14th century

Millennium: 2nd millennium Centuries: 13th century · 14th century · 15th century Decades: 1300s 1310s 1320s 1330s 1340s
1350s 1360s 1370s 1380s 1390sCategories: Births– Deaths
Establishments– Disestablishments

This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). It is housed in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C..

As a means of recording the passage of time, the 14th century was that century which lasted from 1301 to 1400.

1 Events
2 Significant people
3 Inventions, discoveries, introductions
4 Decades and years

Events

The transition from the Medieval Warm Period to the Little Ice Age
Beginning of the Ottoman Empire, early expansion into the early Balkans
The Avignon papacy transfers the seat of the Popes from Italy to France
The Great Famine of 1315-1317 kills millions of people in Europe
Being forced out of previous locations, the Mexica found the city of Tenochtitlan in 1325
Battle of Kosovo in 1389 between Serbs and Ottoman Turks, Prince Lazar, sultan Murat I and Miloš Obilić were killed
The Vijayanagara Empire is founded in South India by Harihara in 1336
The Hundred Years' War begins when Edward III of England lays claim to the French throne in 1337.
Black Death kills around a third of the population of Europe. (1347 - 1351)
The Battle of Lake Poyang, a naval conflict between Chinese rebel groups led by Chen Youliang and Zhu Yuanzhang, took place in August to October of 1363, and was one of the largest naval battles in history.
The end of Mongol Yuan Dynasty in China and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368)
The heresy of Lollardy rises in England
The Great Schism of the West begins in 1378, eventually leading to 3 simultaneous popes.
An account of Buddha's life, translated earlier into Greek by St John of Damascus and widely circulated to Christians as the story of Barlaam and Josaphat, became so popular Buddha (under the name Josaphat) was made a Catholic saint.
Singapore emerges for the first time as a fortified city and trading centre of some importance.
Reunification of Poland under Ladislaus I of Poland
Ciompi Revolt in Florence
Peasants' Revolt in England
Islam reaches Terengganu, on the Malay Peninsula.
The Hausa found several city-states in the south of modern Niger.
The Mali Empire expands westward and conquers Tekrur.
The poet Petrarch coins the term Dark Ages to describe the preceding 900 years in Europe, beginning with the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 through to the renewal embodied in the Renaissance.
The Scots win the Scottish Wars of Independence.
Union of Krewo between Poland and Lithuania.
Work begins on the Great Enclosure at Great Zimbabwe, built of uncemented, dressed stone. The city's population is now between 10,000 and 40,000.
Beginning of the Renaissance in Italy
The English word "abacus" used to describe the calculating device from China.
Wang Dayuan, the first Chinese to sail into the Mediterranean while visiting Egypt and North Africa from 1334-1339.
The Kalmar Union is established in 1397, uniting Norway, Sweden and Denmark into one kingdom.

Significant people

Statue of Dante Alighieri at the Uffizi, Florence

Dante Alighieri, Italian poet and writer (1265 - 1321).
Giotto di Bondone, Italian painter of the late Middle Ages, early Renaissance (c. 1267–1337)
Simone Martini, Italian painter of the late Middle Ages, early Renaissance 1284 – c. 1344
Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland, victor in the First War of Scottish Independence against invasion by the Kingdom of England (1274 - 1329).
Juan Manuel, Duke of Penafiel, Spanish author (1282 - 1349).
William of Ockham, English Franciscan friar and philosopher (c. 1285 - 1347).
Charles I of Hungary, military, diplomatic and financial reformer, restoring the Kingdom of Hungary to power (1288 - 1342).
Chen Youliang, Chinese rebel leader and arch nemesis to Zhu Yuanzhang (aka Emperor Hongwu)
Isabella of France, queen consort and regent of the Kingdom of England (c. 1295 - 1358).
Guillaume de Machaut, French composer and poet (c. 1300 - 1377).
Ibn Battuta, Arab Muslim traveler (1304 - 1368/1377).
Jiao Yu, Chinese general and author of the Huolongjing military treatise
Liu Ji, a Chinese general, court advisor, philosopher, and co-editor of the Huolongjing
Francesco Petrarch, Italian poet and writer (1304 - 1374).
Casimir III of Poland, expansionist and financial reformer (1310 - 1370).
Hafez Persian poet (c. 1310 - 1379.
Edward III, King of England. His claim to the throne of France resulted in the Hundred Years' War (1312 - 1377).
Giovanni Boccaccio, Italian author (1313 - 1375).
Timur, Central Asian warlord and founder of the Timurid Dynasty (1336 - 1405).
Geoffrey Chaucer, English poet (c. 1343 - 1400).
Mansa Musa (d. 1347), King of the Mali Empire while it was the source of almost half the world's gold.
Christine de Pizan, French writer (1364 - 1430).
Hongwu Emperor, founder of the Ming Dynasty in China (1328 - 1398)