Sep 8, 2008
The Holy Roman Emperor Otto III dies of malaria January 23 at age 21 while conducting a campaign against the Romans. He is succeeded as king of the Franks and Bavarians June 7 by his 28-year-old cousin Heinrich, duke of Bavaria, who is elected as Heinrich II and will become emperor in 1014. Bavaria in this century will be ruled by various houses (see 1047).
Poland's Boleslav I seizes the principality of Bohemia and the imperial lands of Lusatia and Meissen following the death of Otto III, precipitating the first of three wars between the Poles and the new Frankish-Bavarian king Heinrich II that will continue off and on until 1018.
The Umayyad vizier Abu Amir al-Mansur of Córdoba dies at age 63 after 21 years in power. He has enriched himself by raiding Christian Spain each summer and hauling the loot that he plundered back to Córdoba, whose citizens he has taxed to build himself a great palace—the Madinat al-Zahira, or Shining City. The caliphate begins to decline under Almanzor's successor, Hisham II.
The Byzantine armies of Basil II overrun Macedonia and defeat the Bulgarians at Vidin. Basil earns the nickname "Slayer of the Bulgars."
Danish settlers in England are massacred November 3 (St. Brice's Day) by order of Ethelred (Aethelred) II (see 1003).
Iron plows with wheels will replace wooden plows in much of northern Europe in this century. Food will become more abundant as a result of such agricultural improvements, but France will nevertheless have 26 famines and England will average one famine every 14 years.
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