  • 1229: In Toulouse, the Inquisition forbids laymen to read the Bible.
  • 1231: Cambridge University is founded.
  • 1234: Koreans use movable metal type.
  • 1244: The University of Rome is founded.
  • 1253: In Paris, the Sorbonne University is founded.
  • 1262: Birth of Guan Daoshang, most famous of Chinese women artists.
  • 1266: Italian brothers Borgognoni advocate anesthesia, wound cleansing.
  • 1267: Roger Bacon builds a camera obscura to show optical illusions.
  • 1267: Bacon’s Opus Majus supports empirical study of science, math.
  • 1268: Bacon’s On Experimental Science supports inductive reasoning.
  • 1270: Syrian scholar compiles an encyclopedia.
  • 1270: Bishop of Paris formally condemns doctrines of radical Aristotelians.
  • 1273: Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologica melds Christian, Aristotelian thought.
  • 1276: At Fabriano, Italy, the first paper mill is built in Christian Europe.
  • 1280: Mechanical clocks using weights and gears gradually replace water clocks.
  • 1280: In China, Kublai Khan establishes a pony express.
  • 1282: In the Fabriano mill, watermarks are added to paper.
  • 1283: Thailand gets its own alphabet.
  • 1285: Eyeglasses are invented in Italy, but correcting only for far-sightedness.
  • 1290: Beatrice, the inspiration of Dante, dies.
  • 1290: French astronomer Guillaume de Saint Cloud describes concept of a camera.
  • 1290: Unknown German author writes epic poem Lohengrin.
  • 1298: Marco Polo tells of paper money in China. Few Europeans believe such nonsense.
  • 1300: Wooden type is used in central Asia.
  • 1300: British monk John Duns Scotus writes Treatise on God as First Principle.
  • 1305: Taxis family begins private postal service in Europe.
  • 1309: Paper is made in England.
  • 1310: Rainbows are explained as refracted light.
  • 1313: In Florence, Giotto prefigures modern painting.
  • 1321: Dante Alighieri dies after completing his epic poem, The Divine Comedy.
  • 1325: Legends of King Arthur are written.
  • 1325: Early organs get pedals.
  • 1328: In England, William of Ockham postulates “Razor” law of parsimony.
  • 1333: Petrarch’s discovery of classical manuscripts helps bring on the Renaissance.
  • 1337: Giotto dies. His paintings will influence the great Renaissance artists.
  • 1340: The madrigal, a form of vocal chamber music, originates in northern Italy.
  • 1342: In France, mathematician Levi ben Gershon writes theory of photography.
  • 1350: In Milan, a public striking clock.
  • 1350: Black Death stalks Europe. One in three die.
  • 1350: Lutes are a popular instrument in Europe.
  • 1353: Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron tells tales of earthy love and intrigue.
  • 1360: Before the piano, there was the clavichord and the cembalo.
  • 1373: The Bibliotheque Nationale housed in the Louvre, catalogues 1,000 volumes.
  • 1377: Block printed playing cards in Europe.
  • 1378: In England, the Great Schism; Lollards say lay people can interpret the Bible.
  • 1384: John Wycliffe dies after producing copies of English language Bible.
  • 1387: Geoffrey Chaucer writes The Canterbury Tales.
  • 1390: The first paper mill in Germany.
  • 1392: Koreans have a type foundry to produce bronze characters.
  • 1395: Improved version of the Wyclif Bible is completed.