Editing 645 (section)

== Events ==
<onlyinclude>

=== By place ===
==== Byzantine Empire ====
* [[Alexandria]] revolts against [[Arab people|Arab]] rule, at the appearance of a [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] fleet of 300 ships,{{sfn|Muir|1898|loc=Chapter&nbsp;XXII, "Conquest of Egypt"|p=166}} and Byzantine forces recapture the city. [[Abdullah ibn Saad|Abdullah ibn Sa'ad]], Arab governor of [[Muslim conquest of Egypt|Egypt]], mounts an assault and retakes it. He begins building a [[Muslim]] fleet.

==== Europe ====
* [[Plato (exarch)|Plato]], exarch (imperial governor) of [[Exarchate of Ravenna|Ravenna]], invades the southern [[Po Valley]]. The [[Lombards]] under King [[Rothari]] defeat him on the banks of the [[Panaro (river)|Panaro River]] (near [[Modena]]); 8,000 imperial troops are killed.

==== Britain ====
* King [[Cenwalh of Wessex]] is driven from his kingdom by his brother-in-law, King [[Penda of Mercia]] (according to [[Bede]]). He flees to the court of king [[Anna of East Anglia]], and is [[Baptism|baptised]] while in [[exile]]. Penda overruns [[Kingdom of Wessex|Wessex]].
* [[Kingdom of Gwynedd|Gwynedd]] and much of [[Wales]] is in the grasp of [[famine]]. Would-be king [[Cadwaladr|Cadwaladr Fendigaid]] flees to [[Brittany]]. Civil war continues in his kingdom (approximate date).

==== Japan ====
* [[July 10]] &ndash; [[Isshi Incident]]: Prince [[Emperor Tenji|Naka-no-Ōe]] and [[Fujiwara no Kamatari]] assassinate [[Soga no Iruka]], during a ''[[coup d'état]]'' at the imperial palace.
* Empress [[Empress Kōgyoku|Kōgyoku]] is forced to abdicate the throne in favor of her younger brother [[Emperor Kōtoku|Kōtoku]], age 49, who becomes the 36th emperor of [[Japan]].
* Naka-no-Ōe becomes [[crown prince]] and prime minister. Supporters of the semi-legendary [[regent]] Prince [[Prince Shōtoku|Shōtoku]] gain supremacy in Japan.
* Kōtoku creates a new city at [[Osaka|Naniwa]], and moves the capital from [[Yamato Province]]. The capital has a [[Port|sea port]], establishing foreign [[trade]] and [[Diplomacy|diplomatic]] relations.
* Emperor Kōtoku establishes the [[Taika Reform]]: a land reform based on [[Confucianism|Confucian]] ideas and [[Chinese philosophy|philosophies]] from [[China]] (approximate date)
*The first [[Japanese era name|nengō]], derived from the [[Chinese era name|Chinese system of eras]] (''[[nianhao]]'') begins with the [[Taika (era)|Taika era]].<ref name="nussbaum924">Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Taika''" in {{Google books|p2QnPijAEmEC|''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 924|page=9247}}; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, ''see'' [http://dispatch.opac.ddb.de/DuuB=4.1/PPN?PPN=128842709 Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File].</ref> <sup>(Unclear significance. Needs more explanation as to why this belongs in the list of major events of the year)</sup>

==== China ====
* [[May 1]] &ndash; [[First conflict of the Goguryeo–Tang War]]: A Chinese expeditionary army under [[Emperor Taizong of Tang]] crosses the [[Liao River]] into [[Goguryeo]] (one of the [[Three kingdoms of Korea]]).{{sfn|Graff|2002|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=gpmBAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA197 197]}}
* [[July 18]] &ndash; Tang forces under [[Li Shiji]] heading southeast toward the [[Yalu River]] put the strategic fortress of [[Ansi City]] (in the province of [[Liaoning]]) under [[Siege of Ansi|siege]].
* September &ndash; Taizong is unable to capture the Ansi fortress defended by Korean general [[Yang Manchun]]. Food supplies running low, he withdraws his forces, ending the [[Siege of Ansi]].<ref name=lee97-16>{{cite book|last=Lee|first=Kenneth B.|title=Korea and East Asia: "The story of a phoenix"|year=1997|publisher=Praeger|location=Westport|isbn=9780275958237|page=16}}</ref>
* [[October 13]] &ndash; Emperor Taizong is compelled to order a withdrawal from Goguryeo.{{sfn|Graff|2002|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=gpmBAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA198 198]}}

=== By topic ===
==== Religion ====
* [[Xuanzang]], Chinese [[Bhikkhu|Buddhist monk]], returns to [[China]] after a 16-year [[pilgrimage]] to [[India]]. He is greeted with much honor by Emperor [[Emperor Taizong of Tang|Taizong]].
* The [[Giant Wild Goose Pagoda]] at Ci'en Temple, [[Xi'an]] ([[Shanxi]]) is first erected during the [[Tang dynasty]] (approximate date).</onlyinclude>