Literature December 11 – Averroes (or Ibn Rushd), Arab polymath and physician, dies. He is the author of more than 100 books, for which he is known in the western world as The Commentator and Father of Rationalism. Religion January 8 – Pope Celestine III dies at Rome, after a pontificate of nearly 7 years. He is succeeded by Innocent III, as the 176th pope of the Catholic Church. Shortly after he lays an interdict on Laon, in an attempt to create independent beliefs there. This will be followed by interdicts against France in 1199, and Normandy in 1203. Innocent III excommunicates Philip II for repudiating his marriage to Ingeborg of Denmark (see 1193), to whom he took an almost instant dislike, but public opinion forces Philip to effect a reconciliation with the pope. Births May 4 – Kyaswa, ruler of the Pagan Empire (d. 1251) July 11 – Hōjō Shigetoki, Japanese samurai (d. 1261) August 24 – Alexander II, king of Scotland (d. 1249) September 25 – Ai Zong, Chinese emperor (d. 1234) Baldwin III, Flemish nobleman and knight (d. 1244) Beatrice of Savoy, countess of Provence (d. 1266) Beatrice of Swabia, Holy Roman Empress (d. 1212) Hugh I of Châtillon, French nobleman and knight (d. 1248) Branca of Portugal, Portuguese princess (d. 1240) Fujiwara no Tameie, Japanese waka poet (d. 1275) Humbert V de Beaujeu, French constable (d. 1250) Jalaluddin Surkh-Posh Bukhari, Arab missionary (d. 1292) John de Braose (Tadody), English nobleman (d. 1232) Konrad the Curly, Polish nobleman (approximate date) Koun Ejō, Japanese Sōtō Zen monk and priest (d. 1280) Marie of France, French princess and duchess (d. 1224) Minamoto no Ichiman, Japanese nobleman (d. 1203) Ordoño Álvarez, Spanish abbot and cardinal (d. 1285) Ramon Berenguer IV, Spanish nobleman (d. 1245) Siraj al-Din Urmavi, Ayyubid philosopher (d. 1283) Sybilla of Lusignan, queen of Lesser Armenia (d. 1230) Deaths January 8 – Celestine III, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 1106) February 1 – Walram I (of Laurenburg), German nobleman March 11 – Marie of France, French princess and countess (b. 1145) April 16 – Frederick I (the Catholic), duke of Austria (b. 1175) July 7 – George II (Xiphilinos), patriarch of Constantinople July 24 – Berthold of Hanover, German apostle and bishop August 13 – Hellicha of Wittelsbach, duchess of Bohemia September 10 – Richard FitzNeal, bishop of London (b. 1130) November 27 Abraham ben David, French