Who Was Alive
Sei Shōnagon
土佐光起 (Tosa Mitsuoki), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Sei Shōnagon

Japanese writer

Born c. AD 966 · died c. 1025
Also known as Sei Shonagon, Sei Shounagon

Who was alive at the same time as Sei Shōnagon?

  1. Otto the Great, AD 912 – AD 973
  2. Hugh Capet, AD 940 – AD 996
  3. Sviatoslav I, c. AD 942 – AD 972
  4. Ferdowsi, AD 940 – c. 1020
  5. Vladimir the Great, c. AD 956 – 1015
  6. Basil II, AD 958 – 1025
  7. Ibn al-Haytham, c. AD 965 – 1039
  8. Sei Shōnagon, c. AD 966 – c. 1025
  9. Bolesław I the Brave, AD 967 – 1025
  10. Pope Sergius IV, c. AD 970 – 1012
  11. Leif Erikson, c. AD 972 – c. 1020
  12. Pope Gregory V, AD 972 – AD 999
  13. Stephen I of Hungary, c. AD 975 – 1038
  14. Pope John XIX, c. AD 975 – 1032
  15. Al-Biruni, AD 973 – 1048
  16. Avicenna, c. AD 981 – 1037
  17. Pope Benedict VIII, c. AD 980 – 1024
  18. Pope Nicholas II, 990s – 1061
  19. Cnut, AD 994 – 1035
  20. Pope Gregory VI, c. 1000 – 1048
  21. Pope Damasus II, c. 1000 – 1048
  22. Pope Leo IX, 1002 – 1054
  23. Pope Clement II, 1005 – 1047
  24. Pope Alexander II, 1010s – 1073

Drag across the timeline, or use the arrow keys, to see who was alive in any year and the age each person reached that year. Dashed lines mark world events. Faded ends mark uncertain dates.

Born during Sei Shōnagon’s lifetime: Avicenna, Al-Biruni, Leif Erikson, Pope Gregory V, Cnut, Pope Leo IX, Pope Alexander II and Pope Benedict VIII.

Not quite contemporaries: Al-Farabi died about 13 years before Sei Shōnagon was born, Pope Urban II was born about 5 years after Sei Shōnagon died, Anselm of Canterbury was born about 3 years after Sei Shōnagon died and Al-Masudi died about 7 years before Sei Shōnagon was born.

Where Sei Shōnagon’s contemporaries were born

Sei Shōnagon is labelled; the others are the best-known people we track who lived at the same time. Each dot is a birthplace from Wikidata (34 of 37 placed); tap one to open that person.
Birthplaces as a list

Compare Sei Shōnagon

The 36 best-known contemporaries

36 of the people we track were surely alive at the same time as Sei Shōnagon. All of them are listed here. See also everyone alive in AD 996.

  1. Avicenna c. AD 981 – 1037
  2. Ferdowsi AD 940 – c. 1020
  3. Al-Biruni AD 973 – 1048
  4. Ibn al-Haytham c. AD 965 – 1039
  5. Leif Erikson c. AD 972 – c. 1020
  6. Otto the Great AD 912 – AD 973
  7. Vladimir the Great c. AD 956 – 1015
  8. Hugh Capet AD 940 – AD 996
  9. Pope Gregory V AD 972 – AD 999
  10. Cnut AD 994 – 1035
  11. Pope Leo IX 1002 – 1054
  12. Pope Alexander II 1010s – 1073
  13. Sviatoslav I c. AD 942 – AD 972
  14. Pope Benedict VIII c. AD 980 – 1024
  15. Pope Gregory VI c. 1000 – 1048
  16. Pope Clement II 1005 – 1047
  17. Stephen I of Hungary c. AD 975 – 1038
  18. Pope Nicholas II 990s – 1061
  19. Pope John XIX c. AD 975 – 1032
  20. Pope Damasus II c. 1000 – 1048
  21. Pope Sergius IV c. AD 970 – 1012
  22. Basil II AD 958 – 1025
  23. Bolesław I the Brave AD 967 – 1025
  24. Pope Sylvester III c. 1000 – c. 1065
  25. Erik the Red c. AD 950 – 1003
  26. Yaroslav the Wise AD 978 – 1054
  27. Mahmud of Ghazni AD 971 – 1030
  28. Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor AD 955 – AD 983
  29. Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor AD 973 – 1024
  30. Henry I of France 1008 – 1060
  31. Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor AD 980 – 1002
  32. Olga of Kiev c. AD 890 – AD 969
  33. Robert II of France AD 972 – 1031
  34. Al-Ma'arri AD 973 – 1057
  35. Guido of Arezzo c. AD 992 – 1050
  36. Harald Hardrada c. 1015 – 1066