Year 956 ( CMLVI) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

Events

By place

Byzantine Empire

* Summer – Emperor

Constantine VII Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (; 17 May 905 – 9 November 959) was the fourth Emperor of the Macedonian dynasty of the Byzantine Empire, reigning from 6 June 913 to 9 November 959. He was the son of Emperor Leo VI and his fourth wife, Zoe Kar ...

appoints

Nikephoros Phokas Nikephoros II Phokas (; – 11 December 969), Latinized Nicephorus II Phocas, was Byzantine emperor from 963 to 969. His career, not uniformly successful in matters of statecraft or of war, nonetheless included brilliant military exploits whi ...

to commander of the Byzantine field army ('' Domestic of the Schools'') in the East. He gives him order to prepare a campaign against the Hamdanid emir Sayf al-Dawla. Constantine makes treaties with neighbouring rulers, to seek military aid. * September - October – A Byzantine fleet under

Basil Hexamilites Basil Hexamilites ( el, Βασίλειος Ἑξαμιλίτης, ) was a Byzantine military leader who won a major victory against the Hamdanid navy of Tarsus. Biography As his surname indicates, he hailed from Hexamilion in eastern Thrace. In ...

deals a crushing defeat to the Hamdanid fleet at Tarsus in

Cilicia Cilicia (); el, Κιλικία, ''Kilikía''; Middle Persian: ''klkyʾy'' (''Klikiyā''); Parthian: ''kylkyʾ'' (''Kilikiyā''); tr, Kilikya). is a geographical region in southern Anatolia in Turkey, extending inland from the northeastern coas ...

(modern Turkey).

Europe

* Liudolf, the eldest son of King Otto I (the Great), reconciles with his father and asks again for installation as duke of

Swabia Swabia ; german: Schwaben , colloquially ''Schwabenland'' or ''Ländle''; archaic English also Suabia or Svebia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany. The name is ultimately derived from the medieval Duchy of ...

. Otto refuses, but at the instigation of his uncle Bruno I (duke of Lotharingia) allows Liudolf to lead an expedition to Italy to bring the vassal Berengar of Ivrea to heel. * Berengar of Ivrea dispatches a Lombard army under his son Adalbert II to counter Liudolf, while he guards Pavia himself. In two battles Liudolf defeats the Lombard forces and enters Pavia, there to receive the

homage Homage (Old English) or Hommage (French) may refer to: History *Homage (feudal) /ˈhɒmɪdʒ/, the medieval oath of allegiance *Commendation ceremony, medieval homage ceremony Arts *Homage (arts) /oʊˈmɑʒ/, an allusion or imitation by one arti ...

of the Italian nobles and clergy on behalf of Otto I. * June 16 – Hugh the Great, count of Paris, dies at Dourdan. He is succeeded by his eldest son Hugh Capet, who is recognized as Duke of the Franks by his cousin

Lothair III Lothair III, sometimes numbered Lothair II and also known as Lothair of Supplinburg (1075 – 4 December 1137), was Holy Roman Emperor from 1133 until his death. He was appointed List of rulers of Saxony, Duke of Saxony in 1106 and elected List o ...

, king of the West Frankish Kingdom. * King Ordoño III dies at Zamora after a 5-year reign. He is succeeded by his half-brother Sancho I as ruler of León (modern Spain).

Egypt

* An earthquake badly damages the Lighthouse of Alexandria: one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

By topic

Religion

Dunstan Saint Dunstan (c. 909 – 19 May 988) was an English bishop. He was successively Abbot of Glastonbury, Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey, Bishop of Worcester, Bishop of London and Archbishop of Canterbury, later canonised as a saint. His work restor ...

, an abbot of Glastonbury Abbey, is sent into

exile Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...

by King Eadwig. He takes refuge in Flanders (modern Belgium), where Count Arnulf I gives him shelter in the Abbey of Mont Blandin, near Ghent.

Births

* Siegfried II, count of

Stade Stade (), officially the Hanseatic City of Stade (german: Hansestadt Stade, nds, Hansestadt Stood) is a city in Lower Saxony in northern Germany. First mentioned in records in 934, it is the seat of the district () which bears its name. It is l ...

(d.

1037 Year 1037 ( MXXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – A revolt in northern Italy is started by Archbishop Aribert of Milan. K ...

) *''probable'' ** Adalbert of Prague, Bohemian bishop (approximate date) **

Sampiro Sampiro (''c''. 956 – 1041) was a Leonese cleric, politician, and intellectual, one of the earliest chroniclers of post-conquest Spain known by name. He was also the Bishop of Astorga from 1034 or 1035 until his death. According to some sourc ...

, Spanish bishop (approximate date)

Deaths

February 15 Events Pre-1600 * 438 – Roman emperor Theodosius II publishes the law codex Codex Theodosianus * 590 – Khosrau II is crowned king of Persia. * 706 – Byzantine emperor Justinian II has his predecessors Leontios and Tiberi ...

–

Su Yugui Su Yugui (蘇禹珪) (895''Old History of the Five Dynasties'', vol. 127.–February 15, 956Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter), courtesy name Yuanxi (元錫), formally the Duke of Ju (莒國公), was an official during the Chines ...

, Chinese

chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

(b.

895 ' __NOTOC__ Year 895 (Roman numerals, DCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * The Hungarians, Magyars are expelled from southern Russia, and ...

) *

February 27 Events Pre-1600 * 380 – Edict of Thessalonica: Emperor Theodosius I and his co-emperors Gratian and Valentinian II declare their wish that all Roman citizens convert to Nicene Christianity. * 425 – The University of Constantinople ...

– Theophylact, Byzantine patriarch (b.

917 __NOTOC__ Year 917 ( CMXVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * August 20 – Battle of Achelous: A Byzantine expeditionary fo ...

) *

April 8 Events Pre-1600 * 217 – Roman emperor Caracalla is assassinated and is succeeded by his Praetorian Guard prefect, Marcus Opellius Macrinus. * 876 – The Battle of Dayr al-'Aqul saves Baghdad from the Saffarids. *1139 – Ro ...

–

Gilbert Gilbert may refer to: People and fictional characters * Gilbert (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Gilbert (surname), including a list of people Places Australia * Gilbert River (Queensland) * Gilbert River (South ...

, duke of

Burgundy Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The c ...

* April 15 –

Lin Yanyu Lin Yanyu () (died April 15, 956''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 293. Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter) was a powerful eunuch of the Southern Han dynasty of China. Background and initial arrival in Southern Han It is not known when L ...

, Chinese court official and eunuch * May 19 – Robert, archbishop of Trier * June 4 –

Muhammad III of Shirvan Muhammad III was the Shirvanshah from 981 to 991. He was the son and successor of Ahmad (). Reign In 981/82, Muhammad III took the town of Qabala from its ruler, Abd al-Barr ibn Anbasa. In 982, he took control of Barda'a, and made Musa ibn Ali h ...

, Muslim ruler * June 16 – Hugh the Great, Frankish nobleman (b.

898 __NOTOC__ Year 898 ( DCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * January 1 – King Odo I (or Eudes) dies at La Fère (Northern France) af ...

) * July/August –

Fulbert of Cambrai Fulbert was Bishop of Cambrai from 934 to 956, and from 948 the first bishop of Cambrai to hold the position of Count of Cambrai. In 954 he successfully directed the defence of Cambrai Cambrai (, ; pcd, Kimbré; nl, Kamerijk), formerly Cambra ...

, bishop * August – Ordoño III, king of León * August 29 – Fu (the Elder), Chinese empress consort * September/October – Al-Masudi, Muslim historian and geographer * December 21 – Sun Sheng, Chinese chancellor * December 26 – Wulfstan, archbishop of York *''date unknown'' ** Ahmad al-Muhajir, Muslim scholar and

imam Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, ser ...

(b.

873 __NOTOC__ Year 873 ( DCCCLXXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Carloman, son of King Charles the Bald, is hauled before a secular court an ...

) **

Congalach Cnogba Conghalach Cnoghbha (older spelling: Congalach Cnogba or Congalach mac Máel Mithig) was High King of Ireland, according to the lists in the Annals of the Four Masters, from around 944 to 956. Congalach is one of the twelve "kings of Ireland" liste ...

High King of Ireland High King of Ireland ( ga, Ardrí na hÉireann ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and later sometimes assigned ana ...

** Gandaraditya, ruler of Chola Kingdom ** Zhao Hongyin, Chinese general

References

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