Year 961 (Roman numerals, CMLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

Events

By place

Byzantine Empire

* March 6 – Siege of Chandax: Byzantine forces under Nikephoros II Phokas capture and pillage Heraklion, Chandax after an 8-month siege. Nikephoros massacres the population without mercy and carries them off into slavery, returning to Constantinople with Emir Abd al-Aziz ibn Shu'ayb and his family as prisoners. The island Emirate of Crete is converted into a Theme (Byzantine district), Byzantine theme and the remaining Muslims are converted to Christianity.

Europe

* May 26 – Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor elects his 6-year-old son Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor, Otto II as heir apparent and co-ruler at the Imperial Diet (Holy Roman Empire), Imperial Diet in Worms, Germany, Worms. He is crowned at Aachen, and placed under the tutelage of his grandmother Matilda of Ringelheim, Matilda and his half-brother William (archbishop of Mainz), William of Mainz. Otto's own brother Bruno the Great, Bruno I is charged with the provisional government of Duchy of Lorraine, Lorraine again. * Summer – Otto I leads an expeditionary force into northern Kingdom of Italy (Holy Roman Empire), Italy through the Brenner Pass at Trento, to assist the beleaguered young Pope Pope John XII, John XII. He proceeds towards Pavia – King Berengar II of Italy, Berengar II sends his son and co-ruler Adalbert of Italy, Adalbert II from Rome at the head of a large army to seize control of the South Tyrol, Upper Adige and contest Otto's entry. * October 15 – Caliph Abd-ar-Rahman III, Abd-al-Rahman III dies after a 32-year reign. He is succeeded by his son Al-Hakam II as ruler of the Caliphate of Córdoba in Al-Andalus (modern Spain). * Battle of Fitjar – A Vikings, Viking force under the sons of Eric Bloodaxe lands on Hordaland. King Haakon the Good defeats the rebelling force, but is killed. Harald Greycloak becomes ruler of the western part of Norway. * The Lombards, Lombard army under Adalbert II refuses to fight Otto I unless Berengar II abdicates in favor of Adalbert. Berengar refuses, and the armies retreat to their strongholds. Berengar and his family take whatever loyal soldiers remain and disperse themselves – Berengar retreats to the fortress at Montefeltro (in the Pentapolis).

Armenia

* King Ashot III of Armenia (the Merciful) moves his capital from Kars eastward to Ani (modern Turkey). Located on a major east-west Caravan (travellers), caravan route, Ani will become larger than any European city, with a population of about 100,000 that will rival Baghdad, Cairo, and Constantinople. Ani also becomes the site of the royal mausoleum of the Bagratuni dynasty, Bagratuni kings.

By topic

Art

* The "Shroud of Suaire de Saint-Josse, Saint Josse", a rich silk Samite camel cloth from Greater Khorasan, Khurasan, is made. It is preserved in the Saint-Josse, Abbey of Saint-Josse-sur-Mer, near Caen (Normandy) (approximate date).

Religion

* The Tiger Hill Pagoda (or Huqui Tower) is built in the city of Suzhou, located in Jiangsu, Jiangsu Province (East China, Eastern China). * Tavistock Abbey is founded by Ordgar, Ealdorman of Devon, in Kingdom of England, England.Chisholm, Hugh (1911). "Tavistock". ''Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, Encyclopædia Britannica'' (Eleventh Edition). Cambridge University Press, pp. 457–458.

Births

* January 15 – Seongjong of Goryeo, Seongjong, ruler of Goryeo (Korea) (d. 997) * Al-Tha'alibi, Persian historian and writer (d. 1038) * Arnulf II, Count of Flanders (the Younger), Frankish Nobility, nobleman (or 960) * Edith of Wilton, English princess and nun (approximate date) * Fujiwara no Michikane, Japanese nobleman (d. 995) * Kou Zhun, Chinese Grand chancellor (China), Grand chancellor (approximate date) * Mahendradatta, queen of Bali (Indonesia) (d. 1011) * Pietro II Orseolo, Doge of Venice (d. 1009) * Ramiro III of León, Ramiro III, king of Kingdom of León, León (Spain) (d. 985) * Sigmundur Brestisson, Viking chieftain (d. 1005)

Deaths

* July 17 – Empress Dowager Du, Du, empress dowager of the Song dynasty * August 12 – Li Jing (Southern Tang), Li Jing, emperor of Southern Tang (b. 916) * September 19 – Helena Lekapene, Byzantine empress * October 1 – Artald of Reims, Artald, archbishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Reims, Reims * October 15 – Abd al-Rahman III, caliph of Caliphate of Córdoba, Córdoba * Abd al-Malik I (Samanid emir), Abd al-Malik I, Samanid emir (b. 944) * Abu'l-Qasim Unujur ibn al-Ikhshid, Ikhshidid ruler * Adarnase V of Tao, Adarnase V, prince of Principality of Tao-Klarjeti, Tao-Klarjeti (Georgia (country), Georgia) * Atto of Vercelli, Lombard bishop (b. 885) * Ava of Cerdanya, countess regent of County of Cerdanya, Cerdanya and County of Besalú, Besalú * Butuga II, ruler of the Western Ganga dynasty, Western Ganga Dynasty (India) * Fujiwara no Masatada, Japanese Japanese poetry, poet * Haakon the Good, king of Kingdom of Norway (872–1397), Norway * Landulf II of Benevento (the Red), Lombard prince * Li Tao (Five Dynasties), Li Tao, Chinese chancellor (approximate date) * Minamoto no Tsunemoto, Japanese samurai (b. 894) * Raymond II of Rouergue, Frankish nobleman (approximate date) * William II, Marquess of Montferrat, Frankish nobleman (approximate date)

References

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