Canute I (ca. 995-1035) was a viking king who united the English and Danish people of England to become the first ruler since the fall of Rome to rule over all of England.

Contributed by E. Lanier Clark, Assistant Professor of History, Albany State College, Albany, Georgia

Name variations: Translations of Viking runes phonetically indicate that Knut is proper, but the Anglicized versions--Cnut, Canute--are more popular. Pronounced: Ke-NOOT. Born Canute Sweynson between 995 and 998; died at Shaftesbury on November 12, 1035; son of Sweyn Haraldson (king of Denmark) and Gunhild (a Polish princess and sister to Duke, later King, Boleslav Chrobry); married: Aelfgifu of Aelfhelm; married: Emma (widow of the English king Ethelred), 1017; children: (first marriage) Harald Harefoot and Sweyn; (second marriage) Harthacanute and Gunhild. Predecessor: Ethelred the Unready in England, Harald Sweynson in Denmark, and Olaf Haraldson in Norway. Successors: son Harald Harefoot in England and Denmark.

The life of...