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It was initially assumed that the LIA was a global phenomenon. It is now less clear that this is true [1]; for example the reconstruction of temperature in the northern hemisphere over the last 1000 years [2] does not show a pronounced period of cooling. See Medieval climate optimum for more on this. The IPCC describes the LIA as a modest cooling of the Northern Hemisphere during this period of less than 1°C.
The Little Ice Age brought bitterly cold winters to many parts of the world, but is most thoroughly documented in Europe and North America. In the mid- 17th century, glaciers in the Swiss Alps advanced, gradually engulfing farms and crushing entire villages. The Thames river and the canals and rivers of the Netherlands often froze over during the winter, and people skated and even held fairs on the ice. In the winter of 1780, New York Harbor froze, allowing people to walk from Manhattan to Staten Island. Sea ice surrounding Iceland extended for miles in every direction, closing that island nation's harbors to shipping.
The severe winters affected human life in ways large and small. FamineA famine is a situation in which a certain country or area does not have enough food to feed its population. As a result, many affected by the famine are undernourished and others die of starvation. Famine was so well known in the ancient world that Famins became more frequent (the one in 1315Events August 13 Louis X of France marries Clemence d'Anjou. November 15 Swiss defeat Leopold of Austria at Battle of Morgarten, ensuring independence for the Swiss Confederation. August Louis X is crowned King of France. The Great Famine of 1315-1317 beg killing 1.5 million people alone), and deaths from diseaseA disease is any abnormal condition of the body or mind that causes discomfort, dysfunction, or distress to the person affected or those in contact with the person. Sometimes the term is used broadly to include injuries, disabilities, syndromes, symptoms, increased. The population of Iceland fell by half, and the VikingViking refers in a loose sense to the North Germanic (ethnically Scandinavian) population of Northern Europe in the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th centuries, which during this time colonized, raided and traded the lengths of the coasts, rivers and islands of Eur colonies in GreenlandThis article is about Greenland, the island dependency of Denmark. For information about the town of Greenland, see Greenland, New Hampshire. Greenland ( Greenlandic: Kalaallit Nunaat "The Land of the Greenlanders (Kalaallit)"; Danish: Gronland , an Arcti died out. The Little Ice Age can be seen in the art of the time; for example, snow dominates many village-scapes by the Flemish painter Pieter Brueghel the YoungerPieter Brueghel the Younger ( 1564 1638) was a Flemish Renaissance painter, son of Pieter Brueghel the Elder. Nicknamed 'Hell Brueghel' for one of the common subjects of his paintings. Works include: Village Fair The Crucifixion Winter, Hunter in the Snow, who lived from 1564Events March 8 Naples bans kissing in public in the penalty of death June 22 Fort Caroline, the first French attempt at colonizing the New World September 10 The Battle of Kawanakajima Ottoman Turks invade Malta Modern pencil becomes common in England Spa to 1638Events March 29 Swedish colonists establish first settlement in Delaware, called New Sweden April 15 Shogunate forces defeat the last rebels of Shimabara Rebellion in the fortress of Hara May 11 French admiral d'Estrees runs his whole fleet aground in Cur.