878 CE
A turning point in English history, as Alfred the Great defeated the Viking leader Guthrum at the Battle of Edington and secured the survival of Wessex as an independent Anglo-Saxon kingdom.
Conflict & Diplomacy
- In January, the Danish leader Guthrum launched a surprise winter attack that drove Alfred into hiding in the marshes of Somerset, reducing the King of Wessex to a fugitive with only a small band of followers.
- Alfred rallied the fyrd of Somerset, Wiltshire, and Hampshire and defeated Guthrum decisively at the Battle of Edington in May, pursuing the Danes to their fortress at Chippenham and forcing their surrender after a two-week siege.
- The Treaty of Wedmore followed, under which Guthrum agreed to be baptized as a Christian with Alfred as his godfather, and subsequently withdrew to East Anglia, establishing the boundary of the Danelaw.
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 275 million.