[November 18] John II, duke of Brittany

Parents: John I, duke of Brittany, and Blanche of Navarre
Born: 1239
House: Capet-Dreux
Spouse(s): Beatrice, daughter of Henry III, king of England, and Eleanor of Provence
Predecessor: John I

Reign: 1286 – 1305
Brief: Prior to his coronation as duke, John was closed to his brother-in-law, Edward I of England, whom he accompanied on the Eighth Crusade. In 1285, he joined with Philip III of France on a war against Aragón, leaving his three children under the care of Edward in England. Once duke, his duchy was elevated to the French Peerage (previously it had been autonomous) and John II joined forces with Philip IV of France against the Flemish in the Low Countries. After the war ended, John ventured to the coronation of Pope Clement V in Lyon, where he hoped to settle a dispute he had with bishops in Brittany. While there, a wall crowded with spectators collapsed, burying John under it. He was recovered but died from injuries four days later.

Date of Death: 18 November 1305
Successor: Arthur II

[October 8] John I, duke of Brittany

Local Name: Yann Iañ
Surnamed: "The Red" (Le Roux)
Parents: Peter, earl of Richmond, and Alix, duchess of Brittany
House: Dreux
Spouse(s): Blanche, daughter of Theobald I, king of Navarre, and Agnes of Beaujeu
Predecessor: Alix

Reign: 1221 – 1286
Brief: Surnamed for the color of the beard he frequently sported, John I is a long-ruling but little discussed duke of Brittany. Until 1237, his father, Peter, ruled as regent for him after his mother, Alix, the heiress and duchess died. The year before he took over the government, he married the daughter of the Navarrese king. Much of his reign was consumed by a feud with the bishopric of Nantes and the Breton clergy, though it never became violent. In 1240, John exiled the Jews from Brittany, though he did cancel all debts owed by the Jews to the state. In 1270, he joined the Eighth Crusade with King Louis IX and survived the plague that took the life of the king. He died sixteen years later in the midst of a century of relative peace in Brittany.

Date of Death: 8 October 1286

Successor: John II

Other Monarchs Who Died Today:

• Fushimi, emperor of Japan (1317)
• John George I, elector of Saxony (1656)
• Yongzheng, emperor of China (1735)