451

• Spring –
  Thuringians (among others), and smashes through Germany, causing widespread panic and destruction. He arrives in Belgica with an army (50,000 men) and crosses the Rhine.^{[citation needed}
  ]
• April 7 – Attila's forces invade Gaul and sack Metz. The major cities of Strasbourg, Worms, Mainz, Trier, Cologne, Reims, Tournai, Cambrai, Amiens and Beauvais are destroyed by the Huns.^{[citation needed]}
• Eudocia, daughter of Emperor Valentinian III, marries Huneric in Ravenna. The engagement serves to strengthen the alliance between the Western Roman Empire and the Vandal Kingdom.^{[citation needed]}
• Flavius Aetius (magister militum) moves quickly from Italy into Gaul, and joins forces with Visigoth king Theodoric I.^{[citation needed}
  ]
• June 20 – Battle of the Catalaunian Plains (Châlons): Attila avoids a pitched battle near Orléans, and withdraws to the Catalaunian Plains (Champagne-Ardenne). The Roman coalition defeats the Huns, but Theodoric I is killed in the encounter. This is one of the last military victories of the Western Roman Empire, before the victories of Emperor Majorian against the Alemanni, Visigoths, Suebi and Burgundians, between 457 and 461.^{[citation needed]}
• Thorismund succeeds his father Theodoric I as king of the Visigoths. He is crowned in the capital at Toulouse, and extends the Visigothic Kingdom in Hispania.^{[citation needed]}

Persia

• May 26 – Battle of Vartanantz: King Yazdegerd II defeats the Armenian army (66,000 men) under their rebel leader Vartan Mamikonian on the Avarayr Plain (Armenia). Despite the loss of Mamikonian, who is killed, the Armenians consider this battle to have been a moral and religious victory, since Yazdegerd, out of respect for their efforts, allows them to remain Christian. The anniversary is a national and religious holiday.^{[citation needed]}
• Yazdegerd II issues a decree to abolish the Shabbat, and orders the execution of Jewish leaders, including the Exilarch.^{[citation needed]}

By topic

Religion

• Dioscorus of Alexandria is deposed as Patriarch of Alexandria by the Council.^[1]

• Brigit of Kildare, Irish patron saint
  (approximate date)
• Jacob of Serugh, Syrian poet and theologian (approximate date)

Deaths

• July 29 – Tuoba Huang, prince of Northern Wei (b. 428)
• Theodoric I, king of the Visigoths
• Liu Yikang, prince of the Liu Song dynasty (b. 409)
• Pei Songzhi, Chinese historian (b. 372)
• Zeno the Prophet, Egyptian abbot and saint (approximate date)^[2]

References