Oslo, the capital of Norway, lies at the head of the Oslofjord. The city is traditionally said to have been founded by King Harald Hardrada in the mid-11th century, although archaeological evidence suggests settlement and trade in the area from earlier times. It became a royal residence around 1300 under Haakon V, who built the Akershus Fortress. After a great fire in 1624, King Christian IV of Denmark–Norway rebuilt the city at a new site near the fortress and renamed it Christiania, a name that lasted, with a change in spelling, until 1925, when Oslo was restored. It became the capital of fully independent Norway after the union with Sweden ended in 1905. Today it hosts the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony and museums with Viking ships.
Before and after
- 18 June 1037Death of Avicenna
- from 1038 to 1227Western Xia
- from 1040 to 1147Almoravid dynasty
- 1044Anawrahta founds the Pagan Empire in Burma
- c. 1048Origins of Oslo
- 18 May 1048Birth of Omar Khayyám
- 11th centuryConstruction of Modena Cathedral
- 11th centuryConstruction of St Margaret's Church, Westminster
- c. 1050sChaco Canyon becomes the centre of Ancestral Puebloan life
More in Civilizations & archaeology
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- 990 CEConstruction of Château de Montsoreau
- from 11th century to 18th centuryHouse of Habsburg
- from 1206 to 1368Mongol Empire
- 1239Construction of Alhambra
- 1420Construction of Kremlin
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.