542

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cp=5th century
c=6th century
cf=7th century

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yp2=540
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year=542
ya1=543
ya2=544
ya3=545
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dn3=570s__NOTOC__

Events

By Place

Byzantine Empire

*An outbreak of the plague kills at least 230,000 in Constantinople (before they stopped counting) and perhaps two million or more in the rest of the Empire. This was the "Justinianic plague." Emperor Justinian, the renewer of the greatness of Rome's empire and patron of the world's greatest religious building, the Hagia Sophia, contracted the disease and recovered to rule for another twenty years.

Europe

*Ostrogoth king Totila reconquers Naples, Benevento, and other parts of Italy.
*Childebert I captures Pamplona and besieges Zaragoza.

Births

*Emperor Ming of Western Liang
*Su Wei
*Emperor Xiaomin of Northern Zhou

Deaths

* 27 August — Saint Caesarius of Arles