960s

The 960s was a decade that started on 1 January 960 and ended on 31 December 969. It is distinct from the decade known as the 97th decade which began on January 1, 961 and ended on December 31, 970.

960

• Mieszko I becomes ruler in Poland
• Richard I of Normandy marries Emma of Paris
• The Aksumite Empire is destroyed

Births

• Emperor Constantine VIII of the Byzantine Empire (d. 1028)
• Theophanu, princess who became Empress (d. 991)
• Sweyn I of Denmark (d. 1014)
• Gershom ben Judah
• Matsu, Taoist 'goddess' of the sea
• Olof of Sweden
• Arnulf II, Count of Flanders (d. 988)
• Bagrat III (d. 1014), king of Abkhazians and Georgians
• Seongjong of Goryeo (d. 997)

Deaths

• Saint Eadburga of Winchester
• Časlav Klonimirović, ruler of Serbia

961

• Ani becomes the capital of Armenia
• The Huqiu Tower is built in China
• Battle of Fitje
• Harald II of Norway becomes ruler of the western part of Norway
• St Paul's Cathedral in London is destroyed by fire
• Al-Hakam II starts to rule

Births

• Edith of Wilton
• Sigmundur Brestisson, chieftain in the Faroe Islands

Deaths

• King Haakon I of Norway
• Abd-ar-rahman III, Caliph of Córdoba
• Emperor Yuanzong of Southern Tang

962

• February 2 – Pope John XII crowns Otto I the Great Holy Roman Emperor

Births

• Edward the Martyr

Deaths

• Dong Yuan
• Indulf, King of the Scots and Picts

963

• Sebük Tigin starts his empire in modern-day Afghanistan
• The Nanping State has to surrender when invaded by Song Dynasty armies
• The Song Dynasty Chinese government tries to ban the practice of cremation
• Holy Roman Emperor Otto I defeats Mieszko I of Poland
• Luxembourg is founded
• December 6 – Pope Leo VIII becomes the 131st pope

Births

• Li Jiqian, Tangut jiedushi who ruled the new Western Xia Dynasty in northwestern China (d. 1004)

Deaths

• March 15 – Romanos II, Byzantine Emperor (b. 939)
• April 3 – William III, Duke of Aquitaine
• April 18 – Stephen Lekapenos, co-emperor of Byzantium in 924–945

964

• Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas tries to recapture Cilicia
• Al-Sufi's Book of Fixed Stars is published
• May 22 – Pope Benedict V becomes the 132nd pope
• June 23 – Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor battles in Rome to make Leo VIII Pope

Deaths

• May 14 – Pope John XII

965

• The Khazar fortress of Sarkel falls to the Kievan Rus
• Northern Song armies invade the Later Shu Kingdom

Births

• Elvira of Castile (daughter of García I), Regent of Leon (d. 1017)
• Alhazen, scientist
• Sweyn I of Denmark

Deaths

• February 22 – Otto, Duke of Burgundy
• July 4 – Pope Benedict V
• Meng Chang, Emperor of Later Shu

966

• Mieszko I, the first duke of Poland, is baptized a Christian

Births

• Fujiwara no Michinaga, Japanese regent

Deaths

• King Dub of Scotland

967

• Conchobar mac Tadg becomes King of Connacht
• Otto II is crowned co-emperor by Pope John XIII
• Olaf Tryggvason runs away from Norway with his mother
• Emperor Reizei ascends to the throne of Japan
• The Cambodian temple of Banteay Srei is consecrated
• 'Izz al-Daula becomes the Buyid emir of Iraq
• Bisutun ascends to the Ziyarid throne

Births

• Sigrid Storrada, queen of Sweden and Denmark
• Bolesław I, king of Poland
• Louis V, king of France
• Badi' al-Zamān al-Hamadhāni, Arab author
• Walter von Speyer, German poet and bishop
• Abusaeid Abolkheir, Persian Sufi
• Khottiga Amoghavarsha, Rashtrakuta warrior
• Vahram Pahlavouni, prince of Bjni and Nik
• Bertha, princess of Burgundy

Deaths

• February 9 – Sayf al-Dawla, Hamdanid Emir of Aleppo
• Abu al-Faraj Ali, scholar
• Abu 'Ali Muhammad, Ilyasid ruler
• Bolesław I, prince of Bohemia
• Hugh II, lord of Lusignan
• Krishna III, Rashtrakuta ruler
• Mu'izz al-Daula, first Buyid emir
• Murakami, emperor of Japan
• Vushmgir, ruler of the Ziyarids
• Wichmann the Younger, Saxon count
• Matilda of Ringelheim, Holy Roman Empress
• Dub mac Maíl Coluim, king of Alba
• Li Cheng, Chinese painter

968

• The Pechenegs begin the Siege of Kiev
• The Archbishopric of Magdeburg is founded

Births

• May 14 – Leofric, Earl of Mercia
• King Ethelred II of England
• Emperor Kazan, emperor of Japan
• Romanus III, Byzantine emperor (d. 1034)
• Emperor Zhenzong of Song

Deaths

• August 25 – Edgiva of Kent, queen of Edward the Elder of England
• Abu al-Misk Kafur
• Aldred of Lindisfarne
• John III of Naples
• Landulf III of Benevento
• William, Archbishop of Mainz
• Matilda of Ringelheim

969

• December 11 – John I Tzimiskes becomes Byzantine Emperor after killing Nikephoros II Phokas
• The Fatimids conquer Egypt
• Emperor En'yū replaces Emperor Reizei on the throne of Japan
• Jing Zong begins to rule the Khitan Empire
• Uththama Chola becomes the Chola Emperor

Births

• Olaf I of Norway

Deaths

• July 11 – Olga of Kiev
• Harald II of Norway
• December 11 – Nikephoros II Phokas
• Emperor Muzong of Liao