1190 CE
A year marked by the death of Frederick Barbarossa during the Third Crusade, the departure of Richard the Lionheart and Philip Augustus for the Holy Land, and the massacre of the Jewish community at York.
Conflict & Security
- Frederick Barbarossa drowned on June 10 while crossing the Saleph River in southeastern Anatolia, a catastrophe that caused most of his massive German army to disintegrate and return home.
- Richard I of England and Philip II of France departed on the Third Crusade, traveling by sea through the Mediterranean toward the Holy Land.
- The Siege of Acre continued throughout the year, with Crusader forces maintaining their blockade of the city while Saladin's army harassed them from the surrounding hills.
Culture & Society
- The massacre at Clifford's Tower in York on March 16 saw approximately 150 Jewish men, women, and children die after being besieged by a mob, with many choosing suicide rather than forced conversion or murder at the hands of the attackers.
- The estimated world population was approximately 357 million.
Climate & Environment
- Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was approximately 275 parts per million, as later confirmed by ice core analysis.