970s

Millennium:	1st millennium
Centuries:	9th century – 10th century – 11th century
Decades:	940s 950s 960s – 970s – 980s 990s 1000s
Years:	970 971 972 973 974 975 976 977 978 979
Categories:	Births – Deaths – Architecture Establishments – Disestablishments

This is a list of events occurring in the 970s, ordered by year.

By place

Asia

• A major volcano erupts in Mashu, Japan.

Europe

• A devastating decade-long famine begins in France.
• Oldest preserved document (by Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor) mentioning Leibnitz in Styria (Austria)
• Byzantine Emperor John I successfully defends the Eastern Roman Empire from a massive barbarian invasion.
• Eric the Victorious becomes the first king of Sweden.

Africa

• Construction is completed on Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo (the world's oldest Islamic university).

By place

Europe

• Kenneth II of Scotland succeeds Culen as King, though he will not be sole king until 977.
• Saint Swithun's body is moved into an indoor shrine (he was previously buried outside). The ceremony is said to have been marred by 40 days of torrential rain.
• Basileus John Tzimisces defeats Sviatoslav I of Kiev in the Fifth Rus'-Byzantine War (see Battle of Dorostolon).
• The Bulgarian emperor Boris II abdicates in Constantinople and John Tzimisces announces the annexation of Bulgaria. That event leads to an almost 50-year Byzantine-Bulgarian war until the fall of Bulgaria.

Asia

• January 23 – In China, the war elephant corps of the Southern Han are soundly defeated at Shao by crossbow fire from Song Dynasty troops. The Southern Han state is forced to submit to the Song Dynasty, ending not only Southern Han rule, but also the first regular war elephant corps employed in a Chinese army that had gained the Southern Han victories throughout the 10th century.

By place

Europe

• The city of Satu Mare, Romania is founded.
• Otto II marries Theophanu, Byzantine princess.
• Battle of Cedynia: Polish duke Mieszko I defeats the Germans.
• Boleslaus II the Pious succeeds Boleslav I in Bohemia.
• The monastery at the site of Peterborough Cathedral is rebuilt.
• Emperor John Tzimisces makes eastern Bulgaria a Byzantine dependency.
• A battle between Estonian and Icelandic Vikings in Saaremaa is described in Njál's saga.
• Yaropolk of Kiev succeeds Sviatoslav I in Kiev.

Africa

• Buluggin ibn Ziri is appointed viceroy in Ifriqiya, starting the Zirid Dynasty.

By topic

Religion

• Pope Benedict VI succeeds Pope John XIII as pope.
• Saint Eadburga is canonized.

By place

Africa

• The Fatimids move their capital to Cairo.

Europe

• Edgar of England is crowned king by Saint Dunstan.
• Otto II becomes Holy Roman Emperor and King of Germany.

By topic

Religion

• January 19 – Pope Benedict VI succeeds Pope John XIII as the 134th pope.

By place

Europe

• A great earthquake in England.

Africa

• The Carmathians are defeated in Egypt by Jawhar as-Siqilli; Fatimid rule is consolidated there.
• An offensive by the Spain-based Umayyads, brings the Maghribi Idrissid dynasty to an end.

Asia

• The Byzantine Empire retakes Syria (including Aleppo) from the Abbasids.
• Al-Ta'i succeeds Al-Muti as Abbasid caliph of Baghdad.
• Fuzhou builds new city walls.
• The Liao Dynasty exchanges ambassadors with the Song Dynasty.
• In their offensive against the Southern Tang state, the Song Dynasty Chinese create and defend a long floating pontoon bridge across the Yangzi River, to secure military supply lines traveling to the other side.

By topic

Religion

• October – Pope Benedict VII succeeds Pope Benedict VI as the 135th pope.
• Antipope Boniface VII is declared pope.
• Benedictine Abbey in England is founded.
• An abbey is founded at the site of Mönchengladbach.

By place

Africa

• Al-Azhar University is founded in Cairo, Egypt (the second oldest university in the world).

Europe

• King Edward the Martyr is crowned in England.

Asia

• Emperor Taizu of Song China conquers Hunan Province.
• The Southern Tang Kingdom is conquered by the Song Dynasty.
• Al-Aziz becomes Fatimid Caliph.

By place

Byzantine Empire

• January 10 – Basil II becomes Eastern Roman Emperor (see Byzantine Emperors).

Europe

• Brian Boru is inaugurated as King of Munster.
• Samuil of Bulgaria starts his reign as Tsar.
• Leopold of Babenberg is appointed as Margrave of Austria. The Babenberg family rules Austria until 1246.

Asia

• The Yuelu Academy is founded during the early Song Dynasty of China.
• Zhang Sixun, a Chinese astronomer and engineer, employs the use of liquid mercury in order for the escapement mechanism of his astronomical clock to function and for metal parts not to rust by using hydraulics (water) or to freeze in winter.

By place

Europe

• Saint Æthelwold of Winchester, Bishop of Winchester, rebuilds the western end of the Old Minster, Winchester, with twin towers and no apses.
• German emperor Otto II grants Lower Lorraine, where modern-day Brussels is located, to Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine, illegitimate son of King Louis IV of France.
• King Kenneth II of Scotland kills Amlaíb, brother of King Culen, to establish himself as Culen's successor.

Asia

• The original Imam Ali Mosque is built at Najaf, Iraq by the Daylamite Iranian ruler Fannakhosraw Azod ad Dowleh.

By place

Europe

• Badìa Fiorentina, an abbey in Florence, Italy, is founded by Willa, Margravine of Tuscany.
• Ethelred II becomes king of England at age 10, following the assassination of his half-brother King Edward the Martyr.
• The revolt of Henry II, Duke of Bavaria against Otto II ends.
• England's royal mint is located at Guildford.

Asia

• The Wu-Yue State is forced to surrender to the Chinese Song Dynasty.
• One of the Four Great Books of Song, the Tàipíng guǎngjì is a Chinese encyclopedia documenting various stories of Chinese myths and subjects of theology. Divided into 500 volumes, it consists of over 3 million written Chinese characters.

By place

Europe

• Foundation of the city of Brussels: a 'castrum' on an island on the river Senne (Brabant, Belgium).

Africa

• Jawhar as-Siqilli is dismissed as Vizir of Egypt, and replaced by Yaqub ibn Killis.

Asia

• March 24 – The Battle of Pankalia: a combined Byzantine–Georgian force defeats Bardas Sklerus, an organizer of the large-scale rebellion in the Byzantine Empire's Asian provinces.
• The Song Dynasty destroys the Northern Han State.
• August 1 – Battle of Gaoliang River: The Liao Dynasty defeats Song Dynasty forces near present-day Beijing.

Significant people

• Mar Abdisho I, Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, held position 963–986
• Eric the Red (950–1003), Norse Explorer
• Richard I of Normandy (933–996), Duke of Normandy, r. 942–996
• Mieszko I of Poland (945?–992), Duke of Poland, r. c.960–992
• Vladimir of Kiev (958-1015), Kievan Prince and future Grand Prince of Kievan Rus