871

871 in various calendars
Gregorian calendar	871; DCCCLXXI
Ab urbe condita	1624
Armenian calendar	320; ԹՎ ՅԻ
Assyrian calendar	5621
Balinese saka calendar	792–793
Bengali calendar	278
Berber calendar	1821
Buddhist calendar	1415
Burmese calendar	233
Byzantine calendar	6379–6380
Chinese calendar	庚寅年 (Metal Tiger); 3568 or 3361; — to —; 辛卯年 (Metal Rabbit); 3569 or 3362
Coptic calendar	587–588
Discordian calendar	2037
Ethiopian calendar	863–864
Hebrew calendar	4631–4632
Hindu calendars
- Vikram Samvat	927–928
- Shaka Samvat	792–793
- Kali Yuga	3971–3972
Holocene calendar	10871
Iranian calendar	249–250
Islamic calendar	257–258
Japanese calendar	Jōgan 13; (貞観１３年)
Javanese calendar	768–770
Julian calendar	871; DCCCLXXI
Korean calendar	3204
Minguo calendar	1041 before ROC; 民前1041年
Nanakshahi calendar	−597
Seleucid era	1182/1183 AG
Thai solar calendar	1413–1414
Tibetan calendar	阳金虎年; (male Iron-Tiger); 997 or 616 or −156; — to —; 阴金兔年; (female Iron-Rabbit); 998 or 617 or −155

Millennium:	1st millennium
Centuries:	8th century; 9th century ; 10th century;
Decades:	850s; 860s; 870s ; 880s; 890s;
Years:	868; 869; 870; 871 ; 872; 873; 874;

Year 871 (DCCCLXXI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

Events

By place

Europe

The English retreat onto the Berkshire Downs. The Great Heathen Army, led by the Danish Viking kings Halfdan and Bagsecg, march out after the Saxons. Six pitched battles are fought between the Danes and Wessex. Of two of them the place and date are not recorded, the others are:
- January 4 – Battle of Reading: A West Saxon force, under the command of King Æthelred I and his brother Alfred, is defeated by the Danes at Reading. Among the many dead on both sides is Æthelwulf. The Saxon troops are forced to retreat, allowing the Vikings to continue their advance into Wessex.^[1]
- January 8 – Battle of Ashdown: The West Saxons, led by Æthelred I and Alfred, gather at the Berkshire Downs. The Danes under the command of Halfdan and Bagsecg occupy the high ground, but are successfully attacked by Alfred's men. During the battle Alfred breaches the shield wall formation.^[2]
- January 22 – Battle of Basing: The West Saxon army, under the command of Æthelred I, is defeated at Basing. The Danes, led by Halfdan, are victorious; Æthelred is forced to flee and regroup, leaving behind precious winter supplies.^[3]
February 2 – Franco-Lombard forces, aided by a Croatian fleet (of Sclaveni), led by Emperor Louis II, capture Bari, capital of the Emirate of Bari in Southern Italy.^[4]
- March 22 – Battle of Meretum: The West Saxons, led by Æthelred I and Alfred, are defeated by the Danes. Among the many dead is Heahmund, bishop of Salisbury.^[5]
April 23 – Alfred succeeds as king of Wessex after Æthelred's death. He makes peace with the Danes, and pays them Danegeld, each ruling parts of England.
- May – Battle of Wilton: Alfred the Great is defeated by the Danes at Wilton (along the southern side of the River Wylye), leaving him in retreat for several years.^[6]
Alfred makes Winchester his residence. The Danish armies colonize areas of north, central and eastern England, which become known as the Danelaw.
The Danes sail down the River Thames, to raid the Mercian port of Lundenwic (in the London area). Here, over the winter, they divide their spoils.^[7]
King Rhodri Mawr ("the Great") of Gwynedd annexes Seisyllwg, uniting most of Wales under his rule (approximate date).
Tønsberg, the oldest surviving town in the Nordic countries, is founded.

Arabian Empire

September – Battle of Basra: Zanj rebels in Mesopotamia sack and capture Basra (see Zanj Rebellion).

By topic

Literature

The Cairo Genizah, a collection of Jewish manuscript fragments, is written (approximate date).

Births

Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ali al-Madhara'i, Tulunid vizier (d. 957)
Fujiwara no Tokihira, Japanese statesman (d. 909)
García I, king of León (approximate date)
Li Qi, chancellor of Later Liang (d. 930)
Wang Jianli, Chinese general (d. 940)

Deaths

January 4 – Æthelwulf, Saxon ealdorman
January 8 – Bagsecg, Viking king
April 23 – Æthelred I, king of Wessex
June 10 – Odo I, Frankish nobleman
Ailill mac Dúnlainge, king of Leinster
Cathalán mac Indrechtaig, king of Ulaid
Dae Geonhwang, king of Balhae
Engelschalk I, Frankish margrave
Fadl Ashsha'ira, Abbasid female poet
Heahmund, bishop of Salisbury
Hunfrid, bishop of Thérouanne
Ibn 'Abd al-Hakam, Muslim historian (b. 803)
Solomon I, bishop of Constance
Uathmharan mac Brocan, king of Aidhne (Ireland)
William II, Frankish margrave
Yahya ibn Mu'adh al-Razi, Muslim Sufi (b. 830)

References

^ Philips, Daphne (1980). The Story of Reading. Countryside Books, pp. 14–15. ISBN 0-905392-07-8.
^ Paul Hill (2009). The Viking Wars of Alfred the Great, p. 45. ISBN 978-1-59416-087-5.
^ Paul Hill (2009). The Viking Wars of Alfred the Great, pp. 46–47. ISBN 978-1-59416-087-5.
^ Pierre Riche, The Carolingians: A Family who forged Europe, p. 182. Transl. Michael Idomir Allen, (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1993).
^ Paul Hill (2009). The Viking Wars of Alfred the Great, p. 49. ISBN 978-1-59416-087-5.
^ "Wilton". Wiltshire Community History. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
^ Paul Hill (2009). The Viking Wars of Alfred the Great, p. 54. ISBN 978-1-59416-087-5.

[1] Philips, Daphne (1980). The Story of Reading. Countryside Books, pp. 14–15. ISBN 0-905392-07-8.

[2] Paul Hill (2009). The Viking Wars of Alfred the Great, p. 45. ISBN 978-1-59416-087-5.

[3] Paul Hill (2009). The Viking Wars of Alfred the Great, pp. 46–47. ISBN 978-1-59416-087-5.

[4] Pierre Riche, The Carolingians: A Family who forged Europe, p. 182. Transl. Michael Idomir Allen, (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1993).

[5] Paul Hill (2009). The Viking Wars of Alfred the Great, p. 49. ISBN 978-1-59416-087-5.

[wch-6] "Wilton". Wiltshire Community History. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved July 20, 2015.

[7] Paul Hill (2009). The Viking Wars of Alfred the Great, p. 54. ISBN 978-1-59416-087-5.

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