Timeline August 1153

Events in August 1153 3

• 1090 – 1153 Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) Died 20 August 1153, aged 63 Bernard was the leading churchman of his age, founding the abbey of Clairvaux and driving the rapid growth of the Cistercian order across Europe. He preached the Second Crusade, advised popes, and wrote influential theological and mystical works. He was canonized in 1174 and remains one of the most revered medieval saints.
• 1130 – 1153 Eustace IV of Boulogne (1130-1153) Died 17 August 1153, aged 23 Eustace was the eldest son of King Stephen of England and had been designated his father's heir. His sudden death removed the main obstacle to a negotiated end of the Anarchy, clearing the way for the Treaty of Winchester. Stephen's younger son William did not pursue the throne.
• 1153 Siege of Ascalon Crusader forces capture the key Fatimid fortress city Baldwin III of Jerusalem led a prolonged siege against the heavily fortified port of Ascalon, the last Fatimid stronghold on the Levantine coast. The city fell in August after months of blockade, removing the main base for Egyptian raids into the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Its capture marked a high point of Crusader territorial expansion.