1046

By place

Europe

• Autumn - King Henry III travels to Italy to secure the imposition of Guido da Velate, archbishop of Milan, and other similarly loyal candidates in other sees.
• Vatha Pagan Revolt: King Peter Orseolo is overthrown after a 2-year reign. Bishops Gerard of Csanád and Bystrík are stoned to death in Budapest.

  Britain

• Ealdred, bishop of Worcester, leads troops from England on an unsuccessful punitive raid against the Welsh leaders Gruffydd ap Rhydderch, Rhys ap Rhydderch and Gruffydd ap Llywelyn.

  Asia

• Bao Zheng, a Chinese government officer during the reign of Emperor Ren Zong of the Song Dynasty, writes a memorial to the throne. He warns about governmental corruption – and a foreseeable bankruptcy of the Chinese iron industry – if increasingly poorer families continued to be listed on the register for iron-smelting households. Apparently the government heeds the warning, and produces more iron products by the year 1078 than China ever had before.
• Munjong is crowned the 11th king of Goryeo.

  By topic

Exploration

• March 5 - Nasir Khusraw begins his 7-year Middle Eastern journey, which he later describes in the book Safarnāmé.

  Religion

• Summer - Ex-Pope Benedict IX gives up a renewed attempt to reclaim the papal throne in Rome, Sylvester III reasserts his claim.
• December 20 - Pope Gregory VI is accused of simony at the Council of Sutri, and abdicates as pope of the Catholic Church.
• December 25 - Pope Clement II succeeds Gregory VI as the 149th pope, and crowns Henry III as Holy Roman Emperor.
• Hildesheim Cathedral is largely destroyed by fire.