William the Conqueror died on 9 September 1087 in Rouen, aged 58. Duke of Normandy and King of England, William was the illegitimate son of Duke Robert I of Normandy and became duke as a child, surviving violent rebellions in his early years. He claimed that Edward the Confessor had promised him the English throne, and when Edward died in 1066 and Harold Godwinson was crowned, William invaded. He defeated and killed Harold at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066 and was crowned king on Christmas Day. He crushed resistance, notably in the Harrying of the North, built castles throughout England, replaced much of the English nobility with Normans, and ordered the Domesday Book survey in 1086. He died in Rouen in 1087.
Before and after
- 1079Birth of Peter Abelard
- 1080Construction of Speyer Cathedral
- from 1081 to 1185Komnenos
- 1086William the Conqueror's survey: the Domesday Book
- 9 September 1087Death of William the Conqueror
- 1088Construction of Jameh Mosque of Isfahan
- 1088Founding of University of Bologna
- 1092Su Song completes his astronomical clock tower
- 1093Origins of Pembroke Castle
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- 1206Temujin is proclaimed Genghis Khan
- 15 June 1215Magna Carta
- from 24 May 1337 to 9 October 1453Hundred Years' War
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 11th century.