1044 CE
Battle of Ménfő: German troops under King Henry III ("the Black") defeat the Hungarian army, led by King Samuel Aba, who flees the field but is captured and killed. Peter Orseolo ("the Venetian") becomes (for the second time) king of Hungary, and a vassal of the Holy Roman Empire. King Anawrahta seizes the throne of the Pagan Empire at Bagan in Burma (modern Myanmar). A second Roman uprising forces Pope Benedict IX out of Rome. He is succeeded by the new elected (anti)-Pope Sylvester III (until 1045).
Conflict & Security
- July 6 – Battle of Ménfő: German troops under King Henry III ("the Black") defeat the Hungarian army, led by King Samuel Aba, who flees the field but is captured and killed. Peter Orseolo ("the Venetian") becomes (for the second time) king of Hungary, and a vassal of the Holy Roman Empire.source
- Summer – Geoffrey II ("the Hammer"), count of Anjou, captures the city of Tours, and takes control of the county of Touraine.source
Religion & Belief
- September – A second Roman uprising forces Pope Benedict IX out of Rome. He is succeeded by the new elected (anti)-Pope Sylvester III (until 1045).source
Culture & Society
- August 11 – King Anawrahta seizes the throne of the Pagan Empire at Bagan in Burma (modern Myanmar).source
Births
Deaths
- January 14 – Adelaide I, abbess of Quedlinburgsource
- February 13 – Zhao Yuanyan, Chinese prince of the Song dynasty (b. 985)source
- April 19 – Gothelo I (or Gozelo), duke of Lorrainesource
- July 6 – Samuel Aba, palatine and king of Hungarysource
- August 11 – Sokkate, last king of the Pagan Kingdom, killed in combat (b. 1001)source
- November 14 – Thietmar of Hildesheim, German bishopsource
- Abu'l-Husayn al-Basri, Mu'tazilite faqih and theologiansource
- Sharif al-Murtaza, Buyid Shia scholar (b. 965)source
- Rajendra Chola I, emperor of the Chola dynastysource