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{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2011}}
{{About year|974}}
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[[File:Pope Benedict VII Illustration.jpg|upright=1.35|thumb|[[Pope Benedict VII]] (r. 974–983)]]
Year '''974''' ('''[[Roman numerals|CMLXXIV]]''') was a [[common year starting on Thursday]] of the [[Julian calendar]].

== Events ==
<onlyinclude>

=== By place ===

==== Europe ====
* Battle of [[Danevirke]]: Emperor [[Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor|Otto II]] defeats the rebel forces of King [[Harald Bluetooth|Harald I]], who has invaded [[Nordalbingia]] (modern-day [[Holstein]]), to shake off imperial overlordship. Otto's armies swiftly subdue the [[Denmark|Danes]], consolidating the frontier between [[Scandinavia]] and Northern [[Germany]]. Meanwhile, [[Henry II, Duke of Bavaria|Henry II]] begins a rebellion against his cousin Otto. He forges alliances with [[Duchy of Bavaria|Bavarian]] and [[Duchy of Saxony|Saxon]] nobles.

==== England ====
* King [[Edgar the Peaceful|Edgar I]] gives English help to Prince [[Hywel ap Ieuaf|Hywel]] in ousting his uncle, King [[Iago ab Idwal|Iago of Gwynedd]] from his kingdom.
* A great [[earthquake]] occurs in [[Kingdom of England|England]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Agricultural Records|last=Stratton|first=J.M.|publisher=John Baker|year=1969|isbn=0-212-97022-4}}</ref>

==== Abbasid Caliphate ====
* [[5 August]] &ndash; Caliph [[al-Muti]], ill and incapacitated, is deposed and succeeded by his son [[al-Ta'i]], dying shortly after.<ref name="al-Muti">{{TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi | first = Ahmet  | last = Güner | authorlink = | title = Mutî‘-Lillâh | volume = 31 | url = https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/muti-lillah | pages = 401–402}}</ref>

==== Africa ====
* The [[Qarmatians]] are defeated north of [[Cairo]] by [[Fatimid Caliphate|Fatimid]] forces under General [[Jawhar (general)|Jawhar al-Siqilli]]. He consolidates Fatimid rule and sends a [[legation]] to the Christian land of [[Nubia]] to secure the southern border of [[Egypt in the Middle Ages|Egypt]]. Arab traders introduce [[Islam]] to the population, which gradually supplants [[Christianity]].
* An offensive, by the [[Spain]]-based [[Caliphate of Córdoba]] brings the [[Maghrebi Arabic|Maghrebi]] [[Idrisid dynasty|Idrisid Dynasty]] to an end. Caliph [[Al-Hakam II]] maintains the supremacy of the caliphate over the kingdoms of [[Kingdom of Navarra|Navarra]], [[Kingdom of Castile|Castile]] and [[Kingdom of León|León]].<ref>Gilbert Meynier (2010). ''L'Algérie cœr du Maghreb classique. De l'ouverture islamo-arabe au repli (658-1518)''. Paris: La Découverte; p. 42.</ref>

==== China ====
* The [[Liao dynasty|Liao Dynasty]] exchanges [[ambassador]]s with the [[Song dynasty|Song Dynasty]] on [[Chinese New Year|New Years Day]] ('''Spring Festival''').
* The city of [[Fuzhou]], located in [[Fujian]] province, builds new [[Defensive wall|city wall]]s.

=== By topic ===

==== Religion ====
* Summer &ndash; Pope [[Pope Benedict VI|Benedict VI]] is imprisoned in the [[Castel Sant'Angelo]] at [[Rome]], where he is strangled to death through the influence of the powerful [[Crescentii]] family. [[Crescentius the Elder|Crescentius I]] ('''the Elder'''), Italian [[politician]] and [[Aristocracy (class)|aristocrat]], engineers an election and replaces Benedict with his own candidate Franco, who ascends under the title anti-Pope [[Antipope Boniface VII|Boniface VII]].<ref>Richard P. McBrien (2000). ''Lives of the Popes: The Pontiffs from St. Peter to Benedict XVI'', p. 186 (Harper Collins).</ref>
* Fall &ndash; Boniface VII is expelled by order of Otto II and flees to [[Constantinople]], taking the Church treasury of the [[St. Peter's Basilica|Vatican Basilica]] along with him.<ref>Collins, Roger (2009). ''Keepers of the Keys of Heaven: A History of the Papacy'', Basic Books.</ref> He is succeeded by [[Pope Benedict VII|Benedict VII]] as the 135th [[pope]] of the [[Catholic Church]].
* An [[abbey]] is founded at the site of [[Mönchengladbach]] (Germany).
</onlyinclude>

== Births ==
* [[Bruno of Querfurt]], German [[missionary]] bishop (d. [[1009]])
* [[Ermengol I, Count of Urgell|Ermengol I]], count of [[County of Urgell|Urgell]] (d. [[1010]])
* [[Frederick, Count of Walbeck|Frederick]], count of [[Walbeck, Börde|Walbeck]] (d. [[1018]])
* [[Fujiwara no Korechika]], Japanese [[Nobility|nobleman]] (d. 1010)
* [[Lý Thái Tổ]], emperor of [[Lý dynasty]] (d. 1028)

== Deaths ==
* [[March 7]] &ndash; [[John of Gorze]], Frankish [[abbot]] and diplomat 
* [[October 12]] &ndash; [[Al-Muti]], caliph of the [[Abbasid Caliphate]] (b. [[914]])<ref name="al-Muti"/>
* [[Al-Qadi al-Nu'man]], Fatimid [[Qadi|jurist]] and historian
* [[Pope Benedict VI|Benedict VI]], pope of the [[Catholic Church]]
* [[Fujiwara no Yoshitaka]], Japanese [[Waka (poetry)|waka]] poet (b. [[954]])
* [[Muhammad Bal'ami]], Persian historian and [[vizier]]
* [[Ratherius]] (or '''Rathier'''), bishop of [[Verona]]
* [[Shi Chonggui]], emperor of [[Later Jin (Five Dynasties)|Later Jin]] (b. [[914]])

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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