984

By place

Europe

• Spring - German boy-king Otto III is seized by the deposed Henry II, duke of Bavaria, who has recovered his duchy and claims the regency as a member of the Ottonian Dynasty. But Henry is forced to hand over Otto to his mother, empress consort Theophanu.
• King Ramiro III loses his throne to Bermudo II, who becomes also ruler of the entire Kingdom of León.

  Japan

• Fall - Emperor En'yū abdicates the throne in favor of his 16-year-old son Kazan after a 15-year reign. En'yū retires and becomes a Buddhist priest.

  By topic

Technology

• Qiao Weiyue, an Chinese engineer, innovates the first known use of the double-gated canal pound lock during the Song Dynasty, for adjusting different water levels in segments of the Grand Canal in China.

  Religion

• August 20 - Pope John XIV dies a prisoner in the Castel Sant'Angelo at Rome after a 1-year reign, having either been murdered of starved to death.
• Anti-Pope Boniface VII returns from Constantinople and gains support from the powerful Roman Crescentii family. He takes hold of the papal throne.