World History Timeline

Timeline

23 events

8th century BCE

  1. c. 753 BCE★★★★★

    Founding of Rome (traditional)

    According to legend, Romulus founded Rome in 753 BCE; the Romans later counted years from this date.

    Politics· Italy

6th century BCE

  1. c. 509 BCE★★★★★

    Roman Republic established

    Traditionally, the Romans expel King Tarquin the Proud and establish a republic led by elected consuls.

    PoliticsRevolution· Italy

1st century BCE

  1. 49 BCE★★★★★

    Caesar crosses the Rubicon

    Julius Caesar leads his army across the Rubicon into Italy in defiance of the Senate, starting a civil war with Pompey.

    WarPolitics· Italy
  2. March 15, 44 BCE★★★★★

    Assassination of Julius Caesar

    Julius Caesar is stabbed to death in Rome by senators including Brutus and Cassius on the Ides of March.

    PoliticsDeath· Italy

1st century

  1. August 19, 14★★★★★

    Death of Augustus

    Augustus, the first Roman emperor, dies and is succeeded by his adopted son Tiberius.

    DeathPolitics· Italy

2nd century

3rd century

  1. 235 – 284★★★★★

    Crisis of the Third Century

    The Roman Empire nearly collapses under civil wars, invasions, plague and economic crisis until Diocletian's accession.

    PoliticsEconomy· Italy

4th century

  1. 313★★★★★

    Edict of Milan

    Emperors Constantine and Licinius agree on religious toleration, ending the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire.

    ReligionPolitics· Italy
  2. 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

5th century

  1. September 4, 476★★★★★

    Fall of the Western Roman Empire

    Odoacer deposes Romulus Augustulus, the last Western Roman emperor, a conventional end of antiquity in Europe.

    PoliticsDynasty· Italy

8th century

  1. December 25, 800★★★★★

    Coronation of Charlemagne

    Pope Leo III crowns Charlemagne Emperor of the Romans in Rome on Christmas Day.

    PoliticsReligion· Italy, France, Germany

9th century

  1. August 843★★★★★

    Treaty of Verdun divides the Carolingian Empire

    Charlemagne's three grandsons divide the empire into three kingdoms, laying the groundwork for the later France and Germany.

    TreatyPolitics· France, Germany, Italy

10th century

11th century

  1. January 1077★★★★★

    Walk to Canossa

    During the Investiture Controversy, Emperor Henry IV goes to Canossa to seek absolution from Pope Gregory VII.

    ReligionPolitics· Italy, Germany

15th century

  1. 1434★★★★★

    Cosimo de' Medici takes control of Florence

    Returning from exile, the banker Cosimo de' Medici becomes the de facto ruler of Florence; the Medici become major patrons of Renaissance art.

    PoliticsArt· Italy

19th century

  2. September 20, 1870★★★★★

    Capture of Rome

    Troops of the Kingdom of Italy enter Rome, ending the Papal States; Rome then becomes the capital of unified Italy.

    WarPolitics· Italy, Vatican City

20th century

  1. October 28, 1922★★★★★

    March on Rome

    Benito Mussolini's Fascists march on Rome; King Victor Emmanuel III appoints Mussolini prime minister, beginning Fascist rule in Italy.

    Politics· Italy
  2. September 30, 1938★★★★★

    Munich Agreement

    Britain, France, Italy and Germany agree to Germany's annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland, the high point of the appeasement of Hitler.

    TreatyPolitics· Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Czechia
  3. April 3, 1948★★★★★

    Marshall Plan

    The United States enacts a large-scale economic aid programme to rebuild Western European economies after the Second World War.

    EconomyPolitics· United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands
  4. April 4, 1949★★★★★

    NATO founded

    Twelve North American and Western European countries sign the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, creating the NATO collective defence alliance.

    TreatyPolitics· United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy, Portugal, Norway, Denmark, Iceland
  5. November 1, 1993★★★★★

    European Union established by the Maastricht Treaty

    The Maastricht Treaty enters into force, formally establishing the European Union and laying the groundwork for a single currency.

    TreatyPolitics· Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Greece, Spain, Portugal
Timeline · World History Timeline