756

Events

By Place

Europe

* Pepin the Short defeats the Lombards of northern Italy, who have threatened Pope Stephen II. The Donation of Pepin is a cession of lands including Ravenna that will become the basis of the Papal States.
* Abd-ar-rahman I conquers Iberia and re-establishes the Umayyad dynasty at Cordoba in modern Spain.
* Desiderius succeeds Aistulf as king of the Lombards.
* Vinekh succeeds Kormisosh as king of Bulgaria.

Asia

* The army of An Lushan captures Chang'an in rebellion against the Tang Dynasty.
Yang Guozhong is killed by the angry soldiers, Yang Guifei and most people in the family of Yang are killed.
* Emperor Suzong of Tang China ascends to the throne, after his father Emperor Xuanzong abdicates while fleeing to Sichuan during the An Lushan rebellion.
* The Tang army, led by Zhang Xun, wins the Battle of Yongqiu.

Births

Deaths

* July 15 — Yang Guozhong, Chinese chancellor of the Tang Dynasty
* December — Aistulf, king of the Lombards
* Emperor Shōmu, emperor of Japan (b. 701)
* Yang Guifei, consort of Emperor Xuanzong (executed)
* Gao Xianzhi, ethnic Korean general in service of the Chinese Tang Dynasty
* Feng Changqing