Happy Birthday, Karl/Charles/Carolus

It's the birthday of Charlemagne (probably), in either 747 or 748, in Herstal, a city close to Liège in modern day Belgium. Note that Charlemagne is traditionally believed to have been born on April 2, 742; however, several factors have led to a reconsideration of this date. (You can see Wikipedia or other sources for why.)

Karl (or Carolus or Charles, depending on which language his name is in) never learned to read or write, but he admired scholars who could, and he brought many to his court. Charlemagne started schools that taught all kinds of worldly knowledge, and he said that they should "make no difference between the sons of serfs and of freemen, so that they might come and sit on the same benches to study grammar, music and arithmetic."

Of course, it should be pointed out that he owed his imperial title to (gasp!) the impudence of a woman:

The Roman Council of 800, from Annales Laureshamenses (source)

Since the title of emperor had become extinct among the Greeks and a woman (Empress Irene) claimed the imperial authority, it seemed to Pope Leo and to all the holy fathers who were present at the council and to the rest of the Christian people that Charles, king of the Franks, ought to be named emperor, for he held Rome itself where the Caesars were always accustomed to reside and also other cities in Italy, Gaul and Germany. Since almighty God had put all these places in his power it seemed fitting to them that, with the help of God, and in accordance with the request of all the Christian people, he should hold this title. King Charles did not wish to refuse their petition, and, humbly submitting himself to God and to the petition of all the Christian priests and people, he accepted the title of emperor on the day of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ and was consecrated by Pope Leo.

Still, as we can read in The Account of Einhard: Vita Caroli Magni

[He] came to Rome to restore the condition of the Roman church, which had been very much disturbed, and spent the whole winter there. At that time he received the title of emperor and Augustus, though he was so much opposed to this at first that he said he would not have entered the church that day had he been able to foresee the pope's intention, although it was a great feast day. Nevertheless he endured very patiently the envy of the [Eastern] Roman emperors, who were indignant about his accepting the title, and, by sending many embassies to them and addressing them as brothers in his letters, he overcame their arrogance by his magnanimity, in which he certainly excelled them.

A man worthy of having an era named after him...