Death of Sweyn Forkbeard
February 3, 1014
The conqueror-king died suddenly at Gainsborough only weeks after his acclamation, reportedly struck down by the avenging ghost of St. Edmund. Ethelred the Unready returned from Normandy; the Danish army proclaimed Sweyn's young son Cnut. England's throne was up for grabs all over again. The brevity of Sweyn's reign made his conquest seem almost spectral, a warning that crowns taken by force can vanish overnight.
In context
Also in 1014 (3 other events on record)
- Battle of Kleidion · Europe · War
- Rajendra Chola begins northern campaign · South Asia · War
- Battle of Clontarf · Europe · War
Before and after in Europe
Before and after in Politics
Era
High Middle Ages (1000–1300), one of 1,306 events from that era on Saeculum.