The Nok culture flourished in present-day central Nigeria, known for its terracotta sculptures and as one of the earliest iron-smelting cultures in sub-Saharan Africa.
A Bronze Age and early Iron Age culture of the Red River valley and north-central Vietnam, famous for its bronze drums.
In the desert of southern Peru, the Nazca and earlier cultures create enormous geoglyphs on the ground, best seen in full from above.
Teotihuacan in the Valley of Mexico grows into one of the largest cities in the world of its time, with the Pyramid of the Sun and the Avenue of the Dead.
The gladiator Spartacus leads a major slave uprising in Italy (the Third Servile War) before it is crushed by Crassus.
Parthian forces crush the Roman army of Crassus, opening centuries of Roman–Iranian rivalry.
Julius Caesar defeats the Gallic leader Vercingetorix, effectively completing the Roman conquest of Gaul.
Julius Caesar leads his army across the Rubicon into Italy in defiance of the Senate, starting a civil war with Pompey.
Julius Caesar is stabbed to death in Rome by senators including Brutus and Cassius on the Ides of March.
Octavian's fleet defeats Mark Antony and Cleopatra, clearing his path to supreme power in Rome.
After defeat by Octavian, Cleopatra VII takes her own life; the Ptolemaic dynasty ends and Egypt becomes a Roman province.
The Senate grants Octavian the title Augustus; he becomes the first Roman emperor, inaugurating the Pax Romana.