1014 - Definition and Overview

Events

• February 14 - Pope Benedict VIII recognizes Henry of Bavaria as King of Germany
• July 29 - Battle of Kleidion: Basil II inflicts not only a decisive defeat on the Bulgarian army, but his subsequent savage treatment of 15,000 prisoners reportedly causes Tsar Samuil of Bulgaria to die of shock, and earns Basil II the title 'Voulgaroktonos' (Bulgar-slayer).
• Henry II of Germany crowned Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Benedict VIII (ruled since 1003)
• Following the death of Sweyn I, Ethelred II returns to England and retakes the English crown. Canute the Great returns to Denmark
• Battle of Clontarf; forces under Brian Boru defeat several allied Viking forces in Ireland, ending their power there but killing Brian in the process
• Colditz Castle is built
• In England archbishop Wulfstan preaches his Latin homily, "Wulf's Address to the English"
• Avicenna arrives at the court of Amir Majd al-Dawla at Jabal
• in Kashmir, Abhinavagupta, the teacher of the poet Ksemendra, circulates his Greater commentary on the Pratyabhijna Darshana.
• Holmgang declared illegal in Norway

Births

Deaths

• February 3 - Sweyn I Haraldsson Forkbeard, king of Denmark. who had seized the throne of England for five weeks.
• April 23 - Brian Boru, high king of Ireland during the Battle of Clontarf fought outside Dublin against the rebel Maelmordha of Leinster, who was aided by the Viking Sigtrygg of Dublin.
• October 6 - Samuil of Bulgaria, Tsar of Bulgaria
• Viking earl in the Orkneys, Sigurd the Stout, dies.
• Sri RajaRaja I, the great temple builder of the Chola dynasty, dies at Thanjavur, in the Deccan.