King
Wigstan of Mercia, grandson of former ruler
Wiglaf (see
839), declines his kingship in preference of the religious life. He asks his widowed mother, Princess
Ælfflæd, to act as
regent. A
nobleman of the line of the late king
Beornred, named Berhtric, wishes to marry her but he is a relative. Wigstan refuses the match, and is murdered by followers of Berhtric at
Wistow. He is buried at
Repton Abbey, and later revered as a
saint. The
Mercian throne is seized by Berhtric's father,
Beorhtwulf.[1]: 238–239
Emperor
Wenzong (Li Ang) dies after a 13-year reign, in which he has failed to break the power of his palace
eunuchs. He is succeeded by his brother
Wu Zong, as Chinese ruler of the
Tang dynasty.
The town of Dyflin (meaning "Black Pool") or
Dublin (modern
Ireland) is founded by
Norwegian Vikings, on the south bank of the
River Liffey. The settlement is fortified with a
ditch and an earth
rampart, with a wooden
palisade on top. The
Norsemen establish a
wool weaving industry, and there is also a
slave trade. An artificial hill is erected, where the
nobility meets to make laws and discuss
policy.
Venice sends a fleet of 60
galleys (each carrying 200 men) to assist the Byzantines in driving the
Arabs from
Crotone, but the attack fails. Muslim troops conquer the city of
Brindisi (approximate date).[7]
In the Chinese capital of
Chang'an, the
West Market (and
East Market) are closed every night one hour and three quarters before
dusk (by government order); the
curfew is signaled by the sound of 300 beats to a loud gong. After the official
markets have been closed for the night, small night markets in residential areas thrive with plenty of customers, despite government efforts to shut them down. With the decline of the government's authority (by mid
9th century), this edict (like many others) is largely ignored, as
urban dwellers keep attending the night markets regardless.
Summer –
Viking raiders attack
Nantes, located on the
River Loire; they kill the town's
bishop along with many of the
clergy, and murder men, women and children. They plunder the western parts of
Aquitaine and reach an island north of the mouth of the
River Garonne, near what later will be
La Rochelle. There the Vikings bring materials from the mainland and build houses to spend the
winter.
Summer – A
Byzantine expedition, led by
Theoktistos, conquers
Crete from the
Saracens. After initial success, he is forced to abandon his army, due to political intrigues in
Constantinople. The troops are left behind and slaughtered by the
Arabs.[11][12]
In the Chinese capital of
Chang'an, a large fire consumes 4,000 homes,
warehouses and other buildings in the
East Market, yet the rest of the city is at a safe distance from the blaze which is largely
quarantined in
East Central Chang'an, thanks to the large width of roads in Chang'an that produce
fire breaks.
King
Æthelred II of Northumbria is expelled from his kingdom by
Rædwulf, who takes the
throne. Rædwulf is later killed in battle against the Vikings, along with many of his
noblemen. Æthelred returns and claims his right to rule.
King
Merfyn Frych dies after a 24-year reign. He is succeeded by his son
Rhodri Mawr ("the Great"), who thus becomes ruler of
Gwynedd (
Wales).
March 28 or
29 (Easter) –
Siege of Paris:
Viking forces under the
Norse chieftain
Ragnar Lodbrok enter the
River Seine, with a fleet of 120
longships (5,000 men). They pass through the city of
Rouen and plunder the countryside. King
Charles the Bald assembles an army and sends it to protect Paris, the capital of the
West Frankish Kingdom. Ragnar routs the enemy forces, and hangs 111 of their prisoners in honour of
Odin.[21] Charles — to keep them from
plundering his kingdom — pays a large
tribute of 7,000
livres (pounds) of silver or gold, in exchange for their leaving.[22] The Vikings also sack the cities of
Hamburg and
Melun.
Frankish forces led by Louis the German invade
Moravia. They encounter little resistance, and depose King
Mojmir I from the
throne.[24] His relative,
Rastislav, is set up as the new
client ruler.
Muslim forces
attempt to raid Rome but only pillage the countryside around the city before being beaten back by Duke
Guy I of Spoleto. In the aftermath,
Pope Leo IV starts walling the area around the Vatican hill, creating the
Leonine City
DanishVikings land in the
Breton March (western part of
Gaul). Duke
Nominoe of
Brittany fails to withstand them in battle, but succeeds in buying them off with gifts and persuading them to leave (approximate date).
Emperor
Lothair I, and his (half) brothers
Louis the German and Charles the Bald, meet in
Koblenz to continue the system of "con-fraternal government".
The
Saracens conquer
Ragusa (
Sicily), after its
Byzantine garrison is forced by severe
famine to surrender. The city and its castle are razed to the ground.[27]
Britain
The armies of
Brycheiniog and
Gwent clash in the battle of
Ffinnant (
Wales). King
Ithel of Gwent is killed in the fighting (approximate date).
Summer –
Battle of Ostia: A
Saracen Arab fleet from
Sardinia sets sail towards
Rome. In response,
Pope Leo IV forms a coalition of maritime Italian cities, including
Naples,
Amalfi and
Gaeta, led by Admiral
Caesar — which is assembled off the re-
fortified port of
Ostia — and repels the Saracen
marauders. Their navy is scattered, resulting in many sunken vessels. Rome is saved from plunder and the expansion of the
Aghlabids.[29]
In the Chinese capital city of
Chang'an, an imperial prince is
impeached during the
Tang Dynasty from his position by officials at court, for erecting a building that obstructs a street in the northwesternmost ward in
South Central Chang'an.
January –
Michael III, Byzantine emperor (
d.
867) This date of birth is generally held as uncertain; though January 840 is the most probable, 839 is also possible.
August 16 – Death of
Qaratis also known as Umm Harun, was the mother of Abbasid caliph al-Wathiq (
r. 842–847). She died during her
Hajj pilgrimage journey.
^Eric Joseph, Struggle for Empire, p. 103. Cornell University, 2006.
ISBN0-8014-3890-X. Joseph states this number, given by
Agnellus of Ravenna, is probably exaggerated.
^Rucquoi, Adeline (1993). Histoire médiévale de la Péninsule ibérique. Paris: Seuil. p. 85.
ISBN2-02-012935-3.
^AF a. 844: Karolus Aquitaniam, quasi ad partem regni sui iure pertinentem, affectans ... ("Charles wanted Aquitaine, which belonged by right to a part of his kingdom").
King
Wigstan of Mercia, grandson of former ruler
Wiglaf (see
839), declines his kingship in preference of the religious life. He asks his widowed mother, Princess
Ælfflæd, to act as
regent. A
nobleman of the line of the late king
Beornred, named Berhtric, wishes to marry her but he is a relative. Wigstan refuses the match, and is murdered by followers of Berhtric at
Wistow. He is buried at
Repton Abbey, and later revered as a
saint. The
Mercian throne is seized by Berhtric's father,
Beorhtwulf.[1]: 238–239
Emperor
Wenzong (Li Ang) dies after a 13-year reign, in which he has failed to break the power of his palace
eunuchs. He is succeeded by his brother
Wu Zong, as Chinese ruler of the
Tang dynasty.
The town of Dyflin (meaning "Black Pool") or
Dublin (modern
Ireland) is founded by
Norwegian Vikings, on the south bank of the
River Liffey. The settlement is fortified with a
ditch and an earth
rampart, with a wooden
palisade on top. The
Norsemen establish a
wool weaving industry, and there is also a
slave trade. An artificial hill is erected, where the
nobility meets to make laws and discuss
policy.
Venice sends a fleet of 60
galleys (each carrying 200 men) to assist the Byzantines in driving the
Arabs from
Crotone, but the attack fails. Muslim troops conquer the city of
Brindisi (approximate date).[7]
In the Chinese capital of
Chang'an, the
West Market (and
East Market) are closed every night one hour and three quarters before
dusk (by government order); the
curfew is signaled by the sound of 300 beats to a loud gong. After the official
markets have been closed for the night, small night markets in residential areas thrive with plenty of customers, despite government efforts to shut them down. With the decline of the government's authority (by mid
9th century), this edict (like many others) is largely ignored, as
urban dwellers keep attending the night markets regardless.
Summer –
Viking raiders attack
Nantes, located on the
River Loire; they kill the town's
bishop along with many of the
clergy, and murder men, women and children. They plunder the western parts of
Aquitaine and reach an island north of the mouth of the
River Garonne, near what later will be
La Rochelle. There the Vikings bring materials from the mainland and build houses to spend the
winter.
Summer – A
Byzantine expedition, led by
Theoktistos, conquers
Crete from the
Saracens. After initial success, he is forced to abandon his army, due to political intrigues in
Constantinople. The troops are left behind and slaughtered by the
Arabs.[11][12]
In the Chinese capital of
Chang'an, a large fire consumes 4,000 homes,
warehouses and other buildings in the
East Market, yet the rest of the city is at a safe distance from the blaze which is largely
quarantined in
East Central Chang'an, thanks to the large width of roads in Chang'an that produce
fire breaks.
King
Æthelred II of Northumbria is expelled from his kingdom by
Rædwulf, who takes the
throne. Rædwulf is later killed in battle against the Vikings, along with many of his
noblemen. Æthelred returns and claims his right to rule.
King
Merfyn Frych dies after a 24-year reign. He is succeeded by his son
Rhodri Mawr ("the Great"), who thus becomes ruler of
Gwynedd (
Wales).
March 28 or
29 (Easter) –
Siege of Paris:
Viking forces under the
Norse chieftain
Ragnar Lodbrok enter the
River Seine, with a fleet of 120
longships (5,000 men). They pass through the city of
Rouen and plunder the countryside. King
Charles the Bald assembles an army and sends it to protect Paris, the capital of the
West Frankish Kingdom. Ragnar routs the enemy forces, and hangs 111 of their prisoners in honour of
Odin.[21] Charles — to keep them from
plundering his kingdom — pays a large
tribute of 7,000
livres (pounds) of silver or gold, in exchange for their leaving.[22] The Vikings also sack the cities of
Hamburg and
Melun.
Frankish forces led by Louis the German invade
Moravia. They encounter little resistance, and depose King
Mojmir I from the
throne.[24] His relative,
Rastislav, is set up as the new
client ruler.
Muslim forces
attempt to raid Rome but only pillage the countryside around the city before being beaten back by Duke
Guy I of Spoleto. In the aftermath,
Pope Leo IV starts walling the area around the Vatican hill, creating the
Leonine City
DanishVikings land in the
Breton March (western part of
Gaul). Duke
Nominoe of
Brittany fails to withstand them in battle, but succeeds in buying them off with gifts and persuading them to leave (approximate date).
Emperor
Lothair I, and his (half) brothers
Louis the German and Charles the Bald, meet in
Koblenz to continue the system of "con-fraternal government".
The
Saracens conquer
Ragusa (
Sicily), after its
Byzantine garrison is forced by severe
famine to surrender. The city and its castle are razed to the ground.[27]
Britain
The armies of
Brycheiniog and
Gwent clash in the battle of
Ffinnant (
Wales). King
Ithel of Gwent is killed in the fighting (approximate date).
Summer –
Battle of Ostia: A
Saracen Arab fleet from
Sardinia sets sail towards
Rome. In response,
Pope Leo IV forms a coalition of maritime Italian cities, including
Naples,
Amalfi and
Gaeta, led by Admiral
Caesar — which is assembled off the re-
fortified port of
Ostia — and repels the Saracen
marauders. Their navy is scattered, resulting in many sunken vessels. Rome is saved from plunder and the expansion of the
Aghlabids.[29]
In the Chinese capital city of
Chang'an, an imperial prince is
impeached during the
Tang Dynasty from his position by officials at court, for erecting a building that obstructs a street in the northwesternmost ward in
South Central Chang'an.
January –
Michael III, Byzantine emperor (
d.
867) This date of birth is generally held as uncertain; though January 840 is the most probable, 839 is also possible.
August 16 – Death of
Qaratis also known as Umm Harun, was the mother of Abbasid caliph al-Wathiq (
r. 842–847). She died during her
Hajj pilgrimage journey.
^Eric Joseph, Struggle for Empire, p. 103. Cornell University, 2006.
ISBN0-8014-3890-X. Joseph states this number, given by
Agnellus of Ravenna, is probably exaggerated.
^Rucquoi, Adeline (1993). Histoire médiévale de la Péninsule ibérique. Paris: Seuil. p. 85.
ISBN2-02-012935-3.
^AF a. 844: Karolus Aquitaniam, quasi ad partem regni sui iure pertinentem, affectans ... ("Charles wanted Aquitaine, which belonged by right to a part of his kingdom").