540s
decade
Below are some of the important events that happened from 540 to 549. It is distinct from the decade known as the 50th decade which began on January 1, 541 and ended on December 31, 550.
| 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
change- Emperor Kimmei, reign of 29th emperor of Japan starts (540-571)[1]
- Vitiges of the Ostrogoths surrendered to the Byzantine army.[2]
- Ildibad succeeds Vitiges as king of the Ostrogoths.
Births
change- Authari, king of the Lombards
- Pope Gregory I (approximate date)[3]
- Myrddin Wyllt, Welsh legend (approximate date)
Deaths
change- 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
change- 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
change- July 21 – Wéndi, emperor of the Sui Dynasty
Deaths
change- Adhurgunbadh, Persian general
- Eraric, king of the Ostrogoths
- Ildibad, king of the Ostrogoths
542
change- Plague of Justinian: Bubonic plague kills at least 230,000 in Constantinople.
- King Childebert I and his brother Chlothar I invade Visigothic Spain.
Births
change- Xiao Min Di, emperor of Northern Zhou
- Xiao Ming Di, emperor of the Liang Dynasty
Deaths
change543
change- 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
change- Brunhilda, queen of Austrasia (approximate date)
- Jing Di, emperor of the Liang Dynasty
- Wu Di, emperor of Northern Zhou
Deaths
change- Octa, king of Kent (approximate date)
544
change- 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
change- Dugu Qieluo, empress of the Sui Dynasty
- Jing Di, emperor of the Liang Dynasty
- Yuwen Xian, prince of Northern Zhou
Deaths
change- Solomon, Byzantine general
- October 18 – Saint Wenna
545
change- King Khosrau I signs a five-year truce with the Byzantine Empire.
Births
change- Abd Allah ibn Abd al Muttalib, father of Muhammad
- Fei Di, emperor of Northern Qi
Deaths
change- Budic II, king of Brittany (approximate date)
- Clotilde, Burgundian princess
- Medardus, bishop of Vermandois (approximate date)
- Stotzas, Byzantine rebel leader
546
change- 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
change547
change- 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
changeDeaths
change- 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
change- Emperor Justinian I removes Belisarius from military service.
- Theudigisel names himself ruler over the Visigothic Kingdom.
Births
change- Xiao Zhuang, crown prince of the Southern Dynasties (approximate date)
Deaths
change- 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
change- 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
change- Jizang, Chinese Buddhist monk
Deaths
change- Theudigisel, king of the Visigoths
- Tuathal Maelgarb, King of Tara
- Gao Cheng
- Emperor Wu of Liang
- Xiao Zhengde
- Princess Xu Zhaopei
- Zhu Yi
References
change- ↑ McCullough, Helen Craig. (1966). Yoshitsune: a fifteenth-century Japanese chronicle, p. 322.
- ↑ Wolfram, Herwig. (1990). History of the Goths, p. 349.
- ↑ "Pope St. Gregory ('the Great')," Catholic Encyclopedia (2009); retrieved 2012-10-15.