Edmund I succeeds his brother Athelstan as King of England.
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What Happened in April?
Sieges, raids, and monumental deaths. Discover key historical events from April that influenced the world. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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Edgar the Peaceful is crowned King of England.
The Battle of Clontarf occurs on April 23, 1014 at Clontarf, near Dublin, Ireland, where the forces of Brian Boru, the High King of Ireland, defeat the Viking invaders. While Brian Boru's forces were victorious, the battle resulted in significant casualties, including Brian Boru himself. The battle is often seen as a pivotal moment in Irish history, marking the beginning of decline in Viking power in Ireland, leading to the eventual unification of the country. More
Edmund Ironside succeeds his father Æthelred the Unready as king of England on April 23, 1016
Æthelred II the Unready, King of England, dies on April 23, 1016 and is succeeded by his son Edmund Ironside.
Persian scholar Nizam al-Mulk (Abū ʿAlī Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī) was born on April 10, 1018, in Radkan, near Tus, Iran. He became a renowned Persian vizier and political philosopher. He went on to lead the Seljuk Empire for 30 years (1063–1092). He was assassinated in 1092.
Henry III, also known as Henry the Black is crowned Co-King of Germany, on Easter Day, April 14, 1028, at age 11, in the Cathedral of Aachen by Pilgrim, Archbishop of Cologne to ensure a smooth transition of power. Upon the death of his father on 4 June 1039 he became sole ruler of the kingdom and was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Clement II in Rome in 1046.
Byzantine Emperor Romanos III Argyros, died on April 11, 1034. It is believed that his death was orchestrated by his wife, Empress Zoe, and her lover, Michael the Paphlagonian ,who married on the same day Romanos died, with Michael being crowned as Michael IV the following day.
Pope Victor II succeeds Leo IX as the 153rd pope, on April 13, 1055. Born Gebhard of Dollnstein-Hirschberg, c. 1018. He was one of a series German-born Popes who led the Gregorian Reform. He died in 1057. More
Halley's Comet makes a close appearance, before the Battle of Hastings in 1066, around April 24, 1066. The event is believed to have been captured on the Bayeux Tapestry, an embroidered cloth depicting the events leading to the Norman conquest of England in 1066. The comet was visible for over a month and was interpreted by contemporaries as a bad omen for King Harold II and a good omen for William of Normandy.
The Bayeux Tapestry was commissioned around 1077, likely by Bishop Odo, it details the invasion, crossing of the sea, and key moments of the conquest. The closest known Halley's appearance occurred in 837 BCE. The comet was first recorded in China on April 2, 1066, and later seen in Europe and England around April 24, 1066.
The image author is unknown - Bayeux Tapestry, (Embroidered cloth)
Pope Alexander II dies on April 21, 1073. His papacy (1061–1073) advanced many reforms in the Catholic Church including the suppression of simony and the enforcement of clerical celibacy.
Alexios I Komnenos becomes Byzantine Emperor on April 4, 1081, after leading a successful revolt forcing the elderly Nikephoros III Botaneiates to abdicate and marking the start of a dynasty that lasted until 1185. Alexios appealed to the West for aid to combat the Seljuk Turks in Anatolia, which helped trigger the First Crusade.
The Battle of Levounion took place on April 29, 1091 between a combined Byzantine-Cuman army led by Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, and the nomadic Pechenegs, ending in a decisive victory for the Byzantine Empire and almost a complete annihilation of the Pecheneg people as a military force, signaling the start of the Komnenian Restoration.
Pope Paschal II crowns Henry V as Holy Roman Emperor on April 13, 1111, in St. Peter's Basilica, following a violent conflict where Henry took the Pope prisoner, forcing the coronation and secure rights of imperial investiture. This coerced agreement was later repudiated by the church, continuing the Investiture Controversy.
Grand Prince Sviatopolk II of Kyiv is murdered, on April 16, 1113 leading to political unrest in Kievan Russia. He ruled from 1093 to 1113. Sviatopolk's Christian name was Michael and he supported the St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv.
His murder was followed by a revolt by the people as they attacked the homes of boyars (Russian aristocracy) and merchants (specifically Jewish usurers and Varangian officials) who were perceived as corrupt or exploitative. The elite circles and the populace invited Sviatopolk' cousin and rival Vladimir II Monomakh to take the throne, which he accepted.
King Baldwin I, the first Latin of Jerusalem, died on April 2, 1118, during a military campaign in Egypt. He named his bother Eustace III of Boulogne, as successor before he died but his nobles pushed for his cousin, Baldwin II of Edessa, to take the throne.
Baldwin of Bourcq, was crowned Baldwin II King of Jerusalem, on Easter Sunday, April 14, 1118, in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, succeeding his cousin Baldwin I. He was known as a warrior-king and focused on expanding the kingdom while defending against Seljuk and Fatimid invasions. He also established the military order of the Knights Templar.
He died on August 21, 1131, passing the throne to his daughter, Queen Melisende.
Earl David, became King David I of Scotland on April 23, 1124. David I reign until his death on May 24, 1153. He passed away in Carlisle, Cumberland and was buried at Dunfermline Abbey.
The Second Council of the Lateran, (Tenth ecumenical council) presided over by Pope Innocent II, began on April 2, 1139 at the Lateran Basilica in Rome. The Council officially ended the schism created by the election of Anacletus II who had died in 1138
Empress Matilda, daughter of Henry I, is declared the "Lady of the English" on April 7, 1141 by Bishop Henry of Winchester following her victory at the Battle of Lincoln during the Anarchy civil war. This title was used rather than "Queen" because she had not yet been crowned. This event marked the height of her power, as she controlled much of the southwest of England.
Her reign was short-lived; arrogance and heavy tax demands led to a rebellion in London, forcing her to flee to Oxford. She continued to fight for her son, Henry II, who would later secure the throne. She returned to Normandy in 1148 where she served as a political advisor and aiding her son in establishing the Plantagenet dynasty.