Who Was Alive
Æthelred the Unready
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Æthelred the Unready

Monarch of England

Born AD 964–969 · died 23 April 1016
Also known as King Æthelræd, Aethelred II of England, Æthelred

Who was alive at the same time as Æthelred the Unready?

  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. Æthelred the Unready, c. AD 968 – 1016
  10. Bolesław I the Brave, AD 967 – 1025
  11. Pope Sergius IV, c. AD 970 – 1012
  12. Leif Erikson, c. AD 972 – c. 1020
  13. Pope Gregory V, AD 972 – AD 999
  14. Stephen I of Hungary, c. AD 975 – 1038
  15. Pope John XIX, c. AD 975 – 1032
  16. Al-Biruni, AD 973 – 1048
  17. Avicenna, c. AD 981 – 1037
  18. Pope Benedict VIII, c. AD 980 – 1024
  19. Pope Nicholas II, 990s – 1061
  20. Cnut, AD 994 – 1035
  21. Pope Gregory VI, c. 1000 – 1048
  22. Pope Damasus II, c. 1000 – 1048
  23. Pope Leo IX, 1002 – 1054
  24. Pope Clement II, 1005 – 1047

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.

When Æthelred the Unready died, Ferdowsi was 76, Al-Biruni was 42, Cnut was 21 or 22, Pope Leo IX was 13 and Pope Clement II was 10.

Born during Æthelred the Unready’s lifetime: Avicenna, Al-Biruni, Leif Erikson, Pope Gregory V, Cnut, Pope Leo IX, Pope Benedict VIII and Pope Gregory VI.

Not quite contemporaries: William the Conqueror was born about 11 years after Æthelred the Unready died, Al-Farabi died about 14 years before Æthelred the Unready was born, Anselm of Canterbury was born about 15 years after Æthelred the Unready died and Pope John XII died about a year before Æthelred the Unready was born.

Where Æthelred the Unready’s contemporaries were born

Æthelred the Unready is labelled; the others are the best-known people we track who lived at the same time. Each dot is a birthplace from Wikidata (32 of 35 placed); tap one to open that person.
Birthplaces as a list

Compare Æthelred the Unready

The 34 best-known contemporaries

34 of the people we track were surely alive at the same time as Æthelred the Unready. All of them are listed here. See also everyone alive in AD 993.

  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. Sviatoslav I c. AD 942 – AD 972
  13. Pope Benedict VIII c. AD 980 – 1024
  14. Pope Gregory VI c. 1000 – 1048
  15. Pope Clement II 1005 – 1047
  16. Stephen I of Hungary c. AD 975 – 1038
  17. Pope Nicholas II 990s – 1061
  18. Pope John XIX c. AD 975 – 1032
  19. Pope Damasus II c. 1000 – 1048
  20. Sei Shōnagon c. AD 966 – c. 1025
  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. Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor AD 980 – 1002
  31. Henry I of France 1008 – 1060
  32. Robert II of France AD 972 – 1031
  33. Al-Ma'arri AD 973 – 1057
  34. Guido of Arezzo c. AD 992 – 1050