924

King Æthelstan (c. 894–939) presenting a book to Cuthbert (shrine of Chester-le-Street)

Year 924 (CMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

Events

By place

Byzantine Empire

• Byzantine–Bulgarian War: Forces led by Simeon I, ruler (knyaz) of the Bulgarian Empire, arrive before the walls of Constantinople, after they have pillaged the suburbs of the capital. Simeon meets Emperor Romanos I on the Golden Horn to arrange a truce, according to which he pays the Bulgarians an annual tax. Simeon in return cedes back some cities on the Black Sea coast.^[1]

Europe

• Spring – King Berengar I makes a new alliance with the Hungarians who, following his death, sack and burn the city of Pavia. They cross the Alps via the St. Bernard Pass, where Provence and Septimania (Southern France) are pillaged. Hungarian forces penetrate as far as the Pyrenees.^[2]
• Summer – King Ordoño II of Galicia dies after a 14-year reign. He is succeeded by his brother Fruela II, reuniting Asturias now known as the Kingdom of León. Fruela, who is not popular with the nobles, has assassinated the sons of Olmundo, possible descendants of the Visigothic king Wittiza.
• Fall – Bulgarian–Serbian War: Tsar Simeon I sends a punitive expedition force against Serbia, led by Theodore Sigritsa and Marmais, but they are ambushed and defeated. Zaharija, prince of the Serbs, sends their heads and armour later to Constantinople (approximate date).
• Winter – The Hungarians invade Saxony and force King Henry I (the Fowler) to retreat into the Castle of Werla. He makes a pact and agrees to pay them tribute for 9 years. They return to the Po Valley and sack the cities of Bergamo, Brescia and Mantua (Northern Italy).

Britain

• July 17 – King Edward the Elder dies at Farndon after a 25-year reign in which he has gained direct control over Mercia, including the Danish-occupied areas. He is succeeded by his eldest son Æthelstan, who will reign as King of England (see 927). He continues his father's conquest of the Danelaw north of the Thames-Lea line from the Vikings.

Asia

• Emperor Taizu of the Liao Dynasty leads a campaign to the West. He reaches the former capital of the Uyghur Kingdom on the Orkhon River. The Zubu begin to pay tribute to the Khitan Empire.
• Emperor Zhuang Zong of Later Tang bestows the chancellor title on Gao Jixing (Prince of Nanping) and creates the Nanping State (Central China). The Qi State falls to Later Tang.

Births

• Fujiwara no Koretada, Japanese statesman and waka poet (d. 972)
• Fujiwara no Yoritada, Japanese nobleman and regent (d. 989)
• Gao Baoxu, king of Nanping (Ten Kingdoms) (d. 962)
• Li Jingda, prince of Southern Tang (d. 971)
• Nyaung-u Sawrahan, king of the Pagan dynasty (d. 1001)

Deaths

• January 20 – Li Jitao, general of Later Tang
• April 7 – Berengar I, king of Italy and Holy Roman Emperor
• April 11 – Herman I, archbishop of Cologne
• May 17 – Li Maozhen, Chinese warlord and king (b. 856)
• June 16 – Li Cunshen, general of Later Tang (b. 862)
• July 24 – Edward the Elder, king of Wessex
• July 18 – Abu'l-Hasan Ali ibn al-Furat, Abbasid vizier (b. 855)
• August 2 – Ælfweard, son of Edward the Elder
• Damian of Tarsus, Muslim governor
• Gyeongmyeong, king of Silla (Korea)
• Marmais, Bulgarian nobleman
• Ordoño II, king of Galicia and León
• Raymond II, Frankish nobleman
• Theodore Sigritsa, Bulgarian minister
• Yuan Xiangxian, Chinese general
• Zaharija, prince of Serbia (approximate date)

References