996
Year 996 was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
- Spring - King Otto III starts his first expedition to Italy from Regensburg, and proceeds over the Brenner Pass. News of Otto's arrival prompts Crescentius II, patrician of Rome, to invite Pope John XV back to Rome. Otto arrives in Verona, and receives ambassadors of Doge Pietro II Orseolo of Venice.
- May 21 - 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, retires to a convent she has founded at Seltz. Otto puts down a Roman rebellion; a number of nobles are banished for their crimes.
- October 24 - King Hugh I Capet dies in Paris after a 9-year reign and is interred in the Basilica of St. Denis. He is succeeded by his 24-year-old son Robert II as king of France. Robert tries to increase his power, by pressing his claim of feudal lands that become vacant. This results in many territorial disputes.
- November 1 - Otto III grants the Bavarian bishopric of Freising 30 "royal hides" of land in Neuhofen an der Ybbs. A document marks the first use of the name Ostarrîchi, meaning "Eastern Realm".
- November 20 - Richard I, duke of Normandy, dies after a 55-year reign. He is succeeded by his young son Richard II. During his minority, Rodulf of Ivry, who wields the power as regent puts down a peasants revolt at the beginning of Richard's reign.
Africa
- May 15 - The new Fatimid navy is destroyed by fire, resulting in anti-Christian pogroms in Cairo.
- October 14 - Caliph Al-Aziz Billah dies at Bilbeis in Egypt after a 21-year reign in which he has expanded his Shiite caliphate at the expense of the Byzantines, using Turkish mercenaries. He is succeeded by his 11-year-old son Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah as ruler of the Fatimid Caliphate.
- Revolt of Tyre: The citizens of Tyre revolt against the Fatimid Caliphate. Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah sends an expeditionary army and navy to blockade the city by land and sea.
Asia
- February - Chotoku Incident: Fujiwara no Korechika and Takaie shoot an arrow at Retired Emperor Kazan.
- March 2: Emperor Ichijo orders the imperial police to raid Korechika's residence; Empress Teishi cuts her hair because of the humiliation; Takaie is arrested, Korechika is absent.
- March 5: Korechika returns with his head shaven and attired as a monk.
- The Niujie Mosque is constructed in Beijing during the Liao Dynasty. The first mosque is built under supervision of the Muslim architect Nazaruddin.
- Emperor Lê Đại Hành personally led a campaign to conquer four tribes Đại, Phát, Đan and Ba in Ma Hoàng. The tribes were defeated and their lands then belonged to the Early Lê dynasty.
- In July, a rebellion broke out in Đỗ Động Giang and was quickly quelled by the emperor.
- Following the border conflict with the Song in 995, Guangxi authorities arrested Bốc Văn Dũng, a political criminal to the Early Lê dynasty, along with his followers for extradition to Đại Cồ Việt. In return, emperor Lê Đại Hành extradited the captured pirates to the Guangxi authorities and agreed to make peace with the Song dynasty.
By topic
Religion
- April 1 - Pope John XV dies of fever after an 11-year reign. Meeting a Roman embassy at Ravenna, Otto appoints his cousin Bruno of Carinthia, who duly ascends as Gregory V. He becomes the 138th pope – and the first German pope of the Catholic Church.