Succession
Succeeds as King of Northumbria, succeeds Aethelred I after plotting his assassination
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
796 in England
Explore 22 historical events and records for England in 796.
Historical records for England in 796
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 22 of 22 unique records.
22Unique records
1 of 1Page
17Named events on this page
13Named people on this page
5Places on this page
March
April
Abdication
Forced to abdicate in favour of Eardwulf
May
Accession
Eardwulf becomes King of Northumbria after Osbald's brief twenty-seven-day reign collapses.
Assassination of Aethelred I
Aethelred I is assassinated
Death of Aethelred I
Death of Aethelred I, assassinated
Recall after Osbald
Eardwulf is recalled from exile after Osbald loses the throne only weeks after Aethelred's assassination.
June
Coronation at York
Archbishop Eanbald I and three bishops consecrate Eardwulf as King of Northumbria at York.
July
Alliance Offa and Charles of the Franks to protect merchants on both sides of the Channel
Allies with Charles of the Franks to protect merchants on both sides of the Channel
Death of Offa
Marks the end of Mercian dominance in England & the beginning of the rise of Wessex. Death of Offa
December
Death of Ecgfrith
Death of Ecgfrith
Other events (month unknown)
Alcuin Accession Letter
Alcuin writes to the new king Eardwulf urging him to rule with justice, piety, and restraint.
Assassination of Athelred I
Assassinated by Ealdred, a supporter of Osbald
Coenwulf Takes Mercian Kingship
Coenwulf succeeded Ecgfrith and sought to preserve Mercia's supremacy over neighbouring territories.
Death of Athelred I
Assassinated by Ealdred, a supporter of Osbald
Death of Egfrith
Death of Egfrith
Eadberht Praen Seizes Kent
After Offa's death Eadberht Praen seized power in Kent and attempted to escape Mercian control.
Ecgfrith Succeeds Offa
Ecgfrith became king after his father Offa died, but his reign lasted only a few months.
Succession
Succeeds as King of Mercia
Succession
Succeeds as King of Kent, last independent descendent of the Kentish royal family. Deposes Athelheard pro-Mercian Archbishop of Canterbury installed by Offa. After Offas death Eadberht renounces his orders in France & seizes the Kentish throne
Succession
Succeeds as King of East Anglia
Succession
Succeeds as King of Mercia
Succession
Succeeds as King of Mercia, reigns for 141 days
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.