940s

The 940s was a decade that started on 1 January 940 and ended on 31 December 949. It is distinct from the decade known as the 95th decade which began on January 1, 941 and ended on December 31, 950.

940

• Saadia Gaon makes his siddur (Jewish prayer book) in Iraq.
• Narita-san Temple is founded in Chiba, Japan.
• The Liao Dynasty stops the rule that a younger sister replace an older sister who died in marriage.

941

• The Rus'-Byzantine War is fought.
• Oda the Severe becomes Archbishop of Canterbury.

942

• The Chavda Kingdom is overthrown in Gujarat, India.
• October 30 – Pope Marinus II succeeds Pope Stephen VIII as the 128th pope.

943

• King Constantin II of Scotland retires and becomes a monk. His cousin Malcolm I of Scotland becomes king.

944

• The city of Algiers is (re)founded by the Zirid king Buluggin ibn Ziri.
• Abu Yazid starts a rebellion against the Fatimids in the Aures Mountains.
• The Al-Askari Mosque is built in Samarra.
• King Edmund I of England takes Northumbria from the Vikings.
• Emperor Romanos I Lekapenos is deposed as Byzantine emperor. It was by his own sons, Stephen Lekapenos and Constantine Lekapenos.

945

• The Buyid dynasty takes control of Baghdad.
• The Min Kingdom is taken over by the Southern Tang Kingdom.
• Edmund I of England conquers Strathclyde. He makes an alliance with Malcolm I of Scotland and gives Cumberland and Westmorland to him.
• Lothair II of Italy takes control of Italy.
• Romanos I Lekapenos is overthrown. Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII rules alone.

946

• Eadred I becomes king of England.
• Emperor Murakami becomes Emperor of Japan.
• May 10 – Pope Agapitus II succeeds Pope Marinus II as the 129th pope.

947

• The Later Jin Dynasty falls to the Later Han Dynasty in China.

948

• The Nri Kingdom is started by Eri. The kingdom was in what is now Nigeria.
• The Nallur Kandaswamy temple is built.

949

• The Byzantine Empire starts another expedition against the Emirate of Crete.