date: August 16

text: August 16 – Nikephoros II makes a triumphal entry in Constantinople and is hailed as 'the conqueror'. He is crowned emperor in Hagia Sophia.


date: November 6

section: Religion & Belief

text: November 6 – Synod of Rome: Otto I calls a council at St. Peter's Basilica. John XII is deposed on charges that he has conducted himself dishonorably and instigated an armed rebellion against Otto.

source_section: Events › By topic › Religion


date: November

text: November – Otto arrives at Rome; Pope John XII and Adalbert II (co-ruler of Italy) flee to Campania, taking with them most of the Papal treasury. The Roman citizens warmly receive Otto as a 'liberator'.

source_section: Events › By place › Europe


date: December 6

text: December 6 – Pope Leo VIII is appointed to the office of Protonotary and begins his papacy as antipope of Rome – a reign with the concurrently deposed John XII.


text: The Monastery of Great Lavra at Mount Athos (northeastern Greece) is founded by the Byzantine monk Athanasius the Athonite.


section: Health & Medicine

text: The Chinese government of the Song Dynasty attempted to ban the practice of cremation; despite this decree, the lower and middle classes continued to cremate their dead until the government resolved the problem in the 12th century, establishing public graveyards for paupers.

source_section: Events › By place › Asia


date: September 20

section: Culture & Society

text: September 20 – Nikephoros II marries the former Byzantine consort Theophano, the widow of Emperor Romanos II, bolstering his legitimacy.

source_section: Events › By place › Byzantine Empire


text: Luxembourg has her beginnings at Luxembourg Castle (located on the Bock), founded by Sigfried, count of the Ardennes.


date: March 13

section: Births

text: March 13 – Anna Porphyrogenita, Grand Princess of Kiev (d. 1011)

source_section: Births


date: April 17

text: April 17 – Sweyn Forkbeard, king of Denmark and Norway (d. 1014)


text: Li Jiqian, Chinese governor and rebel leader (d. 1004)


text: Edith of Wilton, English princess and abbess (approximate date)


text: Samsam al-Dawla, Buyid emir (approximate date)


text: Snorri Goði, Icelandic Viking chieftain (d. 1031)


text: Nuh II, emir of the Samanid Dynasty (Iran) (d. 997)


date: March 15

section: Deaths

text: March 15 – Romanos II, Byzantine emperor (b. 938)

source_section: Deaths


text: March 15 – Emperor Romanos II dies at age 39, probably of poison administered by his wife, Empress Theophano. He is succeeded by his infant son Basil II. Theophano becomes regent and de facto ruler, naming her other son Constantine VIII (only 3 years old) as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire.


date: March 31

text: March 31 – Abu Ja'far Ahmad ibn Muhammad, Saffarid emir (b. 906)


date: April 3

text: April 3 – William III, duke of Aquitaine (b. 915)


date: April 10

text: April 10 – Oda of Metz, German noblewoman


date: April 16

text: April 16 – William I, German nobleman


date: April 18

text: April 18 – Stephen Lekapenos, Byzantine co-emperor


text: August 16 – Marianos Argyros, Byzantine general


text: Goltregoda, Frankish countess and regent (b. 920)


text: Abu Muhammad al-Hasan, Buyid vizier


text: Ordoño IV (the Bad), king of León (or 962)


text: Fothad I, bishop of St. Andrews (approximate date)


text: Michael Maleinos, Byzantine monk (approximate date)


text: Wang, empress of the Song Dynasty (b. 942)


date: October 24

section: Conflict & Security

text: October 24–25 – Siege of Rometta: Nikephoros II sends an expedition to Sicily. The Byzantine army (40,000 men) is sent to break the Muslim siege at Rometta, and to regain Sicily for the Byzantine Empire. For two days a battle takes place in the area between the beach and the besieged citadel of Rometta. The Saracens (under Al-Hasan ibn Ammar) manage to defeat the Byzantine relief force.

source_section: Events › Byzantine Empire


text: Spring – King Adalbert II returns to the mainland of Italy, and occupies the environs of Spoleto. Emperor Otto I ('the Great') leaves Rome with his army, and lays siege to the fortress city of Spoleto.

source_section: Events › Europe


text: Arab–Byzantine War: Emperor Nikephoros II continues the reconquest of south-eastern Anatolia (modern Turkey). He recaptured Cyprus through Niketas Chalkoutzes, and reorganizes the conquered lands into new themes. In the summer, they take the fortress cities of Anazarbus and Adana. Byzantine troops under General John Tzimiskes besiege Mopsuestia, but with the coming of winter he is forced to retreat to Caesarea.


date: February

text: February – Pope John XII returns with his supporters to Rome. He convenes a synod that deposes Antipope Leo VIII who finds refuge at the court of Otto I. John dispatches a delegation under Otgar, bishop of Speyer, to negotiate an agreement.


date: June 23

text: June 23 – Benedict V is deposed and ecclesiastically degraded after Otto I besieges Rome. He starves the Romans into submission and restores Leo VIII to the papal throne.


section: Science & Discovery

text: Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi, a Persian astronomer, writes the Book of Fixed Stars

source_section: Events › By topic › Science


text: Otto I proceeds on campaign in Italy, remaining in the environs of Lucca. In the fall he leaves plague-wracked Tuscany, and is forced to retreat to Liguria. His rearguard is attacked by Adalbert II.


text: Liu Wenzhi, official of the Song Dynasty (d. 1028)


text: Bertha of Burgundy, Frankish queen consort (d. 1010)


text: Heonae, Korean queen consort and regent (d. 1029)


date: May 14

text: May 14 – John XII, pope of the Catholic Church


text: May 14 – Pope John XII dies (rumoured to be by apoplexy, or at the hands of a cuckolded husband, during an illicit sexual liaison) after a 9-year reign. The Romans elect Benedict V, who is acclaimed by the city militia. He begins his pontificate as the 131st pope of the Catholic Church.


date: July 3

text: July 3 – Henry I, Frankish nobleman and archbishop


date: November 5

text: November 5 – Fan Zhi, chancellor of the Song Dynasty


date: December 8

text: December 8 – Zhou (the Elder), Chinese queen consort


text: Fujiwara no Anshi, empress consort of Japan (b. 927)


text: Al-Hasan ibn Ali al-Kalbi, Fatimid nobleman and emir


text: Godfrey I, count and vice-duke of Lower Lorraine


text: Toichleach ua Gadhra, king of Gailenga (Ireland)


text: Khosrov of Andzev, Armenian monk and poet


text: Boleslaus I (the Cruel), duke of Bohemia, expands his territory into the Polish territories of Upper Silesia and Lesser Poland. By occupying the city of Kraków, he controls important trade routes from Prague to Kiev and Lviv. Prince Mieszko I of Poland makes an alliance with Boleslaus and marries his daughter Dobrawa.


text: The Khazar fortress city of Sarkel, located on the Lower Don River, is captured by Kievan Rus' under Grand Prince Sviatoslav I. The city is renamed Belaya Vezha (White Fortress) and settled by Slavs.


text: Arab–Byzantine War: Emperor Nikephoros II conquers the fortress cities of Tarsus and Mopsuestia. The Muslim residents abandon the defense and flee into Syria. Nikephoros completes the conquest of Cilicia; Muslim raids into Anatolia (modern Turkey) permanently cease. Byzantine troops under General Niketas Chalkoutzes occupy Cyprus, liberating the Greek population from Muslim domination.


text: Spring – King Lothair III exploits the succession crisis in Flanders and captures many cities, but is eventually repulsed by the supporters of Arnulf II – the son of Baldwin III and former co-ruler of Flanders. Lothair attempts to increase his influence in Lotharingia, once held by the Carolingian dynasty. Emperor Otto I (the Great) encourages resistance to Lothair's overtures.


text: In Tĩnh Hải quân under the Ngô dynasty, rebellions broke out in two villages Đường and Nguyễn (now located in present-day Thái Bình). King Ngô Xương Văn, in an attempt to quell that rebellions, is killed by the rebels which led to the Anarchy of the 12 Warlords started in the same year.


text: Battle of the Straits: The Byzantine attempt to recover Sicily fails, when the Byzantine fleet is annihilated by the Fatimids. The last Byzantine stronghold on the island, Rometta, surrenders. The population is massacred, and the survivors are sold into slavery. Caliph Al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah completes the conquest of Sicily, and establishes naval superiority in the Western Mediterranean.


date: September 23

section: Crime & Justice

text: September 23 – Al-Mutanabbi, an Abbasid poet, returns from 5 years in Mesopotamia. He has lived at Shiraz under the protection of the Buyid emir 'Adud al-Dawla, but bandits kill him near An Numaniyah (modern Iran).

source_section: Events › By topic › Literature


text: The last of the Jelling stones was erected in Denmark by the king Harald Bluetooth; a monumental incident in danish history, often referred to as the birth of Denmark as a nation unified under the religion of Christianity.


text: Hugh I, count of Empúries and Peralada (approximate date)


text: Leo of Vercelli, German bishop (approximate date)


text: Ibn al-Haytham, Arab astronomer and physicist (d. 1040)


text: Theodoric I, duke of Upper Lorraine (approximate date)


text: Godfrey II, count and duke of Lower Lorraine (d. 1023)


text: Hárek of Tjøtta, Norwegian chieftain (approximate date)


text: Frederick of Luxembourg, count of Moselgau (d. 1019)


text: Dudo of Saint-Quentin, Norman historian (approximate date)


text: Gerberga of Burgundy, duchess consort of Swabia (or 966)


text: Sharif al-Murtaza, Buyid Shia scholar (d. 1044)


date: February 22

text: February 22 – Otto, duke of Burgundy (b. 944)


date: March 1

text: March 1 – Leo VIII, pope of the Catholic Church


text: March 1 – Pope Leo VIII dies after a 13-month reign. He is succeeded by John XIII as the 133rd pope of the Catholic Church.


date: March 28

text: March 28 – Arnulf I, count of Flanders


date: May 20

text: May 20 – Gero (the Great), Frankish nobleman


date: June 25

text: June 25 – Guy, margrave of Ivrea (b. 940)


date: July 4

text: July 4 – Benedict V, pope of the Catholic Church


date: July 12

text: July 12 – In China, Emperor Meng Chang of Later Shu dies after a 30-year reign. His kingdom is invaded and incorporated into the expanding Song dynasty.


text: July 12 – Meng Chang, emperor of Later Shu (b. 919)


text: September 23 – Al-Mutanabbi, Abbasid poet (b. 915)


date: October 11

text: October 11 – Bruno I, archbishop of Cologne (b. 925)


text: Ngô Xương Văn, king of Tĩnh Hải quân under Ngô dynasty


text: Zhong, empress consort of Southern Tang


text: Li Hao, Chinese chancellor (approximate date)


text: June 23 - Arab–Byzantine wars: A prisoner exchange occurs at the border between the Byzantine Empire and the Emirate of Aleppo at Samosata, headed by Emperor Nikephoros II and Sayf al-Dawla, the Emir of Aleppo. The Emirate receives 3,000 captured prisoners from the region of Cilicia, after its conquest by the Byzantine Emperor, as well as the poet Abu Firas al-Hamdani, who has previously been held prisoner by the Byzantines.


text: The Hungarians invade the Bulgarian Empire and force Peter I, emperor (tsar) of the Bulgarians, to conclude a peace treaty with them. He lets them cross to attack the Byzantine Empire.


section: Exploration & Expansion

text: Fall – Otto the Great, Holy Roman Emperor, departs for a third expedition in Italy and fights in Lombardy against the partisans under Adalbert II of Ivrea. In November an imperial counter-coup in Rome takes control of Castel Sant'Angelo.


text: John VII, patriarch of Jerusalem, is burned at the stake by a Muslim mob after writing to Emperor Nikephoros II, pleading him to intervene in Palestine and retake it from the Fatimid Caliphate.


text: Re-foundation of Peterborough (also called Medeshamstede) Abbey in England as a Benedictine monastery by Bishop Æthelwold of Winchester (approximate date).


text: Winter – Otto enters Rome and has the twelve principal militia leaders (the 'Decarcones') hanged. Other plotters of the coup are either executed or blinded. Otto is declared 'liberator of the Church'.


date: April 14

text: April 14 – Mieszko I, first duke and prince of Poland, is baptized a Christian, which is usually considered the foundation of the Polish state. Mieszko's baptism, under the influence of his wife Doubravka of Bohemia, brings his territories into the community of Christian countries. The lands ruled by Mieszko cover about 250,000 km², and are inhabited by about 1.2 million people around this time.


date: May

text: May – Pietro IV Candiano, doge of Venice, remarries to Waldrada of Tuscany, a daughter of Hubert, Duke of Spoleto, and a relative of Otto the Great. Waldrada brings him a large dowry, including the possessions of Ferrara, Friuli and Treviso (northern Italy).


text: Spring – King Lothair of France marries Princess Emma of Italy (the only daughter of Adelaide of Burgundy—second wife of Emperor Otto the Great, from her first marriage with King Lothair II, member of the Bosonid dynasty). Lothair strengthens his ties with the Holy Roman Empire. He temporarily remains in control of the cities of Arras and Douai. The latter becomes a flourishing textile market centre during the Middle Ages.


text: Fujiwara no Kintō, Japanese poet and bureaucrat (d. 1041)


text: Gerberga of Burgundy, duchess of Swabia (or 965)


text: Ali al-Sulayhi, sultan of Yemen, Tihamah and Mecca (d. 1066)


text: Heonjeong, queen of Goryeo (Korea) (d. 992)


text: Ding Wei, grand chancellor of the Song dynasty (d. 1037)


text: Hisham II, caliph of Córdoba (Spain) (d. 1013)


text: Sei Shōnagon, Japanese poet and court lady


text: Louis V, king of the West Frankish Kingdom (d. 987)


text: Fujiwara no Michinaga, Japanese nobleman (d. 1028)


date: January 19

text: January 19 – Fujiwara no Asatada, Japanese nobleman (b. 910)


date: January

text: January – Abu'l-Hasan Ali ibn al-Ikhshid, Ikhshidid governor


date: February 9

text: February 9 – Ono no Michikaze (Ono no Tōfū), Japanese calligrapher, dies after having established the foundations of the 'Waystyle' of calligraphy while serving the imperial court at Heian-kyō (modern-day Kyoto).

source_section: Events › Asia


text: February 9 – Ono no Michikaze, Japanese calligrapher (b. 894)


text: March 28 – Flodoard, Frankish canon and chronicler


date: August 4

text: August 4 – Berengar II, margrave and king of Italy


date: November 12

text: November 12 – Abu Ishaq Ibrahim of Ghazna, Samanid governor


date: December 19

text: December 19 – Sancho I, king of León (Spain)


text: Bertha of Swabia, Frankish queen consort


text: c. May? – Rashiq al-Nasimi, Hamdanid governor


text: Viśa' Saṃbhava, king of Khotan (China)


text: Cormac ua Cillín, abbot of Tuamgraney (Ireland)


text: Bagrat II, prince of Tao-Klarjeti (Georgia)


text: John VII, patriarch of Jerusalem (Israel), martyred


section: Geopolitics & Diplomacy

text: Otto I dispatches an imperial delegation (led by a Venetian named Domenico) to Constantinople with assurances of his friendship and a request for Princess Theophano (a daughter of the late Emperor Romanos II) for his 12-year-old son Otto II. As dowry Otto demands the Byzantine holdings in southern Italy.


text: Summer – Sviatoslav I, Grand Prince of Kiev, defeats Bulgar forces in the Balkans at the behest of Emperor Nikephoros II (who pays him 1,500 pounds of gold to invade the Bulgarian Empire).


text: Olaf Tryggvason flees Norway with his mother, only to be attacked by Estonian Vikings (approximate date).


text: Otto I goes on a tour of the Lombard duchies of southern Italy. In Capua he grants Pandulf I (Ironhead) the vacant Duchy of Spoleto and Camerino and charges him with prosecuting the war against the Byzantine Empire. In Benevento, Otto receives the homage of Pandulf's brother and co-ruler Landulf III. In Salerno he receives also the support of Gisulf I.


text: The Fatimid general Jawhar al-Siqilli launches a military campaign in the west of the Maghreb. He resumes his expansion, together with the Zirids, and conquers Fez (modern-day Morocco).

source_section: Events › By place › Arabian Empire


text: Winter – Otto I returns to Rome. On Christmas day, John XIII crowns Otto II as co-emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Although Otto II is nominated as co-ruler, he exercises no real authority.


text: The imperial delegation arrives in Macedonia, but goes nowhere with Nikephoros II. Far from offering Byzantine Italy as dowry for Theophano, Nikephoros refuses to accept the claims of Otto I.


date: April 22

text: April 22 – The Cambodian temple Banteay Srei is consecrated and dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.


text: Re-foundation of Romsey Abbey in Hampshire by King Edgar I (the Peaceful). He appoints Merewenna, an English noblewoman, as abbess who becomes a foster mother to Princess Ælfflæd (a step-daughter of Edgar).


text: Otto I completes and dedicates a new cathedral at Magdeburg in Saxony. Like other imperial churches of the period, it includes a westwork – a structure attached to the entrance wall and outfitted with galleries. Otto makes Magdeburg a base for missionary efforts to convert the Slavs to the east. The patron saint of the city is Mauritius, who, as a military leader fighting for Christianity against pagan armies, shares affinities with Otto himself.


text: Spring – Emperor Otto I (the Great) calls for a council at Rome, to present the new government under Pope John XIII. He asserts his rights in the city, and insists on the occasional presence of an imperial judge, alongside the papal court. The era of Roman independence is over. Grado becomes the patriarchal and metropolitan church of the whole of the Veneto.


text: Otto I renews the imperial treaty with Pietro IV Candiano, doge of Venice. He grants him commercial privileges, and protection for Venetian citizens (also the possessions of Venetian bishops).


text: Emir Nasir al-Dawla is deposed and imprisoned at Mosul after a 32-year reign by his son Abu Taghlib, the de facto governor, and supporters. He becomes the new ruler of the Emirate of Mosul.


date: December 7

text: December 7 – Abū-Sa'īd Abul-Khayr, Persian Sufi poet (d. 1049)


text: Bolesław I (the Brave), king of Poland (d. 1025)


text: Walter of Speyer, German bishop and poet (d. 1027)


text: Gothelo I, duke of Lorraine (approximate date)


text: Lin Bu, Chinese poet and calligrapher (d. 1028)


text: Vahram Pahlavouni, prince of Bjni (Armenia) (d. 1045)


text: February 9 – Sayf al-Dawla, Hamdanid emir (b. 916)


date: April 8

text: April 8 – Mu'izz al-Dawla, Buyid emir (b. 915)


date: May 10

text: May 10 – Renaud of Roucy, Viking nobleman


date: July 5

text: July 5 – Murakami, emperor of Japan (b. 926)


text: July 5 – Emperor Murakami dies after a 21-year reign. He is succeeded by his 17-year-old son Reizei, who is insane and becomes the 63rd emperor of Japan.

source_section: Events › By place › Japan


date: September 22

text: September 22 – Wichmann II, Frankish nobleman


date: October 20

text: October 20 – Li Yixing, Chinese governor


text: Yan Xu, Chinese chancellor (b. 910)


text: Vushmgir, Ziyarid emir (approximate date)


text: Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani, Umayyad historian (b. 897)


text: Li Cheng, Chinese painter (b. 919)


text: Wahsudan ibn Muhammad, Sallarid emir


text: Krishna III, ruler of the Rashtrakuta Dynasty


text: Dub mac Maíl Coluīm, king of Alba (Scotland)


text: In Vietnam, after ending the anarchy of the 12 warlords, Đinh Bộ Lĩnh declared himself emperor, marking the beginning of the Đinh dynasty.

source_section: Events › By place › Asian


text: Spring – Emperor Otto I (the Great) travels to Capua to meet there with ambassadors of Nikephoros II, who again reiterate their friendship, but refuse to consent to his dowry demands (see 967). Otto invades the Byzantine Theme of Langobardia with a Lombard expeditionary force. With the assistance of Benevento-Capua and naval support from Pisa, Otto attempts to take Bari by assault, but Byzantine resistance is stiff, and Otto withdraws back to Ravenna.


text: Battle of Silistra: A Kievan army (60,000 men) led by Sviatoslav I crosses the Lower Danube and defeats the Bulgarians at Silistra. He occupies most of the Dobruja by seizing 80 fortresses in northeastern Bulgaria. They are looted and destroyed but not permanently occupied. During the winter, Sviatoslav transfers the capital from Kiev to Pereyaslavets.


text: Emperor Nikephoros II receives a Bulgarian embassy led by Prince Boris (the son of Tsar Peter I of Bulgaria), with a plea for help against the invading Kievan Rus'. Nikephoros, occupied in the East, is unable to support him. Instead he sends envoys to summon the Pechenegs to aid Boris. They besiege Kiev, but Grand Prince Sviatoslav I (on campaign in Bulgaria) returns with a Kievan relief force, and defeats the Pechenegs. He drives them out into the Steppe, and sets up viceroys to rule his Rus' territory.


text: Battle of Sulcoit in Ireland: The Irish of the Dál gCais led by Brian Boru defeats the Viking forces of Limerick. After the battle the Dál gCais seize and burn the Viking stronghold of Limerick. Ending of Norse expansion in Ireland.


text: Mieszko I, duke and prince of Poland, constructs Poznań Cathedral within the fortified stronghold (gord) of Poznań. The settlement becomes a bishopric, Mieszko appoints Jordan as the first bishop.


text: Otto I founds the Archbishopric of Magdeburg at the synod of Ravenna. He appoints Adalbert as the archbishop of Magdeburg. The archbishopric under Adalbert includes the bishoprics of Brandenburg and Havelberg — as well as the newly erected sees of Meissen, Merseburg and Naumburg-Zeitz.


date: November 29

text: November 29 – Kazan, emperor of Japan (d. 1008)


date: December 21

text: December 21 – Minamoto no Yorinobu, Japanese samurai (d. 1048)


date: December 23

text: December 23 – Zhenzong, emperor of the Song Dynasty (d. 1022)


text: Romanos III Argyros, emperor of the Byzantine Empire (d. 1034)


text: Pan, Chinese princess and wife of Zhen Zong (d. 989)


text: Gisela of France, Countess of Ponthieu, French princess and daughter of Hugh Capet (d. 1002)


text: Æthelred the Unready, king of England (approximate date)


date: March 2

text: March 2 – William, archbishop of Mainz (b. 929)


date: March 14

text: March 14 – Matilda of Ringelheim, Frankish queen


date: March 19

text: March 19 – Emma of Paris, duchess of Normandy (b. 943)


date: April 2

text: April 2 – Yuan Dezhao, Chinese chancellor (b. 891)


date: April 4

text: April 4 – Abu Firas al-Hamdani, Arab prince and poet (b. 932)


text: Mumadona Dias, countess of Portugal


text: Abu al-Misk Kafur, Ikhshidid vizier of Egypt (b. 905)


text: Sun Guangxian, Chinese chief strategist


text: Al-Muttaqi, Abbasid caliph (b. 908)


text: John III, duke of Naples (approximate date)


text: Pandulf I (Ironhead), a Lombard prince, takes over the territory of Benevento and Capua after the death of his brother Landulf III. He appoints his son Landulf IV as co-prince of Benevento, and disinherits Pandulf II (a son of Landulf III) as lord of Sant'Agata (located northeast of Naples).


text: Robert of Vermandois, Frankish nobleman (or 967)


text: Eadgifu, wife of Edward the Elder (approximate date)


text: Rajendravarman II, ruler of the Khmer Empire


date: September 27

text: September 27 – Emperor Reizei abdicates the throne of Japan (due to a mental illness) after a 2-year reign. He is succeeded by his 10-year-old brother En'yū, who becomes the 64th emperor.


text: Peter I, emperor (tsar) of the Bulgarian Empire, suffers a stroke and abdicates the throne in favour of his eldest son Boris II. He arrives (after being an honorary hostage at Constantinople) in Preslav and is proclaimed as the new ruler. Boris regains lost territory from the Kievan Rus' and recaptures Pereyaslavets, an important trade city at the mouth of the Danube.


date: February 6

text: February 6–July 9 – Fatimid conquest of Egypt: Caliph Al-Mu'izz's army under General Jawhar invades Egypt. Jawhar occupies the lands around the Nile from the Ikhshidids after a siege at Giza and the capitulation of Fustat.

source_section: Events › By place › Africa


date: October 28

text: October 28 – Siege of Antioch: Byzantine general Michael Bourtzes (during a night attack) seizes part of Antioch's fortifications. The capture of the city from the Hamdanids is completed three days later, when reinforcements under the stratopedarches Peter Phokas arrive. The Byzantine army then moves deeper into Syrian territory — besieging and taking the city of Aleppo.


text: Summer – Grand Prince Sviatoslav I invades Bulgaria at the head of a Kievan army, which includes Pecheneg and Hungarian auxiliary forces. He defeats the Bulgarians in a major battle and retakes Pereyaslavets. Boris II capitulates and impales 300 Bulgarian boyars for disloyalty. Sviatoslav assigns garrisons to the conquered fortresses in Northern Bulgaria.


text: Pandulf Ironhead, duke of Benevento and Capua, leads the siege of Bovino. He is captured by the Byzantines and taken in chains to Bari, and jailed in Constantinople. Neapolitan forces under Marinus II, duke of Naples, invade Benevento-Capua, capture the city of Avellino and then lay siege to Capua.


text: Otto I 'the Great', Holy Roman Emperor, assembles a large expeditionary force at Pavia, joined by Spoletan troops. He counter-attacks, relieves the siege of Capua and devastates the area around Naples. Otto enters Benevento, where he is received as 'liberator' by Landulf IV and in the cities of Apulia (Southern Italy).


text: Ibn Hawqal concludes his travels.

source_section: Events › By topic › Geography


text: Summer – Pope John XIII convenes a synod at Rome. He raises the bishopric of Benevento to Archbishopric of Benevento. The city is made a metropolitan see over 10 bishoprics in Byzantine Capitanata (Southern Italy).


date: December 11

text: December 11 – Emperor Nikephoros II is murdered in the royal palace of Boukoleon at Constantinople after a 6-year reign. Former friends have acted on the instructions of his wife Theophano. Nikephoros is succeeded by his nephew John I Tzimiskes, who becomes co-emperor and regent. He sends Theophano into exile to the island of Prinkipo (Prince Islands).


text: William V 'the Great', duke of Aquitaine (d. 1030)


text: Nathar Shah, Tamil mystic and preacher (d. 1039)


text: Hilal al-Sabi', Buyid bureaucrat and historian (d. 1056)


text: Liu, empress and regent of the Song dynasty (d. 1033)


text: Judith of Hungary, princess and queen of Poland (d. 988)


text: Badi' al-Zaman al-Hamadani, Persian poet and writer (d. 1007)


date: March 12

text: March 12 – Mu Zong, emperor of the Liao dynasty (b. 931)


date: June 26

text: June 26 – George El Mozahem, Egyptian martyr (b. 940)


date: July 11

text: July 11 – Olga of Kiev, princess and regent of Russia (b. c. 890)


date: September 25

text: September 25 – Burchard, bishop of Meissen (approximate date)


date: December 1

text: December 1 – Fujiwara no Morotada, Japanese statesman (b. 920)


text: December 11 – Nikephoros II, emperor of the Byzantine Empire


text: Nasir al-Dawla, deposed Hamdanid emir of Mosul


text: Landulf III, prince of Benevento and Capua (or 968)


text: Dou Zhengu, Chinese official and chancellor of the Tang dynasty (b. 892)


text: Michael Krešimir II, king of Croatia (House of Trpimir)


year_label: 97 CE

text: Tacitus advances to consulship.

source_title: AD 97

source_section: Events › By place › Roman Empire


text: October 28 – Emperor Nerva recalls his general Marcus Ulpius Trajanus, age 44, from the German frontier and is forced by the Praetorian Guard to adopt him as his successor.


text: Gan Ying, is sent as an emissary to Daquin (Rome), though he is turned back by the Parthians.

source_section: Events › By place › China


text: The Roman colony of Cuicul is started in Numidia.


text: Nerva recognizes the Sanhedrin of Jamnia as an official governmental body of the Jews, and the patriarch or nasi is designated as the representative of the Jewish people in Rome.


text: Evaristus succeeds Pope Clement I as the fifth pope (according to Catholic tradition; none of the popes until the mid second century is certain).

source_section: Events › By topic › Religion


section: Technology & Infrastructure

text: Sextus Julius Frontinus is appointed superintendent of the aqueducts (curator aquarum) in Rome. At least 10 aqueducts supply the city with 250 e6USgal m3 of water per day. The public baths use half the supply.


text: Gloucester, England is founded as Colonia Glevum Nervensis by the Romans.


text: Timothy, Christian evangelist and saint (b. AD 17)


text: Zhangde, Chinese empress of the Han Dynasty


text: Lucius Verginius Rufus, Roman politician and general (b. AD 15)


text: Titus Petronius Secundus, Roman prefect (b. AD 40)


text: Eric the Victorious becomes the first (documented) king of Sweden in Uppland.

source_section: Events › By place › Europe


text: Battle of Arcadiopolis: John I dispatches an elite force (10–12,000 men) to delay the Kievan Rus'. The Byzantines under Bardas Skleros successfully ambush the Kievan-Bulgarian invaders at Arcadiopolis (modern Turkey). The battle turns into a complete rout, killing thousands. Grand Prince Sviatoslav I is driven out of Thrace and withdraws his forces to the fortress city of Silistra.

source_section: Events › By place › Byzantine Empire


text: Summer – Byzantine-Imperial truce: Emperor Otto I (the Great) meets with John I at Bari and accepts a permanent peace agreement. Pandulf I (Ironhead) is released from captivity in Constantinople (see 969).


text: Summer – Bardas Phokas (the Younger) and his family rebel against their own cousin, John I. Bardas is proclaimed 'emperor' by his troops at Caesarea, but the rebellion is extinguished by Bardas Skleros. Phokas and his relatives are captured and exiled to the island of Chios (Aegean Sea).


text: Emperor John I delegates the war in the Balkans to his brother-in-law, the Domestic of the Schools Bardas Skleros, and to the eunuch general Peter Phokas, who begin to gather a Byzantine army in Thrace. At the news of this, a powerful Kievan expeditionary force (30,000 men), along with many Bulgarians and a Pecheneg contingent, is sent south over the Balkan Mountains. After sacking the Bulgarian stronghold of Philippolis (modern-day Plovdiv), they bypass the heavily defended city of Adrianople, and turn towards Constantinople.


text: Al-Hasan ibn Ubayd Allah, Ikhshidid governor of Palestine, is defeated and taken prisoner by General Ja'far ibn Fallah in Syria. Ending the Ikhshidid Dynasty as a ruling power.


text: Skagul Toste leads a Viking expedition to England and demands Danegeld.


text: Construction is completed on Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo, Egypt (the world's oldest Islamic university).


text: The oldest preserved document (by Otto I) mentions Leibnitz in Styria (modern Austria).


section: Climate & Environment

text: A major volcano erupts in Lake Mashū, Japan (approximate date).

source_section: Events › By place › Asia


text: Otto II, duke of Lower Lorraine (approximate date)

source_section: Births


text: William III, French nobleman (approximate date)


text: Leif Erikson, Norse Viking explorer (approximate date)


text: Procopius of Sázava, Czech hermit and abbot (d. 1053)


text: Sergius IV, pope of the Catholic Church (d. 1012)


text: Rudolph III, king of Burgundy (approximate date)


text: Radim Gaudentius, Polish archbishop (approximate date)


text: Sitt al-Mulk, Fatimid princess and regent (d. 1023)


text: Richard of Verdun, French abbot (d. 1046)


text: Bartholomew of Grottaferrata, Italian abbot (d. 1055)


text: Adelaide, German abbess and saint (d. 1015)


text: Wifred II, Spanish nobleman (approximate date)


text: Constantine III, king of Scotland (approximate date)


text: Al-Sharif al-Radi, Persian Shi'ite scholar and poet (d. 1015)


date: January 18

text: January 18 – Hatto II, archbishop of Mainz

source_section: Deaths


date: January 30

text: January 30 – Peter I, emperor of Bulgaria


date: February 5

text: February 5 – Polyeuctus, patriarch of Constantinople


date: February 22

text: February 22 – García I, king of Pamplona


date: June 15

text: June 15 – Adalbert, bishop of Passau


date: August 31

text: August 31 – Han Xizai, Chinese official (b. 902)


date: November 1

text: November 1 – Boso, bishop of Merseburg


text: Hasdai ibn Shaprut, Jewish diplomat (approximate date)


text: Fujiwara no Saneyori, Japanese statesman (b. 900)


text: Menahem ben Saruq, Jewish philologist (approximate date)


text: Taksony, Grand Prince of Hungary (approximate date)


text: Fernán González, Frankish count of Castile


text: Oswulf, bishop of Ramsbury (approximate date)


text: Harald II (Greycloak), king of Norway


text: John I returns in triumph to Constantinople. He brings along Boris II, ruler (tsar) of the Bulgarian Empire, and his family, together with the contents of the Bulgarian imperial treasury. Boris is given the Byzantine 'court title' of magistros as compensation. The Bulgarian lands in Thrace and Lower Moesia become part of the Byzantine Empire.


date: January 23

text: January 23 – A war elephant corps of the Southern Han is defeated at Shao, by crossbow fire from Song dynasty troops. The Southern Han Kingdom is forced to submit to the Song dynasty. Ending Southern Han rule, but also the first regular war elephant corps employed in a Chinese army, that had gained the Southern Han victories throughout the 10th century.


text: Battle of Alexandretta: The Byzantines defeat a Fatimid force (4,000 men) near Alexandretta (modern Turkey), while the main Fatimid army is besieging the fortress city of Antioch. Coupled with news of an advance against Damascus of the Qarmatians, the Fatimids are forced to lift the siege and withdraw to Egypt.

source_section: Events › By place › Middle East


text: First Qarmatian invasion of Egypt: The Qarmatians under al-Hasan al-A'sam invade Syria, recently conquered by the Fatimid Caliphate, capturing Damascus and Ramla, defeating a major Fatimid army and blockading another in Jaffa. A subsequent invasion of Egypt leads to widespread anti-Fatimid revolts in the Nile Delta, but the delay allows the Fatimid general Jawhar to prepare his defences, leading to the decisive Qarmatian at Ayn Shams on 24 December and the collapse of the invasion.


text: The grave of Swithun, Anglo-Saxon bishop of Winchester, is moved into an indoor shrine (he was previously buried outside) in the Old Minster. The ceremony is said to have been marred by 40 days of torrential rain.


text: Otto I 'the Great', Holy Roman Emperor, appoints his imperial secretary Willigis as chancellor (guardian of the emperor's seal), an office formerly held by Otto's brother, Archbishop Bruno I.


text: Emperor Aditya Chola II, co-regent of the Chola dynasty (modern India), is murdered and succeeded by Uttama. Due to his immaturity, Arunmozhi Varman becomes the heir apparent.


text: King Cuilén (or Cuilean) is killed by Britons after a 6-year reign. He is succeeded by his nephew Kenneth II, as ruler of Alba (Scotland). He will not be sole king until 977.

source_section: Events › By place › Britain


text: Oliba, Spanish count and bishop (approximate date)


text: Mahmud of Ghazni, emir of the Ghaznavid Empire (d. 1030)


text: Rajendra Chola, Emperor of Chola Dynasty at its peak


text: Kushyar Gilani, Persian mathematician and geographer (d. 1029)


text: Eraclus (or Evraclus), bishop of Liège


text: Atto, bishop of Vic (Spain) (approximate date)


text: Abū Ja'far al-Khāzin, Persian astronomer (b. 900)


text: Ziri ibn Manad, founder of the Zirid dynasty


text: Kalokyros, Byzantine patrician and pretender


text: Ja'far ibn Fallah, Fatimid general and governor


text: Muhammad al-Khushani, Umayyad historian


text: Muhammad ibn Rumahis, Umayyad admiral


text: Ordgar, English ealdorman and advisor


text: Li Jingda, prince of Southern Tang (b. 924)


text: Cuilén (or Cuilean), king of Alba (Scotland)


text: Anemas, Byzantine (Muslim) army commander


text: Qian Hongzong, king of Wuyue (approximate date)


text: Aditya Chola II, prince and ruler of the Chola dynasty (India)


date: June 24

text: June 24 – Battle of Cedynia: The Polans under prince (or Duke) Mieszko I, defeat the German forces of the Saxon count Odo I at their stronghold in Cedynia (with the help of hidden reinforcements). The battle – one of the first in Polish history – strengthens Mieszko's hold over Western Pomerania.


text: Spring – Grand Prince Sviatoslav I is ambushed by the Pechenegs (possibly in the service of the Byzantines) and killed during his attempt to cross the Dnieper rapids (modern Ukraine). His skull is made into a drinking cup. Sviatoslav is succeeded by his eldest son Yaropolk I as ruler of Kiev, which leads to a civil war with his brother Oleg.


text: Buluggin ibn Ziri is appointed viceroy in Ifriqiya (modern Tunisia) and becomes the first ruler (emir) of the Zirid Dynasty.


text: Spring – Emperor John I Tzimiskes divides the Bulgarian territories, recently held by the Kievan Rus', into six new themes. He turns his attention to the East against the Abbasid Caliphate and its vassals, beginning with an invasion of Upper Mesopotamia. John transfers Byzantine troops to Macedonia, and the region of Philippopolis in Thrace, to dilute the Slavs.


text: John I removes various Bulgarian boyars from their homes, and settles them in Constantinople and Anatolia (modern Turkey), where they are given high titles and lands.


date: April 14

text: April 14 – Otto II (the Red), joint-ruler and son of Otto I (the Great), marries the Byzantine princess Theophanu (niece or granddaughter of John I). She is crowned empress by Pope John XIII at Rome. Creating an alliance between the Ottonian Dynasty and the Byzantine Empire (called the Tzimiscian Peace).


text: The monastery at the site of Peterborough Cathedral is rebuilt by Dunstan, archbishop of Canterbury.


text: John I grants a charter for the Monastic Republic of Holy Mount Athos, in Greece.


date: January 16

text: January 16 – Sheng Zong, emperor of the Liao Dynasty (d. 1031)


date: March 27

text: March 27 – Robert II (the Pious), king of France (d. 1031)


text: Ermesinde, countess and regent of Barcelona (d. 1058)


text: Fujiwara no Yukinari, Japanese calligrapher (d. 1027)


text: Gregory V, pope of the Catholic Church (d. 999)


text: Abdussamed Babek, Kurdish ulama, author and poet (d. 1019/1020)


text: Ramon Borrell, count of Barcelona (d. 1017)


text: Al-Mawardi, Abbasid jurist and diplomat (d. 1058)


text: Fujiwara no Seishi, Japanese empress consort (d. 1025)


date: September 6

text: September 6 – John XIII dies at Rome after a 6-year reign. He is succeeded by Benedict VI as the 134th pope of the Catholic Church.


text: September 6 – John XIII, pope of the Catholic Church


date: December 18

text: December 18 (or 973) – Eberhard IV, Frankish nobleman (or 973)


text: Boleslaus I (the Cruel), duke of Bohemia (or 967)


text: Ælfwold I (or Ælfweald), bishop of Crediton


text: Kūya, Japanese priest of Pure Land Buddhism (b. 903)


text: Arnulf II, count of Boulogne (approximate date)


text: Liutprand, Lombard bishop and historian


text: Feng Yanlu, Chinese official (approximate date)


text: Khottiga Amoghavarsha, ruler of the Rashtrakuta Empire


text: Fujiwara no Koretada, Japanese statesman (b. 924)


text: Sviatoslav I (Igorevich), Grand Prince of Kiev


text: Spring – The Byzantine army, led by General Melias (Domestic of the Schools in the East), continues the operations in Upper Mesopotamia.


text: Edgar I marches with his army north to Chester. His navy meets him there via the Irish Sea. This show of strength persuades the 'Northern Kings' to submit to his overlordship (approximate date).


text: Cloves, ginger, black pepper, and other Eastern spices are available for purchase in the marketplace at Mainz. The spices are brought to the city by Jewish traveling merchants, known as the Radhanites, who have contacts in the international trade between the Christian and Islamic world (approximate date).

source_section: Events › By topic › Commerce


date: January 19

text: January 19 – Pope Benedict VI is consecrated as the 134th pope of the Catholic Church. He is installed at Rome with the approval of Otto I and becomes a puppet ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. The Roman aristocracy resents Otto's dominance in Roman civil and ecclesiastical affairs.


text: In the Council of Winchester, Edgar I accepts a 'Monastic Agreement' (called the Regularis Concordia). The document is compiled by Bishop Æthelwold and serves as a rule for how monastic life should be performed.


text: Caliph Al-Mu'izz transfers the royal residence of the Fatimid Caliphate from El-Mansuriya (modern Tunisia) to the newly founded city of Cairo in Egypt. Egypt becomes the autonomous centre of the Fatimid Caliphate. He leaves general Buluggin ibn Ziri to govern the Western North African territories, which will become the province of Al-Maghreb (meaning the West).


text: Edgar I (the Peaceful) is crowned king during a royal ceremony at Bath by Archbishop Dunstan. In a council at Chester, Lothian (a region of the Lowlands) is ceded to Scotland, in return for fealty from King Kenneth II.


date: May 6

text: May 6 – Henry II, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (d. 1024)


date: September 4

text: September 4 – Al-Biruni, Persian physician and polymath (d. 1048)


text: Murasaki Shikibu, Japanese poet and lady-in-waiting (or 978)


text: Abul 'Ala Al-Ma'arri, Syrian philosopher and poet (d. 1057)


text: Qadi 'Abd al-Wahhab, Abbasid scholar and jurist (d. 1031)


text: Hisham III, Umayyad caliph of Córdoba (d. 1036)


text: Adelaide I, German princess and abbess (approximate date)


date: January 14

text: January 14 – Ekkehard I, Frankish monk and poet


date: March 26

text: March 26 – Guntram (the Rich), Frankish nobleman


text: March 27 – Hermann Billung, Frankish nobleman


date: May 7

text: May 7 – Emperor Otto I (the Great) dies at Memleben in Thuringia (modern Germany) after a 37-year reign. He is succeeded by his 18-year-old son Otto II (the Red), who becomes absolute ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. His mother Adelaide will exert great influence on Otto, although her lavish philanthropies will be a source of contention. Otto's succession leads to conflicts in the south German duchies and in Lotharingia.


date: May 15

text: May 15 – Byrhthelm, bishop of Wells (Somerset)


date: July 4

text: July 4 – Ulrich (or Oldarici), bishop of Augsburg (b. 893)


date: July 19

text: July 19 – Kyunyeo, Korean monk and poet (b. 917)


date: July

text: July: Melias moves against Amida (modern Turkey). He defeats the Arabs outside the walls, and begins to lay siege to the city. After a few days, a violent wind and a thick dust spreads over the Byzantine camp. Covered by the dust, the Arabs attack and rout the Byzantines. Many of them are slaughtered and some, including Melias, are taken prisoner. Previous Byzantine gains in the area are lost. The wounded Melias dies later in captivity.


date: September 12

text: September 12 – Nefingus, bishop of Angers


date: November 12

text: November 12 – Burchard III, Frankish nobleman


text: December 18 (or 972) – Eberhard IV, Frankish nobleman (or 972)


text: Hrotsvitha, German canoness and poet (approximate date)


text: Karka II, ruler of the Rashtrakuta Empire (India)


text: Jawdhar, Fatimid general and chief minister


text: Battle of Danevirke: Emperor Otto II defeats the rebel forces of King Harald I, who has invaded Nordalbingia (modern-day Holstein), to shake off imperial overlordship. Otto's armies swiftly subdue the Danes, consolidating the frontier between Scandinavia and Northern Germany. Meanwhile, Henry II begins a rebellion against his cousin Otto. He forges alliances with Bavarian and Saxon nobles.


text: The Qarmatians are defeated north of Cairo by Fatimid forces under General Jawhar al-Siqilli. He consolidates Fatimid rule and sends a legation to the Christian land of Nubia to secure the southern border of Egypt. Arab traders introduce Islam to the population, which gradually supplants Christianity.


text: King Edgar I gives English help to Prince Hywel in ousting his uncle, King Iago of Gwynedd from his kingdom.

source_section: Events › By place › England


date: August 5

text: 5 August – Caliph al-Muti, ill and incapacitated, is deposed and succeeded by his son al-Ta'i, dying shortly after.

source_section: Events › By place › Abbasid Caliphate


text: Summer – Pope Benedict VI is imprisoned in the Castel Sant'Angelo at Rome, where he is strangled to death through the influence of the powerful Crescentii family. Crescentius I (the Elder), Italian politician and aristocrat, engineers an election and replaces Benedict with his own candidate Franco, who ascends under the title anti-Pope Boniface VII.


text: An abbey is founded at the site of Mönchengladbach (Germany).


text: Fall – Boniface VII is expelled by order of Otto II and flees to Constantinople, taking the Church treasury of the Vatican Basilica along with him. He is succeeded by Benedict VII as the 135th pope of the Catholic Church.


text: An offensive, by the Spain-based Caliphate of Córdoba brings the Maghrebi Idrisid Dynasty to an end. Caliph Al-Hakam II maintains the supremacy of the caliphate over the kingdoms of Navarra, Castile and León.


text: The city of Fuzhou, located in Fujian province, builds new city walls.


text: A great earthquake occurs in England.


text: The Liao Dynasty exchanges ambassadors with the Song Dynasty on New Years Day (Spring Festival).


text: Frederick, count of Walbeck (d. 1018)


text: Ermengol I, count of Urgell (d. 1010)


text: Lý Thái Tổ, emperor of Lý dynasty (d. 1028)


text: Bruno of Querfurt, German missionary bishop (d. 1009)


text: Fujiwara no Korechika, Japanese nobleman (d. 1010)


date: March 7

text: March 7 – John of Gorze, Frankish abbot and diplomat


date: October 12

text: October 12 – Al-Muti, caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate (b. 914)


text: Benedict VI, pope of the Catholic Church


text: Ratherius (or Rathier), bishop of Verona


text: Muhammad Bal'ami, Persian historian and vizier


text: Fujiwara no Yoshitaka, Japanese waka poet (b. 954)


text: Al-Qadi al-Nu'man, Fatimid jurist and historian


text: Shi Chonggui, emperor of Later Jin (b. 914)


text: Arab–Byzantine War: Emperor John I raids Mesopotamia and invades Syria, using the Byzantine base at Antioch to press southwards to Tripoli. He conquers the cities of Baalbek, Damascus, Sidon, Tiberias and Caesarea, but fails to take Jerusalem.


text: Emperor Taizu conquers Hunan Province and brings the power of the military under Song control. Ending the era of the warlords (approximate date).


text: Emperor Otto II (the Red) leads a punitive expedition against Boleslaus II, duke of Bohemia (approximate date).


date: March

text: March – Otto II appoints his archchancellor Willigis as archbishop of Mainz. He receives the pallium from Pope Benedict VII.


date: July 25

text: July 25 – Thietmar, bishop of Merseburg (d. 1018)


text: Sophia I, German princess and abbess (d. 1039)


text: Izumi Shikibu, Japanese poet (approximate date)


text: Conrad I, German nobleman (d. 1011)


text: Stephen I, king of Hungary (approximate date)


text: Guo, empress of the Song Dynasty (d. 1007)


text: Elijah, bishop of Beth Nuhadra (d. 1046)


text: Amadeus I, count of Savoy (approximate date)


text: Oldřich, duke of Bohemia (approximate date)


text: Gero II, German nobleman (d. 1015)


text: Adalbold II, bishop of Utrecht (d. 1026)


text: Gerard I, bishop of Cambrai (approximate date)


text: Bouchard II, French nobleman (d. 1020)


text: Cunigunde, Holy Roman Empress (d. 1040)


date: June 28

text: June 28 – Cyneweard, bishop of Wells (Somerset)


text: July 4 – Gwangjong (Wang So), Korean king (b. 925)


date: July 8

text: July 8 – King Edgar I (the Peaceful) dies at Winchester after a 16-year reign. He is succeeded by his 12-year-old son Edward the Martyr as ruler of England.


text: July 8 – Edgar I (the Peaceful), king of England


date: July 31

text: July 31 – Fu Yanqing, Chinese general (b. 898)


date: October 15

text: October 15 – Oberto I, Italian count palatine


text: October 15 – Oberto I (Obizzo), an Italian count palatine, dies. The Marca Obertenga (Eastern Liguria) is divided among the Obertenghi family.


text: November 12 – Notker Physicus, Swiss painter


date: November 26

text: November 26 – Conrad, bishop of Constance


date: December 21

text: December 21 – Al-Mu'izz, Fatimid caliph (b. 932)


text: December 21 – Caliph Al-Mu'izz dies in Egypt after a 22-year reign in which he has extended his realm from Sicily to the Atlantic. He is succeeded by his son Al-Aziz Billah as ruler of the Fatimid Caliphate.


date: December 27

text: December 27 – Balderic, bishop of Utrecht (b. 897)


text: Dyfnwal ab Owain, king of Strathclyde


text: Cináed ua hArtacáin, Irish Gaelic poet


text: July – Emperor Otto II (the Red) occupies Regensburg, forcing his rebellious cousin Henry II (the Wrangler) (who claims rulership over the Holy Roman Empire) to flee to Bohemia. Henry is deposed and Bavaria is handed over to Otto I of Swabia (a grandson of the late Emperor Otto I). He sets up the new "Grand Duchy of Carinthia" covering modern-day Austria.


date: June

text: June – Emir Abu'l-Qasim launches a raiding expedition into Byzantine Italy from Sicily. He imposes a tribute on the cities of Cosenza and Cellere. Meanwhile, a Fatimid fleet assaults the Apulian coast and raids the surrounding countryside. Abu'l-Qasim sends an army to Otranto and besieges Gravina, before returning to Sicily – bringing home hundreds of captives and slaves.


text: Zhang Sixun, a Chinese astronomer and engineer, employs the use of liquid mercury, in order that the escapement mechanism of his astronomical clock can function, and metal parts will not rust by using hydraulics (water), or freeze in winter.


text: Summer – Pietro IV Candiano, doge of Venice, demands Venetian assistance to put down a revolt in his personal fiefs around Ferrara. The Venetians also revolt against Candiano and assault the doge's palace. Repelled by mercenary forces, they burn the neighborhood – bringing the palace down with it. Candiano and his family escape, but are killed by the mob.


text: Summer – Otto II appoints Leopold I (the Illustrious), a member of the House of Babenberg, as margrave of the Marcha Orientalis (the later Archduchy of Austria). In order to maintain his possession in Southern Italy, Otto strengthens his army with 2,100 mailed horsemen (heavy cavalry) from Germany, of which around 1,500 are to be provided by the Churches.


date: February 5

text: February 5 – Sanjō, emperor of Japan (d. 1017)


text: Izumi Shikibu, Japanese poet (approximate date)


date: January 10

text: January 10 – Emperor John I Tzimiskes dies at Constantinople, after returning from a second campaign against the Abbasids in Syria. He is buried in the Church of Christ Chalkites, and succeeded by his 18-year-old nephew Basil II, who becomes sole ruler of the Byzantine Empire. The administration remains in the hands of Basil Lekapenos (an illegitimate son of the late Emperor Romanos I).


date: May 11

text: May 11 – Henry I (the Bald), German nobleman


date: June 13

text: June 13 – Mansur I, emir of the Samanid Empire


date: June 14

text: June 14 – Aron, Bulgarian nobleman


text: June 14 – Moses, Bulgarian nobleman


text: June 14 – David, Bulgarian nobleman


date: June 29

text: June 29 – Gero, archbishop of Cologne


date: October 8

text: October 8 – Helen of Zadar, queen of Croatia


date: October 16

text: October 16 – Caliph Al-Hakam II dies after a 15-year reign in which he has ended the Fatimid Caliphate in Morocco and made the University of Córdoba the greatest institution in the world. Al-Hakam is succeeded by his 10-year-old son Hisham II as ruler of the Caliphate of Córdoba. His widow Subh becomes regent together with Almanzor the de facto rulers.


text: October 16 – Al-Hakam II, Umayyad caliph (b. 915)


date: November 14

text: November 14 – Emperor Taizu (Zhao Kuangyin) dies at Kaifeng after a 16-year reign. He is succeeded by his brother Tai Zong as ruler of the Song Dynasty. During his rule the Yuelu Academy (located in Hunan Province) is founded, which becomes one of the renowned academies (Shūyuàn).


text: November 14 – Taizu, Chinese emperor (b. 927)


text: Madame Huarui, Chinese concubine and poet


text: Isarn, bishop of Grenoble (approximate date)


date: August

text: August – Otto II appoints his cousin Charles, illegitimate son of the late King Louis IV (d'Outremer), as duke of Lorraine. King Lothair III – who claims the duchy as his own territory – declares war to the Holy Roman Empire. He leads an expedition into Lorraine accompanied by Hugh Capet. Lothair crosses the Meuse River and takes Aachen, sacking the imperial palace.


date: November 30

text: November 30 – Otto II is unable to take Paris, he lifts the siege of the capital and withdraws. A Frankish army under Lothair III pursues and defeats the imperial rearguard while crossing the Aisne River. Otto escapes and is forced to take refuge at Aachen with Charles, after his supplies are destroyed.


text: Summer – 'Adud al-Dawla, ruler (shah) of the Buyid Dynasty, drives the Hamdanids out of Mosul and tries to unify the country. Abu Taghlib is forced to flee to the Byzantine city of Antzitene.

source_section: Events › By place › Arabian Empire


text: Emir Sa'd al-Dawla recovers his capital, Aleppo, from the ghulam Bakjur, who receives the governorship of Homs as compensation.


text: Fall – Otto II invades the West Frankish Kingdom accompanied by Charles and ravages the cities of Reims, Soissons (where he halts at the Abbey of Saint Médard for devotions) and Laon. Lothair III escapes and flees to Paris, where he is besieged by imperial forces. Charles is proclaimed 'King of the Franks' by Dietrich I, bishop of Metz, at Laon.


text: The Imam Ali Mosque, located in Najaf (modern Iraq), is completed by 'Adud al-Dawla.


text: War of the Three Henries: Henry III (the Younger), duke of Carinthia, gets involved in a conflict over the Patriarchate of Aquileia (March of Verona) in northeastern Italy. Emperor Otto II (the Red) decides in Aquileia's favor, prompting Henry III to go into revolt. He joins forces with Henry II (the Wrangler), duke of Bavaria. They are both joined by Henry I, bishop of Augsburg.


text: Æthelwold, bishop of Winchester, rebuilds the western end of the Old Minster, with twin towers and no apses (approximate date).


date: May

text: May – Boris II, dethroned emperor (tsar) of Bulgaria, and his brother Roman manage to escape from captivity in Constantinople. They reach the Bulgarian border, but Boris is killed by mistake by the border guards. Roman is crowned as new ruler, although leadership and the control of the army remain in the hands of General Samuel (a member of the Cometopuli Dynasty).


text: King Kenneth II of Scotland kills his rival Amlaíb mac Illuilb (or Amlaíb), brother of the late King Cuilén, to establish himself as Cuilén's successor.

source_section: Events › By place › Scotland


text: Spring – Sabuktigin, a Samanid general, succeeds his father-in-law Alp-Tegin as governor of Ghazna (modern Afghanistan). He enlarges his dominions and founds the Ghaznavid Dynasty.


date: March 4

text: March 4 – Al-Musabbihi, Fatimid historian (d. 1030)


text: Poppo, abbot of Stavelot-Malmedy (d. 1048)


text: Kōkei, Japanese Buddhist monk (approximate date)


text: Fujiwara no Teishi, Japanese empress consort (d. 1001)


date: March 1

text: March 1 – Rudesind, Galician bishop (b. 907)


date: November 8

text: November 8 – Ibn al-Qūṭiyya, Andalusian historian


date: December 20

text: December 20 – Fujiwara no Kanemichi, Japanese statesman (b. 925)


text: Kamo no Yasunori, Japanese spiritual advisor (b. 917)


text: Gisulf I, prince of Salerno (approximate date)


text: Ivar of Limerick, Norse Viking king


text: Dobrawa, duchess consort of the Polans


text: Bisutun, ruler of the Ziyarid Dynasty


text: Boris II, emperor of the Bulgarian Empire


text: Peter, Byzantine eunuch general


text: Amlaíb mac Illuilb, king of Alba (Scotland)


text: Guo Zhongshu, Chinese painter and calligrapher


text: Ashot III (the Merciful), king of Armenia


text: Pandulf I (Ironhead), a Lombard prince, annexes the Principality of Salerno into his domains. For the first time, the Lombard duchies of Benevento, Capua, Salerno and Spoleto-Camerino are united under one ruler.


date: March 18

text: March 18 – King Edward the Martyr is murdered at Corfe Castle (Dorsetshire) upon the orders of his step-mother Ælfthryth (or Elfrida). He is succeeded by his half-brother Æthelred II (the Unready) who becomes king of England. During his reign Æthelred tries to keep his realm from being overrun by Danish Viking invaders.


date: June 3

text: June 3 – Chen Hongjin, Jiedushi of Pinghai Circuit, surrenders his territories and pledges allegiance to the Song Dynasty.


date: June 9

text: June 9 – King Qian Chu surrenders his territories and pledges allegiance to the Song Dynasty, saving his people from war and economic destruction. Qian Chu remains ruler and moves 3,000 members of his household to Bianjing (modern-day Kaifeng). Wuyue is absorbed into the Song Dynasty, effectively ending the kingdom.


text: Winter – Vladimir I (the Great), grand prince of Kiev, returns from Norway with a Varangian mercenary army and re-captures Novgorod. On his way to Kiev, he marches against the forces of his brother Yaropolk I.


text: Battle of Pankaleia: Rebel forces under General Bardas Skleros are defeated by the Byzantine army loyal to Emperor Basil II, commanded by General Bardas Phokas (the Younger), near Pankaleia (modern-day Hisarköy). Phokas regroups his forces and continues his march to the East, drawing Skleros away from Constantinople.


text: English troops are deployed on the Llŷn Peninsula on behalf of King Hywel of Gwynedd in order to prevent his uncle, King Iago, invading with Viking allies from Dublin.


text: War of the Three Henries: Emperor Otto II (the Red) supported by his nephew Otto I, duke of Bavaria and Carinthia, attacks Passau, where the rebels have assembled. In September, the town surrenders due to Otto's siege tactics, which includes a bridge of boats. Ending of the revolt of Henry II (the Wrangler) against Otto II.


text: Franco-German war of 978–980 begins.


text: The Badia Fiorentina, a Benedictine abbey in Florence, is founded by Willa of Tuscany, the widow of Hubert of Tuscany.


text: Fall – Mieszko I, duke and prince (de facto ruler) of Poland, abducts Oda of Haldensleben from the monastery of Kalbe (Saxony-Anhalt) and marries her. She becomes Mieszko's second wife and Duchess of the Polans.


text: One of the Four Great Books of Song, the Taiping Guangji, a Chinese collection of deities, fairies, ghost stories and theology, is completed. The collection is divided into 500 volumes and consists of about 3 million Chinese characters.

source_section: Events › By topic › Literature


text: Almanzor, a court official and regent of Córdoba, becomes a chamberlain (hajib) and seizes power from the 13-year-old Caliph Hisham II. During his reign, Almanzor will exercise strong influence over Subh (the mother of Hisham) and wages successful campaigns against the Christian kingdoms in Northern Spain.


text: Pietro I Orseolo, doge of Venice, escapes from Venice and travels to the Benedictine abbey of Michel-de-Cuxa (Southern France). He is succeeded by Vitale Candiano (not the bishop of Grado) as doge of Venice.


text: Otto II has the three insurrectionists punished at Magdeburg. Henry II is stripped of all his possessions and imprisoned in the custody of Bishop Folcmar of Utrecht. The other two: Henry III (the Younger) loses his duchy to Otto I and Henry I, bishop of Augsburg, is arrested and imprisoned in Werden Abbey (Germany).


text: The town of Guildford (Surrey) becomes the location of the Royal Mint.


text: Zoë, Byzantine empress consort (approximate date)


text: Elvira of Castile, queen consort of León (approximate date)


text: Yaroslav I (the Wise), Russian grand prince (d. 1054)


text: Berno of Reichenau, German abbot (approximate date)


text: Wang Zeng, Chinese grand chancellor (approximate date)


text: Murasaki Shikibu, Japanese poet and lady-in-waiting (or 973)


text: Ibn 'Abd al-Barr, Moorish judge and scholar (d. 1071)


date: February 9

text: February 9 – Luitgarde, duchess consort of Normandy


date: February 22

text: February 22 – Lambert, count of Chalon (b. 930)


text: March 18 – Edward the Martyr, king of the English


date: May 18

text: May 18 – Frederick I, duke of Upper Lorraine


date: August 15

text: August 15 – Li Yu, ruler ('king') of Southern Tang


date: December 3

text: December 3 – Abraham, Coptic pope of Alexandria


text: Ibn Hawqal, Muslim writer, geographer and chronicler (earliest likely date)


text: Aboazar Lovesendes, Portuguese nobleman


text: Máel Muad mac Brain, king of Munster (Ireland)


text: Fernando Bermúdez, count of Cea (approximate date)


text: Comhaltan Ua Clerigh, king of Hy Fiachrach (Ireland)


text: Fernando Ansúrez II, count of Monzón and Campos


text: Geirmund the Noisy, Viking adventurer (approximate date)


text: Gyeongsun, king of Silla (Korea) (b. 896)


text: Tynwald (or Tynwald Court), the parliament of the Isle of Man, is founded. It remains active as the longest continuous parliament in the world.


date: March 24

text: March 24 – Second Battle of Pankaleia: An Ibero-Byzantine expeditionary force, under General Bardas Phokas (the Younger), inflicts a crushing defeat on the rebels of General Bardas Skleros, at Sarvenis (modern Turkey). Skleros manages to escape, and finds shelter with his Muslim allies. The rebellion is subdued without difficulty.


text: Jawhar as-Siqilli is dismissed as vizier of Egypt after an unsuccessful campaign in Syria (near Damascus). He is replaced by Ya'qub ibn Killis.

source_section: Events › By place › Africa


text: Battle of Gaoliang River: Emperor Tai Zong leads an expedition into You Prefecture (or Youzhou). The Liao Dynasty counter-attacks and defeats the Song forces near modern-day Beijing.


text: Summer – Tai Zong invades the Northern Han and besieges the capital of Taiyuan. A relief force sent by the Liao Dynasty is defeated. The Kingdom is absorbed into the Song Dynasty.


text: The city of Brussels is founded by Charles, duke of Lower Lorraine. He constructs fortifications (a castrum on an island) on the Senne River (modern Belgium).


text: Vitale Candiano, doge of Venice, abdicates for health reasons after a 14-month reign, and retires to a monastery. He is succeeded by Tribuno Memmo, a son-in-law of the murdered Pietro IV Candiano. Tribuno declares a general amnesty for everyone complicit in the plot against Pietro.


date: June 8

text: June 8 – Louis V, nicknamed le Fainéant (the Do-Nothing), is crowned as the co-emperor of West Francia at Paris by his father, King Lothair. Upon Lothair's death on March 2, 986, Louis becomes the sole ruler.


date: August 29

text: August 29 – Otto (or Eudes), French nobleman (d. 1045)


text: Matilda, countess palatine of Lotharingia (d. 1025)


text: Ibn al-Samh, Andalusian astronomer (d. 1035)


text: Al-Muqtana Baha'uddin, Druze religious leader (d. 1043)


text: Estrid (or Astrid), queen consort of Sweden (d. 1035)


text: Fujiwara no Takaie, Japanese nobleman (d. 1044)


date: June 29

text: June 29 – Fujiwara no Koshi, Japanese empress (b. 947)


date: August 3

text: August 3 – Thietmar, German nobleman


date: August 11

text: August 11 – Gero, German nobleman


date: August 26

text: August 26 – Zhao Dezhao, prince of the Song Dynasty (b. 951)


text: August 29 – Abu Taghlib, Hamdanid emir


date: September 19

text: September 19 – Gotofredo I, archbishop of Milan


text: probable – Iago ab Idwal, king of Gwynedd


text: Vitale Candiano, doge of Venice


year_label: 98 CE

text: Trajan elevates Ladenburg to city status (civitas).

source_title: AD 98

source_section: Events › By place › Roman Empire


text: The silver content of the Roman denarius rises to 93 percent under emperor Trajan, up from 92 percent under Domitian.


date: January 1

text: January 1 – Emperor Nerva suffers a stroke during a private audience.


text: Tacitus finishes his Germania (approximate date).

source_section: Events › By topic › Arts and sciences


date: January 27

text: January 27 – Nerva, Roman emperor (b. AD 30)


text: Casperius Aelianus, Roman praetorian prefect (b. AD 14)


date: June 11

text: June 11 – Vladimir I (the Great), grand prince of Kiev, consolidates the Kievan realm from modern Ukraine to the Baltic Sea. Vladimir is proclaimed ruler (knyaz) of all Kievan Rus'.


text: Peace is concluded between Emperor Otto II (the Red) and King Lothair III (or Lothair IV) at Margut, ending the Franco-German war of 978–980. Lothair renounces his claim on Lower Lorraine, while Otto promises to recognize Lothair's son Louis V as the rightful heir of the West Frankish Kingdom.


text: The Dari dialect (which will become the major language of Persia) is developed in the royal courts of the Samanid Empire in Central Asia.


text: Viking raids from Scandinavia threaten the southern English coast after a pause of 25 years. Hampshire and the Isle of Thanet are ravaged.


text: Fall – Otto II sets off on his first expedition to Italy. He leaves the government in the hands of Archchancellor Willigis. Otto is accompanied by his wife, Empress Theophanu.


text: The Kilwa Sultanate, centered at Kilwa (an island off modern Tanzania), is founded by Ali ibn al-Hassan Shirazi, Persian prince of Shiraz.


text: Notker (or Notger), Frankish Benedictine monk and bishop, founds the Prince-Bishopric of Liège (modern Belgium) which will remain an independent state inside the Holy Roman Empire for more than 800 years.

source_section: Events › By topic › Religion


text: King Harald Bluetooth orders the construction of the Viking ring fortress of Trelleborg (modern Denmark).

source_section: Events › By place › Europe


text: Winter – Otto II celebrates Christmas with his family at Ravenna. He receives the Iron Crown of Lombardy as the King of Italy.


date: July 5

text: July 5 – Mokjong, king of Goryeo (Korea) (d. 1009)


date: July 15

text: July 15 – Ichijō, emperor of Japan (d. 1011)


text: Farrukhi Sistani, Persian poet (approximate date)


text: Avicenna, Persian polymath (approximate date)


text: Xuedou Chongxian, Chinese Buddhist monk (d. 1052)


text: Einar Thambarskelfir, Norwegian nobleman (d. 1050)


text: Adalbero, German nobleman (approximate date)


text: Bardo, German abbot and archbishop (approximate date)


text: Tancred of Hauteville, Norman nobleman (d. 1041)


text: Sviatopolk I, Grand Prince of Kiev (approximate date)


text: Humbert I, founder of the House of Savoy (approximate date)


text: Pope Nicholas II, pope of the Catholic Church (d. 1061)


text: Abu Mansur al-Baghdadi, Persian scholar (d. 1037)


text: Olof Skötkonung, king of Sweden (approximate date)


date: February 15

text: February 15 – Berthold, German nobleman (approximate date)


date: September 28

text: September 28 – Minamoto no Hiromasa, Japanese nobleman (b. 918)


text: Ibn Khalawayh, Persian scholar and grammar (or 981)


text: Yaropolk I, Grand Prince of Kiev (approximate date)


text: Liu Chang, emperor of Southern Han (b. 942)


text: Eoghan Ua Cathain, abbot of Clonfert (Ireland)


text: Dado (or Dodon), Italian nobleman (approximate date)


text: Gunnhild, Norwegian Viking queen (approximate date)


text: Domnall ua Néill (or Donal O'Neill), High King of Ireland


text: Fall – Otto II departs with an expeditionary force from Rome, and invades Apulia (Southern Italy) to punish the Saracens. He demands a fleet from Pisa, and imposes a trade embargo against Venice.


text: Al-Mansur, the de facto ruler of Al-Andalus, conquers and razes the city of Zamora, as part of his effort to seize the Christian-dominated north of the Iberian Peninsula.


text: Song–Đại Cồ Việt war: Đại Cồ Việt under King Lê Đại Hành defeated the invasion of the Song.


text: Spring – Emperor Otto II (the Red) leads the imperial court to Rome, making the city his imperial capital, and receives nobles from all parts of Western Europe. Otto makes plans to conquer Byzantine Italy.


text: Erik the Red leaves Norway, to survey west of Iceland in Viking longships, that carry nearly 700 people with cattle, horses, and other necessities for starting a colony on the island. Erik finds land and calls it Greenland.

source_section: Events › By topic › Exploration


text: Spring – Pope Benedict VII dissolves the Slavic bishopric of Merseburg, after conferring with Otto II. He issues an encyclical, forbidding the exaction of money for the conferral of any Holy Order (known as simony).


text: The Gommateshwara statue is built by Chavundaraya, minister and commander of the Ganga dynasty, in India (approximate date).

source_section: Events › By place › Asia


text: The first commercially made shaving soap sells for 3 dirhams (0.3 dinars).


text: The first recorded Mahamastakabhisheka ceremony, of the sacred 57 foot m high monolithic statue of Bahubali, is performed.


text: Abu'l-Qasim al-Husayn ibn Ali al-Maghribi, Arab statesman (d. 1027)

source_section: Births


text: Li Deming, Chinese general and rebel leader (d. 1032)


text: Torstein Knarresmed, Norse Viking warrior (approximate date)


text: Vladivoj, duke of Bohemia (approximate date)


text: Giovanni Orseolo, Venetian nobleman (d. 1006)


text: Theodora, Empress of the Byzantine Empire (d. 1056)


date: February 12

text: February 12 – Ælfstan, bishop of Ramsbury

source_section: Deaths


date: June 20

text: June 20 – Adalbert, archbishop of Magdeburg


date: July 9

text: July 9 – Ramiro Garcés, king of Viguera (Spain)


date: July 12

text: July 12 – Xue Juzheng, Chinese scholar-official and historian


date: August 13

text: August 13 – Gyeongjong, king of Goryeo (Korea) (b. 955)


text: Zhao Defang, prince of the Song dynasty (b. 959)


text: Summer – Seongjong ascends the throne of Goryeo (Korea) after the death of his brother-in-law (and cousin), king Gyeongjong.


text: Slavník, founder of the Slavník dynasty (Bohemia)


text: Wigger I, German nobleman (approximate date)


text: Ibn Khalawayh, Persian scholar and grammar (or 980)


text: Abu'l-Faraj Muhammad, Buyid nobleman and statesman


text: Amlaíb Cuarán, Viking king of Scandinavian York


text: Pandulf Ironhead, prince of Benevento and Capua


date: July 13

text: July 13 (or 14) – Battle of Stilo: Abu'l-Qasim is cornered by the imperial German forces led by Otto II at Cape Colonna (south of Crotone). After a violent clash, the German heavy cavalry destroys the Muslim centre, killing al-Qasim in the initial fighting. The Saracens hold together and draw Otto into a trap, encircling and defeating his forces (killing around 4,000 men).


text: Summer – Emperor Otto II (the Red) assembles an imperial expeditionary force at Taranto, and proceeds along the gulf coast towards Calabria. In the meantime, Emir Abu'l-Qasim (Kalbid) of the Emirate of Sicily declares a Holy War (jihad) against the Germans, but his forces retreat when he notices the unexpected strength of Otto's troops (not far from Rossano).


text: King Harald Bluetooth invades Norway, pillaging southwest Norway all the way to Stad, where he encounters Haakon Sigurdsson (the de facto ruler of Norway) and his army. He flees back to Denmark, ending the invasion.


text: Erik the Red establishes the first Viking colonies in Greenland (see 981).


text: 'Adud al-Dawla, emir (king of kings) of the Buyid Dynasty, concludes a 10-year peace treaty with the Byzantine Empire. He establishes what will soon become the most important hospital of Baghdad.


text: The Indian Rashtrakuta Dynasty ends as its last ruler Indra IV commits Sallekhana (the Jain religious practice of voluntarily starving oneself to death).


text: Judith of Brittany, duchess of Normandy (d. 1017)


text: Atiśa, Bengali Buddhist religious leader (d. 1054)


text: Dirk III (or Theodoric), count of Holland (d. 1039)


date: January 2

text: January 2 – Dětmar (or Dietmar), bishop of Prague


text: July 13 (or 14) – Battle of Stilo:


date: October 13

text: October 13 – Chinese Emperor Jingzong dies in camp during a hunting trip after a 13-year reign. He is succeeded by his 11-year-old son, Shengzong, as ruler of the Khitan-led Liao Dynasty. His mother, Empress Dowager Xiao Yanyan becomes the regent.


text: October 13 – Jing Zong, emperor of the Liao Dynasty (b. 948)


date: November 26

text: November 26 – Matilda, queen of Burgundy (or 981)


text: Adalbert becomes bishop of Prague after the death of Dětmar (or Dietmar).


text: Abu'l-Husain Utbi, Samanid vizier


text: Senorina, Galician abbess and saint


text: Wang Pu, Chinese chancellor (b. 922)


text: Al-Hasan ibn Ubayd Allah ibn Tughj, Ikhshidid prince and regent


text: Abu'l-Qasim, Kalbid emir of Sicily


text: Jordan, bishop of Poland (or 984)


text: Shabbethai Donnolo, Jewish physician (b. 913)


text: Indra IV, Rashtrakuta ruler (India)


text: King Harald Bluetooth rebels against the overlordship of Otto II. A Danish Viking army under his son Sweyn Forkbeard invades the March of Schleswig – along the northern border of modern Denmark. The Sorb Slavs in northern Germany overrun and conquer the March of Zeitz (Marca Geronis) from Saxon control.


text: Great Slav Rising: The Polabian Slavs (Wends), mainly Lutici and Obotrite tribes living east of the Elbe River revolt against Christianity and their subjugation to the German (former East Frankish) realm of the Holy Roman Empire. They invade northern Germany, sacking the cities of Havelberg, Brandenburg and Hamburg.


text: Summer – Diet of Verona: Emperor Otto II (the Red) declares war against the Byzantine Empire and the Emirate of Sicily. He assembles a large expeditionary force for a renewal of an invasion in Calabria (Southern Italy). Otto gifts the Rheingau ("Rhine District") to the Archbishopric of Mainz during the 'Veronese donation'. Otto III is elected king of Germany and Italy.


text: Fall – Fatimid troops under the defecting Hamdanid governor of Homs, Bakjur, attack Aleppo (modern Syria), but are repulsed through the intervention of the Byzantine army. Bardas Phokas (the Younger) sacks the city, while Bakjur flees to Fatimid territory in Egypt.


text: Emperor Sheng Zong of the Khitan-led Liao Dynasty leads an expeditionary force against the Zubu after they killed their own khan and begin to act in defiance of the Khitan.

source_section: Events › By place › China


date: December 25

text: December 25 – Otto III is crowned at Aachen by Archbishops Willigis of Mainz and John X of Ravenna. The Holy Roman Empire comes under the regency of his mother, Empress consort Theophanu.


text: One of the Four Great Books of Song, the encyclopedia Imperial Readings of the Taiping Era is completed in 1,000 volumes, of 4.7 million written Chinese characters.


text: The printing of the first Chinese Buddhist canon, the Kaibao Canon, is completed.


text: Abd al-Rahman Sanchuelo, Umayyad chief minister (d. 1009)


text: Wulfnoth Cild, Anglo-Norse nobleman (approximate date)


text: Gunnlaugr Ormstunga, Icelandic poet (approximate date)


text: Anthony of Kiev, Rus' monk and saint (d. 1073)


text: Odo II, French nobleman and pretender (d. 1037)


date: March 26

text: March 26 – 'Adud al-Dawla, ruler (emir) of the Buyid Dynasty, dies after a 34-year reign. He is succeeded by his 20-year-old son Samsam al-Dawla, who is recognised by the Abbasid Caliphate. During al-Dawla's rule his dominions are divided through civil war and revolts (until 987).


text: March 26 – 'Adud al-Dawla, ruler of the Buyid Dynasty (b. 936)


date: July 10

text: July 10 – Pope Benedict VII dies after a 9-year reign. Otto II secures the election of the imperial chancellor and appoints John XIV as the 136th pope of the Catholic Church.


text: July 10 – Benedict VII, pope of the Catholic Church


date: December 7

text: December 7 – Otto II dies from a fever in his palace at Rome after a 10-year reign. He is succeeded by his 3-year-old son, Otto III.


text: December 7 – Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 955)


text: Aed Ua Dubhda, king of Uí Fiachrach (Ireland)


text: Mu'ayyad al-Dawla, ruler of the Buyid Dynasty (b. 942)


text: Antony III (the Studite), patriarch of Constantinople


text: Ibrahim ibn Marzuban, ruler of the Sallarid Dynasty


text: Ælfhere, Anglo-Saxon ealdorman (approximate date)


text: Minamoto no Shitagō, Japanese waka poet (b. 911)


text: Minamoto no Muneyuki, Japanese nobleman and poet


text: Fall – Emperor En'yū abdicates the throne in favor of his 16-year-old son Kazan after a 15-year reign. En'yū retires and becomes a Buddhist priest.

source_section: Events › By place › Japan


text: King Ramiro III of León loses his throne to Bermudo II (the rival king of Galicia), who also becomes ruler of the entire Kingdom of León (modern-day Spain).


text: Spring – German boy-king Otto III (4 years old) is seized by the deposed Henry II, Duke of Bavaria ("the Wrangler"), who has recovered his duchy and claims the regency as a member of the Ottonian Dynasty. But Henry is forced to hand over Otto to his mother, empress consort Theophanu.


text: Anti-Pope Boniface VII returns from Constantinople and gains support from the powerful Roman Crescentii family. He takes hold of the papal throne.


text: Qiao Weiyue, a Chinese engineer, innovates the first known use of the double-gated canal pound lock during the Song dynasty, for adjusting different water levels in segments of the Grand Canal in China.

source_section: Events › By topic › Technology


text: Emma of Normandy, noblewoman, queen consort of England (twice), Denmark and Norway (d. 1052; approximate date)


text: Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Abbad, founder of the Abbadid dynasty (d. 1042)


text: Choe Chung, Korean Confucian scholar and poet (d. 1068)


date: July 7

text: July 7 – Crescentius the Elder, Roman politician and aristocrat


date: July 18

text: July 18 – Dietrich I, bishop of Metz


date: August 1

text: August 1 – Æthelwold, bishop of Winchester


date: August 20

text: August 20 – John XIV, pope of the Catholic Church


text: August 20 – Pope John XIV dies a prisoner in the Castel Sant'Angelo at Rome after a 1-year reign, having either been murdered or starved to death.


date: September 9

text: September 9 – Warin, archbishop of Cologne


text: Miró III, count of Cerdanya and Besalú (b. 920)


text: Shi Shouxin, Chinese general (b. 928)


text: Domnall Claen, king of Leinster (Ireland)


text: Gerberga, Frankish queen (approximate date)


text: Ragnhild Eriksdotter, Norse Viking noblewoman


text: Jordan, bishop of Poland (or 982)


text: Edith of Wilton, English princess and abbess


text: Buluggin ibn Ziri, ruler (emir) of the Zirid Dynasty


text: Raja Raja Chola I (considered by many as the greatest emperor of the Chola Empire) becomes ruler of the Chola Dynasty. During his reign he expands his domains beyond South India.


date: July 6

text: July 6 – The city of Barcelona is sacked by Moorish troops under Al-Mansur, the de facto ruler of Al-Andalus (modern-day Spain).


text: Battle of Fýrisvellir: King Eric the Victorious defeats a Swedish Viking army under Styrbjörn the Strong (his nephew) near Uppsala.


text: Greenland is colonized by the Icelandic Viking Erik the Red (according to legend, but has been established as approximately correct – see History of Greenland).


text: Lady Wulfrun, an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman, is granted land by King Æthelred II (the Unready). She founds Heantune that later becomes the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands.

source_section: Events › By place › England


text: Amalfitan Benedictines found the only Latin Christian monastery on Mount Athos with the support of John the Iberian. The monastery will last until 1287.


text: Summer – Henry II (the Wrangler) is restored as duke of Bavaria by Empress Theophanu and her mother-in-law Adelaide at an Hoftag assembly in Rohr (Thuringia). King Otto III (5-years old) remains under the regency of the two empresses in the Holy Roman Empire and in the Kingdom of Italy.


text: August 13 – Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, Fatimid caliph (d. 1021)


text: Hamza ibn 'Ali ibn-Ahmad, founding leader of the Druze


text: Pilgrim, archbishop of Cologne (approximate date)


text: Theobald II, French nobleman (approximate date)


text: Adalbert, margrave of Austria (approximate date)


text: Boniface III, margrave of Tuscany (approximate date)


text: Gilbert Buatère, Norman nobleman (approximate date)


text: Gisela (or Gizella), queen of Hungary (d. 1065)


text: Wazo, bishop of Liège (approximate date)


text: John Gualbert, Italian monk and abbot (d. 1073)


text: Rodulfus Glaber, French monk and chronicler (d. 1047)


text: Zhao Yuanyan, prince of the Song Dynasty (d. 1044)


text: Radbot, German nobleman (approximate date)


text: Maria of Amalfi, Lombard duchess and regent


date: January 31

text: January 31 – Ryōgen, Japanese monk and abbot (b. 912)


date: June 26

text: June 26 – Ramiro III, king of León (Spain) (b. 961)


date: July 20

text: July 20 – Anti-Pope Boniface VII dies under suspicious circumstances at Rome. He is succeeded by John XV as the 137th pope of the Catholic Church.


text: July 20 – Boniface VII, antipope of the Catholic Church


date: August 25

text: August 25 – Dietrich of Haldensleben, German margrave


text: Hywel ap Ieuaf, king of Gwynedd (Wales)


text: Basil Lekapenos, Byzantine chief minister (b. 925)


text: Kishi Joō, Japanese female waka poet (b. 929)


text: Chen Hongjin, Chinese warlord and general (b. 914)


text: Muirgus mac Domnaill, king of Uí Maine (Ireland)


text: Tornike Eristavi, Georgian general and monk


text: Judith, duchess regent of Bavaria (b. 925)


text: Harold II (Bluetooth), king of Denmark and Norway


text: Rikdag, margrave of Meissen (Germany)


text: Emperor Kazan abdicates the throne after a political struggle from the Fujiwara family. He is succeeded by his 6-year-old cousin Ichijō as the 66th emperor (tennō) of Japan.


date: August 17

text: August 17 – Battle of the Gates of Trajan: Emperor Basil II leads a Byzantine expeditionary force (30,000 men) against the Bulgarians to capture the fortress city of Sredets. After a siege of 20 days, Basil is forced to retreat from the Sofia Valley towards the town of Ihtiman (through a passage known as the Gate of Trajan). The Bulgarians under Tsar Samuel ambush and defeat the Byzantine forces. Only the elite Varangian Guard escapes with heavy casualties and leads Basil to safety through secondary routes.

source_section: Events › By place › Byzantine Empire


text: Summer – Chi Go Pass Campaign: The Song Dynasty sends armies on three fronts against the Liao Dynasty in the Sixteen Prefectures, but they are defeated on all fronts.


text: Winter – Sabuktigin, emir of the Ghaznavid Dynasty, invades India. He expands the emirate between the Kabul Valley and the Indus River after defeating King Jayapala.

source_section: Events › By place › Arabian Empire


text: Mieszko I, duke (de facto) ruler of Poland, pledges his allegiance to Otto III and the Holy Roman Empire. He promises assistance in Otto's war against the Slavs.


text: Empress Theophanu, accompanied by the 6-year-old King Otto III and Henry II of Bavaria, leads a campaign against Bohemia and the Slavs on the Elbe frontier.


text: Summer: Al-Mansur, the de facto ruler of Al-Andalus, continues his effort in the north of the Iberian Peninsula and plunders the city of Coimbra (modern Portugal).


text: Battle of Hjörungavágr: The Earls of Lade under Haakon Sigurdsson (the Powerful) defeat a Danish invasion force led by the Jomsvikings in western Norway.


text: Bjarni Herjólfsson, a Norse-Icelandic merchant captain and explorer, becomes the first inhabitant of the Old World to discover the mainland of the Americas.


text: One of the Four Great Books of Song, the Chinese encyclopedia Finest Blossoms in the Garden of Literature is finished, with a total of 1,000 volumes.


text: Bezprym (or Besfrim), duke of Poland (approximate date)


text: Lê Long Đĩnh, emperor of the Lê Dynasty (d. 1009)


text: Constance of Arles, French queen (approximate date)


text: Æthelstan Ætheling, son of Æthelred II (the Unready) (d. 1014)


text: Al-Qushayri, Persian Sufi scholar and theologian (d. 1072)


text: Reginald I, count palatine of Burgundy (d. 1057)


text: Poppo, archbishop of Trier (approximate date)


date: March 2

text: March 2 – King Lothair III (or Lothair IV) dies after a 32-year reign at Laon. He is succeeded by his 19-year-old son Louis V as ruler of the West Frankish Kingdom.


text: March 2 – Lothair III, king of the West Frankish Kingdom (b. 941)


date: May 25

text: May 25 – Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi, Persian astronomer (b. 903)


date: August 15

text: August 15 – Minnborinus, Irish missionary and abbot


date: August

text: August – Yang Ye, Chinese general and governor (jiedushi)


text: Æthelstan Mannessune, English landowner


text: Winter – King Harald II (Bluetooth) dies after a 28-year reign (driven into exile). He is succeeded by his son Sweyn Forkbeard as ruler of Denmark and Norway.


text: Bahram ibn Ardashir al-Majusi, Buyid official and general


text: Cadwallon ab Ieuaf, king of Gwynedd (Wales)


text: Bobo, Frankish warrior and pilgrim


date: February 7

text: February 7 – Bardas Phokas (the Younger) and Bardas Skleros, two members of the military elite, begin a wide-scale rebellion against Emperor Basil II. They overrun Anatolia, and Phokas declares himself Emperor. Basil applies for military assistance from Prince Vladimir the Great, ruler of Kievan Rus', who agrees to help him and sends a Varangian army (6,000 men).


text: The Zirid Dynasty fails to reconquer the western part of the Maghreb (Land of Atlas), which they have recently lost to the Umayyad Caliphate.


text: Al-Mansur, the de facto ruler of Al-Andalus, occupies the city of Coimbra (modern Portugal).


text: The population of Bari revolts against the Byzantine Empire.


date: December

text: December – The 15-year-old Robert (the son of Hugh Capet) is crowned co-ruler of France around Christmas at Orléans.


text: Ibn Hayyan, Moorish writer and historian (d. 1075)


text: Al-Mahdi al-Husayn, Zaidi imam of Yemen (d. 1013)


text: Li, imperial consort of the Song Dynasty (d. 1032)


text: Liu Yong, Chinese poet of the Song Dynasty (d. 1053)


date: January 10

text: January 10 – Pietro I Orseolo, doge of Venice (b. 928)


date: March 30

text: March 30 – Arnulf II (the Younger), Frankish nobleman


date: May 21

text: May 21 – Louis V, king of the West Frankish Kingdom


date: July 3

text: July 3 – After the last Carolingian king of West Francia, Louis V, had died in May, Hugh Capet is crowned king at Noyon.


date: July 13

text: July 13 – Abu'l-Fawaris Ahmad ibn Ali, Ikhshidid governor


date: July 21

text: July 21 – Geoffrey I (Greymantle), Frankish nobleman


date: September 8

text: September 8 (approximate date) – Adalbert I, Count of Vermandois, Frankish nobleman


date: November 16

text: November 16 – Shen Lun, Chinese scholar-official


text: Borrell II, count of Barcelona, does not renew his allegiance to Hugh Capet. He becomes a de facto independent ruler, and starts minting its own currency – this will be confirmed legally by the Treaty of Corbeil (1258).


text: Fall – Emperor Basil II, supported by a contingent of 6,000 Varangians (the future Varangian Guard), organizes the defences of Constantinople to meet a threat from the insurgents, Bardas Phokas the Younger and Bardas Skleros. Basil crosses the Bosphorus, and leads a surprise attack on the rebel camp of Kalokyros Delphinas, at Chrysopolis. Delphinas is captured and executed, either by crucifixion or by impalement (approximate date).


text: Almanzor (Al-Mansur), de facto ruler of Al-Andalus, continues his offensive against the kingdoms of León and Castile. King Bermudo II escapes to Zamora; the city resists for four days, but is finally sacked and captured.


text: Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine (younger brother of the late King Lothair of France), revolts against Hugh Capet. He conquers the city of Laon in northern France with support of his half-brother Arnulf (archbishop of Reims).


text: The Mezhyhirskyi Monastery (located on the Dnieper River) is founded by Michael I, first metropolitan bishop of Kiev. He arrives with Greek monks from Constantinople.


date: March 18

text: March 18 – The city of Odense (located on the island of Funen) in Denmark is founded. King Otto III grants trade rights and to the neighbouring settlements.

source_section: Events › By topic › Economy


date: April 1

text: April 1 – 16-year old Robert II of France ("Robert the Pious") is married to the much older Rozala (the widow of Arnulf II). The marriage is arranged by Robert's father, King Hugh Capet, to secure the loyalty of the County of Flanders.


text: Grand Prince Vladimir the Great, ruler of Kievan Rus', marries Anna Porphyrogenita (sister of Basil II) and converts to Christianity. He is baptized at Cherson in the Crimea, taking the Christian name of Basil (in honor of his brother-in-law). Vladimir returns in triumph to Kiev, and begins the Christianization of Kievan Rus' to the Eastern Orthodox Church.


text: The Liao dynasty adopts civil service examinations in the 'Southern Chancellery', based on Tang dynasty models (approximate date).


text: Pang Ji, chancellor of the Song dynasty (d. 1063)


text: Tilopa, Indian tantric practitioner (d. 1069)


text: Minamoto no Yoriyoshi, Japanese nobleman (d. 1075)


text: Shōshi, empress consort of Japan (d. 1074)


text: Stephen I, king of Croatia (approximate date)


text: Ali ibn Ridwan, Arab physician and astrologer (d. 1061)


text: Matilda of Swabia, German noblewoman (d. 1032)


text: Nōin, Japanese monk and waka poet (d. 1051)


date: February 13

text: February 13 – Adalbert Atto, Lombard nobleman


date: March

text: March 988 – Ishaq ibn al-Muqtadir, Arab prince


date: April 28

text: April 28 – Adaldag, archbishop of Bremen


date: May 6

text: May 6 – Dirk II, count of Frisia and Holland


date: May 19

text: May 19 – Dunstan, archbishop of Canterbury (b. 909)


date: October 7

text: October 7 – Qian Chu, king of Wuyue (d. 929)


text: Yelü Sha, Chinese general and statesman


text: Guerech, Frankish nobleman (approximate date)


text: Judith of Hungary, queen of Poland (approximate date)


text: Sumbat II, prince of Tao-Klarjeti (Georgia)


text: Ieuaf (Idwal ab Idwal), king of Gwynedd (Wales)


text: Vigrahapala II, ruler of the Pala Empire (India)


text: Kalokyros Delphinas, Byzantine general (or 989)


text: Bagrat II, prince of Tao-Klarjeti (Georgia)


text: Winter – Theophanu arrives with her son, King Otto III in Rome to meet John XV. Crescentius II (the Younger) offers his submission to the Holy Roman Empire, in return for which she confirms his title as patrician of Rome.


text: In Vietnam during the Early Le dynasty, provincial governor Dương Tiến Lộc seized control of the two provinces Hoan and Ái in an attempt to request annexation to Champa, which was rejected. He then rebelled against the emperor but was quickly suppressed within the same year, resulting in heavy civilian casualties in both provinces.

source_section: Events › Asia


date: October 25

text: October 25 – The Hagia Sophia at Constantinople is struck by a great earthquake, causing the collapse of the western dome arch. Basil II asks the Armenian architect Trdat, the creator of the Cathedral of Ani, to direct the repairs.

source_section: Events › By topic › Art


text: Council of Charroux: French bishops under the patronage of William IV, duke of Aquitaine, declare the first Peace of God (or Pax Dei). This agreement grants immunity from violence to noncombatants (peasants and clergy) who can not defend themselves.


text: Sankore Madrasah, at this stage a mosque, is founded in Timbuktu (modern-day Mali).

source_section: Events › By topic › Education


text: Summer – Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine, captures the city of Reims by treachery of its new archbishop, Arnulf (the illegitimate son of the late King Lothair III). King Hugh I (Capet) demands that Pope John XV discipline Arnulf. But John XV, not wishing to defy Empress Theophanu, refuses.


date: September

text: September – Halley's Comet is at perihelion.

source_section: Events › By topic › Astronomy


date: September 5

text: September 5 – Fan Zhongyan, chancellor of the Song Dynasty (d. 1052)


text: Al-Jayyānī, Arab scholar and mathematician (d. 1079)


text: Adémar de Chabannes, French monk and historian (d. 1034)


text: Chaghri Beg, co-ruler of the Seljuk Empire (d. 1060)


text: Regelinda, margravine of Meissen (approximate date)


date: January 23

text: January 23 – Adalbero, archbishop of Reims


date: April 13

text: April 13 – Bardas Phokas, Byzantine general


date: October 5

text: October 5 – Henry III, duke of Bavaria (b. 940)


text: Chavundaraya, Indian general, architect and poet


text: Kalokyros Delphinas, Byzantine general (or 988)


text: Chen Tuan, Chinese Taoist monk and philosopher


text: Glúniairn, Norse-Gael king of Dublin (approximate date)


text: Pan, Chinese princess and wife of Zhen Zong (b. 968)


text: Emperor Basil II uses his contingent of 6,000 Varangians to help him defeat Bardas Phokas (the Younger), who suffers a seizure during the siege of Abydos (threatening to blockade the Dardanelles). Phokas dies, ending the revolt and threat to Constantinople. Upon Phokas' death, the other rebel leader Bardas Skleros (who is captured and blinded) yields to Basil's superior forces.


text: Kiurike I, king of Tashir-Dzoraget (Armenia)


text: Fujiwara no Yoritada, Japanese nobleman (b. 924)


text: Gofraid mac Arailt, Norse-Gael king of the Isles (Hebrides)


text: Sharaf al-Dawla, Buyid emir of Kerman and Fars (b. 960)


text: Ch'oe Sung-no, Korean politician and poet (b. 927)


year_label: 99 CE

date: August 29

text: August 29 – Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 581, recording the sale of a slave girl, is written.

source_title: AD 99

source_section: Events › By place › Roman Empire


date: November 23

text: November 23 – Pope Evaristus succeeds Pope Clement I as the fifth pope according to Roman Catholic tradition.

source_section: Events › By topic › Religion


text: Emperor Trajan returns to Rome.


text: Emissaries of the Kushan Empire reach the Roman Empire.


text: c. March 9 – Narcissus of Jerusalem, Christian bishop and saint (d. c. 216)


text: Approximate date – Clement of Rome, pope of the Catholic Church


text: Al-Mansur, Chancellor and effective ruler of Al-Andalus, conquers the Castle of Montemor-o-Velho (modern Portugal), expanding the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba.

source_section: Events › By place › Europe


text: The Ghana Empire takes the Berber town of Aoudaghost (modern Mauritania) as the West African nation makes further gains.

source_section: Events › By place › Africa


date: June

text: June – The Pax Ecclesiae, an edict by the Catholic Church, is promulgated. Held at three synods in different parts of southern and central France (at Charroux, Narbonne and Puy), it attempts to outlaw acts of war against non-combatants and the clergy.


text: Construction of the Al-Hakim Mosque by orders of the Fatimid vizier Gawar Al-Siqilli begins in Cairo (modern Egypt).


text: The city of Lund, Sweden is founded, during the reign of the Danish king Sweyn Forkbeard (approximate date).


date: November 11

text: November 11 – Gisela of Swabia, Holy Roman Empress (d. 1043)

source_section: Births


text: Chananel ben Chushiel, Tunisian Jewish rabbi (d. 1053)


text: Adamo Abate, Italian Benedictine abbot (approximate date)


text: Theobald of Dorat, French monk and saint (d. 1070)


text: Theodoric II, margrave of Lower Lusatia (d. 1034)


text: Tughril, sultan of the Seljuk Empire (d. 1063)


text: John Scotus, bishop of Mecklenburg (d. 1066)


text: John Vladimir, Serbian prince (approximate date)


text: Kálfr Árnason, Norwegian chieftain (approximate date)


text: Al-Qadi Abu Ya'la, Arab Hanbali scholar and jurist (d. 1066)


text: Zhang Xian, Chinese poet and writer (d. 1078)


text: Edmund II (Ironside), king of England (d. 1016)


text: Grigor Magistros, Armenian prince (d. 1058)


text: Nissim ben Jacob, Tunisian Jewish rabbi (d. 1062)


date: March 15

text: March 15 – Siegfried I (the Older), German nobleman

source_section: Deaths


date: March 25

text: March 25 – Nicodemus of Mammola, Italian monk and saint


date: April 23

text: April 23 – Ekkehard II (the Courtier), Swiss monk and abbot


date: June 15

text: June 15 – Theophanu, Holy Roman Empress and regent


date: July 26

text: July 26 – Fujiwara no Kaneie, Japanese statesman (b. 929)


date: September 16

text: September 16 – Folcuin, Frankish abbot of Saint Bertin


date: December 10

text: December 10 – Folcmar (Poppo), bishop of Utrecht


text: Al-Saghani, Persian astronomer and historian of science


text: Sahl ben Matzliah, Jewish philosopher (b. 910)


text: Oliba Cabreta, count of Cerdanya and Besalú (Spain)


text: Qarghuyah, Hamdanid administrator and governor


text: Indra Pala, ruler of the Pala Dynasty (India) (b. 960)


text: Al-Tamimi, Arab writer and physician (approximate date)


text: Dunash ben Labrat, Arab Jewish commentator (b. 920)


date: August 11

text: August 11: Following a raid by Olaf Tryggvason at the mouth of the River Thames, ealdorman Byrhtnoth is killed in the Battle of Maldon in Essex, which is commemorated in the Old English poem The Battle of Maldon. Æthelred the Unready is forced to pay a tribute of 22,000 pounds of silver for Tryggvason to withdraw his troops; this is the first in a series of Danegelds.

source_section: Events


text: Spring: Byzantine Emperor Basil II begins a campaign against the Bulgarians.


text: Taranto is sieged by Sicilian Arabs.

source_section: Events › Unknown dates


text: Count Odo I of Blois, who captured Melun, is driven out of the city by the coalition of King Hugh Capet, Count Fulk III of Anjou and Richard I of Normandy; Odo is defeated in Orsay by Bouchard I of Vendôme, a faithful vassal of Capet charged with guarding Melun.


text: Stavoren is sacked in Viking raids on the ports of Frisia and the mouths of the Rhine.


text: Pietro II Orseolo becomes the 26th Doge of Venice. Venice establishes a protectorate on the coast of the Dalmatian Islands.


date: March 1

text: March 1: In Rouen, Pope John XV ratifies the first Truce of God, between Æthelred the Unready and Richard I of Normandy.


date: March 29

text: March 29: Bishop Adalberon imprisons the treasonous Duke Charles of Lorraine and his nephew Arnulf, the Archbishop of Reims. Adalberon delivers the two men to King Hugh Capet, who imprisons them and their family in Orléans. The cities of Reims and Laon are returned to Capet.