1161
Year 1161 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
- December 24 - The widowed Emperor Manuel I Komnenos marries Maria of Antioch, aged 16, at Hagia Sophia.
Europe
- February 3 - Battle of Oslo: King Inge I of Norway is defeated and killed while fighting the forces of Haakon II who succeeds Inge, with 5-year-old Magnus V as co-ruler, but not without challenges to his sovereignty.
- late summer/early autumn - Géza II of Hungary and the envoys of Pope Alexander III conclude the Concordat of 1161, by which Géza agrees to support the Pope in exchange for concessions.
- Magnus Henriksson, pretender to the throne of Sweden, is murdered by Charles VII, who becomes king of Sweden until 1167.
- An Almoravid offensive against the Kingdom of Portugal reaches the city of Almada, located on the Tagus river.
Asia
- Jin–Song Wars: The Battle of Tangdao and Battle of Caishi on the Yangtze River, between the Jin dynasty and the Song dynasty in China result in two pivotal Song naval victories.
- December 15 – Wanyan Liang, Chinese prince of Hailing, is assassinated while on campaign. He is succeeded by Emperor Shizong of Jin.
By topic
Religion
- January 5 - Canonization of Edward the Confessor in England.
- April 18 - Theobald of Bec, archbishop of Canterbury in England dies after an illness. King Henry II is informed and expresses the wish to have his friend Thomas Becket elected as the successor.
- after April 18 - Bartholomew is consecrated as bishop of Exeter in England.
- The Cross of Saint Euphrosyne, commissioned by Euphrosyne of Polotsk in Belarus, is created by craftsman Lazar Bohsha..