941 CE
The famed Green Dome of the Palace of the Golden Gate at Baghdad collapses, amidst heavy rainfall. September – Rus'–Byzantine War: The Rus' and their allies, the Pechenegs, under the Varangian prince Igor I of Kiev, cross the Black Sea with an invasion fleet of 1,000 ships (40,000 men) and disembark on the northern coast of Asia Minor. While the Byzantine fleet is engaged against the Arabs in the Mediterranean, the Rus' forces reach the gates of Constantinople. Emperor Romanos I organizes the defense of the capital and assembles 15 old ships (equipped with throwers of Greek fire) under the chamberlain (protovestiarios) Theophanes. The Byzantines repel the Rus' fleet (nearly annihilating the entire fleet) but can not prevent the invaders from pillaging the hinterland of Constantinople, venturing as far south as Nicomedia (modern-day İzmit). In September, John Kourkouas and Bardas Phokas ("the Elder"), two leading generals, destroy the Rus' forces in Thrace. Igor manages, with only a handful of boats, to escape to the Caspian Sea. Kaminarimon, the eight-pillared gate to the Sensō-ji Buddhist temple in Tokyo, Japan, is erected.
In the 940s, the 10th century.
Conflict & Security
- May – September – Rus'–Byzantine War: The Rus' and their allies, the Pechenegs, under the Varangian prince Igor I of Kiev, cross the Black Sea with an invasion fleet of 1,000 ships (40,000 men) and disembark on the northern coast of Asia Minor. While the Byzantine fleet is engaged against the Arabs in the Mediterranean, the Rus' forces reach the gates of Constantinople. Emperor Romanos I organizes the defense of the capital and assembles 15 old ships (equipped with throwers of Greek fire) under the chamberlain (protovestiarios) Theophanes. The Byzantines repel the Rus' fleet (nearly annihilating the entire fleet) but can not prevent the invaders from pillaging the hinterland of Constantinople, venturing as far south as Nicomedia (modern-day İzmit). In September, John Kourkouas and Bardas Phokas ("the Elder"), two leading generals, destroy the Rus' forces in Thrace. Igor manages, with only a handful of boats, to escape to the Caspian Sea.source
- Spring – Henry I, duke of Bavaria, plots to assassinate his brother, King Otto I, at the royal palace in Quedlinburg (modern Saxony-Anhalt), but the conspiracy is discovered and Henry is put in captivity in Ingelheim. He is released after doing penance at Christmas.source
Exploration & Expansion
- Fall – Hugh of Provence, king of Italy, leads a fourth expedition to Rome to dislodge Alberic II. He proceeds to Lazio, preparing a campaign to capture the papal capital. Again the attacks fail and Hugh retreats to Milan.source
Religion & Belief
Disasters & Accidents
Births
- Brian Boru, High King of Ireland (approximate date) (died 1014)source
- Lothair III, king of the West Frankish Kingdom (died 986)source
- Lê Hoàn, emperor of the Early Lê Dynasty (Vietnam) (d.1005)source
- Ibn Furak, Muslim imam, jurist and theologian (died 1015)source
- Hugh Capet, first of the Capetian Kings of France (died 996)source
Deaths
- January 5 – Zhang Yanhan, Chinese chancellor (born 884)source
- February 12 – Wulfhelm, archbishop of Canterburysource
- April 21 – Bajkam, Turkish military commandersource
- Qian Yuanguan, king of Wuyue (born 887)source
- Olaf Guthfrithson, Viking leader and kingsource
- Gurgen II, prince of Tao-Klarjeti (Georgia)source
- Jayavarman IV, Angkorian king (Cambodia)source
- Olaf Guthfrithson, a Norse-Irish chieftain, is killed while raiding an ancient Anglian church at Tyninghame (Northern Northumbria). He is succeeded by his cousin Olaf Sigtryggsson as ruler of Jórvik (modern Yorkshire).source
- Zhao Sun, Chinese official and chancellorsource
- Wang Dingbao, Chinese chancellor (born 870)source
- Rudaki ("Adam of Poets"), Persian poet (born 858)source
- Órlaith íngen Cennétig, Irish queensource
- Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni, Persian scholar (born 864)source
- Abu Bakr Muhammad, Muslim governorsource