text:
662

Year 662 (DCLXII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 662 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Europe

 * King Godepert makes war against his brother Perctarit. He seeks the aid of Grimoald I, duke of Benevento, who has him assassinated; his son Raginpert escapes. Grimoald usurps the throne and becomes ruler of the Lombard Kingdom. Perctarit is exiled, and seeks refuge in Gaul and Britain.
 * The Franks take advantage of the Lombard civil war and invade Northern Italy, but are defeated by Grimoald I. King Chlothar III gives Austrasia to his youngest brother Childeric II. He is raised on the shield of his warriors and proclaimed king of Austrasia.

Britain

 * King Swithelm of Essex is converted to Christianity and baptised by Cedd, at the court of King Æthelwald of East Anglia, who acts as his sponsor. East Anglia may have held some sort of overlordship over Essex at this time (approximate date).

Arab Empire

 * Muslim Conquest: Arab forces of the Umayyad Caliphate resume the push to capture Persian lands, and begin to move towards the lands east and north of the plateau, towards Greater Khorasan (Iran) and the Silk Road along Transoxiana.
 * Ziyad ibn Abi Sufyan, Muslim general and a member of the Umayyad clan, is appointed governor of Iraq (Basra) and the former Persian provinces (approximate date).

Religion

 * August 13 – Maximus the Confessor, Byzantine monk and theologian, dies in exile in Lazica (modern Georgia), on the southeastern shore of the Black Sea.

Births

 * June 22 – Rui Zong, emperor of the Tang dynasty (d. 716)
 * Ali al-Akbar ibn Husayn, Muslim martyr (d. 680)
 * Kakinomoto no Hitomaro, Japanese poet (approximate date)
 * Kusakabe, Japanese crown prince (d. 689)
 * Odile of Alsace, Frankish abbess (approximate date)
 * Rumwold of Buckingham, Anglo-Saxon prince and saint

Deaths

 * August 13 – Maximus the Confessor, Byzantine theologian
 * Godepert, king of the Lombards
 * Rumwold of Buckingham, Anglo-Saxon prince and saint
 * Lai Ji, official of the Tang dynasty (b. 610)
 * Qais Abdur Rashid from whom all Pashtuns descend according to local Pashto folklore

title: 662


text:
589

Year 589 (DLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 589 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Byzantine Empire

 * Byzantine–Sassanid War: A Persian army under Bahrām Chobin captures the fortress city of Martyropolis (modern Turkey).

Europe

 * May 15 – King Authari marries Theodelinda, daughter of the Bavarian duke Garibald I. A Catholic, she has great influence at court and among the Lombard nobility.
 * King Childebert II attempts to impose taxes on the citizens of Tours; Bishop Gregory successfully opposes this by claiming state immunity instituted by Fredegund.
 * King Guntram sends an expedition into Septimania (Southern Gaul), in support of a rebellion by the Arian bishop Athaloc.
 * Claudius, duke (dux) of Lusitania, defeats the Franks and Burgundians at Carcassonne (Languedoc) on the Aude River.
 * October 17 – Breach at Cucca. The Adige River overflows its banks, flooding the church of St. Zeno and damaging the walls of Verona.
 * The plague hits Rome, and its victims include Pope Pelagius II.

Persia

 * First Perso-Turkic War: The Sassanid Persians capture the cities Balkh and Herat (Afghanistan). They cross the Oxus River and repulse a Turkic invasion.

Asia

 * The Chinese Empire is reunited under the leadership of Emperor Wéndi (Sui dynasty), who defeats the Chen forces at Jiankang (modern Nanjing), ending the Chen dynasty (the last of the Southern dynasties) that has ruled since 557.
 * Yan Zhitui, scholar-official, makes the first reference to the use of toilet paper in human history. It is used in the Chinese imperial court and amongst the other wealthy citizens.
 * Tulan Qaghan, son of Ishbara Qaghan, becomes the seventh ruler (khagan) of the Turkic Khaganate.

Religion

 * Gregory, archdeacon of Rome, converts English slaves on the Roman market. He calls them Angels if they would be Christians.
 * The Third Council of Toledo, called by King Reccared I of the Visigoths, renounces Arianism and embraces Catholicism.
 * The Council of Narbonne is held. In Septimania, Jews are forbidden from chanting psalms while burying their dead.

Births

 * Li Jiancheng, prince of the Tang dynasty (d. 626)
 * Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan, wife of Muhammad (d. 666)

Deaths

 * March 1 – David, Welsh bishop and saint
 * Bagha Qaghan, ruler of the Turkic Khaganate
 * Finnian of Moville, Irish missionary (b. 495)
 * Zhang Lihua, consort of the Chen dynasty

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: 589


text:
329

Year 329 (CCCXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantinus and Constantinus (or, less frequently, year 1082 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 329 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

China

 * The Han-Zhao dynasty, a Southern Xiongnu state during the Sixteen Kingdoms, ends.

Religion

 * Roman restrictions on joining the clergy are initiated.

Births

 * Gregory Nazianzus, Greek Patriarch of Constantinople (d. 390)

Deaths

 * Han Huang, Chinese general and rebel
 * Liu Xi, Chinese emperor of Han-Zhao
 * Liu Yao, Chinese emperor of Han-Zhao
 * Liu Yin, Chinese prince of Han-Zhao
 * Wen Jiao, Chinese general and governor

title: 329


text:
389

Year 389 (CCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Timasius and Promotus (or, less frequently, year 1142 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 389 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Roman Empire

 * All pagan buildings in Alexandria, including the library, are destroyed by fire.

Births

 * Geiseric, king of the Vandals and Alans (approximate date)

Deaths

 * Donatian of Reims (or Donat), Christian bishop and saint
 * Florus of Lodève, Christian bishop and martyr (approximate date)
 * Mao, Chinese empress and wife of Fu Deng (Former Qin)

title: 389


text:
366

Year 366 (CCCLXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Gratianus and Dagalaifus (or, less frequently, year 1119 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 366 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Roman Empire

 * January 2 – The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine in large numbers, and invade the Gallic provinces. They capture Alsace and a large part of the Swiss Plateau.
 * April – Battle of Thyatira: Emperor Valens defeats the troops of Procopius, bringing an end to his revolt; Serenianus and Marcellus are killed. Procopius flees the battlefield, but is executed by Valens.
 * Valens builds a pontoon bridge across the Danube, and drives the Visigoths farther north, where they will come under pressure from the advancing Huns.
 * Winter – Emperor Valentinian I appoints Jovinus, his Master of the Horse (Magister Equitum), general of the army. He defeats the Alamanni in three successive battles, and pushes them out of Gaul.

Art and Science

 * The Tabula Peutingeriana, a map showing Roman possessions and roads, is created about this time.

Religion

 * January 31 – Athanasius of Alexandria returns from his fifth exile. He has spent four months in his ancestral tomb outside Alexandria.
 * Buddhist monk Lè Zūn has a vision of "golden rays of light shining down on 1,000 Buddhas", resulting in the creation of the Mogao Caves.
 * October 1 – Pope Liberius dies after a 14-year reign and is succeeded by Damasus I as 37th pope. Romans unhappy with this choice elect the antipope Ursicinus.

Births

 * January 18 – Valentinianus Galates, Roman emperor (d. 370)
 * Yao Xing, Chinese emperor of the Later Qin Dynasty (d. 416)

Deaths

 * May 16 – Ajabel, Christian priest and martyr
 * May 27 – Procopius, Roman general and usurper
 * August 1 – Leo of Montefeltro, Christian bishop and saint
 * September 24 – Liberius, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 310)

Date unknown

 * Acacius of Caesarea, Christian bishop
 * Marcellus, Roman general and usurper
 * Marinus, Christian hermit and saint (b. 275)
 * Serenianus, Roman general of the Imperial Guard
 * Yu Daolian, Chinese empress and wife of Jin Feidi
 * Zhi Dun, Chinese Buddhist monk and philosopher (b. 314)

title: 366


text:
360s

The 360s decade ran from January 1, 360, to December 31, 369.

title: 360s


text:
165

Year 165 (CLXV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Orfitus and Pudens (or, less frequently, year 918 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 165 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Roman Empire

 * A Roman military expedition under Avidius Cassius is successful against Parthia, capturing Artaxata, Seleucia on the Tigris, and Ctesiphon. The Parthians sue for peace.
 * Antonine Plague: A pandemic breaks out in Rome, after the Roman army returns from Parthia. The plague significantly depopulates the Roman Empire and China.
 * Legio II Italica is levied by Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
 * Dura-Europos is taken by the Romans.
 * The Romans establish a garrison at Doura Europos on the Euphrates, a control point for the commercial route to the Persian Gulf.
 * Avidius Cassius takes Nisibis, and conquers the north of Mesopotamia.
 * Marcus Aurelius creates 4 legal districts (iuridici) in Italy (5 if Rome is included).

Asia

 * Sindae becomes ruler of the Korean kingdom of Goguryeo.

Religion

 * The philosopher Justin of Nablus is executed in Rome as a Christian.
 * Discourse to the Greek (Oratio ad Graecos), by the Syrian Tatian, is the first treatise on the evils of paganism in Christian literature.

Births

 * Annia Faustina, Roman noblewoman (d. 218)
 * Marcus Opellius Severus Macrinus, Roman emperor (d. 218)
 * Mi Zhu (or Zizhong), Chinese official and advisor (d. 221)
 * Shi Hui, Chinese official and statesman (d. 227)
 * Tiberius Claudius Cleobulus, Roman politician (d. 213)

Deaths

 * Appian, Greek historian and writer (approximate date)
 * Chadea, Korean ruler of Goguryeo (b. AD 71)
 * Claudius Ptolemaeus, Greek astronomer (approximate date)
 * Deng Mengnü (or Bo Mengnü), Chinese empress
 * Elpinice, daughter of Herodes Atticus (b. AD 142)
 * Justin Martyr, Christian apologist (b. AD 100)
 * Peregrinus Proteus, Greek philosopher (b. AD 95)
 * Taejodae, Korean ruler of Goguryeo (b. AD 47)

title: 165


text:
330s

The 330s decade ran from January 1, 330, to December 31, 339.

Significant people

 * Constantine I
 * Constantine II
 * Constantius II
 * Constans

title: 330s


text:
340s

The 340s decade ran from January 1, 340, to December 31, 349.

Significant people

 * Constans, Roman Emperor
 * Constantius II, Roman Emperor
 * Flavius Philippus, praetorian prefect of the East, consul
 * Hypatia of Alexandria

title: 340s


text:
175

Year 175 (CLXXV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Piso and Iulianus (or, less frequently, year 928 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 175 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Roman Empire

 * Marcus Aurelius suppresses a revolt of Avidius Cassius, governor of Syria, after the latter proclaims himself emperor.
 * Avidius Cassius fails in seeking support for his rebellion and is assassinated by Roman officers. They send his head to Aurelius, who persuades the Senate to pardon Cassius's family.
 * Commodus, son of Marcus Aurelius and his wife Faustina, is named Caesar.
 * M. Sattonius Iucundus, decurio in Colonia Ulpia Traiana, restores the Thermae of Coriovallum (modern Heerlen ) there are sources that state this happened in the 3rd century.

Asia

 * Confucian scholars try to ensure their capacity in the royal court of China. They are massacred by the eunuchs.

Births

 * Ammonius Saccas, Egyptian philosopher (d. 242)
 * Pope Pontian (approximate date) of the Catholic Church (d. 235)
 * Sun Ce, Chinese general, warlord (d. 200)
 * Yang Xiu, Chinese official, adviser (d. 219)
 * Zhou Yu, Chinese general, strategist (d. 210)

Deaths

 * January 14 – Pontianus of Spoleto, Christian martyr (b. 156)
 * Avidius Cassius, Roman general, usurper (b. AD 130)
 * Concordius of Spoleto, Christian martyr (approximate date)
 * Faustina the Younger, Roman empress (b. AD 130)
 * Vettius Valens, Greek astrologer, writer (b. AD 120)

title: 175


text:
185

Year 185 (CLXXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Lascivius and Atilius (or, less frequently, year 938 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 185 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Roman Empire

 * Nobles of Britain demand that Emperor Commodus rescind all power given to Tigidius Perennis, who is eventually executed.
 * Publius Helvius Pertinax is made governor of Britain and quells a mutiny of the British Roman legions who wanted him to become emperor. The disgruntled usurpers go on to attempt to assassinate the governor.
 * Tigidius Perennis, his family and many others are executed for conspiring against Commodus.
 * Commodus drains Rome's treasury to put on gladiatorial spectacles and confiscates property to support his pleasures. He participates as a gladiator and boasts of victory in 1,000 matches in the Circus Maximus.

China

 * Zhi Yao, a Kushan Buddhist monk of Yuezhi ethnicity, translates Buddhist texts into the Chinese language during the Han dynasty.
 * February – The rebels of the Yellow Turban are defeated by the imperial army, but only two months later, the rebellion breaks out again. It spreads to the Taihang Mountains on the western border of Hebei Province.

Art and Science

 * Cleomedes discovers the refraction of light by the Earth's atmosphere.
 * A supernova now known as SN 185 is noted by Chinese astronomers in the Astrological Annals of the Houhanshu, making it the earliest recorded supernova.

Religion

 * Irenaeus writes that there are only four Gospels (approximate date).

Births

 * Liu Ji (or Jingyu), Chinese official and minister (d. 233)
 * Origen, Christian scholar and theologian (approximate date)
 * Wang Xiang, Chinese minister of the Cao Wei state (d. 269)

Deaths

 * April 21 – Apollonius the Apologist, Christian apologist
 * Pharasmanes III (or P'arsman), Georgian king of Iberia
 * Tigidius Perennis, Roman praetorian prefect (executed)

title: 185


text:
195

Year 195 (CXCV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known in Rome as the Year of the Consulship of Scrapula and Clemens (or, less frequently, year 948 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 195 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Roman Empire

 * Emperor Septimius Severus has the Roman Senate deify the previous emperor Commodus, in an attempt to gain favor with the family of Marcus Aurelius.
 * King Vologases V and other eastern princes support the claims of Pescennius Niger. The Roman province of Mesopotamia rises in revolt with Parthian support. Severus marches to Mesopotamia to battle the Parthians.
 * The Roman province of Syria is divided and the role of Antioch is diminished. The Romans annex the Syrian cities of Edessa and Nisibis. Severus re-establishes his headquarters and the colonies there.
 * Lucius Septimius Bassianus (or Caracalla), age 7, changes his name to Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, to solidify connections with the family of Marcus Aurelius, and is given the title Caesar.
 * Clodius Albinus, who had been proclaimed emperor in Britain, crosses into Gaul with his legions, while at the same time recruiting new soldiers. He is soon the head of an army of 150,000 men, according to Cassius Dio. Severus, still in Mesopotamia, hastily returns to Rome.
 * The denarius is devalued by Severus. The coin now contains only 50% precious metal.

China

 * In China, the Xiongnu federation crosses the Great Wall and establishes itself in Shanxi Province.
 * Last (2nd) year of the Xingping era during the Han Dynasty.

Births

 * Cao Biao (or Zhuhu), Chinese imperial prince (d. 251)
 * Gong Lu (or Dexu), Chinese official and politician (d. 225)
 * He Yan (or Pingshu), Chinese official and philosopher (d. 249)
 * Wang Su, Chinese official and Confucian scholar (d. 256)

Deaths

 * Fan Chou, Chinese general and politician
 * Huangfu Song (or Yizhen), Chinese general
 * Liu Yao, Chinese warlord and governor (b. 157)
 * Lu Kang (or Jining), Chinese politician (b. 126)
 * Xu Shao (or Zijiang), Chinese official (b. 150)
 * Ze Rong, Chinese warlord and Buddhist leader
 * Zhang Miao, Chinese warlord and official
 * Zhu Jun, Chinese general and official

title: 195


text:
1732

January–March

 * January 21 – Russia and Persia sign the Treaty of Riascha at Resht. Based on the terms of the agreement, Russia will no longer establish claims over Persian territories.
 * February 9 – The Swedish East India Company begins its profitable first expedition to China, departing Gothenburg on the ship  Friedericus Rex Sueciae under the command of Colin Campbell.
 * February 14 – Henry Fielding's comedy The Modern Husband premieres at the Royal Theatre on Drury Lane in London.
 * February 25 – John Stackhouse is appointed by the British East India Company as the new President of the Bengal Presidency and serves for seven years.
 * February 27 – Herat Campaign: General Nader Shah of Persia (now Iran) suppresses the rebellion by Zulfiqar Khan in the city of Herat in what is now Afghanistan.
 * March 19 – Chamaraja Wodeyar VII becomes the new Maharaja of the Kingdom of Mysore in Southern India, now the state of Karnataka and parts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
 * March 3 – English Captain Charles Gough rediscovers Gough Island in the South Atlantic.
 * March 30 – MPs John Birch and Denis Bond are expelled from the House of Commons of Great Britain after using their positions on the Commission for Forfeited Lands to make fraudulent sales.

April–June

 * April 12 – King Christian VI of Denmark-Norway signs the charter for the new Danish Asia Company (Dansk Asiatisk Kompagni), granting it a 40-year monopoly on Denmark-Norway's trade in Asia, leading to the creation of Danish India and cities of Trankebar (now Tharangambadi in Tamil Nadu), Frederiknagore (now Serampore in West Bengal) and the Frederiksøerne Islands (now the Nicobar Islands).
 * April 16 – After his disastrous attempt to fight the Ottoman Empire, Shah Tahmasp II is removed from the throne of Iran by one of his generals, Nader Khan, who later proclaims himself the King of Persia in Tahmasp's place as Nader Shah.
 * May 10 – Representatives of the heirs of William Penn and of Lord Baltimore, the respective owners of most of the land in the Province of Pennsylvania and the Province of Maryland set out the boundary between the two future U.S. states after a survey determines that Philadelphia is located on the Maryland side of the border. The dispute eventually leads to a lawsuit and the eventual survey by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon to determine the Mason–Dixon line.
 * May 13 – Rebels in Corsica agree to allow the Republic of Genoa to resume its administration of the island in return for amnesty and promised reforms.
 * May 28 – Dirck van Cloon becomes the new Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia).
 * June 9 – James Oglethorpe is granted a royal charter for the colony of Georgia.

July–September

 * July 2 – Spain completes the conquest of the Algerian cities of Oran and Mers El Kébir in the Oran Province, after a 17-day siege.
 * August 16 – The Order of Malta under the command of Jacques-François de Chambray defeats a convoy of the Ottoman Empire and frees 14 Christian slaves, following the naval battle of Damietta.
 * August 21 – Mikhail Gvozdev in the Sviatoi Gavriil makes the first known crossing of the Bering Strait, from Cape Dezhnev to Cape Prince of Wales in Alaska, marking the first time that Europeans have reached the northwest coast of North America.
 * September 13 – The Treaty of the Three Black Eagles or the Treaty of Berlin, a secret treaty between the Austrian Empire, the Russian Empire and Prussia against the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
 * September 16
 * The magnitude 5.8 Montreal earthquake occurs in Quebec (New France).
 * A military warehouse explosion kills up to two-thirds of the population of Campo Maior, Portugal.

October–December

 * October 7 – French Army Lieutenant General Florent-Jean de Vallière is tasked by King Louis XV to improve France's method of forging cannons.
 * October 16 – Russia approves the second Kamchatka expedition of Danish-born cartographer Vitus Bering, and the Admiralty orders him to sail east and try to claim uncharted lands in North America.
 * November 29 – The magnitude 6.6 Irpinia earthquake causes 1,940 deaths in the former Kingdom of Naples.
 * December 5 – 139 members of the Parlement of Paris, exiled by order of King Louis XV, secure their recall.
 * December 7 – The original Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, London (the modern-day Royal Opera House) is opened.
 * December 19 – Benjamin Franklin, in the Pennsylvania Gazette, first advertises the publication of Poor Richard's Almanack, purportedly written by "Richard Saunders", a pen name used by Franklin. The book goes on sale on December 28.   The annual publication will continue until 1758.

Date unknown

 * Herman Boerhaave publishes the authorized edition of his Elementa chemiae, recognised as the first text on chemistry.
 * The world's first lightship is moored at the Nore, in the Thames Estuary of England.
 * This year's General Assembly of the Church of Scotland gives rise to the First Secession of 1733.

Births

 * January – Abbas III, Shah of Persia (d. 1740)
 * January 17 – Stanisław August Poniatowski, last King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (d. 1798)
 * January 20 – Richard Henry Lee, 12th President of the Continental Congress (d. 1794)
 * January 24 – Pierre de Beaumarchais, French writer (d. 1799)
 * February – Charles Churchill, English poet (d. 1764)
 * February 6 – Charles Lee, general of the Continental Army (d. 1782)

 * February 22
 * George Washington, first President of the United States (d. 1799)
 * Jean-Bernard Restout, French painter (d. 1797)
 * March 1 – William Cushing, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (d. 1810)
 * March 31 – Joseph Haydn, Austrian composer (d. 1809)
 * April 5 – Jean-Honoré Fragonard, French painter (d. 1806)
 * April 8 – David Rittenhouse, American astronomer, inventor, mathematician, surveyor, scientific instrument craftsman and public official (d. 1796)
 * April 13 – Frederick North, Lord North, Prime Minister of Great Britain (d. 1792)
 * April 17 – John Blair Jr., American politician and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (d. 1800)
 * June 21 – Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach, German composer (d. 1795)
 * September 2 – William Crawford, American soldier and surveyor (d. 1782)
 * September 26 – José de Córdoba y Ramos, Spanish explorer, naval commander (d. 1815)
 * September 30 – Jacques Necker, French politician (d. 1804)
 * October 6 – Nevil Maskelyne, English Astronomer Royal (d. 1811)
 * October 10 – John Hancock, American silversmith (d. 1784)
 * October 24 – Cristina Roccati, Italian scholar in physics (d. 1797)
 * November 4 – Thomas Johnson, American politician and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (d. 1819)
 * November 9 – Jeanne Julie Éléonore de Lespinasse, French salon holder (d. 1776)
 * November 13 – John Dickinson, Governor of Delaware and Pennsylvania (d. 1808)
 * December 6 – Warren Hastings, British administrator (d. 1818)
 * December 15 – Carl Gotthard Langhans, German architect (d. 1808)
 * December 21 – Johann Christian Wiegleb, German chemist (d. 1800)
 * December 23 – Richard Arkwright, English inventor (d. 1792)
 * date unknown – Francis Marion, American officer (d. 1795)

Deaths

 * January 12 – John Horsley, British archaeologist (b. c.1685)
 * January 14 – Richard Hancorne, Welsh clergyman (b. 1687)
 * January 22 – Louis de Sabran, British theologian (b. 1652)
 * February 6 – Anne Scott, 1st Duchess of Buccleuch, wealthy Scottish peeress (b. 1651)
 * February 7 – William Hiseland, English (later British) soldier, reputed supercentenarian (b. 1620)
 * February 13 – Charles-René d'Hozier, French historian (b. 1640)
 * February 17 – Louis Marchand, French organist and harpsichordist (b. 1669)
 * February 18 – Balthasar Permoser, German sculptor (b. 1651)
 * February 22
 * Francis Atterbury, English bishop and man of letters (b. 1663)
 * Marie Thérèse de Bourbon, Princess of Conti and titular queen of Poland (b. 1666)
 * February 27 – Giacomo Serpotta, Italian artist (b. 1652)
 * February 28 – André Charles Boulle, French cabinet-maker (b. 1642)
 * March 20 – Johann Ernst Hanxleden, German philologist (b. 1681)
 * April 6 – Count Palatine Francis Louis of Neuburg, Hochmeister of the Teutonic Order (b. 1664)
 * April 28 – Thomas Parker, 1st Earl of Macclesfield (b. 1666)
 * May 20 – Thomas Boston, Scottish church leader (b. 1676)
 * May 30 – John King, English churchman (b. 1652)
 * July 11 – Theodore Eustace, Count Palatine of Sulzbach (b. 1659)
 * July 15 – Woodes Rogers, English privateer and first Royal Governor of the Bahamas (b. c. 1679)
 * September 24 – Emperor Reigen of Japan (b. 1654)
 * October 6 – George Duckett (Calne MP), English politician (b. 1684)
 * October 12 – Dionisia de Santa María Mitas Talangpaz, Filipino saint (b. 1691)
 * October 25 – Andrea Brustolon, Italian artist (b. 1662)
 * October 31 – Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia (b. 1666)
 * November 10 – Adam Christian Thebesius, German anatomist (b. 1686)
 * November 20 – Daniel d'Auger de Subercase, French naval officer, governor of Newfoundland (b. 1661)
 * November 21 – Jan Jansen Bleecker, Mayor of Albany, New York (b. 1641)
 * November 26 – Charles Sergison, English politician (b. 1655)
 * December 4 – John Gay, English poet and dramatist (b. 1685)
 * December 14 – Johann Philipp Förtsch, German opera composer (b. 1652)
 * date unknown
 * Jiang Tingxi, Chinese painter, calligrapher, encyclopedist, foreign diplomat to Japan (b. 1669)
 * Agrippina Petrovna Volkonskaia, politically active Russian lady-in-waiting

title: 1732


text:
1771

January– March

 * January 5 – The Great Kalmyk (Torghut) Migration is led by Ubashi Khan, from the east bank of the Lower Volga River back to the homeland of Dzungaria, at this time under Qing Dynasty rule.
 * January 9 – Emperor Go-Momozono accedes to the throne of Japan, following his aunt's abdication.
 * February 12 – Upon the death of Adolf Frederick, he is succeeded as King of Sweden by his son Gustav III. At the time, however, Gustav is unaware of this, since he is abroad in Paris. The news of his father's death reaches him about a month later.
 * March – War of the Regulation: North Carolina Governor William Tryon raises a militia, to put down the long-running uprising of backcountry militias against North Carolina's colonial government.
 * March 12 – The North Carolina General Assembly establishes Wake County (named for Margaret Wake, the wife of North Carolina Royal Governor William Tryon) from portions of Cumberland, Johnston and Orange counties. Bloomsbury (later known as Wake Courthouse) is made the informal county seat.
 * March 15 – The Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers first meets in London, the world's oldest engineering society.

April–June

 * April 4 – The first quarantines are started in Moscow and Saint Petersburg to fight the bubonic plague epidemic. Over the next 12 months, more than 52,000 people die from the plague in Moscow alone.
 * May – Three battles of Sarbakusa: An alliance of three of the most powerful aristocrats of Ethiopia (Goshu of Amhara, Wand Bewossen, and Fasil of Damot) defeats Ras Mikael Sehul and Emperor Tekle Haymanot II, taking control of Ethiopia.
 * May 11 – War of the Regulation: North Carolina Governor William Tryon marches his military out of Hillsborough, to come to the aid of General Hugh Waddell's beleaguered forces. Tryon's army stops at Alamance Creek, 5 mi away from the Regulator army.
 * May 16 – War of the Regulation – Battle of Alamance: Regulators reject an appeal by Governor Tryon to peacefully disperse. Governor Tryon's forces crush the rebellion, causing many Regulators to move to frontier areas outside of North Carolina.
 * May 23 – Battle of Lanckorona: A force of 4,000 Russians under Alexander Suvorov defeat a Polish formation of 1,300 men.
 * June 11 — The Society of Gentlemen Supporters of the Bill of Rights meets in the London Tavern and changes its platform to a comprehensive program for British parliamentary reform in advance of the next election.

July–September

 * July 12 – The first voyage of James Cook around the world ends as HMS Endeavour returns to England after almost three years.
 * July 13 – Russo-Turkish War (1768–74): Russian forces occupy the Crimea, under Prince Vasily Dolgorukov.
 * July 17 – Bloody Falls massacre: Chipewyan chief Matonabbee, traveling as the guide to Samuel Hearne on his Arctic overland journey, massacres a group of unsuspecting Inuit.
 * August 8 – The first recorded town cricket match is played, at Horsham, England.
 * September 8 – In California, Fathers Pedro Cambon and Angel Somera found Mission Vieja, later called, Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, in what is now San Gabriel, California.
 * September 15–17 – The Moscow plague riot results from an outbreak of bubonic plague, which kills 57,000.

October–December

 * October 9 – The Dutch merchant ship Vrouw Maria sinks off the coast of Finland; Captain Raymund Lourens and his crew escape unharmed.
 * October 17 – The opera Ascanio in Alba by Wolfgang Mozart, age 15, premieres in Milan.
 * November 3 – Siamese conquest of Ha Tien ends the Siamese civil war of 1767-71.
 * November 16 – During the night the River Tyne, England, floods, destroying many bridges and killing several people; the replacement main bridge at Newcastle upon Tyne will not be completed until 1781.
 * December 3 – The cause of action in Sommersett's Case, which eventually leads to the end of slavery in Great Britain, begins when escaped slave James Somerset is found imprisoned on the ship Ann and Mary.
 * December 31 – Men, women and children of the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes begin a 23-day encampment at Mobile, part of the British colony of West Florida, at the invitation of British Southern Indian superintendent John Stuart, as their leaders negotiate a treaty.

Date unknown

 * The territory of Baden-Baden is inherited by Charles Frederick, Margrave of Baden-Durlach, reunifying the territories of Baden.
 * The trade monopoly with Iceland is transferred to the Danish crown.
 * The North Carolina General Assembly passes an act establishing the town of Martinsborough, named for Royal Governor Josiah Martin, on the land of Richard Evans, which will serve as the seat of Pitt County.
 * Construction of the Putuo Zongcheng Temple complex in Chengde, China is completed during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor.
 * Limoges porcelain manufacture is established in France.
 * Slovene literature: István Küzmics, the Hungarian Slovene writer and evangelical pastor, publishes (in Halle) the Nouvi Zákon, a translation of the New Testament into the Prekmurje Slovene language, with discrete South Slavic artwork.

Births

 * February 14 – Hanne Tott, Danish circus artist, circus manager (d. 1826)
 * March 16 – Antoine-Jean Gros, French painter (d. 1835)
 * March 20 – Heinrich Clauren, German author (d. 1854)
 * March 25 – Germanos III of Old Patras, Greek Metropolitan Bishop of Patras (d. 1826)
 * April 3 – Hans Nielsen Hauge, Norwegian revivalist, entrepreneur (d. 1824)
 * April 13 – Richard Trevithick, English inventor (d. 1833)
 * April 18 – Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg, Austrian field marshal (d. 1820)
 * April 27 – Jean Rapp, French general (d. 1821)
 * May 1 – Cajsa Wahllund, Finnish restaurateur (d. 1843)
 * May 11 – Laskarina Bouboulina, Greek independence heroine (d. 1825)
 * May 14 – Robert Owen, Welsh social reformer (d. 1858)
 * May 16 – Louis Henri Loison, French general (d. 1816)
 * June 5 – Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover (d. 1851)
 * June 24 – Éleuthère Irénée du Pont, French-American chemist, industrialist (d. 1834)
 * August 15 – Sir Walter Scott, Scottish novelist, poet (d. 1832)
 * September 5 – Archduke Charles of Austria, Austrian general, statesman (d. 1847)
 * September 11 – Mungo Park, Scottish explorer (d. 1806)
 * September 17 – Johann August Apel, German writer, jurist (d. 1816)
 * September 23 – Emperor Kōkaku of Japan (d. 1840)
 * October 9 – Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (d. 1815)
 * October 23 – Jean-Andoche Junot, French general (d. 1813)
 * November 14 – Xavier Bichat, French anatomist and pathologist (d. 1802)
 * December 14 – Regina von Siebold, German physician and obstetrician (d. 1849)
 * December 27 – William Johnson, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (d. 1834)
 * Unknown – William Lloyd, Welsh Anglican priest turned schoolteacher and Methodist preacher (d. 1841)

Deaths

 * January 5 – John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford, British statesman (b. 1710)
 * January 11 – Jean-Baptiste de Boyer, Marquis d'Argens, French writer (b. 1704)
 * January 23 – Jean Charles de Saint-Nectaire, French general (b. 1685)
 * February 12 – Adolf Frederick, King of Sweden (b. 1710)
 * February 20 – Jean-Jacques d'Ortous de Mairan, French geophysicist (b. 1678)
 * March 8 – Louis August le Clerc, French-born sculptor (b. 1688)
 * March 20 – Louis-Michel van Loo, French painter (b. 1707)
 * May 21 – Christopher Smart, English poet (b. 1722)
 * May 27 – Anthony Ashley Cooper, 4th Earl of Shaftesbury, English philanthropist (b. 1711)
 * June 5 – Samuel Phillips (reverend), colonial American minister, 1st Pastor of the South Church in Andover (b. 1690)
 * June 8 – George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax, English statesman (b. 1716)
 * July 14 – Chen Hongmou, Chinese scholar and philosopher (b. 1696)
 * July 22 – William Whitmore (British Army officer), British general (b. 1714)
 * July 30 – Thomas Gray, English writer (b. 1716)
 * September 13 – John Gambold, British bishop (b. 1711)
 * September 17 – Tobias Smollett, Scottish novelist (b. 1721)
 * October 22 – Charles-Nicolas d'Oultremont, Roman Catholic bishop (b. 1716)
 * November 4 – Charles Lucas (politician), Irish apothecary (b. 1713)
 * November 6 – John Bevis, English physician, astronomer (b. 1695)
 * November 13 – Konrad Ernst Ackermann, German actor (b. 1712)
 * December 6 – Giovanni Battista Morgagni, Italian anatomist (b. 1682)
 * December 23 – Marie-Marguerite d'Youville, Canadian saint (b. 1701)
 * December 26 – Claude Adrien Helvétius, French philosopher (b. 1715)
 * December 27 – Henri Pitot, Italian-born French engineer (b. 1695)

title: 1771


text:
466

Year 466 (CDLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Leo and Tatianus (or, less frequently, year 1219 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 466 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Roman Empire

 * Emperor Leo I repels the Hun invasion of Dacia (modern Romania). They ravage the Balkans but are unable to take Constantinople thanks to the city walls, which are rebuilt and reinforced.
 * Tarasicodissa, an Isaurian officer, comes with evidence that Ardabur (magister militum) is forming a conspiracy against Leo I. Ardabur is arrested for treason.
 * Tarasicodissa adopts the Greek name of Zeno and marries Ariadne, eldest daughter of Leo I (approximate date).

Europe

 * King Theodoric II is killed by his younger brother Euric, who succeeds him on the throne. He conquers Hispania and the harbor city of Marseille (Southern Gaul), adding them to the existing Visigothic Kingdom.
 * Euric sends an embassy to the Eastern Roman Empire for recognition of the Visigoth sovereignty. He forms an alliance with the Suebi and the Vandals.
 * A council of twelve townships emerges on the islands in the Venetian lagoon, to form a basic system of governance (approximate date).

Religion

 * Peter the Fuller is deposed as patriarch of Antioch; Julian is elected as his successor.

Births

 * Arthur, king of the Britons (approximate date)
 * Clovis I, first king of the Franks (approximate date)
 * Xu Mian, high official of the Liang dynasty (d. 535)

Deaths

 * January 1 – Emperor Qianfei, emperor of the Liu Song dynasty (b. 449)
 * Liu Zixun, prince and pretender of Liu Song (b. 456)
 * Lu Huinan, empress dowager of Liu Song (b. 412)
 * Theodoric II, king of the Visigoths
 * Yifu Hun, high official of Northern Wei

title: 466


text:
468

Year 468 (CDLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Anthemius without colleague (or, less frequently, year 1221 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 468 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Roman Empire

 * Emperor Leo I assembles a massive naval expedition at Constantinople, which costs 64,000 pounds of gold (more than a year's revenue) and consists of over 1,100 ships carrying 100,000 men. It is the greatest fleet ever sent against the Vandals and brings Leo near to bankruptcy.
 * Emperor Anthemius sends a Roman expedition under command of Marcellinus. He expels the Vandals from Sicily and retakes Sardinia. The Eastern general Heraclius of Edessa lands with a force on the Libyan coast, east of Carthage, and advances from Tripolitania.
 * Battle of Cape Bon: The Vandals defeat the Roman navy under Basiliscus, anchored at Promontorium Mercurii, 45 miles from Carthage (Tunisia). During peace negotiations Genseric uses fire ships, filling them with brushwood and pots of oil, destroying 700 imperial galleys. Basiliscus escapes with his surviving fleet to Sicily, harassed all the way by Moorish pirates.
 * August – Marcellinus is murdered in Sicily, probably at the instigation of his political rival, Ricimer. Heraclius is left to fight alone against the Vandals; after a 2-year campaign in the desert he returns to Constantinople.
 * Basiliscus returns to Constantinople after a disastrous expedition against the Vandals. He is forced to seek sanctuary in the church of Hagia Sophia to escape the wrath of the people. Leo I gives him imperial pardon, but banishes him for 3 years to Heraclea Sintica (Thrace).
 * Dengizich, son of Attila the Hun, sends an embassy to Constantinople to demand money. Leo I offers the Huns settlement in Thrace in exchange for recognition of his authority. Dengizich refuses and crosses the Danube.
 * Roman forces under Anagast defeat the Huns at the river Utus (Vit, Bulgaria). Dengizich is killed and his head is paraded through the streets of Constantinople. Stuck on the end of a wooden pole, it is displayed above the Xylokerkos Gate.
 * The Vandals reconquer Sicily, administering a decisive defeat to the Western forces.

Religion

 * February 29 – Pope Hilarius dies at Rome after a 6½-year reign, and is succeeded by Simplicius as the 47th pope.

Births

 * Nectan of Hartland, Welsh prince and saint (approximate date)

Deaths

 * February 29, – Pope Hilarius
 * Dengizich, king of the Huns (approximate date)
 * Gunabhadra, Indian Buddhist scholar-monk (b. 394)
 * Marcellinus, Roman general (magister militum)

title: 468


text:
481

Year 481 (CDLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Maecius without colleague (or, less frequently, year 1234 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 481 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Europe

 * King Childeric I dies at Tournai after a 24-year reign. He is succeeded by his 15-year-old son Clovis, who becomes ruler of the Salian Franks in the province Gallia Belgica (modern Belgium) until his death in 511.
 * Theodoric Strabo defeats the Bulgars in Thrace, and moves with an army (13,000 men) towards Constantinople. After logistical problems, he is forced to return to Greece. In an encampment at Stabulum Diomedis, near Philippi, he falls from an unruly horse onto a spear and dies.

Persia

 * The Armenians revolt against Persian rule, in an uprising that continues until 484. Led by Vahan Mamikonian, nephew of the late Vartan, they obtain religious and political freedom in return for military aid. Vahan is installed as governor (marzban).

Asia

 * Baekje, Silla, and Daegaya form an alliance against Goguryeo (Korea).

Deaths

 * Childeric I, king of the Salian Franks (or 482)
 * Sabinianus Magnus, Roman general
 * Theodoric Strabo, Ostrogothic chieftain
 * Timothy III, patriarch of Alexandria

title: 481


text:
489

Year 489 (CDLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Probinus and Eusebius (or, less frequently, year 1242 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 489 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Byzantine Empire

 * Emperor Zeno closes the School of Edessa (modern Turkey) for their teaching of Nestorian doctrine, whereupon the scholars seek refuge at the Syriac Church of the East.

Europe

 * August – The Ostrogoths under Theodoric the Great, moving to invade Northern Italy at the behest of Eastern Roman Emperor Zeno, defeat the Gepids attempting to stop their advance at the Battle of Sirmium in Pannonia.
 * August 28 – After crossing the Julian Alps, the Ostrogoths defeat the overwhelming forces of Odoacer at the Battle of Isonzo (near Roman Aquileia or modern Soča) and enter Italy. This date is subsequently used by Theodoric to establish a 30-year statute of limitations (tricennium) ending on 28 August 519, after which any unlawful seizure of land during this period can no longer be contested.
 * September 30 – Battle of Verona: Odoacer is defeated again by Theodoric for a second time. He retreats to the impregnable capital of Ravenna.
 * The Ostrogoths capture the cities Pavia and Milan. The majority of Odoacer's army, including his magister militum Tufa, surrenders to Theodoric.

Religion

 * The first Temple of Confucius is constructed in Northern China (outside the ancestral temple at Qufu).

Deaths

 * Acacius, patriarch of Constantinople
 * Modest, bishop of Trier
 * Sidonius Apollinaris, bishop and diplomat
 * Wang Jian, official of Liu Song and Southern Qi (b. 452)

title: 489


text:
490

Year 490 (CDXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Faustus and Longinus (or, less frequently, year 1243 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 490 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Europe

 * Spring – Odoacer receives reinforcements from the south and leaves Ravenna. He defeats the Ostrogoths near Faenza.
 * King Theodoric the Great retreats to Ticinum (modern Pavia), where he constructs a fortified camp, which is blockaded.
 * Summer – The Burgundians, under King Gundobad, cross the Alps and plunder Liguria. Many Romans are taken into captivity.
 * King Alaric II supports Theodoric in his conquest of Italy, by dispatching a Visigoth army to raise Odoacer's siege of Pavia.
 * August 11 – Battle of Adda: Theodoric and his ally Alaric II defeat the forces of Odoacer, on the Adda River, near Milan.
 * Theodoric and his Ostrogoths lay siege to Ravenna. The cities of Cesena and Rimini retain their allegiance to Odoacer.

Asia

 * Empress Feng of the Chinese Northern Wei Dynasty dies. She is buried with magnificent honors, in the Wenming Tomb.

Religion

 * Euphemius becomes patriarch of Constantinople.

Births

 * May 3 – K'an Joy Chitam I, ruler of Palenque (d. 565)
 * John Philoponus, Aristotelian commentator and philosopher (d. 570)
 * Romanos the Melodist, Syrian poet (approximate date)
 * Vigilantia, Byzantine princess (approximate date)

Deaths

 * Feng, Chinese empress and regent of Northern Wei (b. 442)
 * Peter III Mongus, patriarch of Alexandria
 * Theodora of Alexandria, Desert Mother

title: 490


text:
493

Year 493 (CDXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Albinus and Eusebius (or, less frequently, year 1246 ab urbe condita). The denomination 493 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Byzantine Empire

 * Isaurian War: Claudiopolis, ancient city of Cappadocia, is besieged and captured by the Romans. The Isaurians blockade the mountain passes, but John the Hunchback (John Gibbo) wins an overwhelming victory against the rebels.

Ireland

 * March – Battle for the Body of St. Patrick: The Uí Néill Dynasty fights over the body of Saint Patrick with the Airgialla Kingdom (according to the Annals of the Four Masters).

Europe

 * February 25 – Odoacer surrenders Ravenna after a 3-year siege, and agrees to a mediated peace with Theodoric the Great, who steadily consolidates his rule and provides security for the local population. His achievement is to manage the transformation of Italy from being the center of a fractured Roman Empire to a successful and independent Ostrogothic Kingdom.
 * Onoulphus, brother of Odoacer, is killed during the siege of Ravenna by archers while seeking refuge in a church.
 * March 15 – Odoacer is invited to a banquet organised in order to celebrate the peace treaty. During the festivities, Odoacer is killed by Theodoric the Great. His body is skillfully sliced in half in full view of his guests. A massacre of Odoacer's soldiers and supporters follows.
 * Theodoric the Great allies with the Franks and marries Audofleda, sister of Clovis I. He also marries his own female relatives to princes or kings of the Burgundians, Vandals and Visigoths, establishing a political alliance with the Germanic kingdoms in the West.
 * Clovis I marries the Burgundian princess Clotilde, age 18; she is brought up in the Catholic faith and is the daughter of King Chilperic II. Her father is murdered in the same year by his brother Gundobad.

China

 * Emperor Xiao Wen Di starts adopting a sinicization policy as well as various reforms. He marries Feng Qing, who becomes empress of the Northern Wei Dynasty.

Religion

 * Mor Hananyo Monastery is established by Mor Shlemon, converting a former Roman fortress (ex temple) in the Tur Abdin region on the Turkish/Syrian border.

Births

 * Cerbonius, bishop of Populonia (approximate date)
 * Erzhu Rong, general of Northern Wei (d. 530)

Deaths

 * March 15 – Odoacer, first "barbarian" king of Italy (b. 433)
 * March 17 (approximate date) – Saint Patrick, Romano-British Christian missionary, patron saint of Ireland
 * Chilperic II, king of Burgundy
 * Daniel the Stylite, Christian saint
 * Onoulphus, general and brother of Odoacer
 * Emperor Wu of Southern Qi (b. 440)
 * Xiao Zhangmao, crown prince of Southern Qi (b. 458)

title: 493


text:
494

Year 494 (CDXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Rufius and Praesidius (or, less frequently, year 1247 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 494 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Byzantine Empire

 * An earthquake devastates the port town of Latakia (modern Syria).

China

 * Emperor Xiao Wen Di moves the capital of Northern Wei from Datong to Luoyang. He makes Chinese the official language of his court, and orders his nobility to adopt Chinese names.

Religion

 * Gelasius I delineates the relationship between church and state.
 * The Decretum Gelasianum is attributed.
 * Gelasius I canonizes Saint George.

Births

 * Gildas, British historian and priest (approximate date)

Deaths

 * Xiao Zhaowen, emperor of Southern Qi (b. 480)
 * Xiao Zhaoye, emperor of Southern Qi (known as the Prince of Yulin) (b. 473)

title: 494


text:
496

Year 496 (CDXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Paulus without colleague (or, less frequently, year 1249 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 496 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Byzantine Empire

 * Emperor Anastasius I has Euphemius, patriarch of Constantinople, deposed and excommunicated. He appoints Macedonius II as his successor. Euphemius is sent into exile.

Europe

 * Battle of Tolbiac: King Clovis I defeats the Alamanni at Zülpich (Germany). Gibuld, last king of the Alamanni, is killed in battle and the territory is incorporated into the Frankish Kingdom.
 * December 25 – Clovis I is baptized into the Catholic faith at Rheims, by Saint Remigius. The conversion strengthens the bonds between his Gallo-Roman subjects, led by their Catholic bishops.

Africa

 * Thrasamund succeeds his brother Gunthamund after his death, and becomes king of the Vandals. Under his rule, he resumes the persecution of the Catholics.

Asia

 * King Kavadh I of Persia is deposed and exiled to Susiana by his younger brother Djamasp. He is installed by the nobles to the Sassanid throne.
 * Emperor Xiao Wen Di of Northern Wei starts the Sinicization process, by changing his clan name to the Han Chinese surname Yuan.

Religion

 * November 21 – Gelasius I dies after a 4-year reign, and is succeeded by the Rome-born Anastasius II as the 50th pope.

Births

 * Childebert I, king of the Franks (d. 558)
 * Erzhu Tianguang, general of Northern Wei (d. 532)
 * Gao Huan, general of Northern Wei (d. 547)
 * Germain, bishop of Paris (d. 576)

Deaths

 * November 21 – Pope Gelasius I.
 * Athanasius, Coptic Orthodox patriarch of Alexandria
 * Epiphanius, bishop of Pavia (b. 438).
 * Gennadius of Massilia, priest and historian.
 * Gibuld, king of the Alamanni
 * Gunthamund, king of the Vandals and Alans

title: 496


text:
AD 500

Year 500 (D) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Patricius and Hypatius (or, less frequently, year 1253 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 500 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years. The year 500 AD is considered the beginning of the Middle Ages, approximately.

Byzantine Empire

 * Emperor Anastasius I concludes treaties with a number of nomad tribes in northern Arabia. In return for tribute to the Byzantine Empire and military defense of these eastern territories, such tribes are permitted to settle and farm agricultural lands in Arabia (approximate date).

 * Britannia
 * Possible date for the Battle of Mons Badonicus: Romano-British and Celts defeat an Anglo-Saxon army, that may have been led by the bretwalda Aelle of Sussex or possibly Cerdic of Wessex (approximate date; suggested dates range from 490 to 517). This battle may have influenced the legend of King Arthur.
 * Possible date at which Fergus Mór begins his reign – the historicity of Mór is doubtful.
 * Approximate beginning of the Heptarchy period in the history of England.
 * Approximate year of the founding of the Kingdom of Essex.
 * Approximate year of the invention of the bee skep in Ireland.

Europe

 * Battle of Dijon: A coalition of Franks and Burgundians crush the forces under Gundobad. King Clovis I pursues him to Avignon, where he surrenders and promises to pay a yearly tribute.
 * The Frankish Kingdom is formed (approximate date).
 * The monument of Ale's Stones is built in Sweden (approximate date).
 * Roman catacomb burials end (approximate date).

Africa

 * Thrasamund, king of the Vandals, marries Amalafrida (widowed sister of Theodoric the Great). She brings with her a large dowry and an elite Gothic force of 5,000 soldiers.
 * Traders from southern Arabia settle in northern Ethiopia.

Asia

 * Jijeung becomes king of the Korean kingdom of Silla.

Mesoamerica

 * Tikal is founded (approximate date).
 * Uxmal is founded (approximate date).

Religion

 * The Arian Baptistry is erected by Theodoric the Great, at the same time as the Basilica of Sant' Apollinare Nuovo (Ravenna).
 * The Codex Argenteus, Gothic manuscript of bishop Ulfilas's translation of the Bible, is written (approximate date).

Births

 * Kaleb of Axum, Aksumite king responsible for the destruction of Himyar
 * Antalas, Berber tribal leader (approximate date)
 * Aregund, queen of the Franks (approximate date)
 * Belisarius, Byzantine general (approximate date)
 * Bhavyaviveka, Indian Madhyamaka scholar (approximate date)
 * Clotilde, daughter of Clovis I (approximate date)
 * David, Welsh bishop (approximate date)
 * Erzhu Shilong, high-official of Northern Wei (d. 532)
 * Gildas, British cleric (approximate date)
 * Marcouf, missionary and saint (approximate date)
 * Nonnosus, abbot and saint (approximate date)
 * Octa, king of Kent (approximate date)
 * Procopius, Byzantine historian (approximate date)
 * Paul the Black, Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch (approximate date)
 * Theodora, Byzantine Empress (approximate date)
 * Theudebert I, king of Austrasia (or 495)
 * Tribonian, Byzantine jurist (approximate date)
 * Xie He, Chinese writer and art historian (approximate date)

Deaths

 * March 29 – Gwynllyw, Welsh king and religious figure
 * Dauí Tenga Uma, king of Connacht (Ireland)
 * Zu Chongzhi, Chinese mathematician (b. 429)

title: AD 500


text:
507

Year 507 (DVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Anastasius and Venantius (or, less frequently, year 1260 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 507 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Byzantine Empire

 * Emperor Anastasius I completes the strategic fortress at Dara (Northern Mesopotamia). He raises the city walls to 30 feet (10 m), disregarding Persian protests. Alarmed by the depredations of Slavs and Bulgars in Thrace, he builds the Anastasian Wall from the Black Sea to Propontis, across the narrow peninsula near Constantinople (modern Turkey).

Europe

 * Battle of Vouillé: A Frankish army under command of Clovis I invades the Visigothic Kingdom, and defeats King Alaric II near Poitiers. The Visigoths refuse to be enslaved, and retreat to Septimania (Southern Gaul). Clovis annexes Aquitania, and captures Toulouse.
 * Gesalec succeeds his father Alaric II as king of the Visigoths. He establishes his residence at Narbonne and is supported by an alliance with the Ostrogothic king Theodoric the Great.
 * Clovis I dictates the Salic Law (Code of the Barbaric Laws) to the Franks (a written codification of civil law for citizens of the Frankish Kingdom).
 * Hermanafrid, king of the Thuringii, marries Amalaberga. He begins his rule, shared with his brothers Baderic and Bertachar.
 * Wooden coffins and wooden tools are used in the burial places of the Alemanni.

Asia

 * The town of Guilin, China, is renamed Guizhou.
 * Keitai becomes the 26th emperor of Japan (according to the Nihon Shoki).
 * The first and smaller of the two Buddhas of Bamyan is erected in central Afghanistan.

Mesoamerica

 * A Mayan altar with the head of the death god is built in Copán, Honduras.

Births

 * John of Ephesus, Armenian bishop (approximate date)
 * Wen Di, emperor of Western Wei (d. 551)
 * Xiao Zhuang Di, emperor of Northern Wei (d. 531)
 * Yuwen Tai, general of Western Wei (d. 556)

Deaths

 * Alaric II, king of the Visigoths
 * Aprus, bishop of Toul
 * Domangart Réti, king of Dál Riata (modern Scotland)
 * Yu, empress of Northern Wei (b. 488)

title: 507


text:
508

Year 508 (DVIII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Venantius and Celer (or, less frequently, year 1261 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 508 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Byzantine Empire

 * Emperor Anastasius I formally recognizes Clovis I of the Salian Franks as ruler of Gaul. He sends a Byzantine fleet of 100 warships to raid the coasts of Italy.

Britannia

 * Battle of Netley: King Cerdic of Wessex moves with an Anglo-Saxon army inland, and defeats the British king, Nudd-Lludd (according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle).
 * Winter – All the rivers in England are frozen for more than two months.

Europe

 * King Clovis I fails in an effort to take the walled city of Carcassonne (Southern Gaul). He establishes Paris (Lutetia) as his capital and gets baptized, making Roman Catholicism the official religion of the Kingdom of the Franks.
 * King Theodoric the Great sends an Ostrogoth army, led by his sword-bearer Theudis, drives the Franks out of Provence, and recovers Septimania (Languedoc) from the Visigoths.

Births

 * September 16 – Yuan Di, emperor of the Liang Dynasty (d. 555)
 * Xiao Ji, prince of the Liang Dynasty (d. 553)

Deaths

 * Geraint, king of Dumnonia (approximate date)
 * Natanleod, king of Wales
 * Yuan Xie, prince of the Northern Wei Dynasty
 * Yujiulü Futu, ruler (khan) of the Rouran (Mongolia)

title: 508


text:
510

Year 510 (DX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Severinus without colleague (or, less frequently, year 1263 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 510 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Britannia

 * Battle of Llongborth (possibly Langport or Portsmouth): King Budic II of Brittany seeks refuge at the court of Aergol Lawhir, in Dyfed (Wales) after the battle.

Europe

 * King Theodoric the Great raises the Frankish siege at Arles; the city is heroically defended by its inhabitants, assisted by the Ostrogothic general Theudis. The Ostrogoths overrun Provence (Southern Gaul), and consolidate their gains in the region.
 * Theodoric the Great appoints his friend Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, Roman philosopher, to the rank of consul of the Ostrogothic Kingdom.

Persian Empire

 * The Sasanian Persians conquer the independent kingdom of Caucasian Albania, a state converted to Christianity in the 4th century by Armenian missionaries (approximate date).

Births

 * Aredius, abbot and saint (approximate date)
 * Gildas, Celtic monk (approximate date)
 * Xiao Ming Di, emperor of Northern Wei (d. 528)
 * Xiao Wu Di, emperor of Northern Wei (d. 535)
 * Yifu, empress of Western Wei (d. 540)

Deaths

 * January 1 – Eugendus, abbot of Condat Abbey
 * Drest II, king of the Picts (approximate date)
 * Hashim, great-grandfather of Muhammad (approximate date)
 * Tato, king of the Lombards (approximate date)

title: 510


text:
511

Year 511 (DXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Felix and Secundinus (or, less frequently, year 1264 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 511 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Byzantine Empire

 * Riots erupt in the streets of Antioch, between supporters of Patriarch Flavian II and Emperor Anastasius I, in sympathy with Non-Chalcedonianism.

Europe

 * November 27 – King Clovis I dies at Paris (Lutetia) at age 45, and is buried in the Abbey of St. Genevieve. The Merovingian dynasty is continued by his four sons (Theuderic I, Chlodomer, Childebert I and Chlothar I), who divide the Frankish Kingdom and rule from the capitals at Metz, Orléans, Paris and Soissons, respectively.
 * Ostrogothic King Theodoric the Great assumes the regency over Amalaric, his grandson and future king of the Visigothic Kingdom (approximate date) - Theodoric now rules over territory stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Adriatic Sea.

Inventions

 * Aryabhata, Indian astronomer and mathematician, comes up with concepts of mathematical equations, one of which explains the rotation of the Earth on its axis. This concept is far ahead of its time and he is fairly accurate in his description of it. He also comes up with a lot of other ideas about the Solar System, but many of them are flawed because he considers the Earth to be the center of the universe. Aryabhata is often given credit for coming up with the number zero and using it as a placeholder.

Religion

 * First Council of Orléans: Clovis I convenes a synod of Gallic bishops to reform the Church, and create a link between the Crown and the Catholic episcopate.
 * Macedonius II is deposed as patriarch of Constantinople, and replaced by Timothy I.
 * The convent of Saint-Césaire is built in Arles.

Births

 * Yang Yin, official of Northern Qi (d. 560)

Deaths

 * November 27 – Clovis I, king of the Franks

title: 511


text:
519

Year 519 (DXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Iustinus and Cillica (or, less frequently, year 1272 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 519 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Britannia

 * Cerdic becomes the first king of the Kingdom of Wessex (according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle).

Europe

 * The synagogues of Ravenna are burnt down in a riot; Theodoric the Great orders them to be rebuilt at Ravenna's expense.
 * August 28 – The end of Theodoric's tricennium, a thirty year statute of limitations after which unlawful seizures of land during his 489 invasion of Italy can no longer be contested.

Asia

 * Anjang becomes ruler of the Korean kingdom of Goguryeo.

Religion

 * March 28 – The Eastern and Western churches reconcile their differences, ending the Acacian Schism.
 * Jacob of Serugh becomes bishop of Batnan (near modern Diyarbakir, Turkey).
 * The Memoirs of Eminent Monks is compiled.
 * In Ireland, the Diocese of Kildare is erected.

Births

 * Xuan Di, emperor of the Liang Dynasty (d. 562)

Deaths

 * Munjamyeong of Goguryeo, 21st king of Goguryeo

title: 519


text:
649

Year 649 (DCXLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 649 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Byzantine Empire

 * Arab–Byzantine War: Arab naval forces under Abdullah ibn Saad conquer Cyprus, sacking the capital Constantia after a short siege, and looting the rest of the island. The Cypriots agree to pay the same revenue as they have done to Emperor Constans II.
 * Constans II orders Olympius, exarch of the Exarchate of Ravenna, to arrest Pope Martin I on the ostensible grounds that the pope's election has not been submitted to the emperor for approval, but in fact because of the Lateran Council of 649's condemnation of Monothelitism and the Type of Constans. Olympius attempts to gain the support of the citizens of Rome and the bishops, with little success, and perhaps considers the assassination of the Pope.

Europe

 * January – Chindasuinth, at the urging of bishop Braulio of Zaragoza, confirms his son Recceswinth as co-ruler of the Visigothic Kingdom.

Arabian Empire

 * Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, governor of Syria, develops an Arab navy in the Levant and uses it to confront the Byzantine Empire in the Aegean Sea. It is manned by Monophysitise Christian, Coptic and Syrian Christian sailors.

China

 * January 19 – The Tang campaign against Kucha ends after the forces of Kucha surrender, following a 40-day siege led by general Ashina She'er, establishing Chinese control over the northern Tarim Basin (Xinjiang).
 * June 16 – General Wang Xuance commands a combined Chinese, Nepalese, and Tibetan expedition into India. He ends up winning the battle and acquiring a Buddhist relic.
 * July 10 – Emperor Taizong dies after a 23-year reign, in which he has restored the civil administration in China. He is succeeded by his son Gaozong, age 20, who becomes ruler of the Tang dynasty.

Japan

 * Emperor Kōtoku has Soga no Kurayamada accused of treason. He strangles himself at the temple of Yamada-dera. Other relatives of the Soga clan are captured and executed.

Religion

 * May 14 – Pope Theodore I dies after a 7-year reign, in which he has shown generosity to the poor. He is succeeded on July 5 by Martin I as the 74th pope.
 * October 5 – The Lateran Council of 649, summoned by Theodore and carried forward by Martin, opens. It strongly condemns Monothelitism and the Type of Constans.

Births

 * Approximate date – Wang Bo, Chinese poet (d. 676)
 * Xue Ne, Chinese general and chancellor of the Tang dynasty (d. 720)

Deaths

 * March – John Climacus, Syrian monk and writer (b. c.579)
 * May 2 – Marutha of Tikrit, Persian theologian and Maphrian of the Syriac Orthodox Church (b. 565)
 * May 14 – Pope Theodore I, Jerusalem-born Greek pontiff
 * July 2 – Li Jing, Chinese general and chancellor of the Tang dynasty (b. 571)
 * July 6 – Goar of Aquitaine, Catholic priest and hermit (b. c.585)
 * July 10 – Taizong, Chinese Tang dynasty emperor (b. 598)
 * December 3 – Birinus, French-born Bishop of Dorchester in Wessex (b. c.600)
 * Rogallach mac Uatach, Irish king of Connacht (murdered)
 * Soga no Kurayamada, Japanese udaijin
 * Songtsen Gampo, founder of the Tibetan Empire

title: 649


text:
522

Year 522 (DXXII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Symmachus and Boethius (or, less frequently, year 1275 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 522 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Europe

 * Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, Roman philosopher, is arrested on charges of having conspired against Theodoric the Great. He is imprisoned at Pavia (Lombardy).
 * Amalaric, age 20, is proclaimed king of the Visigoths. His kingdom is threatened from the north by the Burgundians.

Arabia

 * Dhu Nuwas seizes the throne of the Himyarite Kingdom in Yemen. He attacks the Aksumite garrison at Zafar, capturing the city and burning the churches.
 * Dhū Nuwas moves to Najran, an Aksumite stronghold. After accepting the city's capitulation, he massacres the Christian inhabitants (some sources estimate a death toll up to 20,000).

Births

 * 15 October – Colmán of Cloyne, Irish monk (d. 600)
 * Clodoald, Merovingian prince (approximate date)
 * Wen Di, emperor of the Chen dynasty (d. 566)

Deaths

 * Eutharic, son-in-law of Theodoric the Great
 * Galan Erilich, king of the Picts (approximate date)
 * Liu Xie, Chinese writer (approximate date) (b. 465)

title: 522


text:
523

Year 523 (DXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Maximus without colleague (or, less frequently, year 1276 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 523 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Byzantine Empire

 * Justinian, later Byzantine emperor, marries in Constantinople his mistress Theodora, who is by profession a courtesan (approximate date).

Europe

 * King Chlothar I takes part in an expedition against Burgundy and captures the town of Autun. Now about 26, he makes plans to expand the territory he inherited from his late father, Clovis I.
 * King Sigismund of Burgundy is defeated by the invading Franks under Chlodomer, Childebert I and Chlothar I. He is captured and taken as prisoner to Aurelianum (modern Orléans).

Africa

 * Hilderic succeeds his uncle Thrasamund after a 27-year reign, and becomes king of the Vandals and Alans. He favours Catholicism and grants the inhabitants religious freedom.
 * Leptis Magna (modern Libya) is sacked by Berber (Moor) raiders. Gelimer leads a successful expedition in North Africa.

Asia

 * A revolt breaks out on the Six Frontier Towns, on the northern border of Northern Wei China ("Revolt of the Six Garrisons"). Tensions between the elite and the Tuoba-clan severely destabilise the state.
 * The Songyue Pagoda is completed during the Northern Wei era; the circular-based tower is still 40 m (131 ft) in height.
 * Seong becomes king of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.

Religion

 * August 6 – Pope Hormisdas dies at Rome after a 9-year reign, in which he has been instrumental in ending the Acacian Schism. He is succeeded by John I as the 53rd pope.

Births

 * Aurelianus, archbishop of Arles (d. 551)

Deaths

 * August 6 – Pope Hormisdas (b. 450)
 * Arethas, leader of the Christian community in Yemen
 * Muryeong, king of Baekje (Three Kingdoms of Korea)
 * Philoxenus of Mabbug, Syrian theologian
 * Thrasamund, king of the Vandals (b. 450)

title: 523


text:
529

Year 529 (DXXIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Decius without colleague (or, less frequently, year 1282 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 529 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Byzantine Empire

 * April 7 – Emperor Justinian I issues the Codex Justinianus (Code of Civil Laws), reformulating Roman law in an effort to control his unruly people (see 532).
 * The Samaritans revolt and are defeated; the Church of the Nativity is burnt down during the Rebellion.

Europe

 * Queen Amalasuntha receives a delegation sent by a council of Gothic nobles urging that she have her son Athalaric, now 13, taught an education in the Roman tradition—not by elderly schoolmasters, but by men who will teach him to "ride, fence, and to be toughened, not to be turned into a bookworm".

Arabia

 * Al-Harith ibn Jabalah becomes the fifth king of the Ghassanids. He helps the Byzantines to suppress the wide-scale Samaritan Revolt.

Central America

 * February 25 – K'an Joy Chitam I becomes the new ruler of the Mayan city-state of Palenque what is now the state of Chiapas in southern Mexico, ending an interregnum of a little over four years, and reigns until his death in 565.

Southeast Asia

 * Rudravarman is granted investiture by China, as the first king of the fourth dynasty of Champa (modern Vietnam).

Education

 * The Academy, originally founded at Athens by Plato around 387 BC, closes down by order of Justinian I, on charges of un-Christian activity. Many of the school's professors emigrate to Persia and Syria.

Religion

 * The Benedictine Order is established at Monte Cassino near Naples by Benedict of Nursia, who founds a monastery and formulates for his monks strict rules in the "Regula Benedicti".
 * The Canons of the Council of Orange are established, approving the Augustinian doctrine of sin and grace over Pelagianism and Semi-Pelagianism, but without Augustine's absolute predestination.

Births

 * Wen Xuan Di, emperor of Northern Qi (d. 559)

Deaths

 * Baderic, king of the Thuringii (b. c. 480)
 * Theodosius the Cenobiarch, monk and founder of the Monastery of St. Theodosius
 * Yuan Hao, imperial prince of Northern Wei

title: 529


text:
524

Year 524 (DXXIV) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) on the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Iustinus and Opilio (or, less frequently, year 1277 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 524 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Europe

 * May 1 – King Sigismund of Burgundy is executed at Orléans after an 8-year reign, and is succeeded by his brother Godomar. He rallies the Burgundian army and begins plundering Frankish territory.
 * June 25 – Battle of Vézeronce: The Franks under Chlodomer, Childebert I and Chlothar I are defeated by the Burgundians and allied Ostrogoths near Isère (France), averting the Frankish advance into Burgundy. During the fighting Chlodomer is killed. Later Childebert annexes the cities of Chartres and Orléans.
 * Queen Guntheuc, widow of Chlodomer, is forced into marrying Chlothar I. Her two children are murdered by him, but the eldest son Clodoald survives by escaping to Provence.
 * Boethius, Roman philosopher, is executed without trial, probably at Pavia, after a prison term during which he has written The Consolation of Philosophy (approximate date).

Central America

 * November 29 – Ahkal Mo' Naab' I, ruler of the Maya city of Palenque in southern Mexico, dies after a reign of 23 years. The city enters an interregnum which lasts a little over four years.

Births

 * September 18 – Kan B'alam I, ruler of Palenque (d. 583)
 * He Shikai, high official of Northern Qi (d. 571)
 * Xiao Daqi, crown prince of Northern Qi (d. 551)
 * Xiao Jing Di, emperor of Eastern Wei (d. 552)

Deaths

 * June 25 – Chlodomer, king of the Franks
 * July 12 – Viventiolus, Archbishop of Lyon (b. 460)
 * November 29 – Ahkal Mo' Naab' I, ruler of Palenque (Mexico) (b. 465)
 * Boethius, Roman philosopher and writer (b. 480)
 * Brigit of Kildare, Irish patron saint
 * Sigismund, king of the Burgundians
 * Zhou She, high official of Southern Liang (b. 469)

title: 524


text:
525

Year 525 (DXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Probus and Philoxenus (or, less frequently, year 1278 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 525 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years. In this year, the monk Dionysius Exiguus proposed a calendar starting with the birth of Jesus (the AD system), so this was the first time the year was designated AD. However, the system was not used in general until the reign of Charlemagne in the 9th century.

Byzantine Empire

 * Emperor Justin I rebuilds the city of Anazarbus (modern Turkey) and renames it "Justinopolis".

Britannia

 * Bernicia (North East England) is settled by the Angles (approximate date).

Europe

 * King Theodoric the Great sends Pope John I to Constantinople, to negotiate a withdrawal of Byzantine emperor Justin's edict against Arian Christianity.
 * Frankish tribesmen, under the command of King Chlothar I, plunder Burgundy.

Africa

 * Kaleb, king of Aksum, collects a fleet and crosses from Africa to conquer Yemen. He establishes better trade ports on the Red Sea.

Asia

 * The Daisan river, tributary of the Euphrates, floods Edessa, and within a couple of hours fills the entire city except for the highest parts. Eventually the pent-up waters break through the city walls. The Shroud of Turin is allegedly discovered during the rebuilding of the city (see Image of Edessa).

Exploration and colonization

 * Cosmas Indicopleustes, Alexandrian explorer-geographer, travels up the Nile. He will venture as far to the east as Ceylon, become a monk, and write "Topographia Christiana" to vindicate the biblical account of the world (see 550).

Religion

 * Dionysius Exiguus, Scythian theologian-mathematician, inaugurates the practice of using A.D. (Anno Domini) in Rome for calendar dates after the birth of Jesus Christ, a system which has been supported by subsequent studies. Dionysius also produces his tables for computing the date of "Cyclus Paschalis" (Easter Tables).
 * The Arian baptistery of Santa Maria is built in Ripa (Rome).
 * Buddhist caves are completed at Ajanta (India) with stone carvings (approximate date).

Births

 * Alexander of Tralles, physician (approximate date)
 * Pope Benedict I, Pope of Catholic church (d. 579)
 * John Climacus, monk and writer (approximate date)
 * Justin, Byzantine aristocrat and general (d. 566)
 * Liuvigild, king of the Visigoths (d. 586)
 * Wideok, king of Baekje (Three Kingdoms of Korea)
 * Yujiulü, empress of Western Wei (d. 540)

Deaths

 * Boethius, Roman philosopher and writer (or 524)
 * Bandzhis Firenz, king of Danmark and Medieval Gritzania
 * Yuan Cha, high official of Northern Wei (approximate date)
 * Yūsuf Dhū Nuwas, king of the Himyarite Kingdom (Yemen).

title: 525


text:
732

Year 732 (DCCXXXII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, the 732nd year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 732nd year of the 1st millennium, the 32nd year of the 8th century, and the 3rd year of the 730s decade. The denomination 732 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Byzantine Empire

 * Byzantine Emperor Leo III marries his 15 year old son Constantine to Tzitzak (later baptised as Irene), the daughter of the Khazar Khagan Bihar, as a sign of diplomatic unity between the Byzantine Empire and the Khazar Khaganate.

Europe

 * Battle of the River Garonne: A Umayyad Muslim army (40,000 men) under Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, governor of Al-Andalus, crosses the Pyrenees through the Roncesvalles Pass and raids widely, ravaging the cities of Oloron, Lescar and Bayonne, and burning the abbey of Saint-Sever. Umayyad forces destroy the monastery of Saint-Émilion, and defeat the 'Count of Libourne'. Abdul Rahman sacks and captures Bordeaux, and nearly wipes out the army of Duke Eudes of Aquitaine, at the Garonne River.
 * Summer – Eudes of Aquitaine heads for the Frankish city of Reims, to warn Charles Martel, Merovingian mayor of the palace, of the Umayyad invasion in Gaul, and ask for his support against the invaders. The two leaders meet near Paris; Charles issues a 'general ban' to raise an army, which includes large numbers of Austrasians, Neustrians, and Burgundians. Meanwhile, Arabians ravage the cities of Périgueux, Saintes, and Angoulême, then sack the basilica of Saint-Hilaire outside Poitiers.
 * September – Charles Martel leads his Frankish army (30,000 men) to Orléans and crosses the Loire River, probably accompanied by Eudes of Aquitaine, with his remaining troops. He makes camp near Tours, probably at Ballan-Miré south-west of the fortress city, in order to protect the abbey of Saint Martin. Charles defeats or forces back Umayyad scouts or an advance guard, between the rivers Indre and Creuse. Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi pulls back to establish a position at the Vienne River.
 * October – The Frankish army crosses the Vienne River and establishes a camp at or around the partially abandoned Roman mansion or agricultural settlement, now known as 'Vieux-Poitiers' (near Châtellerault), perhaps using the Roman theatre with its substantial towers as a fortification. Charles Martel forms a defensive position across the Roman road, and fends off Muslim skirmishes during the 'seven days' stand-off, probably involving scouts, and perhaps raiders from both armies.
 * October 10 – Battle of Tours: The Frankish and Burgundian forces under Charles Martel defeat a large army of Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, near Poitiers, halting the Islamic advance into Western Europe; Rahman Al Ghafiqi is killed during the battle. Charles extends his authority in the south of France, which gives him the nickname Martellus ("The Hammer"). The outcome of the victory is a turning point, and establishes a balance of power between Western Europe and the Byzantine Empire.
 * Muslim forces withdraw southwards to Septimania; a separate part probably pulls back along the road it originally came through, across the Pyrenees Mountains. Eudes of Aquitaine pursues the main Muslim army via La Marche, before returning to Bordeaux; Charles Martel withdraws to Frankish territory through Orléans and Auxerre, demoting those bishops whom he thought unreliable. Abd al-Malik ibn Katan al-Fihri becomes the new governor (wali) of Al-Andalus; a separate Muslim force raids the Rhône region.

Britain

 * Autumn – King Ceolwulf of Northumbria is deposed by opponents, and forced to enter a monastery. His supporters subsequently restore him to the throne (or 731).

Astronomy

 * June 26 – Venus occults Jupiter.

Religion

 * Pope Gregory III confers on Boniface, Anglo-Saxon missionary, the pallium as archbishop, with jurisdiction over Bavaria (modern Germany). He orders him to forbid the consumption of horseflesh by his Christian converts.
 * Ecgbert is appointed bishop of York, by his cousin Ceolwulf of Northumbria. He founds a library, and makes the city a renowned centre of learning (approximate date).

Births

 * Fujiwara no Momokawa, Japanese statesman (d. 779)

Deaths

 * Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, governor of Al-Andalus
 * Nechtan mac Der-Ilei, king of the Picts
 * Romuald II, duke of Benevento (Italy)
 * Rupert of Bingen, patron saint (b. 712)
 * Sima Zhen, Chinese historian (b. 679)

title: 732


text:
526

Year 526 (DXXVI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Olybrius without colleague (or, less frequently, year 1279 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 526 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Europe

 * August 30 – King Theodoric the Great dies of dysentery at Ravenna; his daughter Amalasuintha takes power as regent for her 10-year-old son Athalaric.
 * Amalasuintha rules the Ostrogothic Kingdom that extends throughout the Italian Peninsula, Dalmatia, Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica.
 * Amalaric, age 24, becomes king of the Visigoths, and assumes full royal power.

Persia

 * Roman–Persian Wars: King Kavad I, assisted by his Arabian vassal, Al-Mundhir III, begins a campaign in the Transcaucasus region and Upper Mesopotamia.

Middle East

 * Probably between May 20 and May 29 – 526 Antioch earthquake: A great earthquake kills approximately 250,000 people in Syria and Antioch.

Religion

 * Pope John I returns to Ravenna from Constantinople. Theodoric the Great finds that he has been only partly successful in persuading the Byzantine emperor Justin I to withdraw his edict against Arian Christianity, and throws the pope into prison.
 * May 18 – John I dies of starvation after a 3-year reign. Theodoric the Great selects Pope Felix IV as the 54th pope.
 * Ecclesius, bishop of Ravenna, commissions two new churches, one for Ravenna and one for its port, Classis.
 * c. 526–547 – Sanctuary apse's mosaic showing Christ enthroned and flanked by Saint Vitalis and Ecclesius, Basilica of San Vitale (Ravenna) is made.

Births

 * Wang Lin, general of the Liang Dynasty and Northern Wei (d. 573)
 * Yuan Zhao ("the young lord"), emperor of Northern Wei (d. 528)

Deaths

 * May 18 – Pope John I
 * August 30 – Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths (b. 454)
 * October 30 – Paul of Edessa, Syriac Orthodox bishop of Edessa
 * Quintus Aurelius Memmius Symmachus, Roman politician

title: 526


text:
527

Year 527 (DXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Mavortius without Colleague (or, less frequently, year 1280 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 527 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Byzantine Empire

 * April 1 – Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler, as an incurable wound saps his strength.
 * August 1 – Justin I, age 77, dies at Constantinople and is succeeded by Justinian I, who becomes sole emperor.
 * Justinian I reorganises the command structure of the Byzantine army, and fields a small but highly trained army.
 * Justinian I appoints Belisarius to command the Eastern army in Armenia and on the Byzantine-Persian frontier.

Britannia

 * King Cerdic of Wessex and his son Cynric defeat the Britons at Cerdicesleah (modern Chearsley).
 * The Kingdom of Essex is founded by the Saxons, who land north of the Thames. They take control of the land between what is now London and St Albans, ceding from the Kingdom of Kent
 * Æscwine becomes the first king of Essex (approximate date), defeating Octa in battle at Hackney, west of the River Lea.

Japan

 * Iwai Rebellion: A revolt against the Yamato court breaks out in Tsukushi Province (according to Nihon Shoki).

Religion

 * Justinian I outlaws pagan religious practices in Egypt, and dispatches Byzantine missionaries to southern territories (approximate date).
 * The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is rebuilt until 565, restoring the architectural tone of the basilica.
 * Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, formally adopts Buddhism as a state religion (approximate date).

Deaths

 * August 1 – Justin I, Byzantine Emperor (b. 450)
 * Illan mac Dúnlainge, king of Leinster (Ireland)

title: 527


text:
532

Year 532 (DXXXII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Second year after the Consulship of Lampadius and Probus (or, less frequently, year 1285 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 532 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Byzantine Empire

 * January 11 – Nika riots in Constantinople: Anger among the supporters of the most important chariot teams—the Blues and the Greens—escalates into violence towards the emperor. For the next five days the capital is in chaos. The fires that start during the tumult result in the destruction of much of the city. The insurrection is put down a week later by Belisarius and Mundus; 30,000 people are killed in the Hippodrome.
 * February 23 – Emperor Justinian I orders the building of a new Orthodox Christian basilica in Constantinople – the Hagia Sophia. He chooses Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles as architects. The material for the construction is brought from all over the empire, such as large stones from quarries in Porphyry, Egypt. More than 10,000 people are employed.
 * September – Justinian I signs a peace treaty, the "Eternal Peace", with the Persian king Khosrau I, ending the Iberian War (527-531). Both sides agree to return all occupied territories, and Justinian makes a one-off payment of 110 centenaria (11,000 pounds of gold), as a contribution to the defense of the Caucasus passes.

Europe

 * Battle of Autun - The Franks, under command of King Childebert I and his brother Chlothar I, invade the Kingdom of Burgundy. They defeat the Burgundians under King Godomar near Autun (modern France).

Asia

 * An Ding Wang commits suicide, and is succeeded by Xiao Wu Di as Chinese emperor of Northern Wei.
 * Silla conquers the city-state of Geumgwan Gaya (Korea) during the Three Kingdoms period.

Arts and sciences

 * First year in which the Anno Domini calendar is used for numbering the years.

Religion

 * October 17 – Pope Boniface II dies in Rome after a 2-year reign.

Births

 * Áedán mac Gabráin, king of Dál Riata (Scotland) (approximate date)
 * Guntram, king of Burgundy (approximate date)
 * Marius Aventicensis, bishop of Aventicum (d. 596)
 * Xiao Mohe, general of the Chen dynasty and Sui dynasty (d. 604)

Deaths

 * March 3 – Winwaloe, saint and founder of Landévennec Abbey (b.c. 460)
 * October 17 – Pope Boniface II
 * An Ding Wang, emperor of Northern Wei (b. 513)
 * Chang Guang Wang, emperor of Northern Wei
 * Ecclesius, bishop of Ravenna (approximate date)
 * Erzhu Shilong, official of Northern Wei (b. 500)
 * Erzhu Tianguang, general of Northern Wei (b. 496)
 * Guntheuc, princess of Burgundy (approximate date)
 * Hypatius, Byzantine nobleman (executed)
 * Jie Min Di, emperor of Northern Wei (b. 498)
 * Pompeius, Byzantine politician (executed)
 * Sabbas the Sanctified, monk and saint (b. 439)

title: 532


text:
533

Year 533 (DXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Iustinianus without colleague (or, less frequently, year 1286 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 533 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Byzantine Empire

 * Spring – Vandalic War: Anti-Vandal revolt in Tripolitania and Sardinia; Gelimer, king of the Vandals, dispatches the bulk of the Vandal fleet (120 ships and 5,000 men) under his brother Tzazo to Sardinia. Byzantine forces from Cyrenaica occupy Leptis Magna and Tripolis.
 * March 25 – In a letter, Emperor Justinian I declares the Bishop of Rome (currently John) to be "head of all Bishops, and the true and effective corrector of heretics."
 * Summer – Emperor Justinian I holds a war council in Constantinople. His advisers warn him against launching an expedition to North Africa, because of the supply-lines (1,000 miles into Vandal waters) and the huge drain on the imperial treasury. Justinian appoints Belisarius to command the Byzantine army.
 * June 21 – A Byzantine expeditionary fleet under Belisarius sails in 500 transports, escorted by 92 war vessels (dromons), manned by 20,000 seamen from Constantinople, to attack the Vandals in Africa, via Greece and Sicily. The fleet carries 10,000 infantry, about half Byzantine and half foederati, and 5,000 cavalry, consisting of 3,000 Byzantine horsemen, 1,000 foreign allies (Huns and Heruli) and 1,500 of Belisarius' retainers (bucellarii). On the flagship Belisarius is accompanied by his military secretary Procopius, and his wife Antonina.
 * September – Belisarius arrives at Sicily, which he uses as a staging area, with the permission of the Ostrogoth queen Amalasuntha, daughter of Theodoric the Great and regent of Italy. The Ostrogoths help him with supplies and the fleet is prepared for the final attack.
 * September 9 – The Byzantine army lands at Caput Vada (modern Tunisia). Belisarius marches his army northwards, towards Carthage (over 140 miles), following the coast, accompanied by the fleet and shadowed by Gelimer. During the march, the Vandal towns fall without a fight.
 * September 13 – Battle of Ad Decimum: Gelimer attempts to ambush the Byzantines in a defile at the "10th milestone" from Carthage; due to inadequate coordination and the alertness of Belisarius, the attack is repulsed and the Vandals are scattered into the desert. Belisarius enters the capital and orders his soldiers not to kill or enslave the population. The fleet is stationed in the Lake of Tunis.
 * December 15 – Battle of Tricamarum: Gelimer assembles an army of about 50,000 men at Bulla Regia (Numidia), and advances towards Carthage. Belisarius moves out to meet the Vandals; he leads the Byzantine cavalry (5,000 men) into battle. Without waiting for his infantry to come up, he charges, despite odds of almost 10-to-1, and throws Gelimer in confusion. Belisarius captures the Vandal camp by storm. Tzazo is killed in an all-cavalry fight, and Gelimer is forced to seek refuge in the mountains of Tunis with the Berbers.
 * December 16 – The Digesta or Pandectae, a collection of jurist writings and other sources, is completed (see Corpus Juris Civilis).

Europe

 * Theudebert I succeeds his father Theuderic I and becomes king of Austrasia.

Religion

 * January 2 – Pope John II becomes the 56th pope of Rome, and the first to adopt a regnal name upon elevation to the papacy (his birth name, Mercurius, being of pagan origin).

Deaths

 * January 13 – Remigius, bishop of Reims
 * Erzhu Zhao, general of Northern Wei
 * Fulgentius of Ruspe, bishop (approximate date)
 * Hilderic, king of the Vandals and Alans
 * Theuderic I, king of Austrasia (or 534)
 * Tzazo, brother of Gelimer (killed in battle)

title: 533