This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: "988" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Millennium:	1st millennium
Centuries:	9th century 10th century 11th century
Decades:	960s 970s 980s 990s 1000s
Years:	985 986 987 988 989 990 991

988 by topic
Leaders
Political entities State leaders Religious leaders
Categories
Births Deaths Establishments

988 in various calendars
Gregorian calendar	988 CMLXXXVIII
Ab urbe condita	1741
Armenian calendar	437 ԹՎ ՆԼԷ
Assyrian calendar	5738
Balinese saka calendar	909–910
Bengali calendar	395
Berber calendar	1938
Buddhist calendar	1532
Burmese calendar	350
Byzantine calendar	6496–6497
Chinese calendar	丁亥年 (Fire Pig) 3685 or 3478 — to — 戊子年 (Earth Rat) 3686 or 3479
Coptic calendar	704–705
Discordian calendar	2154
Ethiopian calendar	980–981
Hebrew calendar	4748–4749
Hindu calendars
- Vikram Samvat	1044–1045
- Shaka Samvat	909–910
- Kali Yuga	4088–4089
Holocene calendar	10988
Iranian calendar	366–367
Islamic calendar	377–378
Japanese calendar	Eien 2 / Eiso 1 (永祚元年)
Javanese calendar	889–890
Julian calendar	988 CMLXXXVIII
Korean calendar	3321
Minguo calendar	924 before ROC 民前924年
Nanakshahi calendar	−480
Seleucid era	1299/1300 AG
Thai solar calendar	1530–1531
Tibetan calendar	阴火猪年 (female Fire-Pig) 1114 or 733 or −39 — to — 阳土鼠年 (male Earth-Rat) 1115 or 734 or −38

Year 988 (CMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

Events

Fall – Emperor Basil II, supported by a contingent of 6,000 Varangians (the future Varangian Guard), organizes the defences of Constantinople to meet a threat from the insurgents, Bardas Phokas the Younger and Bardas Skleros. Basil crosses the Bosphorus, and leads a surprise attack on the rebel camp of Kalokyros Delphinas, at Chrysopolis. Delphinas is captured and executed, either by crucifixion or by impalement (approximate date).

April 1 – 16-year old Robert II of France ("Robert the Pious") is married to the much older Rozala (the widow of Arnulf II). The marriage is arranged by Robert's father, King Hugh Capet, to secure the loyalty of the County of Flanders.
Borrell II, count of Barcelona, does not renew his allegiance to Hugh Capet. He becomes a de facto independent ruler, and starts minting its own currency – this will be confirmed legally by the Treaty of Corbeil (1258).
Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine (younger brother of the late King Lothair of France), revolts against Hugh Capet. He conquers the city of Laon in northern France with support of his half-brother Arnulf (archbishop of Reims).
Almanzor (Al-Mansur), de facto ruler of Al-Andalus, continues his offensive against the kingdoms of León and Castile. King Bermudo II escapes to Zamora; the city resists for four days, but is finally sacked and captured.

The Liao dynasty adopts civil service examinations in the 'Southern Chancellery', based on Tang dynasty models (approximate date).

Grand Prince Vladimir the Great, ruler of Kievan Rus', marries Anna Porphyrogenita (sister of Basil II) and converts to Christianity. He is baptized at Cherson in the Crimea, taking the Christian name of Basil (in honor of his brother-in-law). Vladimir returns in triumph to Kiev, and begins the Christianization of Kievan Rus' to the Eastern Orthodox Church.
The Mezhyhirskyi Monastery (located on the Dnieper River) is founded by Michael I, first metropolitan bishop of Kiev. He arrives with Greek monks from Constantinople.

March 18 – The city of Odense (located on the island of Funen) in Denmark is founded. King Otto III grants trade rights and to the neighbouring settlements.^[1]

Births