Britannica
Sources used in this answer
When was Thomas Becket murdered?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
St. Thomas Becket
Murder of St. Thomas Becket, illustration from an English psalter, c. 1200; in the British Library.
St. Thomas Becket, the archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered on December 29, 1170.1
He was killed inside Canterbury Cathedral by four knights following a prolonged dispute with King Henry II regarding the authority of the Roman Catholic Church and the jurisdiction of church courts.12