1080 CE

King Harald III of Denmark dies after a 4-year reign and is buried at Dalby Church in Scania (modern Sweden). He is succeeded by his brother Canute IV ("the Holy") as ruler of Denmark. Walcher, bishop of Durham, is killed by rebel Northumbrians. King William the Conqueror sends a punitive expedition led by his half-brother Odo of Bayeux to pacify Northumbria. Wibert of Ravenna is elected as Antipope Clement III during the pro-imperial Synod of Brixen. Pope Gregory VII is deposed, signed in a decree by Henry IV.

In the 1080s, the 11th century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • The Rubenid Principality of Cilicia gains independence after its founder, Ruben I, succeeds in establishing his authority in the mountainous regions of Cilicia.source

Conflict & Security

  • January 27 – Battle of Flarchheim: Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor, defeats the forces led by the German anti-king Rudolf of Rheinfelden, duke of Swabia, near the town of Flarchheim (modern Germany).source
  • October 14 – Battle on the Elster: Rudolf of Rheinfelden defeats the imperial forces led by Henry IV at the Elster River. Rudolf dies the following day at Merseburg of wounds received.source
  • Shen Kuo, Chinese polymath scientist and statesman, begins his defensive military campaign against the Tangut people of the Western Xia. He successfully defends the invasion route to Yanzhou (Shaanxi province).source
  • Autumn – Nikephoros Melissenos, a Byzantine general and aristocrat, seizes control of what remains of Byzantine Asia Minor (modern Turkey), and proclaims himself emperor against Nikephoros III Botaneiates. Melissenos makes an alliance with Sultan Suleiman ibn Qutulmish and recruits many Turkish mercenaries to his army.source
  • The Almoravid emir, Yusuf ibn Tashfin, conquers Tangier, Badis and Hunayn.source
  • Autumn – Robert Curthose, a son of William I, is sent to invade Scotland. He reaches as far as Falkirk and forces King Malcolm III to agree to terms while building fortifications at Newcastle upon Tyne.source

Religion & Belief

  • June 25 – Wibert of Ravenna is elected as Antipope Clement III during the pro-imperial Synod of Brixen. Pope Gregory VII is deposed, signed in a decree by Henry IV.source
  • Osmund, bishop of Salisbury, builds Devizes Castle in Wiltshire.source
  • King Alfonso VI ("the Brave") of León and Castile establishes Latin liturgy in the Catholic Church, in place of the Hispanic Rite.source
  • Benno II, bishop of Osnabrück, founds the Benedictine abby of Iburg Castle (modern Germany).source

Births

  • Rotrou III ("the Great"), French nobleman (died 1144)source
  • Piotr Włostowic, Polish noblemansource
  • Matilda of Scotland, queen consort of England (died 1118)source
  • Wulfric of Haselbury, English wonderworker (died 1154)source
  • Leo I, prince of Cilician Armeniasource
  • Ibn Tumart, Almoravid political leadersource
  • Magnus Erlendsson, Norse earl of Orkney (died 1115)source
  • Barthélemy de Jur, French bishopsource
  • Cellach of Armagh (or Celsus), Irish archbishop (died 1129)source
  • Alberic of Ostia, French cardinal-bishop (died 1148)source
  • Theresa, Portuguese queen and regent (died 1130)source
  • Harald Kesja ("the Spear"), king of Denmark (died 1135)source
  • Adelard of Bath, English philosopher (died 1152)source
  • Robert Pullen, English cardinalsource

Deaths

  • January 26 – Amadeus II, count of Savoy (born 1050)source
  • April 17 – King Harald III of Denmark dies after a 4-year reign and is buried at Dalby Church in Scania (modern Sweden). He is succeeded by his brother Canute IV ("the Holy") as ruler of Denmark.source
  • April 17 – Harald III, king of Denmark (born 1040)source
  • May 14 – Walcher, bishop of Durhamsource
  • May 14 – Walcher, bishop of Durham, is killed by rebel Northumbrians. King William the Conqueror sends a punitive expedition led by his half-brother Odo of Bayeux to pacify Northumbria.source
  • July 5 – Ísleifur Gissurarson, Icelandic bishop (born 1006)source
  • October 15 – Rudolf of Rheinfelden, duke of Swabiasource
  • Abraham, bishop of St David's (Wales) (murdered: approximate date)source
  • Lhachen Gyalpo, Indian king of Ladakh (born 1050)source
  • Haakon Ivarsson, Norwegian jarl (born 1027)source
  • Aristakes Lastivertsi, Armenian historian (born 1002)source
  • Bertha of Blois, duchess of Brittany (approximate date)source
  • Muhammad ibn Abbas, ruler of the Ghurid dynastysource
  • Michael Attaleiates, Byzantine historian and writersource