- 642
yearbox
in?=
cp=6th century
c=7th century
cf=8th centuryyp1=639
yp2=640
yp3=641
year=642
ya1=643
ya2=644
ya3=645
dp3=610s
dp2=620s
dp1=630s
d=640s
dn1=650s
dn2=660s
dn3=670s__NOTOC__Events
By Place
Europe
*
August 5 — In theBattle of Maserfield , Penda, king ofMercia defeats and kills Oswald, king ofBernicia .
*Batbayan succeedsKubrat as ruler of theBulgars (approximate date).Africa
*
Arab s invadeNubia for the first time; they will do so again in652 .
* Arabs conquerAlexandria .Asia
* Battle of Nehawand: Arabs conquer
Persia .
* Empress Kōgyoku ascends to the throne ofJapan .
*Yeon Gaesomun seizes power over theGoguryeo kingdom and places King Bojang on the throne.
*Emperor Taizong of Tang issues a decree throughoutChina that increases the punishment for men who deliberately inflict injuries upon themselves (most commonly breaking their own legs) in order to avoid militaryconscription . This decree is an effort to eradicate this practice that has grown as a trend since the time of the rebellion against theSui Dynasty .By Topic
Arts and Sciences
* The earliest surviving dated Arabic
papyrus ,PERF 558 , and the earliest known Arabic text withdiacritical marks is written.Religion
*
November 24 —Pope Theodore I succeedsPope John IV as the 73rdpope .
* A monastic settlement is founded inHampshire , England, which later becomesWinchester Cathedral .Births
*
Deaths
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August 5 — Oswald, king ofBernicia andBretwalda
*October 12 —Pope John IV
*Khalid bin Walid ,Muslim general, conqueror ofDamascus andSyria
*Yeongnyu of Goguryeo
*Yuwen Shiji , Chinese statesman
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