1014

By place

Byzantine Empire

• Summer - Battle of Thessalonica: Emperor Basil II launches a raiding expedition against Bulgaria. From Western Thrace via Serres he reaches the valley of the Strymon River, near Thessaloniki ; the local Byzantine governor Theophylact Botaneiates defeats the Bulgarians.
• July 29 - Battle of Kleidion: Basil II defeats the Bulgarian forces, between the mountains of Belasitsa and Ograzhden, near the town of Kleidon. By order of Basil, almost 15,000 prisoners are blinded; Tsar Samuel survives the battle, but dies of shock. Basil earns the nickname "Bulgar-Slayer".

  Europe

• February 14 - King Henry II arrives at Rome and is crowned Holy Roman Emperor together with his wife Cunigunde by Pope Benedict VIII in the St. Peter's Basilica. Henry establishes the Diocese of Bobbio and returns back to Germany.

  England

• February 3 - King Sweyn Forkbeard dies at Gainsborough after a reign of five weeks. He is succeeded by Harald II who becomes king of Denmark, while Cnut is elected by the Vikings of the Danelaw as king of England.
• March - King Æthelred II sends ambassadors to England, including his own son Edward to negotiate about the reclaim of the throne at the invitation of the English nobles.

  Africa

• Hammad ibn Buluggin adopts Sunni Islam and declares his independence from the Zirid Dynasty. He recognizes the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad as being the rightful caliphs and becomes the first ruler of the Hammadid Dynasty.

  By topic

Religion

• The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Symbol of the Faith is used for the first time during the Roman Mass, after Henry II, the newly crowned Holy Roman Emperor, ask the Pope to add it – together with the filioque clause. Prior to this date, the Creed has not been used at all during the liturgy.
• Wulfstan, archbishop of York, preaches his Latin homily Sermo Lupi ad Anglos, describing the Danes as "God's judgement on England".