898

By place

Europe

• January 1 - King Odo I dies at La Fère after a 10-year reign. His rival, the 18-year-old Charles the Simple in Laon, gains sovereignty and becomes ruler of the West Frankish Kingdom. This puts an end to five years of civil war between the Frankish nobles.
• Summer - Adalbert II, margrave of Tuscany, revolts against his cousin, Emperor Lambert II. The Tuscan army proceeds against the Lombard capital of Pavia. Lambert with his forces at Marengo defeats Adalbert at Borgo San Donnino, taking him, as a prisoner, to Pavia.
• October 15 - Lambert II dies from falling off his horse while hunting — or is killed. After the death of Lambert, his rival Berengar I gains recognition as king of Italy. He releases Adalbert II and receives homage from the Italian nobles.

  Britain

• King Alfred the Great makes his eldest son Edward the Elder co-ruler of Wessex in preparation for his accession to the English throne.

  By topic

Religion

• January - Pope John IX is consecrated and succeeds Theodore II as the 116th pope of the Catholic Church. His rival Serguis III is excommunicated and takes refuge at the court of Adalbert II.
• John IX holds councils at Rome and Ravenna to rehabilitate the late Pope Formosus. He condemns the Cadaver Synod of the late Pope Stephen VI, and restores the clergymen who were deposed by Stephen's faction.