1346--Orkhan marries Theodora, granddaughter of the Bulgarian czar and daughter of Cantacuzenos, who is besieging Constantinople with Ottoman aid. 1348--The ‘Black Death’ ravages Europe. 1349--Cantacuzenos calls again upon Orkhan for aid. Twenty thousand Ottoman horsemen are sent to help in preventing Salonika from falling into Serbian hands. _c._ 1351--First convention between Orkhan and the Genoese. 1353--Soleiman pasha, Orkhan’s elder son, in response to the third appeal of Cantacuzenos for Ottoman aid, brings an army into Thrace, helps in the recapture of Adrianople, and defeats the Serbians at Demotika. For this aid, a fortress on the European shore of the Dardanelles, probably Tzympe, is given to Orkhan. 1354--An earthquake, which damaged the walls of Gallipoli, enables the Osmanlis of Soleiman pasha to capture the city. Orkhan refuses to give up Gallipoli, breaks with Cantacuzenos, and orders the Osmanlis in the Hellespont to extend their conquest in the direction of Constantinople. _c_. 1357--Demotika and Tchorlu are captured for the first time by the Osmanlis under Soleiman pasha. 1358--Soleiman pasha dies from the fall of a horse at Bulaïr. 1359--Orkhan dies, and is succeeded by Murad. 1360-1--Conquest of Thrace. 1361--Second serious ‘Black Death’ plague in Europe. _c._ 1362--Murad creates corps of ‘janissaries’. 1362 (1363)--John V Palaeologos binds himself by treaty to recognize Murad’s conquests in Thrace, and to give him military aid against the Turkish emirs of Asia Minor. 1363--Serbian and Hungarian crusaders are defeated on the banks of the Maritza. Murad takes up his residence in Demotika. 1365--Ragusa makes commercial treaty with Osmanlis, promising tribute. 1366--Adrianople becomes the first capital of the Ottoman Empire. Amadeo of Savoy’s crusade; captures Gallipoli, but soon abandons it again. 1369--Capture of Yamboli forces Sisman of Bulgaria to become, like the Byzantine Emperor, a vassal of Murad. 1371--Battle of Samakov gives the Osmanlis control of the passes into the Plain of Sofia. Battle of Cernomen opens up Macedonia to the Ottoman conquest. 1372--Moslem colonization of Macedonia, at Drama, Kavalla, Serres, and Veles, gives the Osmanlis a position of preponderance in the Balkan peninsula. 1373--John Palaeologos, failing to receive aid from the West, becomes Ottoman vassal. 1374--Unsuccessful conspiracy of Manuel to recover Serres causes Ottoman siege of Salonika. 1379--John and Manuel agree to increase their tribute of gold and soldiers, and to surrender Philadelphia, the last Byzantine possession in Asia, for Ottoman aid in ousting Andronicus IV from Constantinople. 1384--Osmanlis aid Thomas in besieging Janina. 1385--First Ottoman invasion of Albania. Battle of Savra destroys Balsa’s power. Osmanlis occupy Sofia. 1386--Osmanlis capture Croia and Scutari, but return these fortresses to prince of Zenta. The fall of Nish makes Lazar of Serbia Ottoman vassal.