540s

Below are some of the important events that happened from 540 to 549.

Millennium:	1st millennium
Centuries:	5th century – 6th century – 7th century
Decades:	510s 520s 530s – 540s – 550s 560s 570s
Years:	540 541 542 543 544 545 546 547 548 549
Categories:	Births – Deaths – Architecture Establishments – Disestablishments

540

• Emperor Kimmei, reign of 29th emperor of Japan starts (540-571)
• Vitiges of the Ostrogoths surrendered to the Byzantine army.
• Ildibad succeeds Vitiges as king of the Ostrogoths.

Births

• Authari, king of the Lombards
• Pope Gregory I (approximate date)
• Myrddin Wyllt, Welsh legend (approximate date)

Deaths

• Dignāga, Buddhist founder of Indian logic
• Dionysius Exiguus (approximate date)
• Fridolin of Säckingen Irish missionary
• Vedast, Frankish bishop
• Vitiges, king of the Ostrogoths
• Yifu, empress of Western Wei
• Yujiulü, empress of Western Wei

541

• Plague of Justinian: Bubonic plague appears suddenly in the Egyptian port of Pelusium. It spreads to Alexandria and, the following year, to Constantinople. This is the beginning of a 200-year long pandemic that will devastate Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.
• Totila is elected king by the Ostrogothic nobles after the death of his uncle Ildibad.
• The Uyghurs come under the rule of the Hephthalites

Births

• July 21 – Wéndi, emperor of the Sui Dynasty

Deaths

• Adhurgunbadh, Persian general
• Eraric, king of the Ostrogoths
• Ildibad, king of the Ostrogoths

542

• Plague of Justinian: Bubonic plague kills at least 230,000 in Constantinople.
• King Childebert I and his brother Chlothar I invade Visigothic Spain.

Births

• Xiao Min Di, emperor of Northern Zhou
• Xiao Ming Di, emperor of the Liang Dynasty

Deaths

• August 27 – Caesarius, bishop of Arles

543

• The Byzantine garrison (1,000 men) in Naples surrenders to the Ostrogoths.
• King Khosrau I invades Syria.
• The Hephthalites threaten the Persian Empire from the East. They extend their gain more territory in Central Asia.
• King Pulakesi I starts the Chalukya Dynasty.

Births

• Brunhilda, queen of Austrasia (approximate date)
• Jing Di, emperor of the Liang Dynasty
• Wu Di, emperor of Northern Zhou

Deaths

• Octa, king of Kent (approximate date)

544

• Belisarius defeats the Gothic army under king Totila.
• King Khosrau I unsuccessfully attacks the Byzantine city of Dara.
• Ly Bi is made emperor and starts the empire Van Xuân (modern Vietnam).

Births

• Dugu Qieluo, empress of the Sui Dynasty
• Jing Di, emperor of the Liang Dynasty
• Yuwen Xian, prince of Northern Zhou

Deaths

• Solomon, Byzantine general
• October 18 – Saint Wenna

545

• King Khosrau I signs a five-year truce with the Byzantine Empire.

Births

• Abd Allah ibn Abd al Muttalib, father of Muhammad
• Fei Di, emperor of Northern Qi

Deaths

• Budic II, king of Brittany (approximate date)
• Clotilde, Burgundian princess
• Medardus, bishop of Vermandois (approximate date)
• Stotzas, Byzantine rebel leader

546

• The Ostrogoths under king Totila retake Rome.
• Audoin succeeds Walthari as king of the Lombards.
• Audoin leads the Lombards across the Danube and becomes an ally of the Byzantines.

Deaths

• Walthari, king of the Lombards

547

• Belisarius recaptures Rome from the Ostrogoths.
• Theodebald becomes king of Austrasia.
• King Ida starts the kingdom of Bernicia. He builds Bamburgh Castle.
• The Tonkin revolt is stopped by the Chinese Liang Dynasty.

Births

• Pei Ju
• Empress Zhu Manyue

Deaths

• Theodebert I, king of Austrasia (or 548)
• Tribonian, Byzantine lawyer and writer of the Codex Justinianus.
• Maelgwn Gwynedd, king of Gwynedd (approximate date)
• Gao Huan

548

• Emperor Justinian I removes Belisarius from military service.
• Theudigisel names himself ruler over the Visigothic Kingdom.

Births

• Xiao Zhuang, crown prince of the Southern Dynasties (approximate date)

Deaths

• April 13 – Ly Nam De, emperor of Vietnam
• Theodebert I, king of Austrasia (or 547)
• June 28 – Theodora I, Byzantine Empress
• Theudis, king of the Visigoths

549

• Jianwen Di becomes ruler of the Liang Dynasty in China.
• Agila becomes king of the Visigoths.
• The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ossory is founded in Ireland.
• The Ostrogoths under Totila recapture Rome.
• Totila conquers the city of Perugia.

Births

• Jizang, Chinese Buddhist monk

Deaths

• Theudigisel, king of the Visigoths
• Tuathal Maelgarb, King of Tara
• Gao Cheng
• Emperor Wu of Liang
• Xiao Zhengde
• Princess Xu Zhaopei
• Zhu Yi