680s

Millennium:	1st millennium
Centuries:	6th century – 7th century – 8th century
Decades:	650s 660s 670s – 680s – 690s 700s 710s
Years:	680 681 682 683 684 685 686 687 688 689
Categories:	Births – Deaths – Architecture Establishments – Disestablishments

This is a list of events occurring in the 680s, ordered by year.

By place

Europe

• The Bulgars subjugate the country of current-day Bulgaria.
• Pippin of Herstal becomes Mayor of the Palace.
• Erwig deposes Wamba to become king of the Visigoths.
• Perctarit, king of the Lombards, makes his son Cunincpert co-ruler.

Asia

• October 10 – The Battle of Karbala results in the martyrdom of Imam Hussein.
• Umayyad caliph Muawiyah I is succeeded by Yazid I ibn Muawiyah.
• In Japan, Empress-consort Uno Sarara is unwell and her husband begins the erection of the Temple of Yakushiji in Asuka, Yamato, and makes 100 persons enter religion as priests, wishing her recovering her health.

By topic

Religion

• November 12 – The Sixth Ecumenical Council opens in Constantinople and ends September 16, 681.

By place

Byzantine Empire

• The Bulgars under Asparukh win the war with the Byzantine Empire; the latter signs a peace treaty, which is considered by most as the birth-date of Bulgaria.

Caucasus and the Middle East

• Armenians, Albanians, and Iberians rise in rebellion against the Caliphate.

Europe

• Wilfrid of York is expelled from Northumbria by Ecgfrith, and retires into Sussex.

Asia

• In Japan, Asuka Kiyomihara Regulations are enacted.
• Prince Kusakabe is made Prince Imperial of Japan.
• Kutluk Khan revolts and reestablishes the Turkish khaganate.

By topic

Religion

• September 16 – The Sixth Ecumenical Council (opened on November 12, 680 in Constantinople) concludes.

By place

Europe

• Jarrow Priory is established by Benedict Biscop in the Kingdom of Northumbria.
• The first entry is made in the Welsh chronicle Brut y Tywysogion.

Asia

• Due to a culmination of major droughts, floods, locust plagues, and epidemics, a widespread famine breaks out in the dual Chinese capital cities of Chang'an (primary capital) and Luoyang (secondary capital). The scarcity of food drives the price of grain to unprecedented heights, ending a once prosperous era under emperors Taizong and Gaozong on a sad note.
• Emperor Temmu of Japan issues a decree forbidding the Japanese-style cap of ranks and garments, and changing them into Chinese ones. He also makes a decree forbidding men to wear leggings and women to let down their hair on their backs. It is from this time that the practice begins of women riding on horseback like men. He issues an edict prescribing the character of ceremonies and language to be used on occasions of ceremony. Ceremonial kneeling and crawling are both abolished, and the ceremonial custom of standing of the Tang Court is practiced.

By topic

Astronomy

• January 3 – Venus occults Jupiter.

Religion

• August 17 – Pope Leo II succeeds Pope Agatho as the 80th pope.
• The venerable Bede goes to Jarrow.

By place

America

• The reign of Pacal the Great, ruler of Maya state of Palenque, comes to an end.

Asia

• The Umayyad caliph Yazid I (680–683) is succeeded by Muawiya II ibn Yazid (683–684).
• In Japan, Prince Ōtsu attends to matters of State for the first time.
• Emperor Temmu of Japan decrees that copper coins must be used instead of silver coins. Three days later a decree is issued to allow the continued use of silver.

By place

Asia

• Wu Ze Tian takes power in China.
• The Ummayad caliph Muawiya II is succeeded by Marwan I.
• September 7 – A large comet is observed in Japan (it's Japan's oldest observation record of the Halley's Comet).
• November 13 – Emperor Temmu institutes eight titles of eight classes (Yakusa-no-kabane) in Japan.
• November 26 – A great earthquake strikes Japan. The people, houses, temples, shrines and domestic animals are greatly damaged.

America

• January 10 – K'inich Kan B'alam II accedes to the rulership of the Maya polity of Palenque.

By topic

Religion

• June 26 – Pope Benedict II succeeds Pope Leo II as the 81st pope.

By place

Byzantine Empire

• September – Justinian II succeeds Constantine IV as emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
• Having defeated Avars in Syrmia, Tervel's uncle leads Hungarian Bulgar Sermisianoi migrating to Keramissian plain in Macedonia.

Europe

• Sussex attacks Kent, supporting Eadric's claim to the throne held by Hlothhere.
• Surrey takes Wessex as its overlord.
• May 20 – Battle of Dun Nechtain: Picts defeat Northumbrians.
• Plague kills almost all the monks in a Northumbrian monastery, aside from the abbot and one small boy – future scholar Bede.

Asia

• The Umayyad caliph Marwan I (684–685) is succeeded by Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan (685–705).
• In Japan, the styles of official ranks are reformed so that there are in all 48 grades.
• Wu Zetian gives two giant pandas to Japan.

By topic

Religion

• July 23 – Pope John V succeeds Pope Benedict II as the 82nd pope.
• Cuthbert is consecrated bishop of Lindisfarne.
• John Maroun is elected as the first patriarch in the Maronite Church.
• The Al-Aqsa Mosque is established by early Islam.

By place

Europe

• The Kingdom of Kent is attacked and conquered by West Saxons under Caedwalla.
• Caedwalla exterminates the Jutes of the Isle of Wight and kills King Arwald.

Asia

• October 1 – Emperor Temmu of Japan dies. Empress Jito ascends the throne.
• Emperor Temmu's son, Prince Ōtsu, is falsely accused of treason by Jito and forced to commit suicide along with his wife, Princess Yamanobe.

By place

Europe

• King Theuderic III of Neustria is defeated by Pepin of Herstal, Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia, at the Battle of Tertry near Péronne in modern France. Austrasia and Neustria are combined again; Pepin becomes de facto ruler of both areas.
• Egica succeeds Erwig as king of the Visigoths.
• Adamnan visits the Northumbrian court of Ecgfrith to ransom Irish captives.

By topic

Religion

• December 15 – Pope Sergius I succeeds Pope Conon as the 84th pope.
• Construction of the Dome of the Rock is started in Jerusalem.

By place

Europe

• Emperor Justinian II of the Byzantine Empire defeats the Bulgarians.
• King Caedwalla of Wessex abdicates the throne and goes on a pilgrimage to Rome.

By place

Europe

• Battle of Coronate: The army of Cunincpert, king of the Lombards, defeats the followers of the usurper Alahis on the Adda River.
• Battle of Dorestad: The Frisians of king Radbod are defeated by the Frankish mayor of the palace, Pippin of Herstal. The Rhine delta becomes Frankish.