World History Timeline

Countries / North Africa

History of Egypt

31 notable historical events in Egypt, in chronological order.

War · 9Politics · 12Dynasty · 5Treaty · 2Revolution · 2Science · 6Technology · 2Exploration · 1Religion · 4Culture · 3Economy · 2Disease · 1Death · 2

31st century BCE

  1. c. 31st century BCE★★★★★

    Narmer unifies Upper and Lower Egypt

    By tradition, King Narmer unites Upper and Lower Egypt, beginning the dynastic period of ancient Egypt.

    PoliticsDynasty· Egypt

26th century BCE

  1. c. 2560 BCE★★★★★

    Great Pyramid of Giza completed

    The pyramid of Pharaoh Khufu is completed; it remained the tallest human-made structure for nearly 4,000 years.

    CultureTechnology· Egypt

16th century BCE

  1. c. 1550 BCE★★★★★

    New Kingdom of Egypt begins

    Ahmose I expels the Hyksos and reunifies Egypt, opening the New Kingdom, the height of ancient Egyptian power.

    DynastyPolitics· Egypt

14th century BCE

  1. c. 1340s BCE★★★★★

    Akhenaten's religious reform

    Pharaoh Akhenaten elevates the worship of the Aten and moves the capital to Amarna, an unusual religious upheaval in Egyptian history.

    ReligionPolitics· Egypt

13th century BCE

  1. c. 1279 BCE – c. 1213 BCE★★★★★

    Ramesses II becomes pharaoh

    Ramesses II begins a reign of about 66 years, regarded as one of Egypt's most powerful and celebrated pharaohs.

    DynastyPolitics· Egypt
  2. c. 1259 BCE★★★★★

    Egyptian–Hittite peace treaty

    Ramesses II and the Hittite king Hattusili III conclude one of the earliest peace treaties whose text survives.

    TreatyPolitics· Egypt, Turkey

12th century BCE

  1. c. 12th century BCE★★★★★

    Late Bronze Age collapse

    Many Eastern Mediterranean states, including the Hittite Empire, collapse or decline sharply during a prolonged period of upheaval.

    PoliticsWar· Turkey, Syria, Egypt, Greece

3rd century BCE

  1. c. 300s BCE★★★★★

    Euclid's Elements

    In Alexandria, Euclid systematises geometry and number theory in the thirteen books of the Elements, one of the most influential mathematics textbooks ever written.

    Science· Egypt
  2. c. 240s BCE★★★★★

    Eratosthenes measures the Earth

    Eratosthenes estimates the Earth's circumference by comparing the angle of the Sun's rays at Syene and Alexandria, with a remarkably close result.

    Science· Egypt

1st century BCE

  1. 30 BCE★★★★★

    Death of Cleopatra; Rome annexes Egypt

    After defeat by Octavian, Cleopatra VII takes her own life; the Ptolemaic dynasty ends and Egypt becomes a Roman province.

    PoliticsDeath· Egypt

2nd century

  1. c. 150s★★★★★

    Ptolemy's Almagest

    Claudius Ptolemy completes the Almagest, setting out a geocentric model of the cosmos that remains the standard work of astronomy for over a millennium.

    Science· Egypt

5th century

  1. 415★★★★★

    Murder of Hypatia

    The mathematician and philosopher Hypatia is murdered by a mob in Alexandria.

    DeathScience· Egypt

6th century

  1. 541★★★★★

    Plague of Justinian

    The first recorded pandemic of bubonic plague sweeps the Mediterranean, devastating the Byzantine Empire and killing vast numbers.

    Disease· Turkey, Egypt

7th century

  1. 639 – 642★★★★★

    Muslim conquest of Egypt

    Rashidun forces under Amr ibn al-As take Egypt from the Byzantines and found the city of Fustat.

    WarReligion· Egypt

10th century

  1. 969★★★★★

    Fatimids conquer Egypt and found Cairo

    The Shia Fatimid Caliphate takes Egypt and builds Cairo as its new capital, along with the al-Azhar mosque.

    WarPoliticsReligion· Egypt

11th century

  1. c. 1011 – c. 1021★★★★★

    Ibn al-Haytham's Book of Optics

    Ibn al-Haytham composes the Book of Optics, explaining vision as light entering the eye and emphasising experimental method.

    Science· Egypt

13th century

  1. 1250 – 1517★★★★★

    Mamluk Sultanate established in Egypt

    Mamluk slave-soldiers overthrow the Ayyubids and seize power in Egypt, ruling Egypt and Syria for over two and a half centuries.

    DynastyPolitics· Egypt, Syria

14th century

  1. 1324★★★★★

    Mansa Musa's pilgrimage to Mecca

    Mansa Musa of Mali made the pilgrimage to Mecca with a vast retinue, spending so much gold in Cairo that its value fell, spreading Mali's fame across the Islamic world and Europe.

    ReligionEconomy· Mali, Egypt, Saudi Arabia

16th century

  1. 1516 – 1517★★★★★

    Ottomans conquer the Mamluk Sultanate

    Selim I defeats the Mamluks, annexing Syria, Egypt and the Hejaz and making the Ottomans the leading power of the Muslim world.

    War· Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia

18th century

  1. 1798 – 1801★★★★★

    Napoleon's campaign in Egypt and Syria

    French forces under Napoleon Bonaparte occupy Egypt but are eventually forced out; the expedition sparks European Egyptology.

    War· Egypt, Syria, Israel

19th century

  1. 1805★★★★★

    Muhammad Ali takes power in Egypt

    Muhammad Ali becomes governor of Egypt under nominal Ottoman rule, launching modernising reforms and founding a dynasty that ruled until 1952.

    PoliticsDynasty· Egypt
  3. November 17, 1869★★★★★

    Suez Canal opens

    The Suez Canal linking the Mediterranean and the Red Sea opens, greatly shortening the sea route between Europe and Asia.

    TechnologyEconomy· Egypt

20th century

  1. November 4, 1922★★★★★

    Discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb

    Archaeologist Howard Carter discovers the nearly intact tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, causing a worldwide sensation.

    CultureExploration· Egypt
  2. May 15, 1948 – 1949★★★★★

    1948 Arab–Israeli War

    Neighbouring Arab states go to war with Israel; the war ends with the 1949 armistice agreements, and about 700,000 Palestinians flee or are expelled from their homes.

    War· Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq
  3. July 23, 1952★★★★★

    Egyptian Revolution of 1952

    The Free Officers Movement overthrows King Farouk; Egypt becomes a republic and Gamal Abdel Nasser soon rises to lead it.

    RevolutionPolitics· Egypt
  4. October 29, 1956 – November 7, 1956★★★★★

    Suez Crisis

    After Nasser nationalises the Suez Canal, Israel, Britain and France attack Egypt but withdraw under US and Soviet pressure.

    WarPolitics· Egypt, Israel, United Kingdom, France
  5. June 5, 1967 – June 10, 1967★★★★★

    Six-Day War

    Israel fights Egypt, Jordan and Syria, capturing the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Golan Heights.

    War· Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Jordan, Syria
  6. October 6, 1973 – October 25, 1973★★★★★

    Yom Kippur War

    Egypt and Syria launch a surprise attack on Israel to regain Sinai and the Golan; the war ends in a ceasefire and paves the way for later negotiations.

    War· Israel, Egypt, Syria
  7. September 17, 1978★★★★★

    Camp David Accords

    Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin sign US-brokered accords, leading to the 1979 Egypt–Israel peace treaty.

    Treaty· Egypt, Israel, United States

21st century

  1. January 25, 2011 – February 11, 2011★★★★★

    Egyptian Revolution of 2011

    Mass protests centred on Tahrir Square force President Hosni Mubarak to resign after nearly 30 years in power.

    Revolution· Egypt
History of Egypt · World History Timeline