1046
Year 1046 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
- Autumn - King Henry III travels to Italy to secure the imposition of Guido da Velate, archbishop of Milan, and other similarly loyal candidates in other sees.
- Vata pagan uprising in the Kingdom of Hungary: Peter, King of Hungary, is overthrown after a 2-year reign and perhaps executed. Bishops Gerard of Csanád and Bystrík are stoned to death in Budapest.
Britain
- Ealdred, bishop of Worcester, leads troops from England on an unsuccessful punitive raid against the Welsh leaders Gruffydd ap Rhydderch, Rhys ap Rhydderch and Gruffydd ap Llywelyn.
Asia
- Bao Zheng, a Chinese government officer during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song, writes a memorial to the throne. He warns about governmental corruption – and a foreseeable bankruptcy of the Chinese iron industry – if increasingly poorer families continued to be listed on the register for iron-smelting households. Apparently the government heeds the warning, and produces more iron products by the year 1078 than China ever had before.
- Munjong is crowned the 11th king of Goryeo.
By topic
Exploration
- March 5 - Nasir Khusraw begins his 7-year Middle Eastern journey, which he later describes in the book Safarnāmé.
Religion
- Summer - Ex-Pope Benedict IX gives up a renewed attempt to reclaim the papal throne in Rome; Sylvester III reasserts his claim.
- December 20 - Pope Gregory VI is accused of simony at the Council of Sutri, and abdicates as pope of the Catholic Church.
- December 25 - Pope Clement II succeeds Gregory VI as the 149th pope, and crowns Henry III as Holy Roman Emperor.
- Hildesheim Cathedral is largely destroyed by fire.