Battle of Reading
Alfred and Aethelred are defeated by the Danes at Reading after the Viking army occupies the town.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
871 in England
Explore 22 historical events and records for England in 871.
Historical records for England in 871
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 22 of 22 unique records.
22Unique records
1 of 1Page
14Named events on this page
4Named people on this page
9Places on this page
January
Battle of Reading
The Danes defeat Aethelred and Alfred at Reading before the West Saxon victory at Ashdown.
Battle of Ashdown
Leads an assault on 2 Danish Kings, Healfdene & Bagsecg. Kills King Bagsecg & drives away the "great army"
Death of Aethelred I
Kills King Bagsecg at the Battle of Ashdown
Great Army
Kills King Bagsecg & drives away the "great army"
Battle of Ashdown
Aethelred and Alfred defeat the Viking army at Ashdown after Alfred leads the West Saxon attack.
Battle of Ashdown
Alfred and Aethelred lead the West Saxons to victory over the Vikings at Ashdown.
Battle of Basing
The Danes defeat Aethelred and Alfred at Basing during the hard winter campaign against Wessex.
March
Battle of Merton
The Vikings defeat Aethelred and Alfred at Merton, where Bishop Heahmund of Sherborne is killed.
April
Succession
Alfred succeeded Aethelred during the struggle against the Danish army.
Kingship
Alfred begins ruling Wessex during a severe military crisis caused by renewed Viking attacks.
Succession
Alfred succeeds his brother Aethelred as King of Wessex during the Danish invasion.
May
Battle of Wilton
Alfred fights the Danes at Wilton soon after becoming king, but the West Saxons are defeated after early success.
Other events (month unknown)
Alfred Inherits Wessex During War
Alfred succeeded his brother Aethelred during a prolonged Viking campaign and continued the defence of the kingdom.
Battle of Merton
Defeated & killed in battle by the Danes
Battle of Merton
Dies fighting the Danes at the Battle of Merton
Battle of Reading
Killed at the Battle of Reading. A camp is set up & the Saxon army joins Aethelwulf but he is killed by the Danes
Danelaw
King Aethelred dies and Alfred succeeds him as King of Wessex, however, his army is weak and he is forced to pay tribute to Ivar in order to make peace with the Danes
Death of Aethelred I
Death of Aethelred I, killed at the Battle of Reading
Invasion of England
King Aethelred dies and Alfred succeeds him as King of Wessex, however, his army is weak and he is forced to pay tribute to Ivar in order to make peace with the Danes
Viking Occupation of London
The Viking army withdraws from Wessex and winters in London while Mercia makes peace.
War Finance
Alfred has to balance military defence, tribute payments and royal authority during his first year as king.
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.