Other notable cases · 1170 · Pre-Victorian

Murder of Thomas Becket

In December 1170 Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket was killed inside Canterbury Cathedral by four knights who may have misunderstood King Henry II's angry words. The murder shocked medieval Europe and made Becket a martyr; the knights were exiled but never formally tried.

This summary is written in our own words from published historical sources. Map locations are approximate. Every case in the archive is at least ten years old.