19 events the sources record for this year, grouped by region.
What happened
China (13)
Dong Zhuo drove all the people of the capital westward into Guanzhong and moved the capital to Chang'an; in the third month, Emperor Xian's carriage entered the Weiyang Palace in Chang'an. (Book of the Later Han (Hou Hanshu), Annals 後漢書卷9 孝獻帝紀 初平1年)
The lords of Guandong rose together to campaign against Dong Zhuo and raised Yuan Shao as their leader; Zhang Miao and others garrisoned at Suanzao. (Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi) 魏書 武帝紀 (卷01) 初平1년)
Cao Cao marched west and fought Dong Zhuo's general Xu Rong on the Bian River at Xingyang, was defeated, and was struck by an arrow. (Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi) 魏書 武帝紀 (卷01) 初平1년)
Sun Jian, who raised troops to campaign against Dong Zhuo, executed the Governor of Nanyang, Zhang Zi, for not supplying provisions, beheading him at the army gate, and the commandery was terrified. (Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi) 吳書 孫破虜討逆傳 (卷46) 初平1년)
At Luyang, Sun Jian met Yuan Shu, became Commander Who Subdues the Lu and Governor of Yuzhou, and reorganized his army; when tens of thousands of Dong Zhuo's cavalry came, he calmly responded and made them withdraw. (Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi) 吳書 孫破虜討逆傳 (卷46) 初平1년)
Sun Jian routed Dong Zhuo's army heavily at Yangren, and beheaded the commander Hua Xiong and others. (Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi) 吳書 孫破虜討逆傳 (卷46) 初平1년)
On day dingyou, Dong Zhuo moved the imperial carriage west. He accused the wealthy of crimes, confiscating and executing them, and drove several million commoners toward Chang'an until they collapsed and died, and burned palace halls, tombs, offices, and homes for two hundred li around Luoyang. (Zizhi Tongjian (Comprehensive Mirror) 資治通鑑 卷059 (원문 단락 #4890, 190년))
Julius Alexander killed his would-be assassins by night and slew his enemies at his native Emesa, then fled toward the barbarians but was overtaken because of his boy lover and killed himself (Cassius Dio, Roman History 73(72).14.2)
Southern Europe (5)
During a famine, a riot erupted at the circus when children led by a girl shouted; terrified, Commodus had Cleander and his son killed, and the crowd dragged their bodies about (Cassius Dio, Roman History 73(72).13.6)
The praetorian prefect Cleander hoards grain and raises prices, deepening the famine (the grain official Papirius was under him). (Herodian, History of the Empire 1.12)
The mob marches on the suburban villa demanding Cleander; cavalry cut them down while citizens throw stones and tiles from the rooftops. Street fighting erupts in Rome. (Herodian, History of the Empire 1.12)
His sister Fadilla runs to Commodus and begs him to hand over the cause of the disaster. Cleander is beheaded, his head paraded on a spear, and the riot subsides. (Herodian, History of the Empire 1.13)
Unable to withstand the angry citizens, Commodus hands Cleander over to the crowd to be punished (Historia Augusta Comm. 7.1)