620
Year 620 was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The designation 620 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
- Byzantine–Sassanid War: King Khosrau II captures Ancyra, an important Byzantine military base in central Anatolia. After the conquest of Egypt and Palestine, he restores the Persian Empire as it existed in 490 BC under Darius I.
- The Slavs invade the area around Thessaloniki, which is unsuccessfully besieged. The city becomes a Byzantine enclave surrounded by Slavic territory. Urban life disappears and many towns in the Balkan Peninsula become villages.
Britain
- The Angles under King Edwin of Northumbria invade Rheged in Northern England, and expel King Llywarch Hen. He flees to Powys, and becomes a famous bard. Edwin's armies fight against Gododdin and Strathclyde.
Asia
- King Pulakeshin II defeats the Harsha army on the banks of the Narmada River. Harsha loses a major part of his elephant force and retreats. A truce establishes Narmada as the northern boundary of the Chalukya Kingdom.
America
By topic
Religion
- Weltenburg Abbey in Bavaria is founded by Benedictine monks.
- Isra and Mi'raj.
Births
- Li Tai, prince of the Tang dynasty
- Cedd, bishop of London
Deaths
- Chuluo Khan, ruler of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate
- Eleutherius, Byzantine exarch of Ravenna
- Shen Faxing, official of the Sui dynasty
- Basolus, Frankish missionary
- Imerius of Immertal, Swiss monk
- John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria
- Mirin, Irish monk and missionary
- Seanach Garbh, Irish abbot