Editing 969

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[[File:Coronation of John Tzimiskes.jpg|upright=1.35|thumb|The [[coronation]] of [[John I Tzimiskes]] (969).]]
Year '''969''' ('''[[Roman numerals|CMLXIX]]''') was a [[common year starting on Friday]] of the [[Julian calendar]], the 969th year of the [[Common Era]] (CE) and ''[[Anno Domini]]'' (AD) designations, the 969th year of the [[1st millennium]], the 69th year of the [[10th century]], and the 10th and last year of the [[960s]] decade.

== Events ==
<onlyinclude>

=== By place ===

==== Byzantine Empire ====
* [[October 28]] &ndash; [[Siege of Antioch (968–969)|Siege of Antioch]]: Byzantine general [[Michael Bourtzes]] (during a night attack) seizes part of [[Antioch]]'s fortifications. The capture of the city from the [[Hamdanid dynasty|Hamdanids]] is completed three days later, when reinforcements under the ''[[stratopedarches]]'' [[Peter (stratopedarches)|Peter Phokas]] arrive. The [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] army then moves deeper into [[Syria]]n territory — besieging and taking the city of [[Aleppo]].
* [[December 11]] &ndash; Emperor [[Nikephoros II Phokas|Nikephoros II]] is murdered in the royal palace of [[Boukoleon Palace|Boukoleon]] at [[Constantinople]] after a 6-year reign. Former friends have acted on the instructions of his wife [[Theophano (born Anastaso)|Theophano]].<ref>Reuter, Timothy (1999). ''The New Cambridge Medieval History, Volume III'', p. 594. {{ISBN|978-0-521-36447-8}}.</ref> Nikephoros is succeeded by his nephew [[John I Tzimiskes]], who becomes co-emperor and [[regent]]. He sends Theophano into [[exile]] to the island of [[Büyükada|Prinkipo]] ([[Prince Islands]]).

==== Europe ====
* [[Peter I of Bulgaria|Peter I]], emperor (''[[tsar]]'') of the [[First Bulgarian Empire|Bulgarian Empire]], suffers a [[stroke]] and abdicates the throne in favour of his eldest son [[Boris II of Bulgaria|Boris II]]. He arrives (after being an honorary [[hostage]] at Constantinople) in [[Veliki Preslav|Preslav]] and is proclaimed as the new ruler. Boris regains lost territory from the [[Kievan Rus']] and recaptures [[Pereyaslavets]], an important trade city at the mouth of the [[Danube]].<ref>{{The Early Medieval Balkans|page=184}}.</ref>
* Summer &ndash; Grand Prince [[Sviatoslav I of Kiev|Sviatoslav I]] invades Bulgaria at the head of a Kievan army, which includes [[Pechenegs|Pecheneg]] and [[Principality of Hungary|Hungarian]] auxiliary forces. He defeats the Bulgarians in a major battle and retakes Pereyaslavets. Boris II capitulates and impales 300 Bulgarian [[boyar]]s for disloyalty. Sviatoslav assigns garrisons to the conquered fortresses in Northern Bulgaria.<ref>Reuter, Timothy (1999). ''The New Cambridge Medieval History, Volume III'', p. 584. {{ISBN|978-0-521-36447-8}}.</ref>
* [[Pandulf Ironhead]], duke of [[Duchy of Benevento|Benevento]] and [[Principality of Capua|Capua]], leads the siege of [[Bovino]]. He is captured by the Byzantines and taken in chains to [[Bari]], and jailed in Constantinople. Neapolitan forces under [[Marinus II of Naples|Marinus II]], duke of [[Duchy of Naples|Naples]], invade Benevento-Capua, capture the city of [[Avellino]] and then lay siege to [[Capua]].<ref>Gay, Jules (1904). ''L'Italie méridionale et l'empire Byzantin: Livre II''. New York: Burt Franklin.</ref>
* [[Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor|Otto I 'the Great', Holy Roman Emperor]], assembles a large expeditionary force at [[Pavia]], joined by [[Duchy of Spoleto|Spoletan]] troops. He counter-attacks, relieves the siege of Capua and devastates the area around Naples. Otto enters Benevento, where he is received as 'liberator' by [[Landulf IV of Benevento|Landulf IV]] and in the cities of [[Apulia]] (Southern [[Kingdom of Italy (Holy Roman Empire)|Italy]]).

==== Africa ====
* [[February 6]]–[[July 9]] &ndash; [[Fatimid conquest of Egypt]]: Caliph [[Al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah|Al-Mu'izz]]'s army under [[Jawhar (general)|General Jawhar]] invades [[Egypt in the Middle Ages|Egypt]]. Jawhar occupies the lands around the [[Nile]] from the [[Ikhshidid dynasty|Ikhshidids]] after a [[siege]] at [[Giza]] and the capitulation of [[Fustat]].<ref>Brett, Michael (2002). "The Fatimid Revolution (861-973) and its aftermath in North Africa". ''The Cambridge History of Africa'', Vol. '''2''' ed. J. D. Fage; Roland Anthony Oliver. Cambridge University Press. p. 622.</ref>

==== Asia ====
* [[September 27]] &ndash; [[Emperor Reizei]] abdicates the throne of [[Japan]] (due to a [[Mental disorder|mental illness]]) after a 2-year reign. He is succeeded by his 10-year-old brother [[Emperor En'yū|En'yū]], who becomes the 64th emperor.

=== By topic ===

==== Geography ====
* [[Ibn Hawqal]] concludes his travels.

==== Religion ====
* Summer &ndash; [[Pope John XIII]] convenes a [[synod]] at [[Rome]]. He raises the bishopric of [[Benevento]] to [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Benevento|Archbishopric of Benevento]]. The city is made a metropolitan see over 10 bishoprics in Byzantine [[Province of Foggia|Capitanata]] (Southern Italy).</onlyinclude>

== Births ==
* [[Badi' al-Zaman al-Hamadani]], [[Persian literature|Persian poet]] and writer (d. [[1007]])
* [[Hilal al-Sabi']], Buyid bureaucrat and historian (d. [[1056]])
* [[Judith of Hungary]], princess and queen of [[Greater Poland|Poland]] (d. [[988]])
* [[Empress Liu (Zhenzong)|Liu]], empress and [[regent]] of the [[Song dynasty]] (d. [[1033]])
* [[Nathar Shah]], Tamil [[Mysticism|mystic]] and preacher (d. [[1039]])
* [[William V, Duke of Aquitaine|William V 'the Great']], duke of [[Duchy of Aquitaine|Aquitaine]] (d. [[1030]])

== Deaths ==
* [[March 12]] &ndash; [[Emperor Muzong of Liao|Mu Zong]], emperor of the [[Liao dynasty]] (b. [[931]]) 
* [[June 26]] &ndash; [[George El Mozahem]], Egyptian [[martyr]] (b. [[940]])
* [[July 11]] &ndash; [[Olga of Kiev]], princess and [[regent]] of [[Kievan Rus'|Russia]] (b. c. [[890]])
* [[September 25]] &ndash; [[Burchard of Meissen|Burchard]], bishop of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Dresden-Meissen|Meissen]] (approximate date)
* [[December 1]] &ndash; [[Fujiwara no Morotada]], Japanese statesman (b. [[920]]) 
* [[December 11]] &ndash; [[Nikephoros II Phokas|Nikephoros II]], emperor of the [[Byzantine Empire]]
* [[Dou Zhengu]], Chinese official and [[chancellor of the Tang dynasty]] (b. [[892]])
* [[Landulf III of Benevento|Landulf III]], prince of [[Duchy of Benevento|Benevento]] and [[Principality of Capua|Capua]] (or [[968]])
* [[Michael Krešimir II of Croatia|Michael Krešimir II]], king of [[Kingdom of Croatia (925–1102)|Croatia]] ([[Trpimirović dynasty|House of Trpimir]])
* [[Nasir al-Dawla]], deposed Hamdanid emir of [[Mosul]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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