642

Centuries:	6th century · 7th century · 8th century
Decades:	610s 620s 630s 640s 650s 660s 670s
Years:	639 640 641 642 643 644 645

642 by topic
Politics
State leaders – Sovereign states
Birth and death categories
Births – Deaths
Establishment and disestablishment categories
Establishments – Disestablishments

Events

August 5—In the Battle of Maserfield, Penda, king of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald, king of Bernicia.
Batbayan succeeds Kubrat as ruler of the Bulgars (approximate date).

Battle of Nehawand: Arabs conquer Persia.
Empress Kōgyoku ascends to the throne of Japan.
Yeon Gaesomun seizes power over the Goguryeo kingdom and places King Bojang on the throne.
Emperor Taizong of Tang issues a decree throughout China that increases the punishment for men who deliberately inflict injuries upon themselves (most commonly breaking their own legs) in order to avoid military conscription. This decree is an effort to eradicate this practice that has grown as a trend since the time of the rebellion against the Sui Dynasty.

The earliest surviving dated Arabic papyrus, PERF 558, and the earliest known Arabic text with diacritical marks is written.

November 24—Pope Theodore I succeeds Pope John IV as the 73rd pope.
A monastic settlement is founded in Hampshire, England, which later becomes Winchester Cathedral.