The era of
Subscribe1040s
10 recaps across 4 years of the decade. Reconstructed from contemporary coverage, archives, and the public record.
1040Norman Conquest of Sicily Begins
Norman invasion displaced Byzantine and Arab rule, establishing a hybrid Mediterranean kingdom.
1040Olympian Games Revival Experiments
Early Byzantine-era athletic festivals in Greece attempted to resurrect classical Olympic traditions under Orthodox auspices.
1040Ramadan Festival Observance: 1040
Major Islamic religious observance during pivotal decades of Seljuk and Norman expansion.
1043Byzantine-Rus Military Alliance Treaty
Constantinople formalized military alliance with Kievan Rus to counter Norman incursions, linking Eastern Orthodox powers in strategic partnership.
1045The Westminster Abbey Reconstruction Begins
Edward the Confessor's grand reconstruction established Westminster as England's spiritual center.
1046Zhou Dynasty Military Campaigns Begin
The Zhou conquest of the Shang Dynasty established China's longest-lasting imperial regime and redefined East Asian military doctrine.
1046Zhou Dynasty Overthrows Shang
Conquest establishing Mandate of Heaven doctrine shapes Chinese political philosophy for 3,000 years.
1046Norman Conquest of Southern Italy Begins
Norman mercenaries began systematic conquest of Byzantine and Lombard territories, establishing a dynasty that reshaped Mediterranean power.
1046Zhou Dynasty Political Assembly
The Mandate of Heaven decree established procedural succession and legitimacy criteria that governed East Asian governance for millennia.
1046Zhou Dynasty Succession Dispute & Civil War
The transition from Shang to Zhou dynasties involved contested legitimacy and recorded warfare, creating early Chinese precedent for dynastic succession and contested sovereignty.
Before
← The 1030s
After
The 1050s →