World History Timeline

Timeline

12 events

3rd century BCE

  1. 264 BCE – 241 BCE★★★★★

    First Punic War

    Rome and Carthage fight for control of Sicily; Rome wins and gains its first overseas province.

    War· Italy, Tunisia
  2. 218 BCE – 201 BCE★★★★★

    Second Punic War

    Hannibal crosses the Alps to invade Italy, but Rome ultimately prevails and Carthage loses its status as a great power.

    War· Italy, Tunisia, Spain
  3. 216 BCE★★★★★

    Battle of Cannae

    Hannibal encircles and destroys a much larger Roman army in southern Italy, one of Rome's worst defeats.

    War· Italy

1st century BCE

  1. 73 BCE – 71 BCE★★★★★

    Slave revolt of Spartacus

    The gladiator Spartacus leads a major slave uprising in Italy (the Third Servile War) before it is crushed by Crassus.

    WarRevolution· Italy
  2. 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

4th century

  1. October 28, 312★★★★★

    Battle of the Milvian Bridge

    Constantine defeats Maxentius near Rome; according to tradition he saw a Christian sign before the battle.

    WarReligion· Italy

5th century

  1. August 24, 410★★★★★

    Visigoths sack Rome

    Visigoths under Alaric I enter and sack Rome, the first time in about 800 years the city had fallen to a foreign enemy.

    War· Italy

16th century

  1. 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

19th century

  1. 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
  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
  3. March 1, 1896★★★★★

    Battle of Adwa

    Ethiopian forces under Emperor Menelik II defeated an invading Italian army at Adwa, preserving Ethiopia's independence during the Scramble for Africa.

    War· Ethiopia, Italy

20th century

  1. April 26, 1937★★★★★

    Bombing of Guernica

    German and Italian aircraft supporting the Nationalists bomb the Basque town of Guernica, an event depicted in Picasso's famous painting.

    WarDisaster· Spain, Germany, Italy
Timeline · World History Timeline