It is hypothesized that sometime around 850 a group of
Buddhist pilgrims travelling through a valley near
Roopkund (modern
India) were killed when caught out in the open in a sudden
hailstorm. Their remains were discovered in
1942.
Mesoamerica
Uxmal becomes the capital of a large state in the
Puuk hills region of northern
Yucatán (modern
Mexico). The city is connected by causeways (sakbe) to other important Puuk sites, such as
K'abah,
Sayil, and
Labna (approximate date).
By topic
Food and Drink
Coffee is discovered (according to
legend) by the
Ethiopian goatherder
Kaldi in
East Africa, who notices that his
goats become energetic after chewing the red
berries from certain wild bushes (approximate date).
Suleiman al-Tajir, Muslim merchant and traveller, visits
China during the
Tang Dynasty. He observes the manufacturing of
Chinese porcelain at
Guangzhou, and writes of his admiration for its transparent quality. Suleiman also describes the
mosque at Guangzhou, its
granaries, its local government administration, some of its written records, and the treatment of travellers, along with the use of ceramics,
rice wine, and tea (approximate date).
Treaty of Angers: Charles the Bald meets Erispoe in
Angers, and acknowledges him as "king of Brittany". He recognizes the authority of Breton rule over the areas around
Nantes,
Rennes and
Pays de Retz, which become part of the
Breton March, a border zone. Erispoe takes the
oath to Charles as king of the
West Frankish Kingdom (but not an hommage lige which would be an
allegiance). To mark the sovereignty of the Breton state, the future
Dukes of Brittany are crowned as "Duke, king in their lands".[6]
Emperor
Lothair I meets with his (half) brothers
Louis the German and Charles the Bald in
Meerssen (modern-day
Netherlands), to continue the system of "con-fraternal government".
A Viking fleet of 350 vessels enters the
Thames Estuary before turning north, and engages the Mercian forces under King
Beorhtwulf. The Mercians are defeated, and retreat to their settlements. The Vikings then turn south and cross the river somewhere in
Surrey; there they are slaughtered by a
West Saxon army, led by King
Æthelwulf and his son
Aethelbald, at Oak Field (
Aclea).[8]
King
Æthelstan, the eldest son of Æthelwulf, is killed by a Viking raiding party. He is succeeded by his brother
Æthelberht, who becomes sub-king of
Kent,
Essex, Surrey and
Sussex (approximate date).
Beorhtwulf dies after a 12-year reign, and is succeeded by his son
Burgred as king of
Mercia.
According to a 17th century account, the Andalusian inventor
Abbas ibn Firnas makes a tower jump in Córdoba. He wraps himself with vulture feathers and attaches two wings to his arms. The alleged attempt to fly is not recorded in earlier sources and is ultimately unsuccessful, but the garment slows his fall enough that he only sustains minor injuries.
Danish
Vikings attempt to subjugate the
Curonians on the shoreline of the
Baltic Sea, but they are repulsed. King
Olof leads Swedish Vikings in retaliation, and attacks the towns of
Seeburg and
Apuolė (modern
Courland).
Winter – Æthelwulf returns to Wessex to face a revolt by his eldest son
Æthelbald, who usurps the
throne. Æthelwulf agrees to give up the western part of his kingdom, in order to avoid a
civil war. He keeps control over
Sussex,
Surrey,
Essex and
Kent, over which Prince
Æthelberht has presided.[27]
Viking chieftain
Rorik, with the agreement of King
Lothair II, leaves Dorestad with a fleet and forces his rival
Horik II to recognise him as ruler over
Denmark (approximate date).
By topic
Medicine
The first recorded major outbreak of
ergotism kills thousands of people in the
Rhine Valley. They have eaten
bread made from
rye infected with the
ergot fungus parasite Claviceps purpurea (approximate date).
January 13 – King
Æthelwulf of Wessex dies after an 18-year reign, and is succeeded by his eldest son
Æthelbald. He marries his father's young widow
Judith (daughter of Charles the Bald), and becomes sole ruler of
Wessex. His brother,
Æthelberht, is left to rule
Kent and the south-east of
England.
February 13 – King
Kenneth I (Cináed mac Ailpín), king of the
Scots, dies after a 15-year reign in which he has been crowned at
Scone, and united the various parts of
Scotland with his native
Dál Riata. His 46-year-old brother succeeds as
Donald I, king of
Alba.
Synod of Quierzy: The bishops remain loyal to Charles the Bald during the invasion of his
dominions by Louis the German.[31] They address a conciliatory letter to Louis the German, which includes the
False Decretals.
Keynes, Simon (1998). "King Alfred and the Mercians". In Blackburn, Mark A. S.; Dumville, David N. (eds.). Kings, Currency and Alliances: History and Coinage of Southern England in the Ninth Century. Woodbridge, UK: The Boydell Press. pp. 1–45.
ISBN0-85115-598-7.
It is hypothesized that sometime around 850 a group of
Buddhist pilgrims travelling through a valley near
Roopkund (modern
India) were killed when caught out in the open in a sudden
hailstorm. Their remains were discovered in
1942.
Mesoamerica
Uxmal becomes the capital of a large state in the
Puuk hills region of northern
Yucatán (modern
Mexico). The city is connected by causeways (sakbe) to other important Puuk sites, such as
K'abah,
Sayil, and
Labna (approximate date).
By topic
Food and Drink
Coffee is discovered (according to
legend) by the
Ethiopian goatherder
Kaldi in
East Africa, who notices that his
goats become energetic after chewing the red
berries from certain wild bushes (approximate date).
Suleiman al-Tajir, Muslim merchant and traveller, visits
China during the
Tang Dynasty. He observes the manufacturing of
Chinese porcelain at
Guangzhou, and writes of his admiration for its transparent quality. Suleiman also describes the
mosque at Guangzhou, its
granaries, its local government administration, some of its written records, and the treatment of travellers, along with the use of ceramics,
rice wine, and tea (approximate date).
Treaty of Angers: Charles the Bald meets Erispoe in
Angers, and acknowledges him as "king of Brittany". He recognizes the authority of Breton rule over the areas around
Nantes,
Rennes and
Pays de Retz, which become part of the
Breton March, a border zone. Erispoe takes the
oath to Charles as king of the
West Frankish Kingdom (but not an hommage lige which would be an
allegiance). To mark the sovereignty of the Breton state, the future
Dukes of Brittany are crowned as "Duke, king in their lands".[6]
Emperor
Lothair I meets with his (half) brothers
Louis the German and Charles the Bald in
Meerssen (modern-day
Netherlands), to continue the system of "con-fraternal government".
A Viking fleet of 350 vessels enters the
Thames Estuary before turning north, and engages the Mercian forces under King
Beorhtwulf. The Mercians are defeated, and retreat to their settlements. The Vikings then turn south and cross the river somewhere in
Surrey; there they are slaughtered by a
West Saxon army, led by King
Æthelwulf and his son
Aethelbald, at Oak Field (
Aclea).[8]
King
Æthelstan, the eldest son of Æthelwulf, is killed by a Viking raiding party. He is succeeded by his brother
Æthelberht, who becomes sub-king of
Kent,
Essex, Surrey and
Sussex (approximate date).
Beorhtwulf dies after a 12-year reign, and is succeeded by his son
Burgred as king of
Mercia.
According to a 17th century account, the Andalusian inventor
Abbas ibn Firnas makes a tower jump in Córdoba. He wraps himself with vulture feathers and attaches two wings to his arms. The alleged attempt to fly is not recorded in earlier sources and is ultimately unsuccessful, but the garment slows his fall enough that he only sustains minor injuries.
Danish
Vikings attempt to subjugate the
Curonians on the shoreline of the
Baltic Sea, but they are repulsed. King
Olof leads Swedish Vikings in retaliation, and attacks the towns of
Seeburg and
Apuolė (modern
Courland).
Winter – Æthelwulf returns to Wessex to face a revolt by his eldest son
Æthelbald, who usurps the
throne. Æthelwulf agrees to give up the western part of his kingdom, in order to avoid a
civil war. He keeps control over
Sussex,
Surrey,
Essex and
Kent, over which Prince
Æthelberht has presided.[27]
Viking chieftain
Rorik, with the agreement of King
Lothair II, leaves Dorestad with a fleet and forces his rival
Horik II to recognise him as ruler over
Denmark (approximate date).
By topic
Medicine
The first recorded major outbreak of
ergotism kills thousands of people in the
Rhine Valley. They have eaten
bread made from
rye infected with the
ergot fungus parasite Claviceps purpurea (approximate date).
January 13 – King
Æthelwulf of Wessex dies after an 18-year reign, and is succeeded by his eldest son
Æthelbald. He marries his father's young widow
Judith (daughter of Charles the Bald), and becomes sole ruler of
Wessex. His brother,
Æthelberht, is left to rule
Kent and the south-east of
England.
February 13 – King
Kenneth I (Cináed mac Ailpín), king of the
Scots, dies after a 15-year reign in which he has been crowned at
Scone, and united the various parts of
Scotland with his native
Dál Riata. His 46-year-old brother succeeds as
Donald I, king of
Alba.
Synod of Quierzy: The bishops remain loyal to Charles the Bald during the invasion of his
dominions by Louis the German.[31] They address a conciliatory letter to Louis the German, which includes the
False Decretals.
Keynes, Simon (1998). "King Alfred and the Mercians". In Blackburn, Mark A. S.; Dumville, David N. (eds.). Kings, Currency and Alliances: History and Coinage of Southern England in the Ninth Century. Woodbridge, UK: The Boydell Press. pp. 1–45.
ISBN0-85115-598-7.