Year 969 ( CMLXIX) was a

common year starting on Friday A common year starting on Friday is any non-leap year (i.e. a year with 365 days) that begins on Friday, 1 January, and ends on Friday, 31 December. Its dominical letter hence is C. The most recent year of such kind was 2021 and the next one will ...

(link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, the 969th year of the Common Era (CE) and '' Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 969th year of the

1st millennium File:1st millennium montage.png, From top left, clockwise: Depiction of Jesus, the central figure in Christianity; The Colosseum, a landmark of the once-mighty Roman Empire; Kaaba, the Great Mosque of Mecca, the holiest site of Islam; Chess, a new ...

, the 69th year of the

10th century The 10th century was the period from 901 ( CMI) through 1000 ( M) in accordance with the Julian calendar, and the last century of the 1st millennium. In China the Song dynasty was established. The Muslim World experienced a cultural zenith, ...

, and the 10th and last year of the

960s The 960s decade ran from January 1, 960, to December 31, 969. Significant people * Abd al-Rahman III caliph of Córdoba * Otto I of Holy Roman empire * Al-Muti caliph of Baghdad * Al-Hakam II caliph of Córdoba * Al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah of Fa ...

decade.

Events

By place

Byzantine Empire

* October 28 – Siege of Antioch: Byzantine general Michael Bourtzes (during a night attack) seizes part of Antioch's fortifications. The capture of the city from the Hamdanids is completed three days later, when reinforcements under the '' stratopedarches'' Peter Phokas arrive. The Byzantine army then moves deeper into

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

n territory — besieging and taking the city of

Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...

. * December 11 – Emperor Nikephoros II is murdered in the royal palace of

Boukoleon The Palace of Boukoleon ( el, Βουκολέων) or Bucoleon was one of the Byzantine Empire, Byzantine palaces in Constantinople (present-day Istanbul in Turkey.) The palace is located on the shore of the Sea of Marmara, to the south of the ...

at Constantinople after a 6-year reign. Former friends have acted on the instructions of his wife Theophano. Nikephoros is succeeded by his nephew

John I Tzimiskes John I Tzimiskes (; 925 – 10 January 976) was the senior Byzantine emperor from 969 to 976. An intuitive and successful general, he strengthened the Empire and expanded its borders during his short reign. Background John I Tzimiskes ...

, who becomes co-emperor and regent. He sends Theophano 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 ...

to the island of Prinkipo ( Prince Islands).

Europe

* Peter I, emperor (''

tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East Slavs, East and South Slavs, South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''Caesar (title), caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" i ...

'') of the

Bulgarian Empire In the medieval history of Europe, Bulgaria's status as the Bulgarian Empire ( bg, Българско царство, ''Balgarsko tsarstvo'' ) occurred in two distinct periods: between the seventh and the eleventh centuries and again between the ...

, suffers a

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

and abdicates the throne in favour of his eldest son Boris II. He arrives (after being an honorary hostage at Constantinople) in Preslav and is proclaimed as the new ruler. Boris regains lost territory from the Kievan Rus' and recaptures Pereyaslavets, an important trade city at the mouth of the Danube. * Summer – Grand Prince

Sviatoslav I ; (943 – 26 March 972), also spelled Svyatoslav, was Grand Prince of Kiev famous for his persistent campaigns in the east and south, which precipitated the collapse of two great powers of Eastern Europe, Khazaria and the First Bulgarian Empire. H ...

invades Bulgaria at the head of a Kievan army, which includes Pecheneg and Hungarian auxiliary forces. He defeats the Bulgarians in a major battle and retakes Pereyaslavets. Boris II capitulates and impales 300 Bulgarian

boyar A boyar or bolyar was a member of the highest rank of the Feudalism, feudal nobility in many Eastern European states, including Kievan Rus', Bulgarian Empire, Bulgaria, Russian nobility, Russia, Boyars of Moldavia and Wallachia, Wallachia and ...

s for disloyalty. Sviatoslav assigns garrisons to the conquered fortresses in Northern Bulgaria. *

Pandulf I Pandulf I Ironhead (died March 981) was the Prince of Benevento and Capua from 943 (or 944) until his death. He was made Duke of Spoleto and Camerino in 967 and succeeded as Prince of Salerno in 977 or 978. He was an important nobleman in the fi ...

(Ironhead), duke of

Benevento Benevento (, , ; la, Beneventum) is a city and ''comune'' of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill above sea level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino (or Beneventano) and the ...

and Capua, leads the siege of Bovino. He is captured by the Byzantines and taken in chains to

Bari Bari ( , ; nap, label= Barese, Bare ; lat, Barium) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, southern Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy a ...

, and jailed in Constantinople. Neapolitan forces under

Marinus II Pope Marinus II (died May 946) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 30 October 942 to his death. He has also been mistakenly called Martinus III. He ruled during the '' Saeculum obscurum''. He was also erroneously called M ...

, duke of Naples, invade Benevento-Capua, capture the city of

Avellino Avellino () is a town and ''comune'', capital of the province of Avellino in the Campania region of southern Italy. It is situated in a plain surrounded by mountains east of Naples and is an important hub on the road from Salerno to Benevento. ...

and then lay siege to Capua. * Emperor Otto I (the Great) assembles a large expeditionary force at Pavia, joined by Spoletan troops. He counter-attacks, relieves the siege of Capua and devastates the area around Naples. Otto enters Benevento, where he is received as 'liberator' by Landulf IV and in the cities of

Apulia it, Pugliese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographic ...

(Southern Italy).

Africa

* Summer – Fatimid conquest of Egypt: Caliph Al-Mu'izz dispatches an army under General

Jawhar al-Siqilli Al-Qaid Jawhar ibn Abdallah ( ar, جوهر بن عبد الله, Jawhar ibn ʿAbd Allāh, better known as Jawhar al Siqilli, al-Qaid al-Siqilli (The Sicilian General); died 28 April 992) was a Shia Muslim Fatimid general from the Byzantine (Easte ...

to invade Egypt. Jawhar occupies the lands around the Nile from the Ikhshidids after a siege at

Giza Giza (; sometimes spelled ''Gizah'' arz, الجيزة ' ) is the second-largest city in Egypt after Cairo and fourth-largest city in Africa after Kinshasa, Lagos and Cairo. It is the capital of Giza Governorate with a total population of 9.2 ...

..''The Fatimid Revolution (861-973) and its aftermath in North Africa'', Michael Brett, The Cambridge History of Africa, Vol. 2 ed. J. D. Fage, Roland Anthony Oliver, (Cambridge University Press, 2002). p. 622.

Asia

* September 27 –

Emperor Reizei was the 63rd emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 冷泉天皇 (63)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Reizei's reign spanned the years from 967 through 969, ending with his abdication and retirement. B ...

abdicates the throne (due to a

mental illness A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...

) after a 2-year reign. He is succeeded by his 10-year-old brother En'yū, who becomes the 64th emperor of

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. * Emperor Aditya Karikalan, co-regent of the Chola Dynasty (modern India), is murdered and succeeded by Uttama Chola. Due to his immaturity, Arulmolivarman becomes the heir apparent.

By topic

Religion

* Summer –

Pope John XIII Pope John XIII ( la, Ioannes XIII; died 6 September 972) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 1 October 965 to his death. His pontificate was caught up in the continuing conflict between the Holy Roman emperor, Otto I, and t ...

convenes a

synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''wikt:synod, synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin ...

at Rome. He raises the bishopric of

to Archbishopric of Benevento. The city is made a metropolitan see over 10 bishoprics in Byzantine Capitanata (Southern Italy).

Births

Badi' al-Zaman al-Hamadani Badi' al-Zamān al-Hamadāni or al-Hamadhāni ( ar, بديع الزمان الهمذاني التغلبي‎; 969–1007) was a medieval Arab man of letters born in Hamadan, Iran. He is best known for his work the ''Maqamat Badi' az-Zaman al-Ha ...

, Persian poet and writer (d.

1007 Year 1007 ( MVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place England * King Æthelred the Unready pays the Danish Vikings a sum of 36,000 pounds of silver (Dan ...

) * Hilal al-Sabi', Buyid bureaucrat and historian (d.

1056 Year 1056 ( MLVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * August 31 – Empress Theodora (a sister of the former Empress Zoë) dies aft ...

) * Judith of Hungary, princess and queen of Poland (d.

988 Year 988 ( CMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Fall – Emperor Basil II, supported by a contingent of 6,000 Varangians ...

) * Liu, empress and regent of the Song Dynasty (d.

1033 Year 1033 ( MXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (the wikilink will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Asia * December 5 Events Pre-1600 *63 BC – Cicero gives the fourth and final o ...

) * Nathar Shah, Tamil mystic and preacher (d.

1039 Year 1039 ( MXXXIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * June 4 – Emperor Conrad II (the Elder) dies of gout in Utrecht after a 12-year reign. ...

) * William V (the Great), duke of Aquitaine (d.

1030 Year 1030 ( MXXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Emperor Romanos III Argyros decides to retaliate upon the incursions of the Musli ...

)

Deaths

March 12 Events Pre-1600 * 538 – Vitiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving the city to the victorious Byzantine general, Belisarius. * 1088 – Election of Urban II as the 159th Pope of the Cat ...

– Mu Zong, emperor of the Liao Dynasty (b. 931) * June 26 –

George El Mozahem George El Mozahem ( cop, ⲅⲉⲱⲣⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲡⲓⲍⲟϩⲉⲙ; 940 – June 26, 969) was a Coptic Orthodox martyr and saint. Born in Talkha, Egypt, as El-Mozahem to a Christian mother (Mary) and a Muslim father (Jumaa Al Atawy), He was r ...

, Egyptian martyr (b. 940) * July 11 – Olga of Kiev, princess and regent of Russia (b. c. 890) * September 25 – Burchard, bishop of

Meissen Meissen (in German orthography: ''Meißen'', ) is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, the Albrecht ...

(approximate date) * December 1 –

Fujiwara no Morotada was a Japanese statesman, courtier and politician during the Heian period.Brinkley, Frank ''et al.'' (1915). Career He was a minister during the reign of Emperor Reizei. * 968 (''Kōhō 5, 12th month''): Morotada is named ''udaijin''. * 969 ( ...

, Japanese statesman (b. 920) * December 11 – Nikephoros II, emperor of the Byzantine Empire * Aditya Karikalan, prince and ruler of the Chola Dynasty ( India) *

Dou Zhengu Dou Zhengu () (892-969), courtesy name Tiren (), formally the Duke of Yi (), was an official of the History of China, Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period Later Tang, Later Jin (Five Dynasties), Later Jin, Later Han (Five Dynasties), Later ...

, Chinese official and

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.

892 Year 892 ( DCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – Poppo II, duke of Thuringia (Central Germany), is deposed by King Arnul ...

) * Ibn Hawqal, Muslim writer, geographer and chronicler * Landulf III, prince of

and Capua (or 968) * Michael Krešimir II, king of Croatia (

House of Trpimir A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condit ...

) * Nasir al-Dawla, Hamdanid emir (Emirate of Mosul)

References

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