930-949 Chinese Invent Print from Woodblocks

This twenty year period covers the reign of King Athelstan (King Alfred's grandson) and, at a time when the Chinese had developed the art of printing from woodblocks, western civilization was stagnant and full of petty intrigue, rivalry and dastardly murders.

King Athelstan died in 939 and was succeeded by his half-brother Edmund who was murdered in 946 and Edmund's younger brother, Eldred, then became King of England.

In Rome, Stephen VII was pope until 931 when he, like three previous popes, was done away with. In his case, he was strangled.

His successor, John XI, was the son of Marozia -- the mistress of Pope Sergius III -- and probably Sergius's son, too.

John XI fell out of favor in 936 and was replaced by Leo VII with the influence of another son of Marozia -- Alberic.

His successor in 939, Stephen IX, was also appointed by Alberic, but met an unpleasant end -- death by mutilation -- when he fell out with Alberic.

Alberic also engineered the appointments of the next popes -- Marinus II (942-946) and Agapitus II (946-955).

910-929 King Edward the Elder of England

This twenty year period covers the reign of the King Edward the Elder of England, (pictured) who was King Alfred's eldest son. Edward the Elder died in 925 and was succeeded by his son Athelstan.

Sergius III was Pope in Rome and owed his position and power to his mistress, Marozia, a high-ranking Roman, with whom he had a son. When he died in 911 he was replaced by two short-lived popes -- Anastasius III (911-913) and Lando (913-914) -- before John X became pope in 914.

John X united the Roman aristocracy, befriended Berengar I, King of Italy, and succeeded in getting them to expel the Saracen invasions in Italy.

He then crowned Berengar the Holy Western Emperor and restored ties with Constantinople.

For all his good work, John X fell out with the Roman aristocrats and was murdered in 928 and replaced by Leo VI who was also murdered.

Finally, with the influence of Marozia, Stephen VIII became pope in 928.