The world in 451 AD — what happened that year

17 events the sources record for this year, grouped by region.

What happened

China (14)

• Emperor Taiwu, withdrawing from Guabu, carried more than ten thousand households of Guangling northward. (History of the Southern Dynasties (Nanshi), Annals 南史 卷2 元嘉28年)
• The Wei army withdrew from Guabu and fled. (Book of Song (Songshu), Annals 宋書 卷5 元嘉28年 1月)
• The Wei army attacked Xuyi City and besieged it. (Book of Song (Songshu), Annals 宋書 卷5 元嘉28年 1月)
• Wang Xuanmo withdrew from Queli and returned to Lixia. (Book of Song (Songshu), Annals 宋書 卷5 元嘉28年 1月)
• The Wei army fled from Xuyi. (Book of Song (Songshu), Annals 宋書 卷5 元嘉28年 2月)
• Emperor Wen went to Guabu, and martial law was lifted that day. (Book of Song (Songshu), Annals 宋書 卷5 元嘉28年 2月)
• Lu Shuang, Wei's General Who Pacifies the South, and Lu Xiu, Secretary of the Palace, submitted; Lu Shuang was made Governor of Sizhou. (Book of Song (Songshu), Annals 宋書 卷5 元嘉28年 4月)
• The refugee Sima Shunze proclaimed himself a king and held out in Liangzou city. (Book of Song (Songshu), Annals 宋書 卷5 元嘉28年 5月)
• Liangzou was pacified and Sima Shunze was beheaded. (Book of Song (Songshu), Annals 宋書 卷5 元嘉28年 8月)
• Wa King Ji, General Who Pacifies the East, was raised to Grand General Who Pacifies the East. (Book of Song (Songshu), Annals 宋書 卷5 元嘉28年 7月)

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Western Europe (3)

• On rumors that the Huns are invading Gaul, Bishop Arabatius of Tongeren prays. (Gregory of Tours, History of the Franks Hist. Franc. 2.V)
• The Huns burn Metz on the eve of Easter and massacre its inhabitants. (Gregory of Tours, History of the Franks Hist. Franc. 2.VI)
• Attila leaves Metz and attacks Orléans with siege engines; Bishop Anianus responds. (Gregory of Tours, History of the Franks Hist. Franc. 2.VII)

Changes of power ◆

Places where the world territory data shows a change of borders in this year.

• ◆ Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity) appears
• ◆ Kidarites ends
• ◆ Wusun ends
• ◆ Hephthalites takes 473,400 km² of former Kidarites land
• ◆ Northern Wei takes 377,200 km² of former Liu Song dynasty land
• ◆ Vakataka dynasty takes 254,400 km² of former Gupta Empire land
• ◆ Huns takes 140,600 km² of former Western Roman Empire land
• ◆ Kidarites loses 473,400 km² to Hephthalites

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Same events recorded in this year

• Xuyi (451) — the same event in Book of Song, Book of Wei and Zizhi Tongjian

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