# Edward the Martyr is killed (978)

URL: https://english-history.com/timeline/978-edward-the-martyr-is-killed
Categories: ruler-change

King Edward was murdered at Corfe and succeeded by his half-brother Æthelred. Within the broader Vikings & Unification period, Scandinavian invasion and settlement transformed the political map while Wessex and its allies built the institutions of a unified English kingdom. This event is placed at AD 978 in the chronology so it can be read alongside the political, military, social and cultural changes around it. The disputed succession weakened royal authority just as renewed Viking pressure approached.

## Why it matters
The disputed succession weakened royal authority just as renewed Viking pressure approached.

Ruler at the time: [Æthelred the Unready](https://english-history.com/rulers/aethelred-the-unready)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Edward the Martyr is killed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Edward+the+Martyr+is+killed&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Edward the Martyr is killed](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Edward+the+Martyr+is+killed)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of British history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_British_history_%28before_1000%29)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica — Viking Britain topic search](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Viking%20Britain)