Directory

1051 CE

King Henry I of France marries Anne of Kiev at the cathedral of Reims. William of Normandy marries Matilda of Flanders, daughter of Count Baldwin V, which Henry sees as a threat to his throne. Spring – William of Normandy consolidates his power in Normandy. He fights over the control of Maine (after the death of Count Hugh IV), and lays siege to the fortresses of Alençon and Domfront (Western France). Heregeld, commonly known as Danegeld, is abolished by Edward the Confessor. It has been collected for many years to provide funds for defending the country from Viking raiders.

Conflict & Security

  • Heregeld, commonly known as Danegeld, is abolished by Edward the Confessor. It has been collected for many years to provide funds for defending the country from Viking raiders.source
  • Summer – Drogo of Hauteville, count of Apulia and Calabria, meets Pope Leo IX in southern Italy – who has been sent by Emperor Henry III (the Black) to re-establish the "freedom of the Catholic Church". Drogo is forced to promise Pope Leo to stop the Normans from pillaging the Lombard countryside. On his way back (August 10), Drogo is assassinated near Bovino by a Byzantine conspiracy.source
  • Autumn – Battle of Vértes: Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor invades the Kingdom of Hungary, and is utterly defeated by Andrew I of Hungary.source

Religion & Belief

  • May 19 – King Henry I of France marries Anne of Kiev at the cathedral of Reims. William of Normandy marries Matilda of Flanders, daughter of Count Baldwin V, which Henry sees as a threat to his throne.source
  • Hilarion of Kiev (or Ilarion) becomes the first non-Greek metropolitan bishop of the Eastern Orthodox Church, in Kiev.source

Culture & Society

  • Edward the Confessor invites William of Normandy to England. It is at this point that it is thought that Edward promises the English throne to William in the event of his death.source

Births

  • September 21 – Bertha of Savoy, Holy Roman Empress consort (d. 1087)source
  • Cadwgan ap Bleddyn, Welsh prince of Powys (d. 1111)source
  • Mi Fu, Chinese painter, poet and calligrapher (d. 1107)source
  • Approximate date – Robert Curthose, duke of Normandy (d. 1134)source

Deaths

  • January 22 – Ælfric Puttoc, archbishop of Yorksource
  • February 28 – Humfrid, archbishop of Magdeburgsource
  • March 14 – Gerard I, bishop of Cambraisource
  • March 25 – Hugh IV, count of Mainesource
  • April 27 – Fulk Bertrand I, count of Provencesource
  • June 10/11 – Bardo, German abbot and archbishopsource
  • August 10 – Drogo of Hauteville, Norman nobleman, assassinatedsource
  • November 7 – Rotho, bishop of Paderbornsource
  • Eustace II, count of Boulogne, visits England and is received with honour at the court by King Edward the Confessor. In Dover a fight breaks out between the Norman visitors and the locals, resulting in the deaths of several people. Edward blames the people of Dover and orders Godwin, earl of Wessex, to deal with them. Godwin refuses to obey Edward's order, and in response Edward raises an army and forces the Godwin family into exile.source
  • Jordan of Laron, bishop of Limogessource
  • Spring – William of Normandy consolidates his power in Normandy. He fights over the control of Maine (after the death of Count Hugh IV), and lays siege to the fortresses of Alençon and Domfront (Western France).source
  • Ralph de Gacé, Norman noblemansource
  • Bernard, margrave of the Nordmarksource
  • Kálfr Árnason, Norwegian chieftainsource