Æthelwulf was the elder son of Egbert. He conquered Kent on behalf of his father in 825, and succeeded his father as King of Wessex in 839. In 851 a huge Danish army, said to have been carried on 350 ships, arrived in the Thames estuary. Having defeated King Beorhtwulf of Mercia in battle, the Danes moved on to invade Wessex, but were decisively crushed by King Aethelwulf in the exceptionally bloody Battle of Aclea. This victory postponed Danish conquests in England for fifteen years, but raids on Wessex continued. Aethelwulf was succeeded by each of his four surviving sons ruling one after another, including lastly, Alfred the Great.
806
| 806 • The Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid leads a huge invasion of Byzantine Anatolia, and raids Cappadocia sacking several fortresses. |
825
Age: 19y
titleKent, England ⇓ King of Kent. |
| 825 • Teaching begins at Oxford, England, according to documents held by University College, Oxford and All Souls College, Oxford |
839
Age: 33y
titleKingston, England ⇓ Crowned upon the Thames river, King of Wessex, Kent, Cornwall, the West Saxons and the East Saxons. |
849
May 12
Age: 43y
| 849 • In the Tang Dynasty Chinese capital city of Chang'an, an imperial prince was impeached from his position by officials at court for erecting a building that obstructed a street in the northwesternmost ward in South Central Chang'an. |
about
Age: 49y
855
Age: 49y
pilgrimageRome ⇓ While on a pilgrimage to Rome, his son Aethelbald took advantage of his absence to seize the throne. On his return, Aethelwulf agreed to divide the kingdom with his son to avoid bloodshed, ruling the new territories in the east while Aethelbald held the old heartland in the west. |
| 855 • Pope Benedict III succeeds Pope Leo IV as the 104th pope. |
857
Jan 13
Age: 51y
| 857 • Michael III of Byzantium, under the influence of his uncle Bardas, banishes his mother Theodora. Bardas becomes the most powerful person in the empire. |