World History Timeline

Countries / Europe

History of Greece

23 notable historical events in Greece, in chronological order.

War · 9Politics · 6Treaty · 1Revolution · 1Science · 1Religion · 1Culture · 8Art · 2Economy · 1Death · 2

19th century BCE

16th century BCE

  1. c. 16th century BCE – c. 11th century BCE★★★★★

    Mycenaean civilization emerges in Greece

    Mycenaean civilization, the first advanced civilization of mainland Greece, develops fortified palace centres and Linear B writing.

    Culture· Greece

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

8th century BCE

  1. c. 776 BCE★★★★★

    First ancient Olympic Games

    Traditionally, the first Olympic Games were held at Olympia in 776 BCE, a date later Greeks used for reckoning time.

    Culture· Greece
  2. c. 8th century BCE★★★★★

    Homer's Iliad and Odyssey

    The Iliad and the Odyssey, traditionally attributed to Homer, take shape around the 8th century BCE and become foundational works of Greek literature.

    CultureArt· Greece

6th century BCE

5th century BCE

  1. 490 BCE★★★★★

    Battle of Marathon

    Athenian forces defeat the first Persian invasion of Greece.

    War· Greece
  2. 480 BCE★★★★★

    Battle of Salamis

    The Greek fleet, urged on by Themistocles, defeats the Persian navy, turning the tide of Xerxes' second invasion of Greece.

    War· Greece
  3. 480 BCE★★★★★

    Battle of Thermopylae

    A small Greek force led by the Spartan king Leonidas holds off the Persian army of Xerxes I before being overwhelmed.

    War· Greece
  4. 447 BCE – 432 BCE★★★★★

    Construction of the Parthenon

    Under Pericles, the Athenians build the Parthenon on the Acropolis, dedicated to the goddess Athena.

    ArtCulture· Greece
  5. 431 BCE – 404 BCE★★★★★

    Peloponnesian War

    A long war between Athens and the Sparta-led Peloponnesian League ends in Athens' defeat.

    War· Greece

4th century BCE

  1. 399 BCE★★★★★

    Trial and death of Socrates

    The philosopher Socrates is convicted by an Athenian jury of impiety and corrupting the youth, and is executed by drinking hemlock.

    DeathCulture· Greece
  2. c. 387 BCE★★★★★

    Plato founds the Academy in Athens

    Plato establishes the Academy in Athens, a centre of philosophy with lasting influence on the Greek world.

    CultureScience· Greece
  3. 338 BCE★★★★★

    Battle of Chaeronea

    Philip II of Macedon defeats Athens and Thebes, establishing Macedonian dominance over Greece.

    War· Greece
  5. 323 BCE★★★★★

    Death of Alexander the Great

    Alexander the Great dies in Babylon aged 32, leaving an empire stretching from Greece to India.

    DeathPolitics· Iraq, Greece

1st century BCE

  1. September 2, 31 BCE★★★★★

    Battle of Actium

    Octavian's fleet defeats Mark Antony and Cleopatra, clearing his path to supreme power in Rome.

    War· Greece

4th century

  1. February 27, 380★★★★★

    Edict of Thessalonica

    Emperor Theodosius I proclaims Nicene Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire.

    ReligionPolitics· Greece

16th century

  1. October 7, 1571★★★★★

    Battle of Lepanto

    The fleet of the Holy League, formed by Spain, Venice and the Papacy, defeats the Ottoman navy in the Gulf of Patras.

    War· Greece, Spain, Italy, Turkey

19th century

  1. 1821 – 1829★★★★★

    Greek War of Independence

    Greeks rise against the Ottoman Empire; with intervention by Britain, France and Russia, Greece wins its independence.

    WarRevolution· Greece, Turkey
  2. April 6, 1896 – April 15, 1896★★★★★

    First modern Olympic Games

    The first Summer Olympics of the modern era are held in Athens, organised by the International Olympic Committee.

    Culture· Greece

20th century

  1. November 1, 1993★★★★★

    European Union established by the Maastricht Treaty

    The Maastricht Treaty enters into force, formally establishing the European Union and laying the groundwork for a single currency.

    TreatyPolitics· Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Greece, Spain, Portugal

21st century

  1. January 1, 2002★★★★★

    Euro banknotes and coins enter circulation

    Euro cash enters circulation in twelve European Union countries, replacing national currencies such as the franc, the Deutsche Mark and the lira.

    Economy· Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain
History of Greece · World History Timeline