Editing 996 (section)

== Events ==
<onlyinclude>

=== By place ===

==== Japan ====
* [[February]] - Chotoku Incident: [[Fujiwara no Korechika]] and [[Fujiwara no Takaie|Takaie]] shoot an arrow at Retired [[Emperor Kazan]].

* [[2 March]]: [[Emperor Ichijo]] orders the imperial police to raid Korechika's residence; [[Fujiwara no Teishi|Empress Teishi]] (sister of Korechika) cuts her hair because of the humiliation; Takaie is arrested, Korechika is absent. 

* [[5 March]]: Korechika returns with his head shaven and attired as a monk.

==== Europe ====
* Spring &ndash; King [[Otto III]] starts his first expedition to [[Kingdom of Italy (Holy Roman Empire)|Italy]] from [[Regensburg]], and proceeds over the [[Brenner Pass]]. News of Otto's arrival prompts [[Crescentius the Younger|Crescentius II]] (the Younger), patrician (the ''[[de facto]]'' ruler) of [[Rome]], to invite Pope [[Pope John XV|John XV]] (exiled in [[Tuscany]]) back to Rome. Otto arrives in [[Verona]], and receives ambassadors of Doge [[Pietro II Orseolo]] of [[Republic of Venice|Venice]].
* [[May 21]] &ndash; Otto III, 16, is crowned Emperor of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] at [[St. Peter's Basilica]], and claims also the title of [[King of Italy]]. His grandmother, [[Adelaide of Italy|Adelaide]], retires to a convent she has founded at [[Seltz]] ([[Alsace]]). Otto puts down a Roman rebellion; a number of nobles (including Crescentius II) are [[Exile|banished]] for their crimes. 
* [[October 24]] &ndash; King [[Hugh Capet|Hugh I]] Capet dies in [[Paris]] after a 9-year reign and is interred in the [[Basilica of St Denis|Basilica of St. Denis]]. He is succeeded by his 24-year-old son [[Robert II of France|Robert II]] (the Pious) as king of [[Kingdom of France|France]]. Robert tries (during his reign) to increase his power, by pressing his claim of [[Feudalism|feudal]] lands that become vacant. This results in many [[territorial dispute]]s.
* [[November 1]] &ndash; Otto III grants the [[Duchy of Bavaria|Bavarian]] bishopric of [[Freising]] 30 "royal hides" of land (about 800 [[hectare]]s, or 2,000 acres - 800 hectares is 2,000 acres) in [[Neuhofen an der Ybbs]] ([[Lower Austria]]). A document (the oldest known) marks the first use of the name ''[[Ostarrîchi]]'', meaning "Eastern Realm" ([[Austria]] in [[Old High German]]).
* [[November 20]] &ndash; [[Richard I of Normandy|Richard I]] (the Fearless), duke of [[Duchy of Normandy|Normandy]], dies after a 55-year reign. He is succeeded by his young son [[Richard II, Duke of Normandy|Richard II]]. During his minority, [[Rodulf of Ivry]] (his uncle), who wields the power as [[regent]] puts down a [[Peasants' revolt of 996 in Normandy|peasants revolt]] at the beginning of Richard's reign.<ref name="FN74">François Neveux, ''A Brief History of the Normans'' (Constable and Robinson, 2008) p. 74.</ref>

==== Africa ====
* [[May 15]] &ndash; The new [[Fatimid navy]] is destroyed by fire, resulting in anti-Christian pogroms in [[Cairo]].
* [[October 14]] &ndash; Caliph [[Al-Aziz Billah]] dies at [[Bilbeis]] in [[Egypt]] after a 21-year reign in which he has expanded his [[Shia Islam|Shiite]] caliphate at the expense of the Byzantines, using [[Turkic peoples|Turkish]] mercenaries ([[Mamluk|Mamelukes]]). He is succeeded by his 11-year-old son [[Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah]] as ruler of the [[Fatimid Caliphate]] (until [[1021]]).
* [[Revolt of Tyre (996–998)|Revolt of Tyre]]: The citizens of [[Tyre, Lebanon|Tyre]] (modern [[Lebanon]]) revolt against the Fatimid Caliphate. Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah sends a expeditionary army and navy to [[blockade]] the city by land and sea.<ref>Gil, Moshe (1997). ''A History of Palestine, 634–1099'', pp. 369–370. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN|0-521-59984-9}}.</ref>

==== China ====
* The [[Niujie Mosque]] is constructed in [[Beijing]] during the [[Liao dynasty|Liao Dynasty]]. The first mosque is built under supervision of the [[Muslim]] architect [[Nazaruddin (architect)|Nazaruddin]].

=== By topic ===

==== Religion ====
* [[April 1]] &ndash; Pope [[Pope John XV|John XV]] dies of fever after an 11-year reign. Meeting a Roman embassy at [[Ravenna]], Otto appoints his cousin Bruno of [[Duchy of Carinthia|Carinthia]] (a grandson of the late Emperor [[Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor|Otto I]]), who duly ascends as [[Pope Gregory V|Gregory V]]. He becomes the 138th [[pope]] – and the first German pope of the [[Catholic Church]].</onlyinclude>