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{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2011}}
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[[File:Nikiphoros Phokas.jpg|upright=1.35|thumb|Emperor [[Nikephoros II Phokas|Nikephoros II]] (c. 912–969)]]
Year '''963''' ('''[[Roman numerals|CMLXIII]]''') was a [[common year starting on Thursday]] (link will display the full calendar) of the [[Julian calendar]].
== Events ==
<onlyinclude>
=== By place ===
==== Byzantine Empire ====
* [[March 15]] &ndash; Emperor [[Romanos II]] dies at age 25, probably of poison administered by his wife, Empress [[Theophano (born Anastaso)|Theophano]]. He is succeeded by his infant son [[Basil II]].  Theophano becomes [[regent]] and ''[[de facto]]'' ruler, naming her other son [[Constantine VIII]] (only 3 years old) as co-emperor of the [[Byzantine Empire]].<ref>Timothy Reuter (1999). ''The New Cambridge Medieval History, Volume III'', p. 592. {{ISBN|978-0-521-36447-8}}.</ref>
* [[July 2]] &ndash; [[Nikephoros II Phokas]] is proclaimed emperor by his troops in [[Kayseri|Caesarea]]. He sends a fleet to secure the [[Bosphorus|Bosphorus Strait]] against his enemies. Chief minister [[Joseph Bringas]] gathers support and closes the gates of [[Constantinople]]. General [[Marianos Argyros]] is killed in a riot, forcing Bringas to flee.
* [[August 16]] &ndash; Nikephoros II makes a triumphal entry in Constantinople and is hailed as 'the conqueror'. He is crowned emperor in [[Hagia Sophia]].
* [[September 20]] &ndash; Nikephoros II marries the former Byzantine consort [[Theophano (born Anastaso)|Theophano]], the widow of Emperor Romanos II, bolstering his legitimacy.<ref>{{Cite book|title = History of The Byzantine State|last = Ostrogorsky|first = George|publisher = Rutgers University Press|year = 1969|isbn = 0-8135-0599-2|location = New Brunswick|page = [https://archive.org/details/historyofbyzanti00ostr/page/284 284]|url-access = registration|url = https://archive.org/details/historyofbyzanti00ostr/page/284}}</ref>
==== Europe ====
* [[Gero|Gero I]], margrave of [[Merseburg]], campaigns against the [[Slavs]]. He forces Prince [[Mieszko I of Poland|Mieszko I]] of the [[Polans (western)|Polans]] in [[Greater Poland|Poland]] to pay tribute to Emperor [[Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor|Otto I]] ('''the Great'''). He expands his territory, the ''[[Marca Geronis]]'' (March of Gero), to the mouth of the [[Oder|Oder River]].<ref>Timothy Reuter (1999). ''The New Cambridge Medieval History, Volume III'', p. 248. {{ISBN|978-0-521-36447-8}}.</ref>
* [[Sviatoslav I of Kiev|Sviatoslav I]], Grand Prince of [[Kievan Rus'|Kiev]], begins a 2-year campaign in which he will defeat [[Khazars|Khazar]] forces along the [[Don River (Russia)|Don River]] – vanquish the [[Ossetians|Ossetes]] and the [[Circassians]] in the northern [[Caucasus]]. He also successfully attacks the [[Bulgars]] on the [[Volga River]].
* [[November]] &ndash; Otto arrives at [[Rome]]; Pope [[Pope John XII|John XII]] and [[Adalbert of Italy|Adalbert II]] (co-ruler of [[Kingdom of Italy (Holy Roman Empire)|Italy]]) flee to [[Campania]], taking with them most of the Papal treasury. Otto is warmly received by the Roman citizens as 'liberator'.
* [[December]] &ndash; King [[Berengar II of Italy|Berengar II]] (the father of Adalbert II) surrenders at the fortress of [[Montefeltro]] to German forces. He and his wife [[Willa of Tuscany|Willa]] are taken prisoner, and dispatched to [[Bamberg]].
* [[Luxembourg]] has her beginnings at [[Luxembourg City|Luxembourg Castle]] (located on the [[Bock (Luxembourg)|Bock]]), founded by [[Sigfried, Count of the Ardennes|Sigfried]], count of the [[Ardennes-Verdun dynasty|Ardennes]].
==== Asia ====
* The Chinese government of the [[Song dynasty|Song Dynasty]] attempts to ban the practice of [[cremation]]; despite this decree, the lower and middle classes continue to cremate their dead, until the government resolves the problem in the [[12th century]], by establishing public [[graveyard]]s for [[pauper]]s.
* The [[Jingnan|Nanping State]], one of the [[Ten Kingdoms]] in south-central [[China]], is forced to surrender, when invaded by armies of the Song Dynasty.
=== By topic ===
==== Religion ====
* [[November 6]] &ndash; [[Synod of Rome (963)|Synod of Rome]]: Otto I calls a council at [[St. Peter's Basilica]]. John XII is deposed on charges that he has conducted himself dishonorably and instigated an armed [[rebellion]] against Otto.
* [[December 6]] &ndash; Pope [[Pope Leo VIII|Leo VIII]] is appointed to the office of [[Protonotary apostolic|Protonotary]] and begins his papacy as [[antipope]] of Rome – a reign with the concurrently deposed John XII.
* The [[Great Lavra|Monastery of Great Lavra]] at [[Mount Athos]] (northeastern [[Greece]]) is founded by the Byzantine monk [[Athanasius the Athonite]].
</onlyinclude>
== Births ==
* [[March 13]] &ndash; [[Anna Porphyrogenita]], Grand Princess of [[Kievan Rus'|Kiev]] (d. [[1011]])
* [[April 17]] &ndash; [[Sweyn Forkbeard]], king of [[Denmark]] and [[Kingdom of Norway (872–1397)|Norway]] (d. [[1014]])
* [[Edith of Wilton]], English princess and [[abbess]] (approximate date)
* [[Li Jiqian]], Chinese governor and rebel leader (d. [[1004]])
* [[Nuh II]], emir of the [[Samanid Empire|Samanid Dynasty]] ([[Iran]]) (d. [[997]])
* [[Samsam al-Dawla]], Buyid [[emir]] (approximate date)
* [[Snorri Goði]], Icelandic [[Vikings|Viking]] chieftain (d. [[1031]])
== Deaths ==
* [[March 15]] &ndash; [[Romanos II]], Byzantine emperor (b. [[938]])
* [[March 31]] &ndash; [[Abu Ja'far Ahmad ibn Muhammad]], Saffarid emir (b. [[906]])
* [[April 3]] &ndash; [[William III, Duke of Aquitaine|William III]], duke of [[Duchy of Aquitaine|Aquitaine]] (b. [[915]])
* [[April 10]] &ndash; [[Oda of Metz]], German [[Nobility|noblewoman]]
* [[April 16]] &ndash; [[William I of Weimar|William I]], German nobleman
* [[April 18]] &ndash; [[Stephen Lekapenos]], Byzantine co-emperor
* [[August 16]] &ndash; [[Marianos Argyros]], Byzantine general
* [[Abu Muhammad al-Hasan al-Muhallabi|Abu Muhammad al-Hasan]], Buyid [[vizier]]
* [[Alp-Tegin]], Samanid commander-in-chief
* [[Donnchad mac Cellacháin]], king of [[Munster]] ([[Ireland]])
* [[Fothad I]], bishop of [[Archdiocese of St Andrews|St. Andrews]] (approximate date)
* [[Goltregoda of Cerdanya|Goltregoda]], Frankish countess and [[regent]] (b. [[920]])
* [[Ingeborg Tryggvasdotter]], Viking noblewoman
* [[John II of Gaeta|John II]], duke of [[Duchy of Gaeta|Gaeta]] ([[Italy]]) (approximate date)
* [[Michael Maleinos]], Byzantine [[monk]] (approximate date)
* [[Ordoño IV of León|Ordoño IV]] ('''the Bad'''), king of [[Kingdom of León|León]] (or [[962]])
* [[Rudolfe II, Count of Ivois|Rudolfe II]] (or '''Raoul'''), Frankish nobleman
* [[Tryggve Olafsson]], Norse [[Vikings|Viking]] king
* [[Empress Wang (Taizu)|Wang]], empress of the [[Song dynasty|Song Dynasty]] (b. [[942]])
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
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[[Category:963| ]]