793 CE
The Viking raid on the monastery of Lindisfarne off the coast of Northumbria shocked Christian Europe and is traditionally regarded as the beginning of the Viking Age.
Conflict & Diplomacy
- On June 8, Norse raiders attacked the wealthy and undefended monastery of Lindisfarne on Holy Island off the northeast coast of England, killing monks, plundering treasures, and taking captives. The attack sent shockwaves through Christian Europe.
- The scholar Alcuin of York, then at Charlemagne's court, wrote anguished letters lamenting the attack, declaring that never before had such terror appeared in Britain, and interpreting the raid as divine punishment for sin.
Politics & Power
- Charlemagne continued to expand and consolidate his empire, having recently subdued the Saxons and extended Frankish authority deep into Central Europe.
Climate & Environment
- Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was approximately 276 parts per million, as later confirmed by ice core analysis.
Population & Demographics
- World population is estimated to have been approximately 258 million.