Generations in the 1100s (the 12th century) spanned roughly 100 years, seeing significant shifts in Europe (Crusades, rise of universities like Oxford/Bologna, Gothic architecture), China (Song Dynasty's peak), and the Islamic world (Al-Ghazali, Almoravids), with people like Héloïse d'Argenteuil , Henry II of England , Saladin , Thomas Becket , and Frederick Barbarossa living through births, reigns, and cultural bloom, marking a dynamic era of change and expansion. Key Generations & Eras: Early 12th Century (c. 1090s - 1130s): Followed the First Crusade (1099); saw figures like Pope Urban II and William the Conqueror (died 1087) giving way to new rulers; beginnings of Gothic style; universities emerging. Mid-12th Century (c. 1130s - 1170s): The 'Renaissance of the 11th Century' continued; significant cultural and intellectual growth; figures like Héloïse d'Argenteuil , Henry II , Thomas ...