World History Timeline

Countries / Middle East

History of Iran

15 notable historical events in Iran, in chronological order.

War · 5Politics · 6Dynasty · 6Revolution · 3Science · 1Religion · 2Art · 1Economy · 1

6th century BCE

  1. c. 550 BCE★★★★★

    Cyrus the Great founds the Achaemenid Empire

    Cyrus II defeats the Median king Astyages, laying the foundation of the Persian Achaemenid Empire, the largest empire of its time.

    PoliticsDynasty· Iran
  2. 522 BCE★★★★★

    Darius I becomes king of Persia

    Darius I takes the throne, organising the empire into satrapies and building Persepolis and the Royal Road.

    PoliticsDynasty· Iran

3rd century

  1. 224★★★★★

    Founding of the Sasanian Empire

    Ardashir I defeats the last Parthian king, founding the Sasanian Empire, the last Iranian empire before the rise of Islam.

    DynastyWar· Iran, Iraq

7th century

  1. 651★★★★★

    Fall of the Sasanian Empire

    The last Sasanian king, Yazdegerd III, is killed, completing the Arab Muslim conquest of Persia.

    WarDynasty· Iran, Turkmenistan

8th century

  1. 747 – 750★★★★★

    Abbasid Revolution overthrows the Umayyads

    A movement rising from Khorasan defeats the Umayyads at the Battle of the Zab, establishing the Abbasid Caliphate.

    RevolutionDynasty· Iraq, Iran

11th century

  1. c. 1025★★★★★

    Ibn Sina completes the Canon of Medicine

    Ibn Sina (Avicenna) completes The Canon of Medicine, a medical encyclopedia used as a standard text in the Islamic world and Europe for centuries.

    Science· Iran

16th century

  1. 1501 – 1736★★★★★

    Ismail I founds the Safavid dynasty

    Ismail I proclaims himself shah in Tabriz, founding the Safavid dynasty and making Twelver Shia Islam Iran's state religion.

    DynastyReligion· Iran, Azerbaijan
  2. August 23, 1514★★★★★

    Battle of Chaldiran

    Selim I's Ottoman army defeats the Safavids, opening a long rivalry between the two empires.

    War· Iran

18th century

  1. 1739★★★★★

    Nader Shah sacks Delhi

    Nader Shah of Persia defeats the Mughals at Karnal and sacks Delhi, carrying off treasures including the Peacock Throne.

    War· India, Iran

20th century

  1. 1905 – 1911★★★★★

    Persian Constitutional Revolution

    A revolutionary movement forces the Qajar shah to accept a constitution and establish Iran's first parliament, the Majlis.

    RevolutionPolitics· Iran
  2. August 19, 1953★★★★★

    1953 Iranian coup d'état

    Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, who had nationalised the oil industry, is overthrown in a US- and UK-backed coup that strengthens the Shah.

    Politics· Iran
  3. September 14, 1960★★★★★

    OPEC founded

    Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela found the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries at the Baghdad Conference.

    Economy· Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela
  4. 1978 – February 11, 1979★★★★★

    Iranian Revolution

    Mass protests topple Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi; Ayatollah Khomeini returns and Iran becomes an Islamic Republic.

    RevolutionReligionPolitics· Iran
  5. September 22, 1980 – August 20, 1988★★★★★

    Iran–Iraq War

    Saddam Hussein's Iraq invades Iran, beginning an eight-year war of attrition that kills hundreds of thousands.

    War· Iran, Iraq
History of Iran · World History Timeline