upright=1.35|thumb|King [[Kenneth II of Scotland (r. 971–995)]]

Year 995 (CMXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.

Events

Europe

  • King Eric VI (the Victorious) dies at Uppsala, after a 25-year reign. He is succeeded by his son Olof Skötkonung, as the first baptized Christian ruler of Sweden.
  • September 28 – Boleslaus II (the Pious), duke of Bohemia, storms Libice Castle and massacres the members of the Slavník Dynasty.
  • Olaf Tryggvason is crowned king of Norway (until 1000) and builds the country's first Christian church.
  • Malachy captures Dublin for the third time.

Scotland

  • King Kenneth II is murdered at a banquet by Lady Finella in Fettercairn. He is succeeded by his nephew Constantine III (a son of the late King Cuilén) as ruler of Alba (Scotland).

England

  • Uhtred (the Bold), a son of Ealdorman Waltheof I of Northumbria, establishes an episcopal see at Durham and moves the monastic community of Chester-le-Street there.

Asia

  • Goryeo-Khitan War: Negotiations led by the Korean diplomat Sŏ Hŭi prevents a fullscale invasion of the Khitan-led Liao Dynasty. King Seongjong accepts Liao's demands – and agrees to end the alliance with the Chinese Song Dynasty. Goryeo becomes a Liao tributary state, the Khitan army (60,000 men) withdraws while Seongjong orders the Korean border defenses strengthened.

Byzantine Empire

  • Arab–Byzantine War: Emperor Basil II launches a counter-campaign against the Fatimid Caliphate. He leads a Byzantine expeditionary army (13,000 men) to aid the Hamdanid emir Sa'id al-Dawla, and crosses Asia Minor in only sixteen days. Basil lifts the siege of Aleppo, and takes over the Orontes Valley. He incorporates Syria into the Byzantine Empire (including the larger city of Antioch) which is the seat of its eponymous Patriarch.

Armenia

  • 995 Balu earthquake. It reportedly affected the Armenian areas of Balu, Cop'k (or Covk'), Palnatun (or Palin), and the districts of Hasteank and Xorjean. The areas affected were districts in what is currently the border area between Armenia and Turkey.

Japan

  • 17 May - Fujiwara no Michitaka (imperial regent) dies.
  • 3 June: Fujiwara no Michikane gains power and becomes Regent.
  • 10 June: Fujiwara no Michikane dies.
  • 30 August - Retainers of Takaie clash with retainers of Michinaga, on the main street of Kyoto.
  • 4 September - Michinaga’s escort, Hata no Hisatada, is killed by Takaie’s followers.
  • 15 October - Michinaga becomes Chief of the Fujiwara Clan.

Vietnam

  • In the spring, as the commissioner of Như Hồng province of Qinzhou refused to extradite Bốc Văn Dũng, a Đại Cồ Việt political criminal, more than 100 Đại Cồ Việt battleships raided Như Hồng province, plundered the residents and their food supplies before withdrawing. Until the summer, 5000 Đại Cồ Việt infantry troops attacked Namzningz but were defeated.