1389

Events in 1389 1

• 1389 Battle of Kosovo -- the Balkans opened At the Battle of Kosovo (15 June 1389), Sultan Murad I defeats a Serbian-led Christian coalition under Prince Lazar. Both commanders die -- Murad is assassinated in his tent after the battle; Lazar is captured and executed. Kosovo becomes the defining myth of Serbian national identity. The battle opens the Balkans to Ottoman domination: Bulgaria is fully absorbed (1393), and the Ottomans become the dominant power in southeastern Europe. The anniversary (Vidovdan, St Vitus's Day) is still commemorated in Serbia.