Hygeberht was the Bishop of Lichfield from 779 and Archbishop of
Lichfield after the elevation of Lichfield to an archdiocese some time
after 787, during the reign of the powerful Mercian king Offa. Little is
known of Hygeberht's background, although he was probably a native of
Mercia. Offa succeeded in having Lichfield elevated to an archbishopric,
but the rise in Lichfield's status was unpopular with Canterbury, the
other southern English archbishopric. Offa was probably motivated by a
desire to increase the status of his kingdom and to free his kingdom's
ecclesiastical affairs from the control of another kingdom's
archbishopric, and possibly the need to secure the coronation of Offa's
successor, which the Archbishop of Canterbury had opposed. After Offa's
death his distant relative Coenwulf became king, and petitioned the pope
to have Lichfield returned to a simple bishopric. The pope agreed to do
so in 803, by which time Hygeberht was no longer even considered a
bishop: he is listed as an abbot at the council that oversaw the
demotion of Lichfield in 803. The date of his death is unknown.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygeberht>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1775:
The Second Continental Congress of Britain's Thirteen Colonies
adopted the Olive Branch Petition in the hopes of avoiding war with
Great Britain.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_Branch_Petition>
1954:
BBC News (logo pictured) aired its first televised news
broadcast from leased studios within Alexandra Palace in London.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_News>
1977:
General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq overthrew Pakistani Prime Minister
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in a military coup d'état.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Zia-ul-Haq>
1987:
The Black Tigers of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam made
its first suicide bombing against the Sri Lanka Army in Nelliady, Sri
Lanka.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Tigers>
1989:
United States National Security Council member Oliver North was
sentenced for his part in the Iran-Contra Affair.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_North>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
gruntled:
(humorous) Satisfied.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gruntled>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
One is either judge or accused. The judge sits, the accused stands. Live
on your feet.
--Jean Cocteau
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jean_Cocteau>