950s

The **950s** was a decade that started on 1 January 950 and ended on 31 December 959. It is distinct from the decade known as the ***96th decade*** which began on January 1, 961 and ended on December 31, 960.

## 950

- World population is thought to be 250 million.
- Duke Boleslav I of Bohemia makes peace with Otto I.
- The Later Han Dynasty in China falls.

### Births

- June 12 – Emperor Reizei of Japan
- Erik the Red

### Deaths

- Hywel Dda ("the Good") of Wales
- Al-Farabi, philosopher

## 951

- Allat the Maharana of Mewar comes to power.
- The Later Zhou Dynasty is founded by Guo Wei in China.
- The Northern Han Kingdom is founded by Liu Min in northern China.

### Births

- Gregory of Narek, Armenian monk, poet, and theologian
- Saint Romuald

### Deaths

- Emperor Shizong of the Liao Dynasty
- 2 January – Liu Chengyou, Emperor Yin of the Later Han Dynasty

## 952

- Kalbid forces defeat the Byzantines in Calabria.

### Births

- Emperor Gongdi of Later Zhou

### Deaths

- Emperor Suzaku of Japan
- Hugh, Duke of Burgundy

## 953

- Liudolf, Duke of Swabia and Conrad the Red rebel against German King Otto I.

### Births

- Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine
- Herbert III, Count of Vermandois
- Al-Karaji, Persian mathematician and engineer
- Kisai Marvazi, Persian poet

### Deaths

- Abas I of Armenia, King of Armenia
- Ismail al-Mansur. third Fatimid Caliph
- Empress Dowager Yingtian of the Liao Dynasty
- Muhammad bin Musafir, Sallarid ruler of Tarum and Iranian Azerbaijan
- Rasso, Bavarian count, military leader, pilgrim, and saint.
- Rhodri ap Hywel, king of Deheubarth

## 954

- King Máel Coluim I of Scotland is killed in battle against the Highlanders. He is succeeded by Indulf I of Scotland.
- Chateau Chinon is built by Theobald I of Blois.
- Edred becomes king of all England.

### Births

- Alphege, Archbishop of Canterbury
- Wang Yucheng

### Deaths

- September 10 – King Louis IV of France
- King Eric I of Norway
- Emperor Taizu of Later Zhou
- Feng Tao
- Liu Min

## 955

- August 10 – Otto I the Great defeats Magyars in the Battle of Lechfeld.
- Eadwig becomes King of England.
- December 16 – Pope John XII succeeds Pope Agapetus II as the 130th pope.

### Births

- Ælfric of Eynsham, English abbot

### Deaths

- November 23 – Eadred, King of England

## 956

- An earthquake badly damages the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

### Deaths

- April 8 – Gilbert of Chalon, Duke of Burgundy
- Ali al-Masudi, Arab historian, geographer and philosopher

## 957

- Japan: The Tenryaku Era ends, and the Tentoku Era begins.
- The Chandra Hindu Dynasty ends.  This starts a time of chaos in areas belonging to modern-day India.
- Olga of Kiev converts to the Eastern Orthodox Church

### Births

- Gormlaith of Lienster, wife of Olaf Cuarran, Malachy II and Brian Boru

### Deaths

- September 6 – Liudolf, Duke of Swabia

## 958

- Probable date of the start of the Marche dynasty.
- King Kshemgupta of Kashmir dies. He is succeeded by his young son Abhimanyu. Didda, his mother, becomes de facto ruler.
- The Later Zhou Dynasty goes against Liao Dynasty positions in the Sixteen Prefectures.  They are defeated.
- Battle of Raban: Byzantines under John Tzimiskes defeat Sayf al-Dawla

### Births

- Basil II, Byzantine Emperor
- Samuil of Bulgaria
- Vladimir I, Prince of Kievan Rus

### Deaths

- King Gorm the Old of Denmark
- Masudi, Arab geographer, historian, and physicist
- Tuathal mac Augaire, King of Leinster, Ireland

## 959

- October 1 – Edgar becomes King of England.
- Dunstan becomes bishop of Worcester, England and London.
- Bruno I, Archbishop of Cologne divides the Duchy of Lorraine with his nephew Frederic.

### Births

- Emperor En'yū of Japan

### Deaths

- October 1 – King Eadwig of England
- November 9 – Constantine VII, Byzantine Emperor
- Ælfsige, Archbishop of Canterbury
- Chai Rong