World History Timeline

Countries / Middle East

History of Israel

24 notable historical events in Israel, in chronological order.

War · 15Politics · 6Treaty · 5Revolution · 1Religion · 6Art · 1

8th century BCE

  1. c. 722 BCE★★★★★

    Assyria conquers the Kingdom of Israel

    The Neo-Assyrian Empire captures Samaria, ending the northern Kingdom of Israel and deporting part of its population.

    War· Israel, Palestine

6th century BCE

1st century

  1. 70★★★★★

    Rome destroys the Second Temple

    Roman forces under Titus take Jerusalem during the First Jewish–Roman War and destroy the Second Temple.

    WarReligion· Israel, Palestine

7th century

  1. c. 691★★★★★

    Dome of the Rock completed

    Caliph Abd al-Malik completes the Dome of the Rock, one of the oldest surviving works of Islamic architecture.

    ReligionArt· Israel, Palestine

11th century

  1. July 15, 1099★★★★★

    Crusaders capture Jerusalem

    The First Crusade takes Jerusalem after a siege, followed by a massacre of its inhabitants.

    WarReligion· Israel, Palestine

12th century

  1. July 4, 1187★★★★★

    Battle of Hattin

    Saladin destroys the army of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem near Tiberias, causing most Crusader strongholds to fall.

    War· Israel
  2. October 2, 1187★★★★★

    Saladin captures Jerusalem

    After a short siege, Saladin takes Jerusalem, ending 88 years of Crusader rule and prompting the Third Crusade.

    WarReligion· Israel, Palestine
  3. 1189 – 1192★★★★★

    The Third Crusade

    Richard the Lionheart and other European monarchs retake Acre but not Jerusalem; the Treaty of Jaffa with Saladin ends the campaign.

    WarReligion· Israel, Palestine, Lebanon

13th century

  1. September 3, 1260★★★★★

    Battle of Ain Jalut

    Egyptian Mamluk forces defeat the Mongols in Palestine, halting the Mongol advance toward Egypt.

    War· Israel
  2. May 18, 1291★★★★★

    Fall of Acre ends the Crusader states

    The Mamluks capture Acre, the last major Crusader stronghold in the Levant, ending the Crusader states there.

    War· Israel

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

20th century

  1. May 16, 1916★★★★★

    Sykes–Picot Agreement

    Britain and France secretly agree to divide the Ottoman Empire's Arab lands into post-war spheres of influence.

    TreatyPolitics· Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine
  2. November 2, 1917★★★★★

    Balfour Declaration

    The British government declares support for a 'national home for the Jewish people' in Palestine, while stating that the civil and religious rights of non-Jewish communities should not be prejudiced.

    Politics· Israel, Palestine, United Kingdom
  3. November 29, 1947★★★★★

    UN Partition Plan for Palestine

    The UN General Assembly adopts Resolution 181, recommending the partition of Mandatory Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state.

    PoliticsTreaty· Israel, Palestine
  4. May 14, 1948★★★★★

    Israeli Declaration of Independence

    David Ben-Gurion proclaims the State of Israel in Tel Aviv as the British Mandate for Palestine ends.

    Politics· Israel
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. December 1987 – 1993★★★★★

    First Intifada

    Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip rise up against Israeli occupation, in an uprising lasting until the Oslo Accords.

    RevolutionPolitics· Palestine, Israel
  11. September 13, 1993★★★★★

    Oslo Accords

    Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization recognise each other and sign the Declaration of Principles in Washington, creating the Palestinian Authority.

    Treaty· Israel, Palestine, United States

21st century

  1. September 15, 2020★★★★★

    Abraham Accords

    Israel signs US-brokered agreements normalising relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

    Treaty· Israel, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, United States
  2. October 7, 2023★★★★★

    7 October attack and the Gaza war

    A Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023 begins a war in the Gaza Strip, causing very heavy casualties and a severe humanitarian crisis.

    War· Israel, Palestine
History of Israel · World History Timeline