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Year 641 ( DCXLI ) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar . The denomination 641 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Events [ edit ]

By place [ edit ]

Byzantine Empire [ edit ]

• February 11 – Emperor Heraclius , age 65, dies of dropsy at Constantinople after a 31-year reign. He reorganized the imperial administration, but lost Armenia , parts of Egypt , Palestine , Syria and much of Mesopotamia to the Muslim Arabs. Heraclius is succeeded by his sons Constantine III and Heraklonas .
• The Muslim conquest of Egypt continues, with the siege of Alexandria .
• May – Constantine III, age 29, dies of tuberculosis after a four-month reign, leaving his half-brother Heraklonas sole emperor. Rumors spread that Constantine has been poisoned by Heraclius's second wife (and niece) Martina .
• September – The Byzantine Senate turns against Martina and her son Heraklonas, who are both mutilated , and exiled to Rhodes . Supported by general Valentinus , Constantine's son Constans II , age 10, succeeds to the throne .
• Constans II establishes a new civil-military defensive organisation, based upon geographical military districts. Byzantine forces maintain the frontier, along the line of the Taurus Mountains (Southern Turkey ).

Europe [ edit ]

• Aega , Mayor of the Palace and regent (alongside of queen mother Nanthild ) of Neustria and Burgundy , dies during the reign of King Clovis II . He is replaced by Erchinoald , a relative of Dagobert I 's mother.
• The Lombards under King Rothari conquer Genoa ( Liguria ), and all remaining Byzantine territories in the lower Po Valley , including Oderzo ( Opitergium ).
• Arechis I , duke of Benevento (northeast of Naples ), dies after a 50-year reign and is succeeded by his son Aiulf I .

Britain [ edit ]

• Prince Oswiu of Bernicia conquers Gododdin (or "The Old North") as far north as Manau (modern Scotland ), on behalf of his half-brother, King Oswald (approximate date).
• King Bridei II dies after a 5-year reign, and is succeeded by his brother Talorc III as ruler of the Picts .

Africa [ edit ]

• November 8 – Siege of Alexandria : Muslim Arabs under 'Amr ibn al-'As capture Alexandria after a six-month siege . Byzantine officials formally capitulate to Amr, turning the city over to Arab hands.
• The city of Fustat (later Cairo ) is founded in Egypt . It becomes the first capital of Egypt under Muslim rule.

Asia [ edit ]

• Emperor Taizong of the Tang dynasty (China) instigates a civil war in the Western Turkic Khaganate , by supporting Isbara Yabghu Qaghan.
• November 17 – Emperor Jomei of Japan , age 48, dies after a 12-year reign.
• Uija becomes the last king of the Korean kingdom of Baekje . ^[1]

Births [ edit ]

• Asparukh , ruler ( khan ) of the First Bulgarian Empire (d. 701 )

Deaths [ edit ]

• February 11 – Heraclius , Byzantine emperor
• November 17 – Emperor Jomei of Japan (b. 593 )
• Aega , Mayor of the Palace ( Neustria and Burgundy )
• Arechis I , duke of Benevento ( Italy )
• Bridei II , king of the Picts
• Emperor Constantine III of the Byzantine Empire
• Mu , king of Baekje (one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea ) ^[1]
• Ouyang Xun , Confucian scholar and calligrapher (b. 557 )
• Zaynab bint Jahsh , wife of Muhammad

References [ edit ]