761-780 A.D.
His titles are awe-inspiring: Charles the Great, King of the Franks and Emperor of the
West. Charlemagne (which translates to Charles the Great) consolidated the Frankish
kingdom and subdued the Saxons, forcing them to accept Christianity as a sign of
submission. He also took on the Lombards in Italy, thus guarding the pope from their
incursions. Inspired by the Old Testament and St. Augustine, Charlemagne sought to create
an ordered and civilized society. One ingredient was a stable Church, which he promoted by
protecting its property, encouraging more qualified clergy, establishing schools, and
supporting missionaries. In a significant event in world history, Charlemagne was crowned
by Pope Leo III, creating a Roman empire in the west that was distinct from the Byzantine
Empire of the east.
Elsewhere in time
Japanese print pictorial books...Chinese publish handbook on tea...Popes include Stephen
IV, a Sicilian, and Hadrian I, a Roman.
781-800 A.D.
The history of Catholicism is studded with great scholars like Venerable Bede and St.
Isidore. Usually, they are priests; often, they are saints. Alcuin was neither. But he was
an educator, theologian, librarian and advisor to Charlemagne. An Englishman, Alcuin
compiled textbooks on grammar and rhetoric, wrote commentaries on the Bible, penned lives
of the saints, used his skills to combat heresies, and reformed the liturgy. At the same
time, he was a skilled politician whose advice guided Charlemagne toward his coronation as
Emperor of the West in 800. Alcuin has been called by historians "a meek
stay-at-home," "a dedicated bookworm" and "a scholar who was
thoroughly grounded in the management of political affairs." Taken together, those
add up to a considerable personality.
Elsewhere in time
Seventh Council of Nicaea held...Emperor Constantine throws his mother Irene into prison
for cruelty; she later escapes and blinds him...Vikings attack England...Leo III begins
his 20-year reign as pope.
801-820 A.D.
St. Ludger of Munster (feast day, March 26) represents a lot of unsung Christians of the
Church's first millennium. He worked without much notice but with a great deal of
influence and effect. Among his lasting contributions were missionary efforts in what are
now the Netherlands and Germany, the construction of a seminary and churches, and the
founding of convents and monasteries. A holy man, Ludger was once summoned three times by
Charlemagne but refused to go because he was praying. "God must be served before men
and even before Your Majesty," Bishop Ludger told the Emperor. Thanks to diligent
efforts by such men and women as St. Ludger, the Church spread throughout Europe.
Elsewhere in time
Vikings rule Ireland...Venice becomes independent...Norsemen sack monastery at Iona...Word
"algebra" used for first time...Charlemagne dies...
821-840 A.D.
Pope Gregory IV should have been known as 'the Referee.' He spent a great portion of his
16 years in the Vatican trying to keep peace in the imperial family, which was split by
jealousies, conspiracies and disputes. The three sons of Emperor Louis the Pious -- Louis
the German, Pepin and Lothair -- squabbled over the throne even while their father was
still alive, with the Pope supporting Lothair, the eldest son. That earned him the enmity
of some bishops, who said he should not be intervening while the king was still living.
Lothair eventually overthrew his father, but only temporarily, catching the Pope between
the factions. Gregory probably found it much more easy to deal with another group:
invading Saracen pirates.
Elsewhere in time
Arabs conquer Crete, advance on Sardinia and Sicily...King Harold of Denmark allows
missionary to spread Christianity there...Egypt invaded by Muslims...Rulers in Europe
include Louis the Pious, Charles the Bald and Charles the Fat...
841-860 A.D.
The second 500 years of Christianity saw an explosion in missionary activity throughout Europe as priests destined to become saints spread the Faith through the known world. One of them was St. Ansgar, whose feast is Feb. 3. A Benedictine teacher and preacher, he was sent first to Denmark and then to Sweden as a missionary. Later named a bishop, he still retained the title of papal legate to Scandinavia. When the weak efforts of other missionaries started to reverse his earlier successes, Ansgar converted King Haarik of Denmark and King Olaf of Sweden. For his efforts in the frozen north and his diligence in building churches, Ansgar is often depicted with a fur collar on his episcopal robes and a model church in his hand.
Elsewhere in time
Frankish Empire divided into Italy, France and Germany...Kenneth unites Scotland...One of earliest illustrated manuscripts of Bible written...Arabs sack Rome and damage Vatican; wall built to protect it...China issues paper money...Yiddish develops in Germany...
861-880 A.D.
Two brothers from a prominent family of seven children left a major impact on the history of the Church among the Slavs. Cyril and Methodius are linked through blood and also throughout time in the many churches named after them. Cyril was a scholar, philosopher and priest. Methodius was a politician turned monk. Together, they were missionaries to the Slavic people, inventing an alphabet for them, translating the Bible into their language, devising a Slavonic liturgy and training priests to carry on after the died. After Cyril's death, his brother continued their work, codifying canon and civil law, for example, and writing commentaries on the Church Fathers. Together, their influence continues to be felt 1,200 years later.
Elsewhere in time
Danes continue to dominate British isles...time begins to be measured by calibrated candles...Arabs conquer Sicily...pope and patriarch of Constantinople excommunicate each other...
881-900 A.D.
Could someone who was excommunicated become pope? Can a dead man be put on trial? Meet Formosus, who was elected pope in 891 when he was in his mid-70s. Formosus (whose name means 'good-looking') was formidable. A skilled diplomat who had served previous popes, he was known for his intelligence and asceticism. A jealous Pope John VIII excommunicated him. (John would later be assassinated by his own court.) Pope Marinus I then readmitted Formosus to full communion, and he was eventually elected pope himself. But they just couldn't leave poor Pope Formosus alone -- even after his death. His successor, Stephen, dug up Formosus' body and put it on trial for alleged abuses. He was found guilty, and his body was thrown into the Tiber as punishment.
Elsewhere in time
Charlemagne's empire reunited under Charles III...Alfred the Great sets up navy...Pueblo dwellers build shelters in America's southwest...Vikings discover Greenland...
901-920 A.D.
The papacy of the last century of the first millennium provided some of the darkest chapters of Church history. The array of corrupt and perverted men who held the office of Vicar of Christ has scandalized Christians for centuries. Some of them served only briefly, such as Theodore II, who reigned for 20 days. The list also includes Leo V, who was murdered in prison where he had been placed by a rival; Sergius III, who fathered a child who became Pope John XI; John X, who was suffocated; John XII, who turned the Vatican into a brothel; Benedict VI, who was strangled; and John XIV, who was poisoned. This corruption spread chaos throughout the Church with rivals pitting candidates for the papacy against one another and disputes arising over who was the true successor to Peter.
Elsewhere in time
Belltower at St. Mark's in Venice begun (and will stand for a thousand years)...Pope Leo V reigns for one month...Benedictines found Abbey at Cluny...Pope Lando last pontiff to pick name not used by a predecessor...
921-940 A.D.
You sing about him every Christmas season, but did you know he was a real person? Good King Wenceslaus is also St. Wenceslaus (feast day, Sept. 28), honored for his holiness as Duke of Bohemia and patron of what was once known as Czechoslovakia. He was educated by his grandmother, St. Ludmilla, who was murdered by his pagan mother out of jealousy. Seizing the reins of authority, Wenceslaus worked to soothe the conflict between the Christian and non-Christian factions in his kingdom. Faced with superior forces from Germany that were poised to invade Bohemia, Wenceslaus chose compromise over war. His political skills and religious zeal are remembered a thousand years later every time school children gather to sing Christmas carols.
Elsewhere in time
Easter plays begin as way to explain Faith to uneducated...First Christian king of Denmark is Harold Bluetooth...Algiers founded...Chinese move capital to Peking...
941-960 A.D.
Matilda lived a privileged life but was willing to surrender it. The daughter of a Saxon count and Danish noblewoman, she married Henry the Fowler, also known as King Henry I. Together, they had five children destined for fame: Otto the Great; Gerberga, who would marry Louis IV of France; Hedwig, the mother of Hugh Capet (the founder of the Capetian dynasty); Bruno of Cologne; and Henry, Duke of Bavaria. After her husband's death, Matilda devoted herself to works of charity and support for monasteries. When she wanted a Mass offered for Henry, she handed her royal jewels to a priest to show she was renouncing the wealth of the world. For all of this -- her motherhood, her marriage, her devotion to the Church -- she is St. Matilda, whose feast is March 14.
Elsewhere in time
Dark Ages in Europe...trumpet introduced to Europe by Arabs...legendary El Cid strives to unite Spain...Mieczyslav first ruler of Poland...
961-980 A.D.
King, martyr and saint. That's an impressive list of titles, and they were all held by Edward of England. But maybe those titles aren't so amazing when you learn that his father was named Edgar the Peaceful. That passed a positive legacy to his son, who reigned from 975-978. Edward's rivals for the throne included his brother, Ethelred. When the king visited his brother, he was murdered -- some say through the collusion of his sibling, who then became king. Almost immediately, Edward's reputation for sanctity spread and miracles were attributed to him. By 1001, he was formally declared a saint. His feast is March 18, the day he was killed.
Elsewhere in time
Hospice of St. Bernard, Switzerland, founded...Chinese poet Lin Pu born...Michinaga becomes emperor of Japan...Poland converted to Christianity...Leo VIII, a layman, chosen as pope...
981-1000 A.D.
As the first millennium of Christianity ended, Silvester II was pope, the first Frenchman elected to that position. Throughout the Christian world, people watched for signs of the second coming of Jesus. Fortune-tellers and wizards warned people about the approaching end of the world. This stir was caused by the assumption that 1,000 years marked a major change in history and that the apocalypse must be coming. Learned Churchmen had debated that theory since the death of Christ. As the year 1000 drew near, some men, like Tanchelm and Budo de Stella, appeared to claim that they were Jesus, coming back to the world to judge it. Turmoil in the world, including plagues and wars, convinced many that history was about to end. It didn't.
Elsewhere in time
Eric the Red colonizes Greenland...King of Sweden converted to Christianity...Stephen
rules Hungary; he will be canonized...Norway comes under Danish rule...'Beowulf'
written...Leif Ericson discovers America...gunpowder perfected...
1001-1020 A.D.
In 1007, Peter Damian was born, and the Church is so grateful that it has named him both a saint and a Doctor of the Church. His talents were certainly needed. At a time when much corruption stained the faith, Peter Damian was a reformer. He began by re-organizing a monastery and then turned his attention to the Church at large, working with both the papacy and the emperor on such projects as restoring morality to the clergy. For his efforts, the Benedictine priest was named a cardinal -- against his will. Through his writings (letters, sermons, essays, prayers and hymns) and the impressive force of his personality, Peter Damian left a positive mark on the Church he loved as it entered a new millennium.
Elsewhere in time
Edward the Confessor born...Muslims sack Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem...Canute rules
England...Germany and Poland begin war that lasts 15 years...Olaf II restores Christianity
to Norway...
1021-1040 A.D.
A layman one day; pope the next. That's the story of John XIX, who led the Church from 1024 to 1033. He came from such a distinguished family that his brother was also a pontiff, Benedict VIII. When Benedict died, Romanus claimed the title of Head of the Church as an inheritance. In the span of one day, he was ordained a priest, cardinal and pope. He crowned Conrad II emperor and charged men money to become members of the hierarchy. On the positive side, John XIX supported the Cluniac reform, named for a city in France from which a monastic movement spread. (By the way, while three more popes would be named John, there is no Pope John XX, a title that was skipped through earlier confusion in counting pontiffs.)
Elsewhere in time
Eric the Saint, king of Sweden, dies; so does Robert the Devil, duke of Normandy...St.
Vitus' Dance epidemics sweep Europe...Omar Khayyam, Persian poet, born...King Canute dies,
and his kingdom is split into England, Norway and Denmark...Macbeth murders Duncan...
1041-1060 A.D.
In the centuries after Christ's birth, a gulf slowly widened between the east, represented by Constantinople, and the west, represented by Rome. Politically, a split occurred in the Roman Empire when two emperors were crowned. In the Church, the division, known as the Eastern Schism, evolved as different liturgies and interpretations of doctrine developed. The separation grew over several centuries, but the final break is generally dated to 1054 and to an argument over a single Latin word -- "filioque" -- in the Creed. When the Pope and Patriarch of Constantinople condemned each other, a parting began that continues to this day.
Elsewhere in time
Popes Gregory VI and Benedict IX deposed...Clement II elected to head Church...Normans invade England...Construction begins on Westminster Abbey...Macbeth murdered...rule established to limit electors of pope to cardinals...
1061-1080 A.D.
If you were throwing a party in the 11th century, you didn't invite Pope Gregory VII and Emperor Henry IV -- unless you wanted a good argument. One dispute involved who had the authority to name bishops. Henry claimed that he did and summoned a council of German bishops who deposed the Pope. In response, Gregory excommunicated the Emperor. Henry said he was sorry but didn't mean it, so Gregory re-excommunicated him -- and deposed him. In reaction, the German bishops re-deposed the Pope and elected someone to replace him. Henry marched on Rome, forcing Gregory to flee. Their dispute left the Church in turmoil for years with conflicting popes claiming authority.
Elsewhere in time
Cathedral at Pisa constructed...Edward the Confessor dies...Battle of Hastings fought; William the Conqueror crowned...comet appears that will eventually bear Halley's name...married priests excommunicated...Peter Abelard born...
1081-1100 A.D.
Islam quickly spread throughout the Middle East, including many of the holy cities of
Judaism and Christianity. The thought of Jerusalem itself being in the control of
'infidels' -- Arabs and Turks -- disturbed many, including Pope Urban II. He promised
complete remission of sins to anyone who joined in a crusade to return Jerusalem to
Christian hands. (The word 'crusade' comes from a French root meaning 'taking the cross.')
Led by Peter the Hermit, bands of people -- some of them unarmed -- set off to rescue such
holy places as Christ's sepulchre. In 1099, Jerusalem fell to the invading crusaders. More
crusades would follow in succeeding centuries as power was seized and lost.
Elsewhere in time
Domesday Book compiled...William the Conqueror dies...Chinese construct mechanical clock
that runs on water power...Spain expels Moors...Middle English supplants Old English...
1101-1120 A.D.
St. Anselm of Canterbury was one of the most intellectual men of his times, so much so
that he is a Doctor of the Church. But he is widely forgotten today. Born in northern
Italy and educated in France, Anselm ended up in England as archbishop of Canterbury. He
was an avid leader in Church reform, a fierce defender of Church rights against state
control, an innovator in theological study and a writer on such topics as the existence of
God, the meaning of truth and the sinlessness of Jesus. Called the Father of
Scholasticism, Anselm died in 1109 and was canonized less than 60 years later.
Elsewhere in time
Miracle plays written...Emperor Henry V excommunicated...St. Bernard named abbot of
Clairvaux...Thomas a Becket born...
1121-1140 A.D.
The next time you dig in your garden or plow your fields, think of Isidore, a Spaniard who
became a tenant farmer on a wealthy man's estate. He had the intelligence or good luck to
marry another saint-to-be: Maria de la Cabeza. Their only child died at an early age, and
the couple devoted themselves to farming. That included tending to farmyard animals.
Sometimes, Isidore the Farmer is called Isidore the Husbandman, indicating that he knew
something about procreating chicks and ducks and geese. Isidore died in 1130 and became
the patron saint of farming (and of his birthplace, Madrid). His feast day is May 15.
Elsewhere in time
Frederick Barbarossa born...Omar Khayyam, Persian poet, dies...Church council removes
permission of priests to marry in Latin rite...troubadours appear...Moses Maimonides
born...
View information for the years:
1001-1300 A.D.
761-1000 A.D.
561-760 A.D.
441-560 A.D.
321 - 440 A.D.
0 - 320 A.D..
