Directory

1080 CE

King Harald III of Denmark dies after a 4-year reign and is buried at Dalby Church in Scania (modern Sweden). He is succeeded by his brother Canute IV ("the Holy") as ruler of Denmark. Walcher, bishop of Durham, is killed by rebel Northumbrians. King William the Conqueror sends a punitive expedition led by his half-brother Odo of Bayeux to pacify Northumbria. Wibert of Ravenna is elected as Antipope Clement III during the pro-imperial Synod of Brixen. Pope Gregory VII is deposed, signed in a decree by Henry IV.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • The Rubenid Principality of Cilicia gains independence after its founder, Ruben I, succeeds in establishing his authority in the mountainous regions of Cilicia.source

Conflict & Security

  • January 27 – Battle of Flarchheim: Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor, defeats the forces led by the German anti-king Rudolf of Rheinfelden, duke of Swabia, near the town of Flarchheim (modern Germany).source
  • Shen Kuo, Chinese polymath scientist and statesman, begins his defensive military campaign against the Tangut people of the Western Xia. He successfully defends the invasion route to Yanzhou (Shaanxi province).source
  • Autumn – Nikephoros Melissenos, a Byzantine general and aristocrat, seizes control of what remains of Byzantine Asia Minor (modern Turkey), and proclaims himself emperor against Nikephoros III Botaneiates. Melissenos makes an alliance with Sultan Suleiman ibn Qutulmish and recruits many Turkish mercenaries to his army.source
  • The Almoravid emir, Yusuf ibn Tashfin, conquers Tangier, Badis and Hunayn.source
  • Autumn – Robert Curthose, a son of William I, is sent to invade Scotland. He reaches as far as Falkirk and forces King Malcolm III to agree to terms while building fortifications at Newcastle upon Tyne.source

Religion & Belief

  • May 14 – Walcher, bishop of Durham, is killed by rebel Northumbrians. King William the Conqueror sends a punitive expedition led by his half-brother Odo of Bayeux to pacify Northumbria.source
  • June 25 – Wibert of Ravenna is elected as Antipope Clement III during the pro-imperial Synod of Brixen. Pope Gregory VII is deposed, signed in a decree by Henry IV.source
  • Osmund, bishop of Salisbury, builds Devizes Castle in Wiltshire.source
  • King Alfonso VI ("the Brave") of León and Castile establishes Latin liturgy in the Catholic Church, in place of the Hispanic Rite.source
  • Benno II, bishop of Osnabrück, founds the Benedictine abby of Iburg Castle (modern Germany).source

Births

  • Rotrou III ("the Great"), French nobleman (d. 1144)source
  • Matilda of Scotland, queen consort of England (d. 1118)source
  • Egas Moniz o Aio, Portuguese nobleman (d. 1146)source
  • Wulfric of Haselbury, English wonderworker (d. 1154)source
  • Reginald I ("the One-Eyed"), count of Bar (d. 1149)source
  • Leo I, prince of Cilician Armeniasource
  • Ibn Tumart, Almoravid political leadersource
  • Magnus Erlendsson, Norse earl of Orkney (d. 1115)source
  • Cellach of Armagh (or Celsus), Irish archbishop (d. 1129)source
  • Lhachen Utpala, Indian king of Ladakh (d. 1110)source
  • Theresa, Portuguese queen and regent (d. 1130)source
  • Harald Kesja ("the Spear"), king of Denmark (d. 1135)source
  • Adelard of Bath, English philosopher (d. 1152)source
  • Robert Pullen, English cardinalsource

Deaths

  • January 26 – Amadeus II, count of Savoy (b. 1050)source
  • April 17 – King Harald III of Denmark dies after a 4-year reign and is buried at Dalby Church in Scania (modern Sweden). He is succeeded by his brother Canute IV ("the Holy") as ruler of Denmark.source
  • April 17 – Harald III, king of Denmark (b. 1040)source
  • May 14 – Walcher, bishop of Durhamsource
  • July 5 – Ísleifur Gissurarson, Icelandic bishop (b. 1006)source
  • October 14 – Battle on the Elster: Rudolf of Rheinfelden defeats the imperial forces led by Henry IV at the Elster River. Rudolf dies the following day at Merseburg of wounds received.source
  • October 15 – Rudolf of Rheinfelden, duke of Swabiasource
  • Abraham, bishop of St David's (Wales) (murdered: approximate date)source
  • Lhachen Gyalpo, Indian king of Ladakh (b. 1050)source
  • Haakon Ivarsson, Norwegian jarl (b. 1027)source
  • Aristakes Lastivertsi, Armenian historian (b. 1002)source
  • Bertha of Blois, duchess of Brittany (approximate date)source
  • Muhammad ibn Abbas, ruler of the Ghurid dynastysource
  • Michael Attaleiates, Byzantine historian and writersource