960s

This is a list of events occurring in the 960s, ordered by year.

960

By place

Europe

• Edgar the Peaceable is crowned King of England. Dunstan becomes Archbishop of Canterbury and Edgar's chief adviser. He reforms monasteries and enforces the rule of Saint Benedict: Poverty, Chastity and Obedience for monks. He attempts to impose celibacy on the secular clergy without noticeable success. Dunstan actively encourages the Danes to integrate with the English.
• Mieszko I becomes ruler in Poland.
• St Dunstan's, Mayfield is founded.
• Richard I of Normandy marries Emma of Paris.
• Sviatoslav I of Kiev conquers the Khazars' imperial power.

Africa

• The Aksumite Empire is destroyed by pagan invaders under the leadership of Queen Gudit.

Asia

• The Song Dynasty comes to power in China when Zhao Kuangyin usurps the Later Zhou Dynasty throne.
• The amount of registered soldiers in the Song Chinese army is some 378,000.

961

By place

Asia

• Ani (present-day Turkey) becomes the capital of Armenia under the Bagratuni Dynasty.
• The Huqiu Tower is built in China (often called the Chinese Leaning Tower of Pisa).

Europe

• The Byzantine Empire recaptures Crete from Muslim control.
• Battle of Fitje: Haakon I of Norway squashes the rebelling forces of Eric Bloodaxe's sons, but is killed.
• Harald II of Norway becomes ruler of the western part of Norway.
• St Paul's Cathedral in London is destroyed by fire.
• Al-Hakam II starts to rule.

By topic

Art

• Before this year – Textile with elephants and camels, known today as the Suaire de St-Josse, from Khurasan or Central Asia, is made. It was preserved in the Church of Saint-Josse-sur-Mer, near Caen in Normandy. It is now kept at Musée du Louvre, Paris.

962

By place

Europe

• February 2 – Pope John XII crowns Otto I the Great Holy Roman Emperor.
• February 3 – Pope John XII and Otto co-sign the Diploma Ottonianum.
• December – A Byzantine army under Nikephoros Phokas captures and plunders Aleppo.
• Indulf, King of the Scots and Picts, dies and is succeeded by Dubh.

963

By place

Asia

• Turkish Khan Sebük Tigin establishes his empire in modern day Afghanistan.
• The Nanping State is forced to surrender when invaded by Song Dynasty armies.
• The Song Dynasty Chinese government attempts to ban the practice of cremation; despite this decree, the lower and middle classes continue to cremate their dead, until the government resolves the problem in the 12th century by establishing public graveyards for paupers.

Byzantine Empire

• Nikephoros II Phokas is proclaimed emperor by his troops in Caesarea on 2 July. After street fighting in Constantinople between his supporters and the men of the chief minister Joseph Bringas, he enters the city and is crowned emperor on 16 August. In September, he marries the empress Theophano, widow of Romanos II.
• The Monastery of Great Lavra at Mount Athos is founded by Athanasius the Athonite.

Europe

• Holy Roman Emperor Otto I defeats Mieszko I of Poland, compelling him to pay tribute.
• Luxembourg is founded.

By topic

Religion

• December 6 – Pope Leo VIII begins papacy as the 131st pope, a reign which initially runs concurrently with Pope John XII.

964

By place

Asia

• Nicephorus II begins a campaign to recapture Cilicia.

By topic

Religion

• May 22 – Pope Benedict V begins his pontificate as the 132nd pope, chosen by the people of Rome over Pope Leo VIII.
• June 23 – Pope Benedict V is deposed and ecclesiastically degraded.

Science

• Al-Sufi's Book of Fixed Stars is published.

965

By place

Europe

• The Khazar fortress of Sarkel falls to the Kievan Rus.
• Byzantine-Arab Wars: Nikephoros sacks Tarsus and destroys the Emirate in Cilicia. Arab raids into Anatolia permanently cease. That same year, Byzantine troops occupy Cyprus, liberating the Greek population from Arab control.

Asia

• Northern Song armies invade the Later Shu Kingdom and force it to surrender.

By topic

Art

• Dome in front of the mihrab, Great Mosque of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain, is built.

Religion

• March 1 – Pope Leo VIII is restored in place of Pope Benedict V.
• October 1 – Pope John XIII succeeds Pope Leo VIII as the 133rd pope.

966

By place

Europe

• April 14 or April 30 – Mieszko I, the first duke of Poland, is baptized a Christian. This is usually considered the beginning of the Polish state (see Baptism of Poland).

967

By place

Africa

• The Fatimid general Gawhar al-Siqilli launches a new victorious campaign in the West of the Magrib.

Europe

• The Bishopric of Merseburg is formed in Saxony, with Boso of Merseburg as its first bishop.
• Conchobar mac Tadg (Connor MacTeague) becomes King of Connacht.
• Pandulf Ironhead becomes duke of Spoleto.
• Otto II is crowned co-emperor by Pope John XIII.
• Olaf Tryggvason flees Norway with his mother, only to be attacked by Estonian Vikings.
• Dado becomes count of Pombia.
• The Khazar capital of Atil falls to the Kievan Rus (approximate date)

Asia

• Emperor Reizei ascends to the throne of Japan.
• The Cambodian temple of Banteay Srei is consecrated.
• Li Yixing becomes jiedushi of Dingnan.
• Amber, India is founded as a settlement.

Middle East

• 'Izz al-Daula becomes the Buyid emir of Iraq.
• Bisutun ascends to the Ziyarid throne.

968

By place

Asia

• The Pechenegs begin the Siege of Kiev.

Europe

• The Battle near Silistra occurs in the spring near the Bulgarian town of Silistra, but most probably on the modern territory of Romania.

By topic

Religion

• The Archbishopric of Magdeburg is founded.
• The first Polish bishopric is founded in Poznań. Jordan becomes the first bishop.

969

By place

Byzantine Empire

• December 11 – John I Tzimiskes becomes Byzantine Emperor after assassinating Nikephoros II Phokas.

Europe

• Peter I abdicates and retires to a monastery and is succeeded by Boris II as Tsar of Bulgaria.
• Conquest of Bulgaria by Sviatoslav I of Kiev.

Africa

• The Fatimids conquer Egypt and move their capital from Kairouan (in modern Tunisia) to Fustat, subsequently founding a new capital city just north of Fustat, and naming it Cairo.

Asia

• Emperor En'yū succeeds Emperor Reizei on the throne of Japan.
• Jing Zong succeeds Mu Zong in the Khitan Empire.
• October 28 – Byzantine general Michael Bourtzes seizes part of Antioch's fortifications. The capture of the city from the Arabs is completed three days later, when reinforcements under Peter Phokas arrive.
• Uththama Chola becomes the Chola Emperor after the mysterious death of Aditya Karikalan (also known as Aditya Chola II). He rules for 16 years. Arulmolivarman becomes the heir apparent, and later the great Rajaraja Chola I.

Significant people

Births

Deaths

References