624

By place

Byzantine Empire

• Byzantine–Sasanian War: Emperor Heraclius advances with an expeditionary force along the Araxes River, destroying the fortress city of Dvin, capital of Armenia, and Nakhchivan. At Ganzak, Heraclius defeats the Persian army and destroys the famous fire temple at Takht-e Soleymān, an important Zoroastrian shrine. He winters his army in Caucasian Albania to gather forces for the next year.
• Winter - King Khosrow II withdraws most of his troops from Chalcedon ; he assembles three armies to trap and destroy Heraclius' forces. The Persians go into winter quarters nearby, but Heraclius attacks them at Tigranakert, routing the forces of the generals Shahin Vahmanzadegan and Shahraplakan. The Byzantines destroy their baggage train.

  Europe

• The Visigoths under King Suintila recapture the Byzantine territories of Spania, after 70 years of occupation. Only the Balearic Islands stay a part of the Byzantine Empire.

  Britain

• Eorpwald succeeds his father Rædwald, as king of the independent Kingdom of East Anglia.

  Arabia

• March 13 - Battle of Badr: Muhammad and some 300 of his followers from Medina surprise a reinforced Meccan caravan at Badr returning from Syria, and defeat about 1,000 Quraysh from Mecca. After having heard that clan leader Abu Sufyan is escorting a rich trade caravan, Muhammad has the wells along its route filled with sand in order to lure him into battle.

  Asia

• The Yiwen Leiju encyclopedia is completed during the Tang dynasty, by the Chinese calligrapher Ouyang Xun.

  By topic

Religion

• Justus becomes Archbishop of Canterbury, receiving his pallium — symbol of the jurisdiction entrusted to archbishops. He oversees the dispatch of missionaries to Northumbria.