1197 ( MCXCVII ) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar , the 1197th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 197th year of the 2nd millennium , the 97th year of the 12th century , and the 8th year of the 1190s decade. As of the start of 1197, the Gregorian calendar was 7 days ahead of the Julian calendar, which was the dominant calendar of the time.

Events [ change | change source ]

• Amalric II succeeds Henry II of Champagne as King of Jerusalem .
• Theobald III becomes Count of Champagne .
• The town of Arbroath, Angus , Scotland is consecrated, and dedicated to St Thomas Becket .
• Kaloyan becomes tsar of Bulgaria .
• Corfu is occupied by the Genoese .
• Hubert Walter , Archbishop of Canterbury , negotiates a peace with Wales .
• North Crawley is split into Great Crawley and Little Crawley.
• Philip of Swabia marries Irene Angela, daughter of Byzantine emperor Isaac II .

Births [ change | change source ]

• October 22 ? Emperor Juntoku of Japan (d. 1242 )
• Amadeus IV of Savoy (d. 1253 )
• Raymond VII of Toulouse (d. 1249 )

Deaths [ change | change source ]

• January ? William Longchamp , Lord Chancellor of England and bishop
• April 28 ? Rhys ap Gruffydd , Welsh ruler (b. 1132 )
• September 10 ? Henry II of Champagne (b. 1166 )
• September 28 ? Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1165 )
• Marguerite of France , daughter of Louis VII of France (b. 1158 )