22 events the sources record for this year, grouped by region.
What happened
China (1)
The Xiongnu split into five rival chanyus who attacked each other, losing eighty to ninety percent of their livestock; the chanyu's family and kings led 50,000 people in surrender to Han. (Book of Han (Hanshu), Imperial Annals 漢書卷008 宣帝五鳳三年三月)
Chased by the Suebi, the Usipetes and Tencteri crossed the Rhine in great numbers into Menapian territory in the winter of the consulship of Pompey and Crassus, near the Rhine mouth. (Caesar, Commentaries on the Gallic War 4.1)
With grain and cavalry ready, Caesar marched; German envoys came asking for peace, but Caesar replied that no alliance was possible while they stayed in Gaul, and urged them to settle in the land of the Ubii. (Caesar, Commentaries on the Gallic War 4.7)
While they asked for a truce, 800 German horsemen attacked 5,000 Roman cavalry; they leaped from their horses and stabbed the bellies of the Roman horses, throwing them into confusion. (Caesar, Commentaries on the Gallic War 4.12)
Caesar advanced eight miles in three lines and attacked the enemy camp, slaughtering even their families; those who fled plunged into the river at the confluence of the Meuse and the Rhine and died. (Caesar, Commentaries on the Gallic War 4.15)
Caesar chose to cross into Germania by a bridge rather than boats: he drove piles into the Rhine and built a bridge; it was finished ten days after the timber began to be gathered, and the whole army crossed. (Caesar, Commentaries on the Gallic War 4.17)
Staying a few days in the land of the Sugambri, he burned villages and cut the grain, then went to the land of the Ubii, where he learned that the Sugambri had fled into the forest. (Caesar, Commentaries on the Gallic War 4.19)
Deciding to invade Britain, he sent Volusenus ahead in warships to scout, and gathered his army and fleet at the harbor of the Morini. (Caesar, Commentaries on the Gallic War 4.21)
He sailed at the third watch and reached Britain about the fourth hour; seeing the enemy lined up on every hill, he waited for the other ships, then moved along the coast to prepare a landing. (Caesar, Commentaries on the Gallic War 4.23)
The water was deep and the soldiers hesitated to jump; the eagle-bearer jumped first and led the landing. Covered by the warships' slings and arrows and reinforced by small boats, they landed and defeated the enemy. (Caesar, Commentaries on the Gallic War 4.25–4.26)