477

By place

Africa

• January 25 - Genseric, ruler of the Vandal Kingdom, dies a natural death at Carthage, and is succeeded by his eldest son Huneric. He maintains control with his Vandal fleet over the islands in the western Mediterranean Sea, and rescinds his father's policy of persecuting the Roman Catholics in Africa.

  Europe

• Aelle, first king of the South Saxons, lands on the Sussex coast of England with his three sons near Cymenshore, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. The Britons engage him upon landing, but his superior force besieges them at Pevensey and drives them into the Weald. Over the next nine years, Saxon coastal holdings are gradually expanded.

  Byzantine Empire

• Armatus, Byzantine military commander, is killed by order of emperor Zeno, being murdered by his own friend Onoulphus after supporting the rebellion of his uncle Basiliscus in 475.

  China

• Liu Zhun, age 10, becomes Emperor Shun of the Liu Song dynasty after his brother Houfei is assassinated by general Xiao Daocheng. He installs Shun as puppet ruler and sets himself up as regent. Xiao receives near-imperial powers, establishes Buddhism as the state religion and sets up the "Three Leaders" system, under which native hamlet, village and district officers are responsible for taxation and conscription.
• Shaolin Monastery is founded by Daoxuan; the monastery is built on the north side of Shaoshi Mountain, the western peak of Mount Song, one of the four Sacred Mountains of China, by emperor Xiao Wen Di of the Northern Wei dynasty in 477. Yang Xuanzhi, in the Record of the Buddhist Monasteries of Luoyang, and Li Xian, in the Ming Yitongzhi.
• Earliest date for the oldest known painted depiction of a horse collar, on a cave mural of Dunhuang, during the Northern Wei dynasty.

  Asia

• Samgeun becomes king of the Korean kingdom of Baekje.

  Births

Deaths

• January 25 - Genseric, king of the Vandals and Alans
• Armatus, Byzantine general
• Basina, queen of Thuringia
• Houfei Di, emperor of the Liu Song Dynasty
• Liu Bing, high official of the Liu Song Dynasty
• Munju, king of Baekje
• Timothy II, Coptic Orthodox patriarch of Alexandria
• Yuan Can, high official of the Liu Song Dynasty