871
| Years: 867 868 869 870 – 871 – 872 873 874 875 | |
| Decades: 840s 850s 860s – 870s – 880s 890s 900s | |
| Centuries: 8th century – 9th century – 10th century | |
Events
- Nine battles are fought between the Danes and Wessex. Of two of them the place and date are not recorded, the others were:
- Englesfield (31 December 870)
- Reading (4 January)
- Ashdown (8 January)
- Basing (22 January)
- Merton (22 March)
- Wilton (May)
- Alfred the Great succeeds as king of Wessex after Ethelred's death.
- Reading, England occupied by the Norse.
- After the battle at Wilton, peace is made, with the Danes and Alfred each governing part of England.
- Rhodri Mawr ('the Great') of Gwynedd inherits Seisyllwig, thus uniting most of Wales under his rule
- Louis II captures Ban, the headquarters of the Saracens.
- Alfred makes Winchester to his capital.
- An incomplete marriage contract, dated to October 6 of this year, is the earliest dated document in the Cairo Geniza.
- Foundation of Tønsberg, the oldest surviving town in Norway
- Svatopluk becomes prince of Great Moravia
Births
Deaths
- April 23 – Ethelred of Wessex (died in the battle of Merton)
Categories: 871