Directory

984 CE

Pope John XIV dies a prisoner in the Castel Sant'Angelo at Rome after a 1-year reign, having either been murdered or starved to death. Qiao Weiyue, a Chinese engineer, innovates the first known use of the double-gated canal pound lock during the Song dynasty, for adjusting different water levels in segments of the Grand Canal in China. Anti-Pope Boniface VII returns from Constantinople and gains support from the powerful Roman Crescentii family. He takes hold of the papal throne.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • Fall – Emperor En'yū abdicates the throne in favor of his 16-year-old son Kazan after a 15-year reign. En'yū retires and becomes a Buddhist priest.source

Conflict & Security

  • King Ramiro III of León loses his throne to Bermudo II (the rival king of Galicia), who also becomes ruler of the entire Kingdom of León (modern-day Spain).source
  • Spring – German boy-king Otto III (4 years old) is seized by the deposed Henry II, Duke of Bavaria ("the Wrangler"), who has recovered his duchy and claims the regency as a member of the Ottonian Dynasty. But Henry is forced to hand over Otto to his mother, empress consort Theophanu.source

Religion & Belief

  • Anti-Pope Boniface VII returns from Constantinople and gains support from the powerful Roman Crescentii family. He takes hold of the papal throne.source

Technology & Infrastructure

  • Qiao Weiyue, a Chinese engineer, innovates the first known use of the double-gated canal pound lock during the Song dynasty, for adjusting different water levels in segments of the Grand Canal in China.source

Births

  • Emma of Normandy, noblewoman, queen consort of England (twice), Denmark and Norway (d. 1052; approximate date)source
  • Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Abbad, founder of the Abbadid dynasty (d. 1042)source
  • Choe Chung, Korean Confucian scholar and poet (d. 1068)source

Deaths

  • July 7 – Crescentius the Elder, Roman politician and aristocratsource
  • July 18 – Dietrich I, bishop of Metzsource
  • August 1 – Æthelwold, bishop of Winchestersource
  • August 20 – John XIV, pope of the Catholic Churchsource
  • August 20 – Pope John XIV dies a prisoner in the Castel Sant'Angelo at Rome after a 1-year reign, having either been murdered or starved to death.source
  • September 9 – Warin, archbishop of Colognesource
  • Miró III, count of Cerdanya and Besalú (b. 920)source
  • Shi Shouxin, Chinese general (b. 928)source
  • Domnall Claen, king of Leinster (Ireland)source
  • Gerberga, Frankish queen (approximate date)source
  • Ragnhild Eriksdotter, Norse Viking noblewomansource
  • Jordan, bishop of Poland (or 982)source
  • Edith of Wilton, English princess and abbesssource
  • Buluggin ibn Ziri, ruler (emir) of the Zirid Dynastysource