Events By Place Europe Charlemagne starts fighting the Saxons and the Frisians. Offa of Mercia conquers Sussex (approximate date). By Topic Religion February 9 — Pope Adrian I (also referred to as Hadrian) succeeds Pope Stephen III as the 95th pope. Caliph Al-Mansur orders Christians and Jews in Jerusalem to be stamped on their hands with a distinctive symbol. Births Bai Juyi, Chinese poet and official (d. 846) Liu Yuxi, Chinese poet, philosopher, and essayist (d. 842) Li Ao De… (More on 772)