Around 1320 John Hawkwood was born.
In June 1368 Lionel of Antwerp 1st Duke of Clarence [aged 29] and Violante Visconti [aged 14] were married in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, Milan [Map]. The wedding festivities were lavish and ostentatious. The banquet, held outside, included 30 courses of meat and fish presented fully gilded. Between the courses the guests were given gifts such as suits of armour, bolts of cloth, war horses, arms, and hunting dogs. Among the guests were Geoffrey Chaucer [aged 25], Petrarch, Jean Froissart and John Hawkwood [aged 48]. He the son of King Edward III of England [aged 55] and Philippa of Hainaut Queen Consort England [aged 57]. They were fourth cousin once removed.
On 11th March 1387 the Battle of Castagnaro was fought between the army of Verona, commanded by Giovanni Ordelaffi and Ostasio II da Polenta, and the victorious Paduans commanded by John Hawkwood [aged 67] [Giovanni Acuto i.e. John the Astute] and Francesco Novello da Carrara [aged 27], son of Francesco I, lord of Padua [aged 61]. Castagnaro is hailed as Sir John Hawkwood's greatest victory. Following a Fabian-like strategy, Hawkwood goaded the Veronese into attacking him on a field of his own choosing, by laying waste to the Veronese lands nearby.
Westminster Chronicle. At that same time [on 17th March 1394] there died in Lombardy that famous knight, Sir John Hawkwood [aged 74], who, from being a poor apprentice of a London shoemaker, came to Lombardy, where he conducted himself so wonderfully, both in outward acts of war and in personal feats of arms, that no one like him was ever found in Lombardy.
Quo etiam tempore obiit ille miles famosus in Lombardia dominus Johannes Haukewode, qui de paupere apprenticio caligarii Londoniensis venit Lombardiam ubi miraculose se habuit tam in actibus bellicis extrinsecis quam in armis intrinsecis quod nunquam in Lombardia similis illi fuit inventus.
On 17th March 1394 John Hawkwood [aged 74] died.
Annals of Kings Richard II and Henry IV. In this year, that veteran knight, famous throughout the whole world, Sir [John] Hawkwood [aged 74]1, after daring exploits, after enterprises brought to completion, after deeds in Italy almost beyond belief, after he had won a name like the names of the great men who are upon the earth, and after he had subdued by arms and mighty courage cities, towns, castles, and estates, bade farewell to the world. His deeds require special treatises of their own.
Hoc anno, ille miles emeritus, toti mundo famosus, Dominus Haukwode, post audacia "tentamenta, molimina post consummata, post incredibilia pene gesta in Italia, post adeptum nomen juxta nomen magnorum qui sunt in terra, post subactas armis et potenti virtute civitates, villas, castra, vel prædia, sæculo valefecit. Cujus gesta tractatus exigunt speciales.
Note 1. John Hawkwood, around 1320-1394, was an English soldier who served as a mercenary leader in Italy; he is sometimes referred to as Giovanni Acuto. He died on 17th March 1394.