1078

By place

Byzantine Empire

• Spring - Nikephoros Botaneiates, a Byzantine general of the Theme of the Anatolics, revolts against Emperor Michael VII. With the support of the Seljuk Turks who provide him with troops, Nikephoros marches upon Nicaea. He defeats the imperial army and proclaims himself emperor.
• March 24 - Nikephoros Botaneiates enters Constantinople in triumph and is crowned by Patriarch Cosmas I as emperor Nikephoros III of the Byzantine Empire. Michael VII resigns his throne after a 7-year reign and retires into the Monastery of Stoudios.
• Battle of Kalavrye: The imperial forces of General Alexios Komnenos are victorious over the rebellious army under Nikephoros Bryennios, governor of the Theme of Dyrrhachium. Bryennios is captured and later blinded.
• Philaretos Brachamios abandons his claim to the Byzantine throne, on being appointed governor of Antioch, a foundation of the later Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia.

  Europe

• August 7 - Battle of Mellrichstadt: Emperor Henry IV defeats the German anti-king Rudolf of Rheinfelden, duke of Swabia, near Mellrichstadt.
• October 3 - Grand Prince Iziaslav I dies and is succeeded by Vsevolod I who unites the principalities – Kiev, Chernigov and Pereyaslavl – in Kievan Rus'.

  England

• The White Tower of the Tower of London is begun, under the direction of Gundulf, bishop of Rochester.

  Africa

• The Almoravid emir, Yusuf ibn Tashfin, besieges Ceuta. Since the city can receive help from the sea, the siege will last until 1083.

  China

• By this year, the iron industry in the Song Dynasty is producing a total weight of 127,000,000 kg of iron product per year.

  By topic

Religion

• July 11 - The Romanesque tympanum of Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Galicia is constructed.
• Anselm is elected abbot of Bec Abbey, in Normandy.