Browse Historical Events by Month:
Victories, births, and treaties. Explore the significant historical events and milestones that occurred in December. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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Belisarius, a Byzantine general, enters Rome on December 9, 536 AD right after retaking the city from the Ostrogoths during the Gothic War, as the Ostrogothic forces were simultaneously leaving the city.
This event marked the first time Rome had been part of the Roman Empire since the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD.
The death of Chrysaphius, a eunuch advisor to the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, who played a controversial role in the court.
The Gothic War, fought between the Eastern Roman Empire and the Ostrogoths, sees a significant battle at Taginae, resulting in a Byzantine victory.
Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, is significantly damaged by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake. More
Saint Columba, an Irish missionary, dies, leaving a lasting legacy in spreading Christianity in Scotland.
Pope Boniface V is consecrated on December 23, 61p, almost a year after being elected, waiting for the consent of Emperor Heraclius. Pope Boniface V, played a significant role in the Christianization of Anglo-Saxon England and the strengthening of the church's authority.
During his Papacy he saw the rise of Islam, as the three ancient patriarchates of Jerusalem, Antioch, and Alexandria fell to Islamic rule with Constantinople being the only remaining sole patriarchate of the East.
Charlemagne becomes the King of the Franks after the death of his brother Carloman I.
Pope Leo III was elected on December 26, 795, the day his predecessor Pope Adrian I was buried, and Leo III was consecrated the following day, December 27, 795.
This rapid succession was likely a move by the Romans to quickly select a new leader and prevent potential interference in the papal election from Frankish King, Charlemagne.
The Byzantine Empire defeats the forces of the Abbasid Caliphate at the Battle of Mehmetçik, marking a significant victory in the Byzantine-Arab Wars.
The Muslim scholar and polymath Al-Khwarizmi is born, known for his contributions to algebra and mathematics.
The Treaty of Verdun is signed, dividing the Carolingian Empire into three parts, marking the beginning of the Carolingian dissolution.
The Danelaw, a region of England under Viking control, sees a series of treaties between the Vikings and the Anglo-Saxons.
Arnulf of Carinthia, the Carolingian King of East Francia, Holy Roman Emperor and disputed King of Italy, dies at Ratisbon, Bavaria on December 8, 899 leading to a period of instability in the Carolingian Empire. His son, Louis the Child, succeeded him as King of East Francia.
Emperor Otto I of the Holy Roman Empire dies, and he is succeeded by his son Otto II.
The Byzantine emperor Basil II wins a decisive victory against the Bulgarians at the Battle of Spercheios.
Pope Sylvester II dies, marking the end of his papacy, during which he contributed to the advancement of science and mathematics in Europe.
The coronation of Stephen I as the first Christian king of Hungary, marking the establishment of the Kingdom of Hungary and Hungary's conversion to Christianity.
King Æthelred the Unready orders the St. Brice's Day massacre, leading to the killing of many Danish settlers in England.
The supernova SN 1006, one of the brightest stellar events recorded, appears in the southern skies after appearing earlier in the year in the north. Now we know that is a remnant of a so-called Type Ia supernova. This class of supernova is caused when a white dwarf pulls too much mass from a companion star and explodes, or when two white dwarfs merge and explode. In this case, the star whose death brightened the early medieval sky was 7200 light years away. That means the supernova really happened about 8.200 years ago, but it took until 1006 for the light of the cosmic explosion to reach Earth. More
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Sweyn Forkbeard, King of Denmark is proclaimed King of England after the English nobility submits to him. Sweyn had built a strong an imposing Danish North Sea empire, establishing control in Norway in 1000 and conquering England in 1013. He died there on February 1014, having ruled England for only five weeks. Sweyn's cause of death is unknown.
