Directory

902 CE

Taormina, the last Byzantine stronghold in Sicily, is captured by the Aghlabid army. After nearly 75 years, all of Sicily is in Aghlabid hands. Ibrahim II crosses the Strait of Messina into Calabria. He begins his march to conquer the rest of Italy, and lays siege at Cosenza. Battle of the Holme: The Anglo-Saxon army is defeated by the Danish Vikings under Æthelwold (a son of Æthelred I) at Holme. Æthelwold is killed, ending his revolt against King Edward the Elder.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • Winter – The Balearic Islands are conquered by the Emirate of Córdoba. The Moors improve agriculture with irrigation on the islands.source
  • Spring – Adalbert II, margrave of Tuscany, revolts against Emperor Louis III ("the Blind"). He helps the deposed King Berengar I to recover the Kingdom of Italy. Louis III is forced to abdicate the Lombard throne and flees to Provence, compelled to promise never to return to Italy.source

Conflict & Security

  • February – March – Abu Abbas Abdallah, conqueror of Reggio Calabria, returns from Sicily and succeeds his father Ibrahim II as Aghlabid emir of Ifriqiya.source
  • June – Ibrahim II lands with an Aghlabid expeditionary force in Trapani, and proceeds to Palermo. He crushes the reinforced Byzantine army at Giardini.source
  • August 1 – Taormina, the last Byzantine stronghold in Sicily, is captured by the Aghlabid army. After nearly 75 years, all of Sicily is in Aghlabid hands.source
  • September – Ibrahim II crosses the Strait of Messina into Calabria. He begins his march to conquer the rest of Italy, and lays siege at Cosenza.source
  • December 13 – Battle of the Holme: The Anglo-Saxon army is defeated by the Danish Vikings under Æthelwold (a son of Æthelred I) at Holme. Æthelwold is killed, ending his revolt against King Edward the Elder.source
  • The Kutama tribe under Abu Abdallah al-Shi'i revolt against the Aghlabids. He begins a campaign and dispatches an invitation to the Fatimid spiritual leader Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi Billah to support him.source

Exploration & Expansion

  • Moorish Andalusian merchants set up a trade settlement (so-called emporium) in Oran (modern Algeria).source
  • Winter – The Norsemen are expelled from Dublin. After a brief foray into Seisyllwg (Wales), a group, under the Viking lord Ingimundr, settle in the Wirral with the agreement of Lady Æthelflæd of the Mercians.source

Economy & Finance

  • The Kingdom of Nanzhao in East Asia is overthrown, followed by three dynasties in quick succession, before the establishment of the Kingdom of Dali in 937.source

Health & Medicine

  • Spring – Emperor Zhao Zong appoints Yang Xingmi as the overall commander of the Eastern circuits in China. He receives the title of Prince Wuzhong of Wu.source

Births

  • November 25 – Tai Zong, emperor of the Liao dynasty (d. 947)source
  • Du, empress of the Song dynasty (approximate date)source
  • Eadgifu, queen and wife of Charles the Simplesource
  • Lothar I, Frankish nobleman (d. 929)source
  • Wang Jun, chancellor of Later Zhou (or 903)source
  • Ælfweard, king of Wessex (approximate date)source
  • Lady Xu Xinyue, wife of Qian Yuanguan (d. 946)source
  • Han Xizai, Chinese official and calligrapher (d. 970)source

Deaths

  • February 16 – Mary the Younger, Byzantine saint (b. 875)source
  • April 5 – Al-Mu'tadid, Abbasid caliphsource
  • April 5 – Caliph Al-Mu'tadid dies in Baghdad after a 10-year reign. Possibly poisoned in a palace intrigue, he is succeeded by his eldest son Al-Muktafi as ruler of the Abbasid Caliphate.source
  • August 14 – Badr al-Mu'tadidi, Abbasid commander-in-chiefsource
  • October 23 – Ibrahim II dies of dysentery in a chapel near Cosenza. His grandson, Ziyadat Allah, takes over the army, but lifts the siege.source
  • October 23 – Ibrahim II, Aghlabid emir (b. 850)source
  • December 5 – Ealhswith, queen and wife of Alfred the Greatsource
  • December 16 – Wei Yifan, chancellor of the Tang dynastysource
  • Wang Zongdi, Chinese official and governorsource
  • Yunju Daoying, Chinese Buddhist teacher (b. 830)source
  • Amr ibn al-Layth, Saffarid emirsource
  • Æthelwold, son of Æthelred of Wessexsource
  • Li Cunxin, general of the Tang dynasty (b. 862)source
  • Anscar I, margrave of Ivrea (Italy)source