Louis I

• NAME: Louis I
• OCCUPATION: Emperor
• BIRTH DATE: April 16, 778
• DEATH DATE: June 20, 840
• PLACE OF BIRTH: Chasseneuil, France
• PLACE OF DEATH: Petersau, Germany

Born on April 16, 778, in Chasseneuil, France, Louis I was a 35-year-old politician and military commander when he became co-emperor with Charlemagne in 813. Louis was the fourth monarch of the Carolingian dynasty, preceded by his father, his uncle and his grandfather. He succeeded his father, Charlemagne, as emperor in 814, and his 26-year reign would serve as a central and controversial stage in the Carolingian experiment to fashion a new European society. Louis I died on June 20, 840, in Petersau, Germany.