Charlemagne had an elephant.

802 · 810 · apart: 8 years

Abul-Abbas was a gift from Caliph Harun al-Rashid of Baghdad: shipped to Italy, he crossed the Alps, reached Aachen in 802 and lived at court for eight years.

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The event

• Charlemagne's elephant802–810 · Aachen. Caliph Harun al-Rashid sent Charlemagne an Asian elephant named Abul-Abbas. It was shipped to Italy, crossed the Alps in spring and reached Aachen on 20 July 802, living there until 810.

9th century

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