1266

Events

Europe

* February 26 - Battle of Benevento: The army of Charles, Count of Anjou, defeats a combined German and Sicilian force led by King Manfred of Sicily. Manfred is killed in the battle and Pope Clement IV invests Charles as king of Sicily and Naples.
* July - Mary de Ferrers is ordered to surrender land and Liverpool Castle to Edmund, second son of Henry III.
* October - In England, the Second Barons' War winds down as supporters of the slain rebel leader Simon de Montfort make an offer of peace to the king in the Dictum of Kenilworth; after slight modifications to the peace settlement, it is agreed to the following year.
* The war between Scotland and Norway ends as King Alexander III of Scotland and King Magnus VI of Norway agree to the Treaty of Perth, which cedes the Western Isles and Isle of Man to Scotland in exchange for a large monetary payment.
* In France, the gold écu and silver grosh coins are minted for the first time.

Asia

* Niccolo and Maffeo Polo, brother and uncle of Marco Polo, reach Kublai Khan's capital Khanbaliq (now Beijing) in China, setting the stage for Marco's famous expedition 5 years later. Kublai Khan sends the Polos back with a message requesting that the Pope dispatch western scholars to teach in the Mongol Empire; however, this request is largely ignored.
* The Mamluk sultan Baibars expands his domain, capturing the city of Byblos (in present-day Lebanon) and the important castle of Toron from the crusader states, and defeating the Armenians at Cilicia.

Births

* Hethum II of Armenia (d. 1307)
* Beatrice Portinari, Dante Alighieri's beloved and guide through Heaven in The Divine Comedy (d. 1290)

Deaths

* February 26 - King Manfred of Sicily
* October 21 - Birger jarl, Swedish regent and founder of Stockholm (b. c. 1210)
* Berke, khan of the Golden Horde
* Hugh Bigod, Justiciar of England
* Ariq Böke, regent of the Mongol Empire
* Eudes of Burgundy, Count of Nevers (b. 1230)
* John of Ibelin, jurist of the Kingdom of Jerusalem (b. 1215)
* Duke Świętopełk II of Pomerania
* Marie de Saint-Clair, grand master of the Priory of Sion