Editing 1153 (section)

== Events ==
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=== By place ===

==== Byzantine Empire ====
* Spring &ndash; [[Andronikos I Komnenos]], son of [[Isaac Komnenos (son of Alexios I)|Isaac Komnenos]], is imprisoned in the imperial palace for conspiring against his uncle, Emperor [[Manuel I Komnenos|Manuel I]] ('''Komenenos''') at [[Constantinople]].

==== Levant ====
* [[August 19]] &ndash; [[Siege of Ascalon]]: King [[Baldwin III of Jerusalem]] captures [[Ascalon]], the last [[Fatimid Caliphate|Fatimid]] fortress in [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]]. The citizens are allowed to leave in peace and return to [[Egypt in the Middle Ages|Egypt]].
* [[Raynald of Châtillon]], a French nobleman, marries [[Constance of Antioch]] (after given permission by Baldwin III) and becomes [[Prince of Antioch]].

==== Britain ====
* Spring &ndash; The 19-year-old [[Henry II of England]] lands with a Norman fleet (some 40 ships) on the south coast of [[Kingdom of England|England]]. He defeats King [[Stephen, King of England|Stephen]] (a cousin of his mother, Queen [[Empress Matilda|Matilda]]) with a small army at [[Malmesbury]]. Henry travels north through the [[Midlands]], while a temporary truce is accepted. [[Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester|Robert de Beaumont]], 2nd [[Earl of Leicester]], announces his support for the cause. Hoping to dethrone Stephen and replace him with Matilda.<ref>Bradbury, Jim (2009). ''Stephen and Matilda: The Civil War of 1139–53'', p. 180. Stroud, UK: The History Press. {{ISBN|978-0-7509-3793-1}}.</ref>
* [[May 24]] – King [[David I of Scotland]] dies after a 29-year reign at [[Carlisle Castle]]. He is succeeded by his grandson, the 12-year-old [[Malcolm IV of Scotland|Malcolm IV]] ('''Virgo'''). Malcolm is the eldest son of [[Henry of Scotland]], 3rd [[Earl of Huntingdon]], who is crowned as ruler of [[Kingdom of Scotland|Scotland]] at [[Scone Abbey|Scone Priory]] on [[May 27]]. Because of his young age, [[Donnchad I, Earl of Fife|Donnchad]] (or '''Duncan''') becomes Malcolm's [[regent]] and royal adviser.<ref>Duncan, A.A.M. (2002). ''The Kingship of the Scots 842–1292: Succession and Independence'', p. 71. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh. {{ISBN|0-7486-1626-8}}.</ref>
* [[August]] &ndash; Stephen assemble troops to renew the siege of [[Wallingford Castle]] in a final attempt to take the stronghold. Henry of Anjou marches south to relieve the siege, arriving with a small army of mercenaries. He places Stephen's besieging troops under siege themselves. Stephen agrees to make a truce and accepts Henry as heir to the English throne.<ref>Bradbury, Jim (2009). ''Stephen and Matilda: The Civil War of 1139–53'', p. 183. Stroud, UK: The History Press. {{ISBN|978-0-7509-3793-1}}.</ref>
* [[November 6]] &ndash; The [[Treaty of Wallingford]]: Henry of Anjou and Stephen ratify the terms of a permanent peace under the direction of Archbishop [[Theobald of Bec]]. Ending the civil war ([[The Anarchy]]) – between England and [[Duchy of Normandy|Normandy]] after 18-years. The treaty grants the throne to Stephen for the duration of his life, but makes Henry the heir apparent.<ref>{{cite book|title=King John|first=W. L.|last=Warren|publisher=University of California Press|location=Berkeley|year=1961|page=21}}</ref>

==== Europe ====
* Confronted with important financial difficulty due to the expenses of the Spanish [[Reconquista|crusade]], the [[Republic of Genoa]] has to sell a third of the city of [[Tortosa]] (which [[Siege of Tortosa (1148)|they had conquered in 1148]] during an expedition against the [[Almoravid dynasty|Almoravids]]) to [[Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona|Ramon Berenguer IV]], count of [[County of Barcelona|Barcelona]].<ref name="genoese crusade">{{cite journal|last=Williams|first=John B.|title=The making of a crusade: the Genoese anti-Muslim attacks in Spain 1146–1148|journal=Journal of Medieval History|year=1997|volume=23|issue=1|pages=29–53|doi=10.1016/s0304-4181(96)00022-x}}</ref>

==== Asia ====
* [[February 10]] &ndash; [[Taira no Tadamori]] dies after a career in which he has used his military and diplomatic skills to subdue the [[Wokou|pirates]] menacing commerce in the [[Seto Inland Sea]]. He expands trade with [[China]] and becomes the first [[samurai]] to serve Emperor [[Emperor Konoe|Konoe]] as personal bodyguard. He is succeeded by his son [[Taira no Kiyomori]], who assumes control of the [[Taira clan|Taira Clan]]. He establishes the first samurai-dominated government in [[Japan]].

==== Africa ====
* King [[Roger II of Sicily|Roger II]] sends a Sicilian expedition under Admiral [[Philip of Mahdia]] to [[Kingdom of Africa|conquer Ifriqiya]]. With the support of Muslim troops, the [[Kingdom of Sicily|Siculo-Normans]] suppress a rebellion on [[Djerba]] and invade the [[Kerkennah Islands]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Abulafia|first=David|title=The Norman kingdom of Africa and the Norman expeditions to Majorca and the Muslim Mediterranean|year=1985|publisher=Boydell Press|location=Woodbridge|isbn=978-0-85115-416-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4DZf-RBtZ7IC&q=Norman+crusaders+and+the+Catalan+reconquest:+Robert+Burdet+and+the+principality+of+Tarragona+1129-55&pg=PA32}}</ref>

=== By topic ===

==== Demography ====
* Estimation: Constantinople, capital of the [[Byzantine Empire]], becomes the largest city of the world, taking the lead from [[Merv]] in the [[Seljuk Empire]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://geography.about.com/library/weekly/aa011201a.htm |title=Geography at about.com |access-date=March 1, 2006 |archive-date=August 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818124242/http://geography.about.com/library/weekly/aa011201a.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==== Religion ====
* [[July 8]] &ndash; Pope [[Pope Eugene III|Eugene III]] dies after a 8-year [[pontificate]] at [[Tivoli, Lazio|Tivoli]]. He is succeeded by [[Pope Anastasius IV|Anastasius IV]] as the 168th pope of the [[Catholic Church]].
* [[Dhovemi of the Maldives|Dhovemi]], ruler of the [[Maldives]], converts to [[Islam in the Maldives|Islam]] and adopts the Muslim title of Sultan Muhammad ibn Abdullah.
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