Year 1047 (MXLVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.

Events

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By place

Byzantine Empire

• September 2528 Rebel general Leo Tornikios (a nephew of Emperor Constantine IX) proclaims himself emperor at Adrianople, and besieges Constantinople. Byzantine troops personally led by Constantine repel him, and re-occupy the walls. Tornikios is forced to withdraw, while his followers start to abandon him. Finally, he is captured at a church in Boulgarophygon (modern Turkey), and is publicly blinded.

• Winter Constantine IX allows the Pecheneg tribes to cross the Danube and settle permanently in Byzantine territory. He buys their alliance with presents, using them to attack his enemies (Bulgars and Magyars) in the rear, and so to prevent any southward advance of the Kievan Rus'.

Europe

• Spring Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor ("the Black") travels to southern Italy, and deprives Guaimar IV of his title Duke of Apulia and Calabria. He receives homage from Drogo of Hauteville, who becomes "Duke and Master of all Italy".

• August 10 Battle of Val-ès-Dunes: Norman duke William I secures control over Normandy with assistance from King Henry I of France by defeating rebel Norman barons at Caen. Later in October, William promulgates the "Truce of God" throughout his duchy.

• October 25 Harald Hardrada becomes sole king of Norway on the death of his nephew and co-regent Magnus I ("the Good"). The crown of Denmark passes to Sweyn II.

By topic

Religion

• October 9 Pope Clement II dies suddenly after a 9-month pontificate. Benedict IX usurps the papal throne as the 150th pope of the Catholic Church (his third time in the office).

• November Benedict IX, with support of Boniface III, Margrave of Tuscany, seizes the Lateran Palace in Rome.</onlyinclude>

Births

• December 28 Sunjong, ruler of Goryeo (d. 1083)

• Cai Jing, Chinese official and calligrapher (d. 1126)

• Qingshui, Chinese Chan Buddhist monk (d. 1101)

• Xiang, Chinese empress regent of the Song dynasty (d. 1102)

• Yizong, Chinese emperor of Western Xia (d. 1068)

Approximate date

• Hugh d'Avranches, Norman nobleman (d. 1101)

• Simon de Crépy, French nobleman

• Wyszesława of Kiev, duchess of Poland

Deaths

• March 29 (or 1048) Æthelstan of Abingdon, English abbot (or 1048)

• June 16 Poppo, archbishop of Trier

• August 29 Ælfwine, bishop of Winchester

• September 7 Otto II, duke of Swabia

• October 9 Clement II, pope of the Catholic Church

• October 16 Henry VII, German nobleman

• October 25 Magnus the Good, king of Norway

• Eustace I, count of Boulogne (House of Flanders)

• Grimketel, English clergyman and bishop

• Humbert I, founder of the House of Savoy (or 1048)

• Levente, Hungarian nobleman (House of Árpád)

• Miecław (or Miesław), Polish nobleman

• Nripa Kama II, Indian king (Hoysala Empire)

• Raymond III, count of Pallars Jussà

• Rodulfus Glaber, French Benedictine chronicler (b. 985)

• Stephen II, count of Troyes and Meaux

Approximate date

• Gerard Flaitel, Norman nobleman and knight

• Godgifu, English princess

References