685

By place

Byzantine Empire

• September - Emperor Constantine IV dies of dysentery at Constantinople after a 17-year reign, and is succeeded by his 16-year-old son Justinian II.

  Europe

• Kuber, brother of Asparukh of Bulgaria, defeats the Avars in Syrmia. He leads his followers of around 70,000 people to Macedonia.

  Britain

• May 20 - Battle of Dun Nechtain: The Picts under King Bridei III revolt against their Northumbrian overlords. Cuthbert, bishop of Lindisfarne, advises King Ecgfrith of Northumbria not to invade Pictland. Undeterred, Ecgfrith marches his army north to engage the enemy near Dunnichen. The Picts, possibly with Scottish and Strathclyde Briton help, defeat the Saxon guard, killing Ecgfrith, who has reigned for 15 years, routing his army and forcing the Anglo-Saxons to withdraw south of the River Forth.
• King Centwine of Wessex dies after a 9-year reign and is succeeded by his distant cousin, Cædwalla, who manages to fully re-unite the sub-kingdoms of Wessex. He attacks Sussex with a large army, and kills King Æthelwealh in battle, in the South Downs. He is expelled by Æthelwealh's ealdormen, Berthun and Andhun, who jointly rule the South Saxons. Cædwalla invades Kent, lays it waste, and carries off an immense booty.
• Aldfrith, illegitimate half-brother of Ecgfrith, becomes king of Northumbria. He is brought from Iona, where he is studying for a career in the church.
• King Eadric revolts against his uncle Hlothhere, and defeats him in battle. He becomes sole ruler of Kent until his death in 686.

  Arabian Empire

• Battle of 'Ayn al-Warda: An Umayyad army under Husayn ibn Numayr defeats the pro-Alid Kufans at Ras al-'Ayn.
• May 7 - Caliph Marwan I dies at Damascus, and is succeeded by his son Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan.

  China

• Empress Wu Zetian sends a pair of giant pandas to the Japanese court of Emperor Tenmu, as a diplomatic gift.
• Wu Zetian exiles her son Zhong Zong, former emperor of the Tang Dynasty, and his family to the island of Fang Zhou.

  By topic

Religion

• May 8 - Pope Benedict II dies at Rome after a reign of less than 11 months. He is succeeded by John V as the 82nd pope.
• John Maron is elected as the first patriarch in the Maronite Church.