990s

This is a list of events occurring in the 990s, ordered by year.

990

By place

Africa

• Construction of the Al-Hakim Mosque begins in Cairo.

Europe

• The city of Lund, Denmark (now Sweden) is founded.

By topic

Religion

• The Pax Ecclesiae, an edict by the church in southern France attempting to outlaw acts of war against non-combatants and the clergy, is promulgated.

991

By place

Europe

• Battle of Maldon: The Anglo-Saxons are defeated by Viking invaders led by Olaf Tryggvason, later Olaf I of Norway.
• Sweyn I of Denmark recovers his throne.

992

By place

Africa

• The Ghana Empire captures the Berber town of Awdaghost.

Europe

• Boleslaus I becomes Duke of Poland.
• Battle of Conquereuil: Fulk Nerra defeats Conan I of Rennes, who is killed in the battle.
• Viking settlers establish a mint in Dublin to produce silver pennies.

993

By topic

Religion

• July 4 – Saint Ulrich of Augsburg is canonized.

994

By place

Europe

• Sweyn Forkbeard marries Sigrid the Haughty.
• Otto III reaches his majority and begins to rule Germany in his own right.
• Aethelred II pays £16,000 of Danegeld to Olaf Trygvasson.

Middle East

• September 15 – Battle of the Orontes: Fatimid victory over a Byzantine army led by Michael Bourtzes

995

By place

Europe

• Upon the death of Eric the Victorious, he is succeeded by his son Olof Skötkonung as the first baptized king of Sweden.
• Basil II lifts the siege of Aleppo by mounting his entire army and transferring it across Anatolia in sixteen days.
• Constantine III becomes king of Scotland.
• Boleslaus II of Bohemia massacres the Slavnik's dynasty at Libice.
• Olaf Tryggvason is crowned king of Norway and builds the country's first church.

Asia

• The Liao Dynasty sends a patent of investiture to the new Goryeo king.

996

By place

Europe

• March or April – Pope John XV dies before being able to crown Otto III, King of Germany as Holy Roman Emperor. Otto resides in Pavia while waiting for the election of the next Pope.
• May 21 – Sixteen-year-old Otto III is crowned Holy Roman Emperor by his cousin Pope Gregory V.
• October 24 – Hugh Capet, King of France dies and is succeeded by his son Robert II of France.
• November 1 – Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk, Bishop of Freising, which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi (Austria in Old High German).
• In a continuing effort to expend northward, the de facto ruler of al-Andalus, al-Mansur captures the city of Astorga.
• In the duchy of Normandy, peasant revolt against the Scandinavian aristocracy.^[1]

Asia

• Abu Mansoor Nizar al-Aziz Billah, fifth Fatimid Caliph in Egypt, dies and is succeeded by his son Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah.
• The Niujie Mosque is constructed in Beijing.

By topic

Religion

• May 3 – Pope Gregory V succeeds Pope John XV as the 138th pope. He was 24-year-old Bruno of Carinthia, grandson of Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor and first cousin of Otto III. He is the first German Pope.

997

By place

Europe

• First documented reference to the City of Gdańsk.
• Saint Adalbert of Prague is sent to Prussia by Boleslaus I of Poland.
• Samuil of Bulgaria is crowned Tsar by Pope Gregory V.
• Trondheim, Norway is founded by the king Olav Tryggvason. This will function as the main city and capital of Norway, until Bergen is founded in 1070.
• In Spain, the muslim de facto ruler of al-Andalus, al-Mansur, with the support of the Christians Portuguese knights, sacks one of Christendom's holiest sites of pilgrimage, Santiago de Compostella. On their way they sack the cities of Zamora and Leon.
• In Southern Italy, rebellion of against the Byzantine rule led by Smaragdos and Peter.^[2]

998

By place

Europe

• Otto III retakes the city of Rome and reinstates his cousin, Pope Gregory V, after mutilating and blinding his rival, Antipope John XVI.
• St. Volodimir of Rus founds (or, according to some documents, gives his name to) the city of Volodimir of Wolyn, future capital of the kingdom of Ruthenia Minor (Halych-Wolyn Rus)

By topic

Religion

• A Benedictine abbey is founded at Sherborne.
• St. Volodimir, Prince of Kiev Rus (modern Ukraine, Russia and Belarus), baptizes his country

999

By place

Europe

• Silesia is incorporated into territory ruled by Boleslaus I of Poland.
• The Orsay commune is founded.

Asia

• The Samanid Dynasty ends with the invasion of the Karakhanids from north of the river Sir-Darya.

By topic

Religion

• April 2 – Gerbert of Aurillac becomes Pope Silvester II and succeeds Pope Gregory V as the 139th pope.
• Sigmundur Brestisson introduces Christianity in the Faroe Islands.
• Christianity is adopted in Iceland.

Significant people

Births

Deaths

References