950s

The 950s was a decade that started on 1 January 950 and ended on 31 December 959.

950

• World population is thought to be 250 million.
• Duke Boleslav I of Bohemia makes peace with Otto I.
• The Later Han Dynasty in China falls.

Births

• June 12 – Emperor Reizei of Japan
• Erik the Red

Deaths

• Hywel Dda ("the Good") of Wales
• Al-Farabi, philosopher

951

• Allat the Maharana of Mewar comes to power.
• The Later Zhou Dynasty is founded by Guo Wei in China.
• The Northern Han Kingdom is founded by Liu Min in northern China.

Births

• Gregory of Narek, Armenian monk, poet, and theologian
• Saint Romuald

Deaths

• Emperor Shizong of the Liao Dynasty
• 2 January – Liu Chengyou, Emperor Yin of the Later Han Dynasty

952

• Kalbid forces defeat the Byzantines in Calabria.

Births

• Emperor Gongdi of Later Zhou

Deaths

• Emperor Suzaku of Japan
• Hugh, Duke of Burgundy

953

• Liudolf, Duke of Swabia and Conrad the Red rebel against German King Otto I.

Births

• Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine
• Herbert III, Count of Vermandois
• Al-Karaji, Persian mathematician and engineer
• Kisai Marvazi, Persian poet

Deaths

• Abas I of Armenia, King of Armenia
• Ismail al-Mansur. third Fatimid Caliph
• Empress Dowager Yingtian of the Liao Dynasty
• Muhammad bin Musafir, Sallarid ruler of Tarum and Iranian Azerbaijan
• Rasso, Bavarian count, military leader, pilgrim, and saint.
• Rhodri ap Hywel, king of Deheubarth

954

• King Máel Coluim I of Scotland is killed in battle against the Highlanders. He is succeeded by Indulf I of Scotland.
• Chateau Chinon is built by Theobald I of Blois.
• Edred becomes king of all England.

Births

• Alphege, Archbishop of Canterbury
• Wang Yucheng

Deaths

• September 10 – King Louis IV of France
• King Eric I of Norway
• Emperor Taizu of Later Zhou
• Feng Tao
• Liu Min

955

• August 10 – Otto I the Great defeats Magyars in the Battle of Lechfeld.
• Eadwig becomes King of England.
• December 16 – Pope John XII succeeds Pope Agapetus II as the 130th pope.

Births

• Ælfric of Eynsham, English abbot

Deaths

• November 23 – Eadred, King of England

956

• An earthquake badly damages the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

Deaths

• April 8 – Gilbert of Chalon, Duke of Burgundy
• Ali al-Masudi, Arab historian, geographer and philosopher

957

• Japan: The Tenryaku Era ends, and the Tentoku Era begins.
• The Chandra Hindu Dynasty ends. This starts a time of chaos in areas belonging to modern-day India.
• Olga of Kiev converts to the Eastern Orthodox Church

Births

• Gormlaith of Lienster, wife of Olaf Cuarran, Malachy II and Brian Boru

Deaths

• September 6 – Liudolf, Duke of Swabia

958

• Probable date of the start of the Marche dynasty.
• King Kshemgupta of Kashmir dies. He is succeeded by his young son Abhimanyu. Didda, his mother, becomes de facto ruler.
• The Later Zhou Dynasty goes against Liao Dynasty positions in the Sixteen Prefectures. They are defeated.
• Battle of Raban: Byzantines under John Tzimiskes defeat Sayf al-Dawla

Births

• Basil II, Byzantine Emperor
• Samuil of Bulgaria
• Vladimir I, Prince of Kievan Rus

Deaths

• King Gorm the Old of Denmark
• Masudi, Arab geographer, historian, and physicist
• Tuathal mac Augaire, King of Leinster, Ireland

959

• October 1 – Edgar becomes King of England.
• Dunstan becomes bishop of Worcester, England and London.
• Bruno I, Archbishop of Cologne divides the Duchy of Lorraine with his nephew Frederic.

Births

• Emperor En'yū of Japan

Deaths

• October 1 – King Eadwig of England
• November 9 – Constantine VII, Byzantine Emperor
• Ælfsige, Archbishop of Canterbury
• Chai Rong