First government-issued paper money
Merchant IOUs become the empire's own currency
The Song government began official issue of jiaozi in Sichuan, the world's first state paper money. Earlier, merchants of Chengdu had issued such notes to avoid carrying heavy iron coins.
Wikipedia (English) · 11th century
Meanwhile around the world (±25 years)
Europe
- c. 1000 Stephen I, first king of Hungary — 24 years earlier
Eastern Europe & Russia
- c. 1037 Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev — 13 years later
Middle East
- 1025 Avicenna's Canon of Medicine — 1 year later
Africa
- c. 1000 Extinction of the elephant birds — 24 years earlier
- 1006 Supernova SN 1006 — 18 years earlier
Americas
- 1021 Norse in North America — 3 years earlier
Alive at the time
- Avicenna (Ibn Sina) (aged 44)
- Yaroslav the Wise (aged 46)
- Cnut the Great (aged 29)
- Edward the Confessor (aged 21)
- Sei Shōnagon (aged 58)
- Robert II the Pious (aged 52)
- Al-Biruni (aged 51)
- Henry II (aged 51)
- Conrad II (aged 34)
- Henry I (aged 16)