On This Day
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Hugh Capet (Hugh the Great) crowned King of the Franks in Noyon

Hugh Capet (French: Hugues Capet [yɡ kapɛ]; c. 941 – 24 October 996) was the King of the Franks from 987 to 996. He is the founder of and first king from the House of Capet.

Hugh Capet (French: Hugues Capet [yɡ kapɛ]; c. 941 – 24 October 996) was the King of the Franks from 987 to 996. He is the founder of and first king from the House of Capet. The son of the powerful duke Hugh the Great and Hedwige of Saxony, he was elected as the successor of the last Carolingian king, Louis V. Hugh was descended from Charlemagne's son Pepin of Italy through his paternal grandmother Béatrice of Vermandois, and was also the nephew of Otto the Great.

The dynasty he founded ruled France for nearly nine centuries: from 987 to 1328 in the senior line, and until 1848 via cadet branches (with an interruption from 1792 to 1814 and briefly in 1815).

Historical Significance

Hugh Capet (French: Hugues Capet [yɡ kapɛ]; c.

Events Before

  1. Edward the Martyr, the teenage King of England, is murdered, possibly arranged by his stepmother Queen Ælfthryth, by Cor

    Edward the Martyr, the teenage King of England, is murdered, possibly arranged by his stepmother Queen Ælfthryth, by Corfe Castle

  2. Challenge to the throne of King Æthelred II of England

    Challenge to the throne of King Æthelred II of England

  3. Louis V is crowned King of West Francia, co-reigning with his father Lothair until 986

    Louis V (966 or 967 – 22 May 987), also known as Louis the Lazy (French: Louis le Fainéant), was a king of West Francia from 979 (co-reigning first with his father Lothair until 986) to his early...

  4. King Otto II and his Frankish army defeated in pitched battle with Muslim army of al-Qasim at Cape Colonna, Southern Ita

    King Otto II and his Frankish army defeated in pitched battle with Muslim army of al-Qasim at Cape Colonna, Southern Italy

  5. Louis V becomes the sole King of West Francia and undisputed king of the Franks after the death of his father Lothair

    Louis V becomes the sole King of West Francia and undisputed king of the Franks after the death of his father Lothair

Events After

  1. Boudouin IV with the Beard becomes earl of Flanders

    Boudouin IV with the Beard becomes earl of Flanders

  2. The city of Dublin is founded on the banks of the river Liffey

    Dublin is the capital and largest city of Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains,...

  3. Battle of Abydos: Byzantine Emperor Basil II defeats and kills rebel general Bardas Phokas, ending his rebellion

    Battle of Abydos: Byzantine Emperor Basil II defeats and kills rebel general Bardas Phokas, ending his rebellion

  4. Battle of Maldon: English, led by Earl Byrhtnoth, confront a band of inland-raiding Vikings near Maldon in Essex. The ba

    Battle of Maldon: English, led by Earl Byrhtnoth, confront a band of inland-raiding Vikings near Maldon in Essex. The battle and the English defeat are immortalized in the well-known Old English poem "The Battle of Maldon."

  5. Battle of Conquereuil won by the Count of Anjou, Fulk the Black, defeating Conan I, Count of Brittany, in western France

    Battle of Conquereuil won by the Count of Anjou, Fulk the Black, defeating Conan I, Count of Brittany, in western France

More from the 980s

Louis V becomes the sole King of West Francia and undisputed king of the Franks after the death of his father Lothair

Louis V becomes the sole King of West Francia and undisputed king of the Franks after the death of his father Lothair

Boudouin IV with the Beard becomes earl of Flanders

Boudouin IV with the Beard becomes earl of Flanders

Battle of Abydos: Byzantine Emperor Basil II defeats and kills rebel general Bardas Phokas, ending his rebellion

Battle of Abydos: Byzantine Emperor Basil II defeats and kills rebel general Bardas Phokas, ending his rebellion

Hugh Capet, is coronated as King of France, in Paris, after being elected by the nobility

Hugh Capet, is coronated as King of France, in Paris, after being elected by the nobility

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on June 1, 987?
Hugh Capet (French: Hugues Capet [yɡ kapɛ]; c. 941 – 24 October 996) was the King of the Franks from 987 to 996. He is the founder of and first king from the House of Capet.
Why is Hugh Capet (Hugh the Great) crowned King of the Franks in Noyon significant?
Hugh Capet (French: Hugues Capet [yɡ kapɛ]; c.

Explore More

June 1 in HistoryYear 987