Charlemagne Birthday & Fun Facts

Charlemagne Birthday Highlights

Birth Name

Karl

Place Of Birth

, Germany

Age

1276 years old

Birth Date

April 2 0747

Charlemagne Facts

Child Star?

no

Occupation

Education & Qualifications

Parents

Pepin the Short, Bertrada King Carloman

Charlemagne, who lived between 742 and 814, also known as Karl and Charles the Great, was a medieval emperor of the Frankish empire who ruled most of Western Europe from 768-814.

Charlemagne became the Frankish ruler in 771, a Germanic tribe in present-day Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, France, and Western Germany. He was also a member of the King of the Franks from 768 and the first Holy Roman Emperor from 800.

King Charlemagne became the ruler when he was 26 years old and was called the Father of Europe. Charlemagne not only ruled much of Europe but also became the first emperor of the Holy Roman. Read here to learn about Charlemagne and his accomplishments, biography, and interesting facts about his life.

Charlemagne was born in 742 as the son of Pepin the Short and Bertrada. Charlemagne's real name was Karl, transcribed as Carolus in Latin and Carolus Magnus in French. It also means Charles the Great.

Charlemagne's childhood is much lesser-known; however, researchers state that he was educated at the palace school by the abbot of St. Denis, Fulard. The date of birth of Charlemagne and his death was calculated from the date of death of Einhard on January 814 at age 72.

Einhard was a Frankish scholar and courtier known as the dedicated servant of Charlemagne and his son Louis the Pious. His best-known work was the biography of Charlemagne, which is considered one of the most precious literary of the early Middle Ages. The biography was titled 'Vita Karoli Magni'.

Charlemagne's parents were married before his brother Carloman was born, but they were not legally married at the time of Charlemagne's birth. In 741, Charlemagne's father Pepin became the mayor of the palace and was declared King of Franks in 751. The King of Franks was the powerful tribe who lived in the region of today's France.

In his personal life, Charlemagne had five marriages and had 18 children. He was widely recognized as a devoted father who encouraged his children's education, including his daughters.

Best Known For…

Charlemagne was famous as the eighth-century Frankish King who was responsible for uniting most of medieval Europe under his rule, which included helping to restore the Western Roman Empire, and he became its first emperor. He is also known for facilitating an intellectual and cultural renaissance.

Charlemagne and her brother Carloman both became proclaimed emperors, ruling together after the death of Pepin in October 768. Soon after Charlemagne was crowned the ruler, he conquered Lombards (in modern-day Northern Italy), Bavaria, and Avars (Now Hungary and Austria). Besides, he also spent the early part of his reign expanding his empire through various military campaigns.

Charlemagne was a well-accomplished sole emperor whom many generations of European rulers looked up to for guidance in discharging and defining their kingdom's royal function, specifically his religious reforms. It solidified the liturgical practices and organizational structures that enfolded most of Europe into a single church.

Charlemagne received a larger and richer portion of the kingdom. And unfortunately, in 771, Charlemagne's brother Carloman died unexpectedly, which made Charlemagne the sole ruler of the entire Frankia. By the late eighth century, Charlemagne ruled almost the entire Europe area, known today as Germany and France.

Frankia was also known as the Kingdom of the Franks, Frankland, and Frankish Kingdom. It was the largest post-Roman empire in Western Europe, including Rome ruled by Franks during the early middle ages and late Antiquity. In 843, after the Treaty of Verdun, East Francia became Germany, and West Francia was formed as the predecessor of France.

In 800 AD, Charlemagne was considered one of the most popular rulers of Europe. This year, the Catholic Pope Leo III broke ties with the nearby Byzantine Empire and reached Charlemagne for protection. On Christmas day, 800 AD, Charlemagne was titled Holy Roman Emperor by the female ruler Pope Leo III. He was crowned in Old St. Peter's Basilica in Rome in turn for royal protection.

Charlemagne died at age 66 in 814 due to ill health, and the cause of his death was recorded as Pleurisy. He was laid to rest in the capital city of Aachen in the Aachen Cathedral, located in Germany.

Charlemagne boomed the trade by abandoning the gold standard and uniting all of Europe on the same silver currency. It helped the continent prosper and offered the power to the peasantry (agricultural laborers and smallholders of low social status) to participate in commerce.

Charity Work

Charlemagne promoted education and instituted economic and educational reforms for all his children, including his daughter.

Charlemagne built schools for rich and poor students and became the proponent of the standardized form of writing, Carolingian minuscule. It was the direct ancestor of the alphabet used today in German, French, and English.

What awards did Charlemagne win?

Charlemagne's greatest achievement was uniting the Germanic people into one single kingdom and was also considered accomplished in spreading Christianity throughout the regions he conquered. He was named the accomplished ruler for reuniting smaller empires of Western Europe after the collapse of Rome.

Charlemagne Prize was designed in memory of Charles the Great, Charlemagne. The prize was awarded to the people who offered distinguished service on behalf of European unification.

Other awards offered in the name of Charlemagne are the Charlemagne Youth Prize, The International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen, and the Charlemagne Award for the European Media.

Charlemagne's Hobbies And Interests

Charlemagne's other interests and hobbies in his active life include hunting, military campaigning, and swimming.

• Charlemagne's father Pepin began a new Carolingian dynasty and line of power.
• In 751 AD, Charlemagne's parents crowned the rulers of the new line of power. Charlemagne was only three years old when his parents were crowned King and Queen. 
• Charlemagne named one of his 18 children as Carloman in memory of his brother King Carloman.
• Charlemagne's father, Pepin the Short, was also the King of Italy from 774-800.

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