Year 1008 ( MVIII) was a

leap year starting on Thursday A leap year starting on Thursday is any year with 366 days (i.e. it includes 29 February) that begins on Thursday 1 January, and ends on Friday 31 December. Its dominical letters hence are DC. The most recent year of such kind was 2004, and the n ...

of the

Julian calendar The Julian calendar is a solar calendar of 365 days in every year with an additional leap day every fourth year (without exception). The Julian calendar is still used as a religious calendar in parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church and in parts ...

Events

By place

Europe

* Olaf Haraldsson, future king of

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

, makes raids in the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...

. He lands on the

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

n island of

Saaremaa Saaremaa (; ) is the largest and most populous island in Estonia. Measuring , its population is 31,435 (as of January 2020). The main island of the West Estonian archipelago (Moonsund archipelago), it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hi ...

, wins a battle there, and forces the inhabitants to pay

tribute A tribute (; from Latin ''tributum'', "contribution") is wealth, often in kind, that a party gives to another as a sign of submission, allegiance or respect. Various ancient states exacted tribute from the rulers of lands which the state con ...

. * Battle at Herdaler: Olaf Haraldsson sails to the southern coast of

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

to plunder, where he and his men are

ambush An ambush is a surprise attack carried out by people lying in wait in a concealed position. The concealed position itself or the concealed person(s) may also be called an "". Ambushes as a basic military tactics, fighting tactic of soldi ...

ed and defeated in the woods. * The oldest known mention is made of the city of

Gundelfingen Gundelfingen im Breisgau (Low Alemannic: ''Gundelfinge im Brisgau'') is a municipality directly north of the city Freiburg in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. Gundelfingen is one of the larger municipalities in the Breisgau-Hochschwarzw ...

(Southern

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

). *

Unification of the Georgian realm The unification of the Georgian realm ( ka, ქართული სახელმწიფოს გაერთიანება, tr) was the 10th-century political movement that resulted in the consolidation of various Georgian crowns int ...

. * In

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, King

Æthelred the Unready Æthelred II (,Different spellings of this king's name most commonly found in modern texts are "Ethelred" and "Æthelred" (or "Aethelred"), the latter being closer to the original Old English form . Compare the modern dialect word . ; ; 966 � ...

orders a new fleet of warships built, organised on a national scale. It is a huge undertaking, but is completed the following year.

Arabian Empire

* Caliph

Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah Abu Ali al-Mansur (; 13 August 985 – 13 February 1021), better known by his regnal name al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (), was the sixth Fatimid caliph and 16th Ismaili imam (996–1021). Al-Hakim is an important figure in a number of Shia Ism ...

sends a

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

mission to

Emperor Zhenzong Emperor Zhenzong of Song (23 December 968 – 23 March 1022), personal name Zhao Heng, was the third emperor of the Song dynasty of China. He reigned from 997 to his death in 1022. His personal name was originally Zhao Dechang, but was change ...

of the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

in order to reestablish

trade Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market. Traders generally negotiate through a medium of cr ...

relations between the

Fatimid Caliphate The Fatimid Caliphate (; ), also known as the Fatimid Empire, was a caliphate extant from the tenth to the twelfth centuries CE under the rule of the Fatimids, an Isma'ili Shi'a dynasty. Spanning a large area of North Africa and West Asia, i ...

and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

(approximate date).

Japan

November 13 Events Pre-1600 * 1002 – English king Æthelred II orders the killing of all Danes in England, known today as the St. Brice's Day massacre. * 1093 – Battle of Alnwick: in an English victory over the Scots, Malcolm III of Scot ...

– Kamo Special Festival: The poet

Murasaki Shikibu was a Japanese novelist, Japanese poetry#Age of Nyobo or court ladies, poet and lady-in-waiting at the Imperial Court in Kyoto, Imperial court in the Heian period. She was best known as the author of ''The Tale of Genji'', widely considered t ...

is given her name from a famous court poet, Fujiwara no Kinto; this year she probably starts to write ''

The Diary of Lady Murasaki is the title given to a collection of diary fragments written by the 11th-century Japanese Heian era lady-in-waiting and writer Murasaki Shikibu. It is written in kana, then a newly-developed writing system for vernacular Japanese, more common ...

''. * 42nd Birthday of

Fujiwara no Michinaga was a Japanese statesman. The Fujiwara clan's control over Japan and its politics reached its zenith under his leadership. Early life Michinaga was born in Kyōto, the son of Kaneie. Kaneie had become Regent in 986, holding the position unt ...

, father-in-law of the emperor, is celebrated. Vietnam * Under the

Early Lê dynasty Early may refer to: Places in the United States * Early, Iowa, a city * Early, Texas, a city * Early Branch, a stream in Missouri * Early County, Georgia * Fort Early, Georgia, an early 19th century fort Music * Early B, stage name of Jamaican d ...

, King

Lê Long Đĩnh Lê Long Đĩnh (; 黎龍鋌, 15 November 98619 November 1009), also known as Lê Ngọa Triều (), was the last emperor of the Early Lê dynasty of the kingdom of Đại Cồ Việt, ruling from 1005 to 1009. After killing his predecessor ...

personally marched into battle to defeat the barbarians in Đô Lương and Vị Long provinces.

By topic

Religion

* Autumn –

Bruno of Querfurt Bruno of Querfurt, O.S.B. Cam., (; 974 – 14 February or 9/14 March 1009), also known as Brun, was a Christian missionary bishop, Camaldolese monk and martyr, who was beheaded near the border of Kievan Rus and Lithuania for trying to spread C ...

, a

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

bishop, and 18 companions sets out on a mission to spread

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

among the

Prussians Prussia () was a German state that formed the German Empire in 1871. Prussia or Prussian may also refer to: *Prussia (region), a historical region on the south-eastern coast of the Baltic Sea that lent its name to the later German state Count ...

. *

January 23 Events Pre-1600 * 393 – Roman emperor Theodosius I proclaims his eight-year-old son Honorius co-emperor. * 971 – Using crossbows, Song dynasty troops soundly defeat a war elephant corps of the Southern Han at Shao. * 1229 ...

– This new calendar is a mixture of

Islamic Calendar The Hijri calendar (), also known in English as the Islamic calendar, is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to determine the proper days of Islamic holidays and rituals, such as the Ramad ...

Gregorian Calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian cale ...

Chinese Calendar The traditional Chinese calendar, dating back to the Han dynasty, is a lunisolar calendar that blends solar, lunar, and other cycles for social and agricultural purposes. While modern China primarily uses the Gregorian calendar for officia ...

to become the Arya Khafid Al Hasyimi Solar Calendar Era Year for Muslims, and Christians. *

Olof Skötkonung Olof Skötkonung (; – 1022), sometimes stylized as Olaf the Swede, was King of Sweden, son of Eric the Victorious and, according to Icelandic sources, Sigrid the Haughty. He succeeded his father in c. 995. He stands at the threshold of record ...

, king of

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

, is

baptized Baptism (from ) is a Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by sprinkling or pouring water on the head, or by immersing in water either partially or completely, traditionally three ...

Husaby Husaby is a village, near Kinnekulle, belonging to Götene Municipality in the province of Västergötland, Sweden. Husaby Church Husaby is most known for Husaby Church (''Husaby kyrka'') a medieval stone church. During the early 11th ce ...

(

Västergötland Västergötland (), also known as West Gothland or the Latinized version Westrogothia in older literature, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden (''landskap'' in Swedish), situated in the southwest of Sweden. Vä ...

) by missionary

Sigfrid Siegfried is a German-language male given name, composed from the Germanic elements ''sig'' "victory" and ''frithu'' "protection, peace". The German name has the Old Norse cognate ''Sigfriðr, Sigfrøðr'', which gives rise to Swedish ''Sigfrid' ...

, and makes generous donations on the spot.Quoted in Mats G. Larsson, ''Götarnas riken: Upptäcktsfärder till Sveriges enande''. Stockholm: Atlantis, 2002, p. 185.

Births

May 4 Events Pre-1600 * 1256 – The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV issues a papal bull ''Licet ecclesiae catholicae''. * 1415 – Religious reformer John Wycliffe is condemned a ...

–

Henry I Henry I or Henri I may refer to: :''In chronological order'' * Henry I the Fowler, King of Germany (876–936) * Henry I, Duke of Bavaria (died 955) * Henry I of Austria, Margrave of Austria (died 1018) * Henry I of France (1008–1060) * Henry ...

, king of

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

(d.

1060 Year 1060 ( MLX) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. It was the 1060th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 60th year of the 2nd millennium, the 60th year of the 11th century, and the fir ...

) *

October 12 Events Pre-1600 *539 BC – The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia Fall of Babylon, conquer Babylon, ending the Babylonian empire. (Julian calendar) * 633 – Battle of Hatfield Chase: King Edwin of Northumbria is defeated and killed b ...

– Atsuhira, future

Emperor Go-Ichijō was the 68th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 後一条天皇 (68)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Ichijō's reign spanned the years from 1016 through 1036. This 11th century sovereign was n ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

(d.

1036 Year 1036 ( MXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – In Naples, Duke Sergius IV abdicates and retires to a monastery; he is succeeded by his son John V. * A Zirid expe ...

) *

Al-Mu'izz ibn Badis Al-Muʿizz ibn Bādīs (; 19 January 1008 – 2 September 1062) was the fourth ruler of the Zirids in Ifriqiya, reigning from 1016 to 1062. His regent was his paternel aunt Saïda bint Mansur until he reached majority. Name Ibn Khallikan wro ...

, Zirid ruler of

Ifriqiya Ifriqiya ( '), also known as al-Maghrib al-Adna (), was a medieval historical region comprising today's Tunisia, eastern Algeria, and Tripolitania (roughly western Libya). It included all of what had previously been the Byzantine province of ...

(d.

1062 Year 1062 ( MLXII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – Coup of Kaiserswerth: The 11-year-old King Henry IV is abducted, as a result of a conspiracy of German nobles ...

) *

Anselm of Liège Anselm of Liège (1008 – c. 1056) was a chronicler of the eleventh century of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège. Biography He was educated at the episcopal school of Liège, and became canon and dean of the cathedral, where he enjoyed the friendshi ...

, French chronicler and historian *

Di Qing Di Qing (1008–1057), formerly romanized as Ti Ch'ing, was a Chinese military general of the Northern Song dynasty. He often wore a mask in battle. He led campaigns against the Western Xia and the Nong Zhigao rebellion in Guangxi. He was kno ...

, general of the

Song Dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

(d.

1057 Year 1057 ( MLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * June 8 – General Isaac Komnenos proclaims himself emperor in Paphlagonia (modern Turkey), and starts a civil w ...

) * Gothelo II (or Gozelo), duke of

Lower Lorraine The Duchy of Lower Lotharingia, also called Northern Lotharingia, Lower Lorraine or Northern Lorraine (and also referred to as '' Lothier'' or '' Lottier''

(d.

1046 Year 1046 ( MXLVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Autumn – King Henry III ("the Black") travels to Italy to secure the imposition of Guido da Velate, archbishop of Milan ...

) * Sugawara no Takasue, Japanese writer (approximate date) * Wulfstan, bishop of

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engl ...

(approximate date)

Deaths

March 17 Events Pre-1600 * 45 BC – In his last victory, Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger in the Battle of Munda. * 180 – Commodus becomes sole emperor of the Roman Empire at the age of ...

–

Kazan Kazan; , IPA: Help:IPA/Tatar, ɑzanis the largest city and capital city, capital of Tatarstan, Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and the Kazanka (river), Kazanka Rivers, covering an area of , with a population of over 1. ...

, emperor of Japan (b.

968 Year 968 ( CMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Emperor Nikephoros II receives a Bulgarian embassy led by Prince Boris (the son of Tsar Peter I of Bulgaria), wi ...

) *

April 7 Events Pre-1600 * 451 – Attila the Hun captures Metz in France, killing most of its inhabitants and burning the town. * 529 – First '' Corpus Juris Civilis'', a fundamental work in jurisprudence, is issued by Eastern Roman Em ...

–

Ludolf Ludolf is a Germanic surname or given name. It is derived from two stems: Hlud meaning "fame" and olf meaning "wolf". An alternate spelling of the name is Ludolph. People with the name include: * George Philipp Ludolf von Beckedorff (1778-1858), pr ...

(or Liudolf), archbishop of

Trier Trier ( , ; ), formerly and traditionally known in English as Trèves ( , ) and Triers (see also Names of Trier in different languages, names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle (river), Moselle in Germany. It lies in a v ...

April 10 Events Pre-1600 * 428 – Nestorius becomes the Patriarch of Constantinople. * 837 – Halley's Comet makes its closest approach to Earth at a distance equal to 0.0342 AU (5.1 million kilometres/3.2 million miles). * 140 ...

–

Notker of Liège Notker (or Notger) of Liège (; c. 940 – 10 April 1008 AD) was a Order of Saint Benedict, Benedictine monk, bishop (972–1008) and first prince-Bishop, prince-bishop (980–1008) of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, Bishopric of Liège (now in ...

, French bishop (b. 940) *

May 25 Events Pre-1600 * 567 BC – Servius Tullius, the king of Rome, celebrates a triumph for his victory over the Etruscans. * 240 BC – First recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. * 1085 – Alfonso VI of Castile takes ...

** Bishi, Japanese imperial princess ** Matilda of Saxony, countess of

Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...

October 6 Events Pre-1600 * 105 BC – Cimbrian War: Defeat at the Battle of Arausio of the Roman army of the mid-Republic * 69 BC – Third Mithridatic War: The military of the Roman Republic subdue Armenia. * AD 23 – Rebels decapitat ...

–

Menendo González Menendo González (Portuguese language, Portuguese and Galician language, Galician: ''Mendo Gonçalves''; died 6 October 1008) was a semi-autonomous Kingdom of Galicia, Duke of Galicia and County of Portugal, Count of Portugal (997–1008), a domi ...

, Galician

nobleman Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...

November 20 Events Pre-1600 * 284 – Diocletian is chosen as Roman emperor. * 762 – During the An Shi Rebellion, the Tang dynasty, with the help of Huihe tribe, recaptures Luoyang from the rebels. *1194 – Palermo is conquered by Henry ...

– Geoffrey I, duke of

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

(b.

980 Year 980 ( CMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Peace is concluded between Emperor Otto II (the Red) and King Lothair III (or Lothair IV) at Margut, ending the Franco-Germa ...

) * Abd al-Malik al-Muzaffar, Andalusian court official *

Clothna mac Aenghusa Clothna mac Aenghusa, Irish poet, died 1008. Clothna held the post of Chief Ollam of Ireland. Some of his poems are held in the Library of Trinity College Dublin. His obit is given in the Annals of the Four Masters as follows- “M1008.11 Clot ...

, Irish

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

(approximate date) *

Gunnlaugr Ormstunga Gunnlaugr ormstunga (Old Norse: ; ; "serpent-tongue") was an Icelandic skald. His life is described in ''Gunnlaugs saga ormstungu'', where several of his poems are preserved. Gunnlaugr was born ca. 983. From an early age he proved himself impetu ...

, Icelandic

(approximate date) * Gurgen II (Magistros), king of Iberia-Kartli (

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

) *

Ibn Zur'a Abū ʿAlī ʿĪsā ibn Isḥāq ibn Zurʿa (; 943–1008) was a medieval Syriac Orthodox physician and philosopher. Ibn Zurʿa was born in 943 in Baghdad, then the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate. In theology and philosophy, he was a student ...

, Abbasid

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

and philosopher (b. 943) *

Madudan mac Gadhra Mór Madudan mac Gadhra Mór (died 1008) was the namesake and ancestor of the Ó Madden family. Madudan was the son of Gadhra Mór mac Dundach who fought at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014. The Annals of Ulster describe him as Chief of Síol Anmchadh ...

, king of

Síol Anmchadha Síol Anmchadha () was a sub-kingdom or lordship of Uí Maine, and ruled by an offshoot of the Uí Maine called the Síol Anmchadha (''"the seed of Anmchadh"''), from whom the territory took its name. It was located in Connacht, Ireland. Hist ...

* Poppo, Polish

bishop (approximate date) * Raymond III, French nobleman (approximate date) * Rotbold I (or Rotbaud), French nobleman *

Sarolt Sarolt ( 950 – c. 1008) was the wife of Géza, Grand Prince of the Hungarians. She was born a daughter of Zombor (or Gyula II), ''gyula'' of Transylvania, second in rank among the leaders of the Hungarian tribal federation. Sarolt exerted a po ...

, Grand Princess of

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

(b.

950 Year 950 ( CML) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Arab–Byzantine War: A Hamdanid army (30,000 men) led by Sayf al-Dawla raids into Byzantine theme Anatolia. He defea ...

)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1008