On This Day
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Pope Benedict VIII crowns Henry II Holy Roman Emperor

Henry II (German: Heinrich II; Italian: Enrico II; Latin: Henricus; 6 May 973 – 13 July 1024), also known as Saint Henry, Obl. S. B., was Holy Roman Emperor (Latin: Romanorum Imperator) from 1014.

Henry II (German: Heinrich II; Italian: Enrico II; Latin: Henricus; 6 May 973 – 13 July 1024), also known as Saint Henry, Obl. S. B., was Holy Roman Emperor (Latin: Romanorum Imperator) from 1014. He died without an heir in 1024 and was the last ruler of the Ottonian line. As Duke of Bavaria, appointed in 995, Henry became King of the Romans (Latin: Rex Romanorum) following the sudden death of his second cousin, Emperor Otto III in 1002, was made King of Italy (Latin: Rex Italiae) in 1004, and crowned emperor by Pope Benedict VIII in 1014.

The son of Henry II, Duke of Bavaria, and his wife Gisela of Burgundy, Emperor Henry II was a great-grandson of German king Henry the Fowler and a member of the Bavarian branch of the Ottonian dynasty.

Historical Significance

Henry II (German: Heinrich II; Italian: Enrico II; Latin: Henricus; 6 May 973 – 13 July 1024), also known as Saint Henry, Obl.

Events Before

  1. Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is destroyed by the Fatimid caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, who hacks the church

    Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is destroyed by the Fatimid caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, who hacks the church's foundations down to the bedrock

  2. First known written mention of Lithuania, in the annals of Quedlinburg

    Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe.

  3. Ransom of 48,000 pounds is paid to Vikings, led by Thorkell the Tall, for the liberation of Canterbury, after a raid on

    Ransom of 48,000 pounds is paid to Vikings, led by Thorkell the Tall, for the liberation of Canterbury, after a raid on the city and the capture of Alphege [Aelfheah] Archbishop of Canterbury

  4. Anglo-Saxon Archbishop of Canterbury Alphege murdered by Vikings while being held hostage by them in Greenwich, London

    Anglo-Saxon Archbishop of Canterbury Alphege murdered by Vikings while being held hostage by them in Greenwich, London

  5. English earls declare Danish king Sweyn Forkbeard the first Viking king of England, disposing Ethelred the Unready

    English earls declare Danish king Sweyn Forkbeard the first Viking king of England, disposing Ethelred the Unready

Events After

  1. Henry I becomes Count of Leuven

    Henry I becomes Count of Leuven

  2. King of Denmark, Cnut the Great [Canute], claims the English throne after the death of Edmund Ironside

    Cnut ( kə-NYOOT; Old Norse: Knútr; c. 990 – 12 November 1035), also known as Canute and with the epithet the Great, was King of England from 1016, King of Denmark from 1018, and King of Norway from...

  3. Battle of Pontlevoy: one of largest battles of early Medieval France won by Fulk the Black and Hebert I of Maine against

    Battle of Pontlevoy: one of largest battles of early Medieval France won by Fulk the Black and Hebert I of Maine against Odo II of Blois in the Loire Valley

  4. Danes led by Cnut defeat the Saxon forces of Edmund Ironside at the Battle of Assandun (Ashingdon), completing their con

    Danes led by Cnut defeat the Saxon forces of Edmund Ironside at the Battle of Assandun (Ashingdon), completing their conquest of England

  5. The Holy Roman Empire and Poland conclude the Peace of Bautzen

    The Peace of Bautzen (German: Frieden von Bautzen; Polish: Pokój w Budziszynie; Upper Sorbian: Budyski měr) was a treaty concluded on 30 January 1018, between Holy Roman Emperor Henry II and Bolesław...

More from the 1010s

King Brian Boru of Ireland defeats Viking forces at the Battle of Clontarf, freeing Ireland from foreign control

The Battle of Clontarf (Irish: Cath Chluain Tarbh) took place on 23 April 1014 at Clontarf, near Dublin, on the east coast of Ireland.

King of Denmark, Cnut the Great [Canute], claims the English throne after the death of Edmund Ironside

Cnut ( kə-NYOOT; Old Norse: Knútr; c. 990 – 12 November 1035), also known as Canute and with the epithet the Great, was King of England from 1016, King of Denmark from 1018, and King of Norway from...

The Holy Roman Empire and Poland conclude the Peace of Bautzen

The Peace of Bautzen (German: Frieden von Bautzen; Polish: Pokój w Budziszynie; Upper Sorbian: Budyski měr) was a treaty concluded on 30 January 1018, between Holy Roman Emperor Henry II and Bolesław...

Ransom of 48,000 pounds is paid to Vikings, led by Thorkell the Tall, for the liberation of Canterbury, after a raid on

Ransom of 48,000 pounds is paid to Vikings, led by Thorkell the Tall, for the liberation of Canterbury, after a raid on the city and the capture of Alphege [Aelfheah] Archbishop of Canterbury

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on February 14, 1014?
Henry II (German: Heinrich II; Italian: Enrico II; Latin: Henricus; 6 May 973 – 13 July 1024), also known as Saint Henry, Obl. S. B., was Holy Roman Emperor (Latin: Romanorum Imperator) from 1014.
Why is Pope Benedict VIII crowns Henry II Holy Roman Emperor significant?
Henry II (German: Heinrich II; Italian: Enrico II; Latin: Henricus; 6 May 973 – 13 July 1024), also known as Saint Henry, Obl.

Explore More

February 14 in HistoryYear 1014