540s

Below are some of the important events that happened from 540 to 549. It is distinct from the decade known as the ***50th decade*** which began on January 1, 541 and ended on December 31, 550.

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## 540
* Emperor Kimmei, reign of 29th emperor of Japan starts (540-571)
* Vitiges of the Ostrogoths surrendered to the Byzantine army.
### Births
* Authari, king of the Lombards
* Pope Gregory I (approximate date)
* Myrddin Wyllt, Welsh legend (approximate date)
### Deaths
* Dignāga, Buddhist founder of Indian logic
* Dionysius Exiguus (approximate date)
* Empress Yujiulü, empress of Western Wei
* Empress Yifu, empress of Western Wei
* Fridolin of Säckingen Irish missionary
* Vedast, Frankish bishop 
* Vitiges, king of the Ostrogoths

## 541
* Plague of Justinian: Bubonic plague appears suddenly in the Egyptian port of Pelusium.  It spreads to Alexandria and, the following year, to Constantinople. This is the beginning of a 200-year long pandemic that will devastate Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.
* Totila is elected king by the Ostrogothic nobles after the death of his uncle Ildibad. 
* The Uyghurs come under the rule of the Hephthalites

### Births 
* July 21 &ndash; Wéndi, emperor of the Sui Dynasty

### Deaths 
* Adhurgunbadh, Persian general
* Eraric, king of the Ostrogoths
* Ildibad, king of the Ostrogoths

## 542
* Plague of Justinian: Bubonic plague kills at least 230,000 in Constantinople.
* King Childebert I and his brother Chlothar I invade Visigothic Spain.

### Births 
* Xiao Min Di, emperor of Northern Zhou 
* Xiao Ming Di, emperor of the Liang Dynasty

### Deaths 
* August 27 &ndash; Caesarius, bishop of Arles

## 543
* The Byzantine garrison (1,000 men) in Naples surrenders to the Ostrogoths. 
* King Khosrau I invades Syria.
* The Hephthalites threaten the Persian Empire from the East. They extend their gain more territory in Central Asia.
* King Pulakesi I starts the Chalukya Dynasty.

### Births 
* Brunhilda, queen of Austrasia (approximate date)
* Jing Di, emperor of the Liang Dynasty 
* Wu Di, emperor of Northern Zhou

### Deaths 
* Octa, king of Kent (approximate date)

## 544
* Belisarius defeats the Gothic army under king Totila.
* King Khosrau I unsuccessfully attacks the Byzantine city of Dara.
* Ly Bi is made emperor and starts the empire Van Xuân (modern Vietnam).

### Births 
* Dugu Qieluo, empress of the Sui Dynasty 
* Jing Di, emperor of the Liang Dynasty 
* Yuwen Xian, prince of Northern Zhou

### Deaths 
* Solomon, Byzantine general
* October 18 &ndash; Saint Wenna

## 545
* King Khosrau I signs a five-year truce with the Byzantine Empire.

### Births 
* Abd Allah ibn Abd al Muttalib, father of Muhammad 
* Fei Di, emperor of Northern Qi

### Deaths 
* Budic II, king of Brittany (approximate date)
* Clotilde, Burgundian princess 
* Medardus, bishop of Vermandois (approximate date) 
* Stotzas, Byzantine rebel leader

## 546
* The Ostrogoths under king Totila retake Rome.
* Audoin succeeds Walthari as king of the Lombards.
*  Audoin leads the Lombards across the Danube and becomes an ally of the Byzantines.

### Deaths 
* Walthari, king of the Lombards

## 547
* Belisarius recaptures Rome from the Ostrogoths.
* Theodebald becomes king of Austrasia.
* King Ida starts the kingdom of Bernicia. He builds Bamburgh Castle.
* The Tonkin revolt is stopped by the Chinese Liang Dynasty.

### Births 
* Pei Ju
* Empress Zhu Manyue

### Deaths 
* Theodebert I, king of Austrasia (or 548)
* Tribonian, Byzantine lawyer and writer of the *Codex Justinianus*.
* Maelgwn Gwynedd, king of Gwynedd (approximate date)
* Gao Huan

## 548
* Emperor Justinian I removes Belisarius from military service.
* Theudigisel names himself ruler over the Visigothic Kingdom.

### Births 
* Xiao Zhuang, crown prince of the Southern Dynasties (approximate date)

### Deaths 
* April 13 &ndash; Ly Nam De, emperor of Vietnam
* Theodebert I, king of Austrasia (or 547)
* June 28 &ndash; Theodora I, Byzantine Empress
* Theudis, king of the Visigoths

## 549
* Jianwen Di becomes ruler of the Liang Dynasty in China.
* Agila becomes king of the Visigoths.
* The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ossory is founded in Ireland.
* The Ostrogoths under Totila recapture Rome.
* Totila conquers the city of Perugia.

### Births 
* Jizang, Chinese Buddhist monk

### Deaths 
* Theudigisel, king of the Visigoths
* Tuathal Maelgarb, King of Tara
* Gao Cheng
* Emperor Wu of Liang
* Xiao Zhengde
* Princess Xu Zhaopei
* Zhu Yi

## References