The Songyue Pagoda in Henan province in China, completed in 523
These years are so far back in time that they do not necessarily give much to you as genealogists. But it is a chance to have a quick look at this century, and to see who was born between 501 and 600. This will later on be divided into decades, with links appearing then here below. Exact dates of birth are hardly ever known (that xxxx after a year indicate a possible month and birth) here, and “aby” stands for approximate birth year. This article is being updated from time to time.
500s - 510s - 520s - 530s - 540s - 550s - 560s - 570s - 580s - 590s
501-xxxx Xiao Tong* 蕭統 crown prince of the LiangDynasty - Xiangzhou, Xiangyang (531/30)
502-xxxx Amalaric* King of the Visigoths/son of King Alaric II - (531/29)
503-1017 Lý Nam Đế* the first emperor of Vietnam (548/44)
503-1202 Emperor Jianwen of Liang* (b Xiao Gang) son of Emperor Wu (551/c.51)
In the year 505, the White Huns from the Caucasus invade the Persian Empire, and the Colosseum in Rome suffers damage from an earthquake.
In the year 510, king Theodoric the Great of the Ostrogoths razes the Frankish siege at Arles, and overrun Southern Gaul, thus consolidating their gains in the region.
516-xxxx Athalaric* the teenage King of the Ostrogoths in Italy/son of Amalasuntha - (534/c.17)
517-xxxx Charibert I* the Merovingian King of Paris/son of Chlothar I (567/c.50)
In the year 520, the Kingdom of East Anglia is formed, by the merging of Norfolk and Suffolk, and perhaps the eastern part of The Fens, Ostrogothic ruler Theodoric the Great builds the Mausoleum of Theodoric, as his future tomb in Ravenna.
520-xxx Tiberius II Constantine* Eastern Roman Emperor - Thrace, Roman Empire (582/62)
In the year 523, King Sigismund of Burgundy is defeated by the invading Franks and is taken as prisoner, the Songuye Pagoda is copmpleted in the Henan province in China, and Seong becomes king of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.
In the year 525, Emperor Justin I rebuilds the city of Anazarbus (modern Turkey) and renames it Justinopolis, and Bernicia (in North East England) is settled by the Angles.
In the year 530, the Vishnu Temple at Deogarh, Uttar Pradesh is built.
532-xxxx Guntram* King of the Kingdom of Orleans - Soissons, Kingdom of the Franks (592/c.59)
In the year 535, the death of Amalasuintha gives Byzantine Emperor Justinian I a pretext to invade Italy and begin the Gothic War.
540-xxx Authari* King of the Lombards/son of Cleph - (590/c.50)
546-xxxx Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib* father of the prophet Muhammad - Mecca, Hejaz, Arabia (570 or 571/c.24)
555-xxx Khadija bint Khuwaylid* first wife of the prophet Muhammad - Mecca, Hejaz, Arabian Peninsula (619/c.63)
In the year 560, Alboin becomes the new king of the Lombards, and Ceawlin succeeds his father Cynric as king of Wessex.
560-xxxx Constantina* Empress consort of Maurice of the Byzantine Empire/daughter of Tiberius II Constantine - (c. 605/c. 45)
560-xxxx Richarius* Frankish monk/hermit/founder of two monasteries - Ponthieu, kingdom of France (645/84-85)
565c Abu Sufyan ibn Harb* merchant/Sahabi/father-in-law of profet Muhammad - Mecca, Arabia (653/c.87)
566-0407 Emperor Gaozu of Tang* (b Li Yuan) founder of the Tang Dynasty of China - Chang’an, Northern Zhou (635/69)
In the year 567, The Lombard–Gepid War ends with victory of the Lombards and Avars, and the annihilation of the Gepids, Liuva I becomes the king of Visigoths, the Second Council of Tours is held, decreeing i.a. that any cleric found in bed with his wife will be excommunicated.
In the year 570, a British alliance is forged between the kingdoms of Strathclyde, Bryneich and Elmet, Muhammad is born in Mecca, and a limestone statue of Boddhisattva is created in Henan, China
570-xxxx Muhammad* founder of Islam - Mecca, Hejaz, Arabia (632/ca62)
574-0207 Shootoku Taishi* Prince - Japan (622/48)
In the year 580, the Roman Senate sends an embassy to Constantinople, with a gift to Emperor Tiberius II Constantine, along with a plea for help against the Lombards, the Slavs begin to migrate into the Balkan Peninsula, and the Avars invade the Lower Danube.
580-xxxx Pepin the Elder* Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia - Landen (in present day Belgium) (640/c.60)
In the year 590, Æthelberht succeeds his father Eormenric as king of Kent , the Franks again invade Italy and capture Modena and Mantua.
In the year 595, the 25-yeard old Islamic prophet Muhammad marries a 40-year-old wealthy widow, and form a successful merchant partnership with her, construction starts on the Zhaozhou Bridge in Hebei Province in China.
598-xxca Brahmagupta* mathematician/ astronomer - India (ca668)
Updated 23.4.2023
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