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.

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## 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