1046 CE
Nasir Khusraw begins his 7-year Middle Eastern (19,000-kilometre) journey, which he later describes in the book Safarnāmé. Pope Gregory VI is accused of simony at the Council of Sutri, and abdicates as pope of the Catholic Church. Pope Clement II succeeds Gregory VI as the 149th pope, and crowns Henry III as Holy Roman Emperor.
Conflict & Security
- Vata pagan uprising in the Kingdom of Hungary: Peter, King of Hungary ("the Venetian"), is overthrown after a 2-year reign and perhaps executed. Bishops Gerard of Csanád and Bystrík (or Bestricus) are stoned to death in Budapest.source
Exploration & Expansion
- March 5 – Nasir Khusraw begins his 7-year Middle Eastern (19,000-kilometre) journey, which he later describes in the book Safarnāmé.source
Religion & Belief
- December 20 – Pope Gregory VI is accused of simony at the Council of Sutri, and abdicates as pope of the Catholic Church.source
- December 25 – Pope Clement II succeeds Gregory VI as the 149th pope, and crowns Henry III as Holy Roman Emperor.source
- Summer – Ex-Pope Benedict IX gives up a renewed attempt to reclaim the papal throne in Rome; Sylvester III reasserts his claim.source
- Ealdred, bishop of Worcester, leads troops from England on an unsuccessful punitive raid against the Welsh leaders Gruffydd ap Rhydderch, Rhys ap Rhydderch and Gruffydd ap Llywelyn.source
- Hildesheim Cathedral (Germany) is largely destroyed by fire.source
- Autumn – King Henry III ("the Black") travels to Italy to secure the imposition of Guido da Velate, archbishop of Milan, and other similarly loyal candidates in other sees (like Ravenna, Verona and Modena).source
Economy & Finance
- Bao Zheng (Lord Bao), a Chinese government officer during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song, writes a memorial to the throne. He warns about governmental corruption – and a foreseeable bankruptcy of the Chinese iron industry – if increasingly poorer families continued to be listed on the register for iron-smelting households (while rich households avoid being listed for fear of financial calamity). Apparently the government heeds the warning, and produces more iron products by the year 1078 than China ever had before.source
Culture & Society
- Munjong is crowned the 11th king of Goryeo (Korea).source
Births
- May 8 – Constance of Burgundy, queen consort of Castile and León (d. 1093)source
- Bernard of Thiron, founder of the Tironensian Order (d. 1117)source
- Ingegerd, queen of Denmark and Sweden (approximate date)source
- Afridun I ("the Martyr"), ruler (shah) of Shirvan (d. 1120)source
- Leo of Ostia ("Marsicanus"), Italian cardinal (d. 1115)source
- Masud Sa'd Salman, Persian poet and writer (d. 1121)source
- Matilda, margravine of Tuscany (d. 1115) (approximate date)source
Deaths
- January 24 – Eckard II, Margrave of Meissen (or Ekkehard), German nobleman (b. 985)source
- February 26 – Fujiwara no Sanesuke, Japanese nobleman (b. 957)source
- March – Lyfing of Winchester, English abbot and bishopsource
- June 24 – Jeongjong II, king of Goryeo (b. 1018)source
- July 18 – Elijah, bishop of Beth Nuhadra (b. 975)source
- September 24 – Gerard of Csanád, Hungarian missionary bishop, killedsource
- September 27 – Bystrík (or Bestricus), Hungarian bishop, killedsource
- Geoffrey II, count of Gâtinais (approximate date)source
- Oliba, Spanish count, abbot and bishopsource
- Gothelo II, duke of Lower Lorraine (b. 1008)source
- Richard of Verdun, French abbot (b. 970)source
- William Iron Arm, Norman noblemansource
- Eido II (or Egidius), bishop of Meissen (or 1045)source
- Art Uallach Ua Ruairc, Irish king of Connachtsource