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Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, becomes ruler of the Mongol Empire

The Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous empire in history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to Eastern Europe, extending…

The Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous empire in history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to Eastern Europe, extending northward into Siberia and east and southward into the Indian subcontinent, mounting invasions of Southeast Asia, and conquering the Iranian plateau; and reaching westward as far as the Levant and the Carpathian Mountains.

The empire emerged from the unification of several nomadic tribes in the Mongol heartland under the leadership of Temüjin, known by the title of Genghis Khan (1162–1227), whom a council proclaimed as the ruler of all Mongols in 1206. The empire grew rapidly under his rule and that of his descendants, who sent out invading armies in every direction.

Historical Significance

The Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous empire in history.

Key People

Kublai Khan

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Events Before

  1. Baghdad, then a city of 1 million, falls to the Mongols as the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed, with tens of thousands sl

    Baghdad, then a city of 1 million, falls to the Mongols as the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed, with tens of thousands slaughtered, ending the Islamic Golden Age

  2. Mongol army of 150,000, led by Hulagu, grandson of Genghis Khan, arrives at the walls of Baghdad (city falls Feb 13)

    Mongol army of 150,000, led by Hulagu, grandson of Genghis Khan, arrives at the walls of Baghdad (city falls Feb 13)

  3. Mongols defeated by Dai Viet at the battle of Dong Bo Dau

    Mongols defeated by Dai Viet at the battle of Dong Bo Dau

  4. Salisbury Cathedral in south west England inaugurated

    Salisbury Cathedral in south west England inaugurated

  5. Michael VIII Palaiologos is formally proclaimed Emperor of Nicaea in Nymphaion

    Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus reigned as Byzantine emperor from 1261 until his death in 1282, and previously as the co-emperor of the Empire of Nicaea from 1259 to 1261.

Events After

  1. Constantinople recaptured by Nicaean forces under Alexios Strategopoulos for Emperor Michael VIII, re-establishing Byzan

    Constantinople recaptured by Nicaean forces under Alexios Strategopoulos for Emperor Michael VIII, re-establishing Byzantine Empire

  2. Jacques Pantaleon is elected as Pope Urban IV

    Pope Urban IV (Latin: Urbanus; c. 1195 – 2 October 1264), born James Pantaleon (French: Jacques Pantaléon), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 August 1261 to his...

  3. John IV Lascaris of the restored Eastern Roman Empire is deposed and blinded by orders of his co-ruler Michael VIII Pala

    John IV Lascaris of the restored Eastern Roman Empire is deposed and blinded by orders of his co-ruler Michael VIII Palaeologus.

  4. Flemish Dutch coast ravaged by north westerly storm

    Flemish Dutch coast ravaged by north westerly storm

  5. Arthur II is born

    Arthur II is born

More from the 1260s

First English Parliament is summoned without royal command, in this instance by Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester. It

First English Parliament is summoned without royal command, in this instance by Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester. It meets in Westminster Hall.

Qutuz, Mamluk Sultan of Egypt (1259-60), is assassinated by Baibars, a fellow Mamluk leader, who seizes power for himsel

Qutuz, Mamluk Sultan of Egypt (1259-60), is assassinated by Baibars, a fellow Mamluk leader, who seizes power for himself

Conradin, the last legitimate male heir of the German Hohenstaufen dynasty of kings and Holy Roman Emperors, is executed

Conradin, the last legitimate male heir of the German Hohenstaufen dynasty of kings and Holy Roman Emperors, is executed with Frederick I, Margrave of Baden, by Charles I of Sicily

First English Parliament not summoned by the monarch formally convenes

A parliament is a type of legislature, or law-making body, of a state. Generally, a parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the executive government...

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 5, 1260?
The Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous empire in history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to Eastern Europe, extending northward into Siberia and east and southward into the Indian subcontinent, mounting invasions of Southeast Asia, and conquering the Iranian plateau; and reaching westward as far as the Levant and the Carpathian Mountains. The empire emerged from the unification of several nomadic tribes in the Mongol heartland under the leadership of Temüjin, known by the title of Genghis Khan (1162–1227), whom a council proclaimed as the ruler of all Mongols in 1206.
Why is Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, becomes ruler of the Mongol Empire significant?
The Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous empire in history.
Who was involved in Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, becomes ruler of the Mongol Empire?
Key figures include Kublai Khan.

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May 5 in HistoryYear 1260