220

By place

Roman Empire

• The Goths invade Asia Minor and the Balkans.
• An Indian delegation visits the Roman emperor Elagabalus.
• Great frost in Roman Britain is said to have lasted for five months.
• Imperator Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus and Publius Valerius Comazon become Roman consuls.
• Elagabalus divorces Julia Paula and marries Aquilia Severa, a Vestal Virgin. The wedding causes an enormous controversy – traditionally, the punishment for breaking celibacy is death by being buried alive.
• King Ardashir I, founder of the Sassanid dynasty, gains support from some Parthian sub-kings and revolts against the rule of Vologases VI. Ardashir, a grandson of Sasan, had ruled Persis since 208 and six years earlier gained control of the region surrounding Persepolis.

  China

• March 15 - Cao Cao, Imperial Chancellor and ruler of the Kingdom of Wei, dies.
• December 11 - Cao Pi receives the abdication of Emperor Xian of Han and proclaims himself emperor of Cao Wei. This ends the Han dynasty, the former emperor being created Duke of Shanyang.

  By topic

Religion

• The Wei dynasty gave official recognition to Taoism as its religious sect, and the sect’s celestial masters reciprocated by giving spiritual approbation to the Wei as successors to the Han. By the end of the century, most powerful families in northern China had subscribed to Daoist principles.

  Births

• Wei Guan, Chinese official of the Cao Wei state and the Western Jin dynasty

  Deaths

• March 15 - Cao Cao, Chinese warlord of the Eastern Han dynasty
• June 13 - Xiahou Dun, Chinese general serving under the Eastern Han dynasty warlord Cao Cao
• December - Cheng Yu, Chinese official serving under the Eastern Han dynasty warlord Cao Cao
• Fa Zheng, Chinese official serving under the Eastern Han dynasty warlord Liu Bei
• Guan Yu, Chinese general serving under the Eastern Han dynasty warlord Liu Bei
• Huang Zhong, Chinese general serving under the Eastern Han dynasty warlord Liu Bei
• Lü Meng, Chinese general serving under the Eastern Han dynasty warlord Sun Quan
• Bassilla, Roman actress, dancer and singer