View source for AD 888

=== By place ===

==== Europe ====
* [[January 13]] &ndash; Emperor [[Charles the Fat|Charles III]] ('''the Fat''') dies at Neidingen, after having suffered repeat bouts of an illness that may have been [[epilepsy]]. The [[Francia|Frankish Empire]] is split again, and falls apart into separate kingdoms. Count [[Odo of France|Odo]], the hero of the [[Siege of Paris (885–86)|Siege of Paris]], is elected king of the [[West Francia|West Frankish Kingdom]], and crowned at [[Compiègne]] by [[Walter (archbishop of Sens)|Walter]], archbishop of [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sens|Sens]].<ref>Gwatking, H. M., Whitney, J. P., et al. Cambridge Medieval History: Volume III–Germany and the Western Empire. Cambridge University Press: London (1930).</ref> Other Frankish [[Nobility|noblemen]] support the 8-year-old [[Charles the Simple]] (the [[Posthumous birth|posthumous son]] of the late king [[Louis the Stammerer]]).
* [[October]] &ndash; [[Alan I, King of Brittany|Alan I]] ('''the Great'''), count of [[Vannes]], and his rival [[Judicael, Duke of Brittany|Judicael]], unite their forces to defeat the [[Vikings]] at [[Questembert]] (or [[889]]). Judicael is killed, in a notable victory for the [[Bretons]], with 15,000 Vikings crushed, some few 400 escaping to their ships. In command of a 'united' Breton force, Alan is able to drive the Vikings back to the [[Loire|Loire River]]. Alan becomes sole ruler of [[Duchy of Brittany|Brittany]], and over the Frankish counties of [[Rennes]], [[County of Nantes|Nantes]], [[Coutances]] and [[Avranches]].
* [[October]] &ndash; [[Battle of Milazzo (888)|Battle of Milazzo]]: The [[Aghlabids]] score a crushing victory over a [[Byzantine]] fleet off Sicily.
* Winter &ndash; King [[Arnulf of Carinthia]] leads an [[East Francia|East Frankish]] expedition into [[Italy]], after he is recognized as overlord of [[France]] and [[Kingdom of Burgundy|Burgundy]]. Arnulf descends with an army over the [[Brenner Pass]], and meets King [[Berengar I of Italy|Berengar I]] at a peace conference at [[Trento]]. Berengar grants him two counties in the [[Etschtal|Val d'Adige]] ([[Northern Italy]]), and does [[Homage (feudal)|homage]] to Arnulf as overlord. In turn, Arnulf confirms Berengar as king of [[Kingdom of Italy (Holy Roman Empire)|Lombardia]], and returns to [[Germany]].

* Lord [[Æthelred, Lord of the Mercians|Æthelred II]] of the Mercians is struck down with a debilitating illness. His wife, Princess [[Æthelflæd]] (a daughter of Alfred the Great) of [[Wessex]], joins him as joint ruler of [[Mercia]] (approximate date).
* The [[Aghlabids]] issue decrees according to which Jews and Christians are to wear a patch ([[shikla|ruq'a]]) of white fabric on their shoulder of their outer garment, with the patch for Jews depicting an ape and that for the Christians depicting a pig.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Stillman |first1=Norman |title=Arab Dress, A Short History: From the Dawn of Islam to Modern Times |date=June 8, 2022 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-49162-5 |page=105 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YUB0EAAAQBAJ |access-date=October 3, 2024 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Simonsohn |first1=Šelomō |title=The Jews in Sicily: 383-1300 |date=1997 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-10977-3 |page=xxiv |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SLgr_TuHaYUC |access-date=October 3, 2024 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Adarnase IV of Iberia|Adarnase IV]] managed to unify most Georgian lands (except for Kakheti and Abkhazia) and was crowned [[Kingdom of the Iberians|King of the Iberians]], restoring the monarchy abolished three centuries prior.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Asatiani |first1=Nodar |title=History of Georgia |last2=Janelidze |first2=Otar |publisher=Publishing House Petite |year=2009 |isbn=978-9941-9063-6-7 |location=Tbilisi|pp=67–70}}</ref>

==== Al-Andalus ====
* [[Al-Mundhir of Córdoba|Al-Mundhir]], Moorish [[emir]] of [[Córdoba, Spain|Córdoba]], dies after a two-year reign (possibly murdered by his brother [[Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Umawi]], who succeeds him as ruler of the [[Emirate of Córdoba]]).

==== China ====
* [[April 20]] &ndash; Emperor [[Emperor Xizong of Tang|Xi Zong]] ('''Li Xuan''') dies of illness at [[Chang'an]], after a 14-year reign. He is succeeded by his 21-year-old brother [[Emperor Zhaozong of Tang|Zhao Zong]], as ruler of the [[Tang dynasty|Tang Dynasty]].