Countries / South Asia

History of Nepal

7 notable historical events in Nepal, in chronological order.

5th century BCE

c. 5th century BCE★★★★★
Teaching of Gautama Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama attains enlightenment at Bodh Gaya and teaches in the Ganges plain, founding Buddhism.
Religion· India, Nepal

c. 260s BCE – c. 230s BCE★★★★★
Edicts of Ashoka
Emperor Ashoka has edicts inscribed on rocks and pillars across his empire, promoting Buddhist ethics and tolerance.
ReligionPolitics· India, Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan

1768★★★★★
Prithvi Narayan Shah conquers Kathmandu, unifying Nepal
Prithvi Narayan Shah, king of Gorkha, takes the Kathmandu Valley, laying the foundation of the unified Kingdom of Nepal.
PoliticsWar· Nepal

May 29, 1953★★★★★
First ascent of Mount Everest
Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay become the first people confirmed to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the world's highest peak.
Exploration· Nepal

June 1, 2001★★★★★
Nepalese royal massacre
Crown Prince Dipendra shoots King Birendra and several other members of the royal family at Narayanhiti Palace in Kathmandu.
DeathPolitics· Nepal
May 28, 2008★★★★★
Nepal abolishes the monarchy
Nepal's Constituent Assembly votes to abolish the Shah monarchy and declares a federal democratic republic.
Politics· Nepal
April 25, 2015★★★★★
2015 Nepal earthquake
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake strikes central Nepal, killing nearly 9,000 people and destroying heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley.
Disaster· Nepal, India, China