East–West Schism
Mutual excommunications split Christianity in two
The papal legate Cardinal Humbert laid a bull excommunicating Patriarch Michael Cerularius on the altar of Hagia Sophia, and the patriarch anathematised the legates in turn. The schism split Christianity into Catholic and Orthodox churches.
Wikipedia (Russian) · Wikipedia (English) · 11th century
Did you know
In July 1054, Chinese astronomers saw a new star; 12 days later came the schism in Constantinople. That star's remnant is the Crab Nebula.
Meanwhile around the world (±25 years)
Europe
- 1066 Battle of Hastings — 12 years later
- 1066 Halley's Comet over England — 12 years later
- 1077 Walk to Canossa — 23 years later
Eastern Europe & Russia
- c. 1037 Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev — 17 years earlier
Africa
- c. 1070 The Almoravids found Marrakesh — 16 years later
Asia
- 1044 First gunpowder formulas in the Wujing Zongyao — 10 years earlier
- 1054 Supernova SN 1054 — same year
Alive at the time
- Yaroslav the Wise (aged 76)
- Edward the Confessor (aged 51)
- William the Conqueror (aged 26)
- Omar Khayyam (aged 6)
- Henry IV (aged 4)
- Vladimir II Monomakh (aged 1)
- Henry I (aged 46)
- Henry III (aged 38)
- Iziaslav I (aged 30)
- Vsevolod I (aged 24)