World History Timeline

Countries / Middle East

History of Turkey

30 notable historical events in Turkey, in chronological order.

War · 15Politics · 13Dynasty · 3Treaty · 2Revolution · 3Religion · 6Culture · 1Art · 1Disease · 1

13th century BCE

  1. 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
  2. c. 12th century BCE★★★★★

    Trojan War (traditional date)

    Ancient Greek tradition placed the war between the Greeks and Troy around the 12th century BCE; its historicity remains debated.

    WarCulture· Turkey

1st century BCE

  1. 53 BCE★★★★★

    Battle of Carrhae

    Parthian forces crush the Roman army of Crassus, opening centuries of Roman–Iranian rivalry.

    War· Turkey

4th century

  1. 325★★★★★

    First Council of Nicaea

    The first ecumenical council of Christianity, convened by Constantine, condemns Arianism and formulates the Nicene Creed.

    Religion· Turkey
  2. May 11, 330★★★★★

    Dedication of Constantinople

    Emperor Constantine I dedicates Constantinople as the new capital of the Roman Empire.

    Politics· Turkey
  3. August 9, 378★★★★★

    Battle of Adrianople

    The Goths, many of whom had crossed the Danube fleeing the Huns, crush a Roman army and kill Emperor Valens.

    War· Turkey
  4. 395★★★★★

    Permanent division of the Roman Empire

    After the death of Theodosius I, the empire is divided between his two sons into Western and Eastern halves, never to be reunited.

    Politics· Italy, Turkey

6th century

  1. 529 – 534★★★★★

    Justinian's Code (Corpus Juris Civilis)

    Emperor Justinian I has Roman law codified as the Corpus Juris Civilis, the foundation of many modern civil-law systems.

    Politics· Turkey
  2. December 27, 537★★★★★

    Hagia Sophia consecrated

    The Hagia Sophia, rebuilt by Justinian I in Constantinople, is consecrated, crowned by a dome unprecedented in its time.

    ReligionArt· Turkey
  3. 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

11th century

  1. July 16, 1054★★★★★

    East–West Schism

    Papal legates lay a bull of excommunication on the altar of Hagia Sophia, marking the split between Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.

    Religion· Turkey, Italy
  2. August 26, 1071★★★★★

    Battle of Manzikert

    The Seljuks defeat and capture Byzantine Emperor Romanos IV, opening Anatolia to Turkish settlement.

    War· Turkey

12th century

  1. 1147 – 1149★★★★★

    Second Crusade

    Launched after the fall of Edessa and led by Louis VII of France and Conrad III of Germany, the crusade ends in failure before Damascus.

    WarReligion· Syria, Turkey, France, Germany

13th century

  1. April 1204★★★★★

    Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople

    Crusaders capture and sack Constantinople, establishing the Latin Empire and permanently weakening Byzantium.

    WarReligion· Turkey
  2. c. 1299★★★★★

    Osman I founds the Ottoman state

    Osman I establishes a principality in northwestern Anatolia, the origin of the Ottoman Empire that lasted over six centuries.

    DynastyPolitics· Turkey

15th century

  1. July 20, 1402★★★★★

    Battle of Ankara

    Timur defeats and captures Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I, plunging the Ottoman state into a decade of civil war.

    War· Turkey
  2. May 29, 1453★★★★★

    Fall of Constantinople

    Ottoman forces under Sultan Mehmed II capture Constantinople, ending the Byzantine Empire.

    WarDynasty· Turkey

16th century

  1. 1520 – 1566★★★★★

    Reign of Suleiman the Magnificent

    Suleiman I rules the Ottoman Empire at the height of its territorial, legal and cultural power.

    DynastyPolitics· Turkey
  2. 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

17th century

  1. September 12, 1683★★★★★

    Battle of Vienna

    A coalition army led by King John III Sobieski of Poland relieves the siege of Vienna, defeating the Ottomans and halting their advance into Central Europe.

    War· Austria, Poland, Turkey, Germany

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. November 3, 1839 – 1876★★★★★

    Tanzimat reforms begin

    The Edict of Gülhane opens the Tanzimat, a series of reforms modernising Ottoman administration, law and the army.

    Politics· Turkey
  3. 1853 – 1856★★★★★

    Crimean War

    An alliance of the Ottoman Empire, Britain, France and Sardinia defeats Russia, with fighting centred on the siege of Sevastopol in Crimea.

    War· Russia, Turkey, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Ukraine
  4. June 1878 – July 1878★★★★★

    Congress of Berlin

    The European powers reorganise the Balkans after the Russo-Turkish War, recognising the independence of Serbia, Montenegro and Romania.

    TreatyPolitics· Germany, Russia, Turkey, United Kingdom, Austria, Serbia, Romania, Montenegro, Bulgaria

20th century

  1. July 1908★★★★★

    Young Turk Revolution

    The Committee of Union and Progress forces Sultan Abdul Hamid II to restore the 1876 constitution, opening the Second Constitutional Era.

    RevolutionPolitics· Turkey
  2. April 24, 1915 – 1917★★★★★

    Armenian genocide

    During the First World War, Ottoman authorities carry out mass deportations and killings of Armenians, causing roughly a million or more deaths.

    WarPolitics· Turkey, Armenia, Syria
  3. April 25, 1915★★★★★

    ANZAC landing at Gallipoli

    The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps landed on the Gallipoli peninsula in the Allies' unsuccessful campaign against the Ottoman Empire; 25 April is now commemorated as Anzac Day.

    War· Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, United Kingdom
  4. October 29, 1923★★★★★

    Republic of Turkey proclaimed

    The Grand National Assembly proclaims the Republic of Turkey, with Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk) as its first president.

    PoliticsRevolution· Turkey
  5. March 3, 1924★★★★★

    Abolition of the Ottoman Caliphate

    The Turkish parliament abolishes the caliphate, ending an institution dating back to the first caliphs of Islam.

    PoliticsReligion· Turkey
History of Turkey · World History Timeline