Historical eventSeptember 261087

William II of England

William II, son of William the Conqueror, was crowned king of England.

Everything on September 26Original source

In context

When
Sunday, September 26 1087939 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
11th century · 1080s
Calendar
Julian — as recorded at the time
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

Dates before 15 October 1582 are in the Julian calendar, so the weekday shown follows the Julian reckoning of the time.

At a glance

Dates: From 1087.

Type: human.

What happened

Legacy William was an effective soldier, but he was a ruthless ruler and, it seems, was little liked by those he governed. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , he was "hated by almost all his people and abhorrent to God." [ 1 ] Chroniclers tended to take a dim view of William's reign, arguably on account of his long and difficult struggles with the Church: these chroniclers were generally clerics, so might be expected to report him somewhat negatively. His chief minister was Ranulf Flambard ,

William II was King of England from 26 September 1087 until his death in 1100, with powers over Normandy and influence in Scotland. He was less successful in extending his control into Wales. The third son of William the Conqueror, he is commonly referred to as William Rufus, perhaps because of his ruddy appearance or, more likely, because he had red hair.

September 26 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1087William II of England
  2. 2002MV Le Joola
  3. 2008Yves Rossy
  4. 2009Typhoon Ketsana
  5. 20102010 Philippine Bar exam bombing
  6. 2010Death of Linda Norgrove
  7. 2014Iguala mass kidnapping
  8. 2014Ayotzinapa Rural Normal School
  9. 2016Ecnomiohyla rabborum
  10. 2022Izhevsk school shooting
  11. 2024Hurricane Helene

Sources

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“William II of England”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/william-ii-of-england-1087-september-26, accessed October 27, 2026.

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Questions about this entry

When did William II of England happen?

September 26 1087 — 939 years ago, on a Sunday.

Is this a Julian or a Gregorian date?

It is the date as recorded at the time, on the Julian calendar. The Gregorian equivalent falls about ten days later; sources from different countries may give either.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

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