Sargon of Akkad conquers the Sumerian city-states, creating the first known multi-ethnic empire in Mesopotamia.
Approximate date.
King Hammurabi of Babylon issues one of the oldest and most complete written legal codes known.
The Sumerians of Mesopotamia develop cuneiform, one of humanity's earliest writing systems, first used for economic record-keeping.
Ramesses II's Egyptian army fights the Hittites near Kadesh in Syria, one of the largest chariot battles of antiquity.
Ramesses II and the Hittite king Hattusili III conclude one of the earliest peace treaties whose text survives.
Many Eastern Mediterranean states, including the Hittite Empire, collapse or decline sharply during a prolonged period of upheaval.
Ancient Greek tradition placed the war between the Greeks and Troy around the 12th century BCE; its historicity remains debated.