950s

This is a list of events occurring in the 950s, ordered by year.

950

By place

World

• World population is estimated to be 250 million.

Europe

• Duke Boleslav I of Bohemia makes peace with Otto I.
• Page with Joshua Leading the Israelites, from the Joshua Roll, is made in Constantinople. It is now kept at Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Rome (approximate date).

Asia

• The Tu'i Tonga Empire begins to form in the Pacific Ocean.
• The Later Han Dynasty in China falls.
• Sayf al-Daula leads 30,000 men in a raid into Byzantine Anatolia. He defeats Bardas Phokas, but is then ambushed on his return and heavily defeated by Leo Phokas.^[1]

951

By place

Europe

• The king of Italy dies and his widow, Adelaide of Italy, is overthrown by an usurper, Berengar of Ivrea.

Asia

• Allat the Maharana of Mewar comes to power.
• The Later Zhou Dynasty is founded by Guo Wei in China.
• The Chu State is absorbed by the Southern Tang Kingdom in China.
• The Northern Han Kingdom is founded by Liu Min in northern China.
• Emperor Shizong of the Liao Dynasty successfully repels a Chinese advance.

952

By topic

Asia

• Kalbid forces defeat the Byzantines in Calabria.

Europe

• Hugh Capet marries Adelaide of Aquitaine.

953

By place

Europe

• Liudolf, Duke of Swabia and Conrad the Red rebel against German King Otto I.
• Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal appears, for the first time, as a Portuguese town under the name Villa Euracini.

954

By place

Europe

• King Máel Coluim I of Scotland is killed in battle against the Highlanders. He is succeeded by Indulf I of Scotland.
• Chateau Chinon is built by Theobald I of Blois.
• On the death of Eric Bloodaxe, Edred becomes the first king of all England.
• Principality of Seborga claims its independence

955

By place

Africa

• The Banu Ya'la tribesmen destroy Oran.^[2]

Europe

• August 10 – Battle of Lechfeld: Otto I the Great defeats the Magyars, halting their westward expansion and ending the threat to Germany.
• Eadwig becomes King of England.

By topic

Religion

• December 16 – Pope John XII succeeds Pope Agapetus II as the 130th pope.

956

• An earthquake badly damages the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

957

By place

Asia

• The Chandra Hindu Dynasty ends, thus beginning a time of chaos in areas belonging to modern-day India.
• Japan: The Tenryaku Era ends, and the Tentoku Era begins.

By topic

Religion

• Olga of Kiev converts to the Eastern Orthodox Church from paganism beliefs.

958

By place

Africa

• The Fatimid general Gawhar al-Siqilli takes the capital of the rebellious Kharijite Banu Ya'la tribesmen, Ifgan. Gawhar in the following two years conquers most of the North of modern Morocco and Algeria. In particular, he conquers the cities of Tanger, Sijilmasa and Tlemcen.^[3]

Asia

• King Kshemgupta of Kashmir dies, and is succeeded by his young son Abhimanyu. Didda, widow of the former and mother of the latter, becomes de facto ruler.
• The Later Zhou Dynasty strikes at Liao Dynasty positions in the Sixteen Prefectures, but is defeated.

Europe

• Probable date of the foundation of the Marche dynasty.

959

By place

Europe

• October 1 – King Eadwig of England dies, and is succeeded by his brother Edgar, who effectively completes the unification of England when Northumbria finally submits to his rule.
• Dunstan becomes bishop of Worcester, England and London.
• Bruno I, Archbishop of Cologne divides the Duchy of Lorraine with his nephew Frederic.

Significant people

Births

Deaths

References