Timeline of Charlemagnes Life and Reign

Timeline of Charlemagne's Life and Reign For a quick overview of the progress of Charlemagnes life, consult the chronological listing of significant events below. Timeline 742: Charles the Great is born on April 2, traditionally in this year, but possibly as late as 747751: Charlemagnes father Pippin is declared king, beginning what would later be called the Carolingian dynasty768: Upon the death of Pippin, the kingdom of Francia is divided between Charles and his brother Carloman771: Carloman dies; Charles becomes sole ruler772: Charlemagne makes his first raid on the Saxons, which is a success; but this was just the beginning of an extended struggle against the decentralized pagan tribes774: Charlemagne conquers Lombardy and becomes King of the Lombards777: Construction of a palace in Aachen begins778: An unsuccessful siege of Saragossa, Spain, is followed by an ambush of Charlemagnes retreating army by the Basques at Roncesvalles 781: Charles makes a pilgrimage to Rome and has his son Pippin proclaimed King of Italy; here he meets Alcuin, who agrees to come to Charlemagnes court782: In response to recent attacks by Saxon leader Widukind, Charlemagne reportedly has 4,500 Saxon prisoners executed en masse 787: Charles launches his educational plan by ordering bishops and abbots to open schools near their churches and monasteries788: Charlemagne takes control of Bavaria, bringing all the territory of the Germanic tribes into one political unit791-796: Charles conducts a series of campaigns against the Avars in present-day Austria and Hungary. The Avars are eventually destroyed as a cultural entity796: Construction on the cathedral in Aachen begins799: Pope Leo III is attacked in the streets of Rome and flees to Charlemagne for protection. The king has him conducted safely back to Rome800: Charlemagne comes to Rome to oversee a synod where Leo clears himself of the charges laid on him by his enemies. At Christmas mass, Leo crowns Charlemagne Emperor804: The Saxon wars finally come to an end812: Byzantine emperor Michael I acknowledges Charlemagne as emperor, though not as Roman emperor, providing official power to the power Charles already wielded in fact813: Charles delegates imperial power to Louis, his last surviving legitimate son 814: Charlemagne dies in Aachen