March – In England, John Wycliffe tries to promote his ideas for Catholic reform by laying his theses before parliament and making them public in a tract. He is subsequently summoned before Archbishop of Canterbury, Simon of Sudbury, at the episcopal palace at Lambeth to defend his actions.
September 20 – Unhappy with Pope Urban's critical attitude towards them, the majority of the cardinals meet at Fondi and elect Clement VII as antipope and establish a rival papal court at Avignon. This split within the Catholic Church becomes known as the Western Schism.
Pope Gregory XI dies. Due to riots in Rome calling for a Roman pope, the cardinals, who were mostly French, elect Pope Urban VI (Bartolomeo Prignano, Archbishop of Bari) as the 202nd Pope.
Revolt of the Ciompi – discontent wool carders briefly take over the government of Florence. For the first time, a European government represents all social classes.
Da'ud Shah succeeds his assassinated nephew, Aladdin Mujahid Shah, as Bahmani Sultan in present-day southern India. Da'ud Shah is assassinated in the same year and is succeeded by Mohammed Shah II.