The world in 1066

In 1066, the timeline shows 125 states, empires and colonies and 128 peoples across 12 regions. The most significant include Republic of Venice, Byzantine Empire, Ghana Empire (Wagadu), Holy Roman Empire, Swahili city-states, Srivijaya, Khmer Empire and Abbasid Caliphate.

See 1066 on the interactive chart

What was happening around 1066

1044 Gunpowder formula recorded, East Asia. The Song military manual Wujing Zongyao, compiled from 1040 to 1044, gives the earliest known written formulas for gunpowder, used in fire arrows and bombs.
1050 Banu Hilal migration, North and West Africa. Arab Bedouin tribes sent west by the Fatimids sweep into Ifriqiya, forcing the Zirids to abandon Kairouan in 1057 and speeding the Arabization of the Maghreb.
1050 Cahokia grows into a city, North America. Around 1050 an ordered city grid along the Grand Plaza is laid over earlier settlements and Cahokia's population grows rapidly. Its Monks Mound is the largest pre-Columbian earthwork in the Americas.
1054 East-West Schism, Europe. Papal legates and the Patriarch of Constantinople excommunicate each other, splitting the Catholic and Orthodox churches.
1066 Norman conquest of England, Europe. William of Normandy defeats Harold II at Hastings and is crowned king of England on Christmas Day.
1071 Battle of Manzikert, Middle East. Seljuk sultan Alp Arslan defeats and captures Emperor Romanos IV. Turks move west into Anatolia, which slowly becomes Turkish.

Central and Southern Africa

Eastern Bantu-speaking farmers c. 1000 BCE to 1300 CE
Western Bantu-speaking farmers c. 500 BCE to 1400 CE
Swahili city-states c. 800 to 1600 CE
Central African forest foragers c. 3200 BCE to the present
San hunter-gatherers c. 3200 BCE to the present
Khoisan hunter-gatherers c. 3200 BCE to 1100 CE
Khoekhoe herders c. 100 BCE to 1904 CE
Bantu farmers of the Congo basin c. 500 BCE to 1500 CE
Iron Age farmers of South Africa c. 400 to 1300 CE
Austronesian settlers of Madagascar c. 400 to 1100 CE
Kilwa Sultanate c. 957 to 1513 CE
East African hunter-gatherers c. 3200 BCE to the present
Malagasy chiefdoms and trading towns c. 1000 to 1600 CE
Kisalian culture c. 700 to 1200 CE
Ntusi and Bigo culture c. 1000 to 1500 CE

North and West Africa

Ghana Empire (Wagadu) c. 300 to 1200 CE
Fatimid Caliphate 909 to 1171 CE
Almoravid dynasty c. 1040 to 1147 CE
Makuria c. 450 to 1470 CE
Kanem Empire c. 700 to 1387 CE
Ife c. 1000 to 1420 CE
Medjay, Blemmyes and Beja nomads c. 2300 BCE to the present
Cushitic-speaking peoples c. 2000 BCE to the present
Sahelian cereal farmers c. 1500 BCE to the present
West African yam and oil palm farmers c. 1500 BCE to the present
Amazigh (Berber) tribes c. 1400 BCE to the present
Sao culture c. 500 BCE to 1600 CE
Coptic Christians c. 300 CE to the present
Saharan camel nomads (Sanhaja and Tuareg) c. 300 CE to the present
Jenne-Jeno (Middle Niger towns) c. 250 BCE to 1400 CE
Chadic-speaking farmers c. 700 CE to the present
Kingdom of Nri c. 900 to 1911 CE
Alodia c. 500 to 1504 CE
Hausa city-states c. 1000 to 1808 CE
Kwararafa c. 1000 to 1800 CE
Takrur c. 500 to 1285 CE
Kingdom of Gao c. 800 to 1430 CE
Sultanate of Shewa c. 896 to 1285 CE
Igbo-Ukwu c. 800 to 1100 CE
Zirids 972 to 1148 CE
Hammadids 1014 to 1152 CE

Europe

Republic of Venice c. 697 to 1797 CE
Byzantine Empire 395 to 1453 CE
Holy Roman Empire 962 to 1806 CE
Kievan Rus 882 to 1240 CE
Viking Age Norse c. 793 to 1066 CE
Gaelic Ireland c. 500 BCE to 1607 CE
Papal States 756 to 1870 CE
Kingdom of Scotland c. 843 to 1707 CE
Kingdom of Hungary 1000 to 1526 CE
Kingdom of Norway c. 872 to 1397 CE
Kingdom of Denmark c. 936 to 1397 CE
Kingdom of Sweden c. 970 to 1397 CE
Kingdom of England (Norman and Plantagenet) 1066 to 1485 CE
Kingdom of Poland (Piast) 1025 to 1370 CE
Kingdom of France (Capetian) 987 to 1328 CE
Kingdom of Castile c. 931 to 1230 CE
Kingdom of England (Anglo-Saxon) 927 to 1066 CE
Sami people c. 1000 BCE to the present
Basques c. 500 BCE to the present
Baltic Finnic tribes c. 500 BCE to 1250 CE
Baltic tribes c. 150 to 1290 CE
Volga Finnic peoples c. 50 to 1100 CE
County of Flanders 862 to 1795 CE
Duchy of Lorraine c. 959 to 1766 CE
County and Duchy of Savoy c. 1003 to 1720 CE
Kingdom of Gwynedd c. 500 to 1216 CE
Kingdom of Powys c. 450 to 1160 CE
Kingdom of Navarre c. 824 to 1512 CE
Kingdom and Duchy of Brittany 851 to 1532 CE
West Slavic tribes c. 500 to 1160 CE
Earldom of Orkney c. 875 to 1472 CE
Duchy and Principality of Benevento c. 571 to 1077 CE
County of Toulouse c. 778 to 1271 CE
Republic of Pisa c. 1000 to 1406 CE
Volga Bulgaria c. 880 to 1240 CE
Icelandic Commonwealth 930 to 1262 CE
Duchy of Bohemia c. 870 to 1198 CE
Kingdom of Leon 910 to 1230 CE
Norse Kingdom of Dublin c. 853 to 1170 CE
Duchy of Normandy 911 to 1204 CE
County of Barcelona c. 878 to 1162 CE
County of Portugal c. 868 to 1139 CE
Emirate of Sicily 831 to 1091 CE
Pechenegs c. 860 to 1091 CE
Cumans (Kipchaks) c. 1060 to 1237 CE
Kingdom of Croatia c. 925 to 1102 CE
Kingdom of Aragon 1035 to 1162 CE
Catepanate of Italy c. 965 to 1071 CE
Taifa kingdoms c. 1009 to 1110 CE

Middle East

Byzantine Empire 395 to 1453 CE
Abbasid Caliphate 750 to 1258 CE
Great Seljuk Empire 1037 to 1194 CE
Zaydi Imamate of Yemen 897 to 1918 CE
Kingdom of Georgia 1008 to 1466 CE
Arab Bedouin tribes c. 900 BCE to the present
Kurdish tribes and emirates c. 640 CE to the present
Sharifate of Mecca c. 967 to 1916 CE
Bavandids 651 to 1349 CE
Shirvanshahs 861 to 1538 CE
Oghuz Turkmen nomads c. 1040 to 1600 CE
Ibadi Imamate of Oman c. 751 to 1154 CE
Emirate of Tbilisi 736 to 1122 CE
Alania c. 900 to 1240 CE
Shaddadids 951 to 1199 CE
Qarmatians of Bahrain 899 to 1077 CE
Ziyarids 931 to 1090 CE
Fatimid Syria and Palestine 970 to 1099 CE
Uqaylids 990 to 1096 CE
Marwanids 990 to 1085 CE
Sulayhids 1047 to 1138 CE

South Asia

Chola Empire 848 to 1279 CE
Pala Empire c. 750 to 1161 CE
Hoysala Empire c. 1026 to 1343 CE
Western Chalukyas 973 to 1189 CE
Ghaznavid Empire 977 to 1186 CE
Munda-speaking peoples c. 1500 BCE to the present
Tibeto-Burman hill peoples c. 1000 BCE to the present
Vedda people c. 900 BCE to the present
Kingdom of Mewar c. 728 to 1948 CE
Pashtun tribes c. 1000 CE to the present
Kamarupa c. 350 to 1140 CE
Chahamanas of Shakambhari c. 551 to 1194 CE
Chandela dynasty c. 831 to 1315 CE
Eastern Chalukyas c. 624 to 1070 CE
Paramara dynasty c. 948 to 1305 CE
Soomra dynasty c. 1026 to 1351 CE
Thakuri dynasty c. 879 to 1200 CE
Lohara dynasty c. 1003 to 1320 CE
Chaulukya dynasty c. 940 to 1244 CE
Chera Perumals of Makotai c. 844 to 1124 CE

Central and North Asia

Uyghur Kingdom of Qocho c. 843 to 1335 CE
Kara-Khanid Khanate c. 840 to 1212 CE
Liao dynasty 916 to 1125 CE
Cuman-Kipchak confederation c. 1050 to 1241 CE
Seljuk Empire (Khorasan) 1037 to 1157 CE
Yukaghir peoples c. 1000 BCE to the present
Chukchi, Koryak and Itelmen peoples c. 1000 BCE to the present
Evenki and Even reindeer herders c. 500 CE to the present
Khanty, Mansi and Samoyedic peoples c. 1000 CE to the present
Okhotsk culture c. 500 to 1200 CE
Yenisei Kyrgyz c. 550 to 1207 CE
Punuk culture c. 800 to 1300 CE
Kereit, Naiman, Tatar and Merkit tribes c. 1000 to 1206 CE

East Asia

Northern Song 960 to 1127 CE
Goryeo 918 to 1392 CE
Heian period 794 to 1185 CE
Liao dynasty 916 to 1125 CE
Western Xia 1038 to 1227 CE
Formosan Austronesian peoples before 3200 BCE to the present
Qiang peoples c. 1250 BCE to the present
Jurchen tribes c. 926 to 1616 CE
Guge kingdom c. 967 to 1630 CE
Satsumon culture c. 700 to 1200 CE
Tibetan era of fragmentation 842 to 1253 CE
Dali Kingdom 937 to 1253 CE

Southeast Asia

Srivijaya c. 650 to 1377 CE
Khmer Empire 802 to 1431 CE
Champa c. 192 to 1832 CE
Pagan Kingdom c. 849 to 1297 CE
Ly dynasty 1009 to 1225 CE
Kediri Kingdom 1042 to 1222 CE
Philippine Negrito foragers c. 3200 BCE to the present
Orang Asli (Semang and Senoi) c. 1800 BCE to the present
Dayak peoples of Borneo c. 1000 BCE to the present
Plain of Jars culture c. 1000 BCE to 1200 CE
Langkasuka c. 100 to 1400 CE
Kutai Martadipura c. 399 to 1635 CE
Lavo Kingdom c. 650 to 1388 CE
Tondo c. 900 to 1589 CE
Barangay chiefdoms c. 900 to 1565 CE
Sunda Kingdom c. 932 to 1579 CE
Haripunjaya c. 660 to 1292 CE
Butuan c. 1001 to 1597 CE
Tai muang chiefdoms c. 900 to 1300 CE

North America

Mississippian culture c. 900 to 1600 CE
Thule culture c. 1000 to 1600 CE
Ancestral Puebloans c. 750 to 1300 CE
Dorset culture c. 500 BCE to 1300 CE
Pacific Northwest peoples c. 500 CE to the present
Mogollon culture c. 200 to 1450 CE
Hohokam c. 300 to 1450 CE
Norse Greenland c. 985 to 1450 CE
Cahokia c. 1050 to 1350 CE
Chaco Canyon (Chacoan system) c. 850 to 1150 CE
Unangan (Aleut) peoples c. 2500 BCE to the present
Dene (Northern Athabaskan) peoples c. 750 BCE to the present
Belle Glade culture c. 1000 BCE to 1700 CE
Caloosahatchee culture 500 BCE to 1750 CE
Chumash c. 500 CE to the present
California peoples (Ohlone, Miwok, Pomo, Tongva) c. 500 CE to the present
Fremont culture c. 1 to 1300 CE
Caddo confederacies c. 800 to 1859 CE
Cree peoples c. 1000 CE to the present
Numic peoples (Shoshone, Paiute, Ute) c. 1000 CE to the present
Plains Village tradition c. 900 to 1780 CE
Fort Ancient culture c. 1000 to 1750 CE
Oneota culture c. 1000 to 1650 CE
Birnirk culture c. 600 to 1200 CE
Monongahela culture 1050 to 1635 CE
Coles Creek culture 700 to 1200 CE
Mimbres c. 1000 to 1130 CE

Mesoamerica and Caribbean

Chibchan chiefdoms (Costa Rica and Panama) c. 500 BCE to 1570 CE
Mixtec kingdoms c. 900 to 1522 CE
Chichen Itza c. 750 to 1100 CE
Toltec state (Tula) c. 900 to 1150 CE
Gran Coclé chiefdoms c. 1200 BCE to 1520 CE
Guayabo de Turrialba c. 1000 BCE to 1400 CE
Greater Nicoya cultures c. 500 BCE to 1522 CE
Cholula c. 300 BCE to 1519 CE
Chalchihuites culture c. 100 to 1250 CE
La Quemada c. 300 to 1200 CE
Diquís culture c. 700 to 1530 CE
Lucayan Taíno c. 800 to 1520 CE
Trincheras tradition c. 750 to 1450 CE
Chichimeca peoples c. 900 to 1600 CE
Zapotec city-states (Zaachila, Mitla) c. 850 to 1521 CE
Huastec (Teenek) peoples c. 900 to 1530 CE
El Tajín (Classic Veracruz) c. 600 to 1200 CE
Ostionoid culture c. 600 to 1200 CE

South America

Tupi-Guarani peoples c. 500 CE to the present
Mapuche c. 1000 CE to the present
Marajoara culture c. 400 to 1400 CE
Muisca Confederation c. 800 to 1540 CE
Chimú kingdom (Chimor) c. 900 to 1470 CE
Fuegian canoe peoples (Yaghan, Kawésqar) before 3200 BCE to the present
Jê peoples c. 1 CE to the present
Patagonian peoples (Tehuelche, Selk'nam) c. 1 CE to the present
Zenú culture c. 200 BCE to 1535 CE
Tairona c. 200 to 1600 CE
Arawakan peoples of the Amazon c. 1000 CE to the present
Carib peoples of the Guianas c. 1000 CE to the present
Guaraní c. 1000 CE to the present
Charrúa c. 1000 to 1831 CE
Manteño-Huancavilca culture c. 850 to 1600 CE
Chachapoya culture c. 800 to 1470 CE
Diaguita c. 1000 to 1667 CE
Santarém culture (Tapajó) c. 1000 to 1650 CE
Sicán (Lambayeque) c. 750 to 1375 CE
Cañari c. 1000 to 1532 CE
Chincha kingdom c. 1000 to 1476 CE
Chancay culture c. 1000 to 1470 CE

Oceania

Aboriginal Australian peoples before 3200 BCE to the present
Papuan farmers and foragers before 3200 BCE to the present
Kuk Swamp agriculture before 3200 BCE to 1900 CE
Tu'i Tonga Empire c. 950 to 1865 CE
Tasmanian Aboriginal peoples before 3200 BCE to the present
Uninhabited c. 3200 BCE to 1280 CE
Torres Strait Islanders c. 500 BCE to the present
Island Melanesian societies c. 500 BCE to the present
Fijian chiefdoms c. 500 BCE to 1874 CE
Eastern Micronesian islanders c. 200 BCE to the present
Samoan chiefdoms c. 1000 to 1900 CE
Society Islands chiefdoms c. 1000 to 1788 CE
Latte period Chamorro c. 900 to 1668 CE

Questions

What countries existed in 1066?

The timeline shows 125 states, empires and colonies alive in 1066. Among the most significant: Republic of Venice, Byzantine Empire, Ghana Empire (Wagadu), Holy Roman Empire, Swahili city-states, Srivijaya, Khmer Empire and Abbasid Caliphate. The full list by region is on this page.

What was happening in the world in 1066?

Within 25 years of 1066, the timeline records Gunpowder formula recorded (1044), Banu Hilal migration (1050), Cahokia grows into a city (1050), East-West Schism (1054), Norman conquest of England (1066) and Battle of Manzikert (1071).

Which empires existed in 1066?

Byzantine Empire, Ghana Empire (Wagadu), Holy Roman Empire, Srivijaya, Khmer Empire, Abbasid Caliphate, Chola Empire, Fatimid Caliphate, Northern Song and Great Seljuk Empire.

Where do these dates come from?

Each row's dates were checked against the sources listed on that row's own page, mostly English Wikipedia articles, which cite the underlying scholarship. Dates that are uncertain are marked c.