Vicenza, Verona and Brescia fell into Germanic (Lombard) hands. In the summer of 569, the Lombards conquered the main Roman centre of northern Italy, Milan. The area was then recovering from the terrible Gothic Wars, and the small Byzantine army left for its defense could do almost nothing.
Spoleto becomes the capital of an independent duchy under the Lombard chieftain Faroald.
Estimation: Ctesiphon, capital of the Sassanid Empire, becomes the largest city of the world, taking the lead from Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire.
Abraha attacks the Kaaba in Mecca.
Arabia, before Muhammad, was scantily populated by various Arabic-speaking people. Some were Bedouin, pastoral nomads organized in tribes. Some were agriculturalists, living either in oases in the north, or in the more fertile and thickly settled areas to the south (now Yemen and Oman). At that time the majority of Arabs followed polytheistic religions, although a few tribes followed Judaism, Christianity (including Nestorians) or Zoroastrianism. The city Mecca was a religious center for some of the northern Arabian polytheists, as it contained the sacred well of Zamzam and a small temple, the Ka'aba.
Muhammad was born on the outskirts of Mecca in the Year of the Elephant. Most Muslims equate this with the Gregorian year 570 but a few prefer 571.
- First mention of the Spear of Destiny (approximate date).
- The Jews of Clermont-Ferrand are forced to convert to Christianity.
- Year of the Elephant, according to Islamic tradition.
- Gildas (traditional date)
- Liuva I, king of the Visigoths
- Soga no Iname, head of the Soga clan of Japan
- Emperor Fei of Chen
- Empress Zhang Yao'er