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.[1]
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.
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.
Erik the Red leaves
Norway, to survey west of
Iceland in
Vikinglongships, 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.
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).
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).[3]
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.
China
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.
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.[6]
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.
By topic
Technology
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.
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.
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.[11]
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
^Zlatarski, History of the Bulgarian state, v. I, ch. 2, pp. 674–675.
^Raffaele D'Amato (2010). Osprey: MAA - 459: The Varangian Guard 988–1453, p. 6.
ISBN978-1-84908-179-5.
^Picard, Christophe (2000). Le Portugal musulman (VIIIe-XIIIe siècle). L'Occident d'al-Andalus sous domination islamique. Paris: Maisonneuve & Larose. p. 109.
ISBN2-7068-1398-9.
^Robert Fawtier, The Capetian Kings of France, transl. Lionel Butler and R.J. Adam, (Macmillan, 1989), p.48.
^France, John (1991). "The occasion of the coming of the Normans to southern Italy". Journal of Medieval History. 17 (1): 183–203.
doi:
10.1016/0304-4181(91)90033-H.
^Gilbert Meynier (2010). L'Algérie cœur du Maghreb classique. De l'ouverture islamo-arabe au repli (658-1518). Paris: La Découverte; p. 45.
^David Peter Kirby; Ann Williams; Alfred P. Smyth (1991). A Biographical Dictionary of Dark Age Britain: England, Scotland, and Wales, C. 500-c. 1050. Seaby. p. 179.
^Murray, Alexander (2002). Reason and Society in the Middle Ages. Oxford: Clarendon Press. p. 376.
^Detlev Schwennicke, Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge, Band III Teilband 1 (Marburg, Germany: J. A. Stargardt, 1984), Tafel 49
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.[1]
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.
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.
Erik the Red leaves
Norway, to survey west of
Iceland in
Vikinglongships, 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.
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).
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).[3]
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.
China
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.
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.[6]
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.
By topic
Technology
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.
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.
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.[11]
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
^Zlatarski, History of the Bulgarian state, v. I, ch. 2, pp. 674–675.
^Raffaele D'Amato (2010). Osprey: MAA - 459: The Varangian Guard 988–1453, p. 6.
ISBN978-1-84908-179-5.
^Picard, Christophe (2000). Le Portugal musulman (VIIIe-XIIIe siècle). L'Occident d'al-Andalus sous domination islamique. Paris: Maisonneuve & Larose. p. 109.
ISBN2-7068-1398-9.
^Robert Fawtier, The Capetian Kings of France, transl. Lionel Butler and R.J. Adam, (Macmillan, 1989), p.48.
^France, John (1991). "The occasion of the coming of the Normans to southern Italy". Journal of Medieval History. 17 (1): 183–203.
doi:
10.1016/0304-4181(91)90033-H.
^Gilbert Meynier (2010). L'Algérie cœur du Maghreb classique. De l'ouverture islamo-arabe au repli (658-1518). Paris: La Découverte; p. 45.
^David Peter Kirby; Ann Williams; Alfred P. Smyth (1991). A Biographical Dictionary of Dark Age Britain: England, Scotland, and Wales, C. 500-c. 1050. Seaby. p. 179.
^Murray, Alexander (2002). Reason and Society in the Middle Ages. Oxford: Clarendon Press. p. 376.
^Detlev Schwennicke, Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge, Band III Teilband 1 (Marburg, Germany: J. A. Stargardt, 1984), Tafel 49