Years: 496 497 498 499 - 500 - 501 502 503 504

Decades: 470s 480s 490s - 500s - 510s 520s 530s

Centuries: 4th century - 5th century - 6th century

Events

• Possible date for the Battle of Mons Badonicus: Romano-British and Celts defeat an Anglo-Saxon army that may have been led by the bretwalda Aelle of Sussex (approximate date; suggested dates range from 490 to 510) Note: This battle may have influenced the legend of King Arthur.
• Possible date at which Fergus I of Dalriada begins his reign
• Approximate beginning of the Heptarchy period in the history of England
• Approximate year of the founding of the Kingdom of Essex
• Emperor Xuanwu of Northern Wei China becomes sovereign of the Northern Wei Dynasty
• Uxmal founded (approximate date)
• Traders from southern Arabia settle in northern Ethiopia.

Births

• Procopius, historian (approximate date)
• Theodebert I, king of Austrasia (approximate date, could also have been 495)
• Theodora, empress of Byzantium
• Tribonian, a jurist in the Roman Empire (approximate date)

Deaths

• Zu Chongzhi, Chinese mathematician