1008

By place

Europe

• Olaf Haraldsson, future king of Norway, makes raids in the Baltic Sea. He lands on the Estonian island of Saaremaa, wins a battle there, and forces the inhabitants to pay tribute.
• Battle at Herdaler: Olaf Haraldsson sails to the southern coast of Finland to plunder, where he and his men are ambushed and defeated in the woods.
• Bagrat III adds more lands to his realm, and becomes the first ruler of the Kingdom of Georgia.
• The oldest known mention is made of the city of Gundelfingen.

  England

• King Æthelred II orders a new fleet of warships built, organised on a national scale. It is a huge undertaking, but is completed the following year.

  Arabian Empire

• Caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah sends a tributary mission to Emperor Zhen Zong of the Song Dynasty, in order to reestablish trade relations between the Fatimid Caliphate and China.

  By topic

Religion

• Olof Skötkonung, king of Sweden, is baptized in Husaby by missionary Sigfrid, and makes generous donations on the spot.
• Autumn - Bruno of Querfurt, a missionary bishop, and 18 companions sets out on a mission to spread Christianity among the Prussians.