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 &ndash; 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 &ndash; 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 &ndash; King Louis IV of France 
* King Eric I of Norway
* Emperor Taizu of Later Zhou
* Feng Tao
* Liu Min

## 955
* August 10 &ndash; Otto I the Great defeats Magyars in the Battle of Lechfeld.
* Eadwig becomes King of England.
* December 16 &ndash; Pope John XII succeeds Pope Agapetus II as the 130th pope.

### Births 
*  Ælfric of Eynsham, English abbot

### Deaths 
* November 23 &ndash; Eadred, King of England

## 956
* An earthquake badly damages the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

### Deaths 
* April 8 &ndash; 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 &ndash; 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 &ndash; 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 &ndash; King Eadwig of England
* November 9 &ndash; Constantine VII, Byzantine Emperor 
* Ælfsige, Archbishop of Canterbury
* Chai Rong