World History Timeline

Timeline

58 events

14th century

  1. 1351 – 1767★★★★★

    Founding of the Ayutthaya Kingdom

    King Ramathibodi I founds the capital of Ayutthaya, beginning a Siamese kingdom that lasts over four centuries.

    DynastyPolitics· Thailand

15th century

  1. c. 15th century – c. 1860s★★★★★

    The transatlantic slave trade

    From the 16th to the 19th century, an estimated 12.5 million enslaved Africans were shipped across the Atlantic to the Americas, with profound consequences for both continents.

    Economy· Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, Senegal, Angola, Brazil, United States, Portugal, United Kingdom

16th century

  1. 1501 – 1736★★★★★

    Ismail I founds the Safavid dynasty

    Ismail I proclaims himself shah in Tabriz, founding the Safavid dynasty and making Twelver Shia Islam Iran's state religion.

    DynastyReligion· Iran, Azerbaijan

17th century

  1. 1639 – 1853★★★★★

    Japan's sakoku isolation policy

    The shogunate expels the Portuguese and severely restricts foreign contact, allowing only Dutch and Chinese trade at Nagasaki.

    PoliticsEconomy· Japan

18th century

  1. 1701 – 1714★★★★★

    War of the Spanish Succession

    European powers fight over the succession to the Spanish throne after the death of Charles II; the war ends with the treaties of Utrecht and Rastatt.

    WarDynasty· Spain, France, United Kingdom, Austria, Netherlands
  2. May 27, 1703★★★★★

    Peter the Great founds Saint Petersburg

    Tsar Peter I lays the foundations of Saint Petersburg at the mouth of the Neva; the city becomes Russia's capital in 1712.

    Politics· Russia
  3. 1707★★★★★

    Death of Aurangzeb

    The death of Aurangzeb, under whom the Mughal Empire reached its greatest extent, begins the empire's rapid decline.

    DeathPolitics· India
  5. July 8, 1709★★★★★

    Battle of Poltava

    Peter the Great's Russian army crushes the Swedish army of Charles XII, ending Sweden's great-power status and raising Russia's standing in Eastern Europe.

    War· Ukraine, Russia, Sweden
  6. 1721★★★★★

    Russian Empire proclaimed

    After victory in the Great Northern War, confirmed by the Treaty of Nystad, Peter I takes the title of Emperor and Russia becomes the Russian Empire.

    PoliticsTreaty· Russia, Sweden
  7. February 22, 1732★★★★★

    Birth of George Washington

    George Washington, commander of the Continental Army and first President of the United States, is born in Virginia.

    Birth· United States
  8. 1735★★★★★

    Linnaeus publishes Systema Naturae

    Carl Linnaeus publishes his system for classifying living things, the basis of modern binomial nomenclature.

    Science· Netherlands, Sweden
  9. 1739★★★★★

    Nader Shah sacks Delhi

    Nader Shah of Persia defeats the Mughals at Karnal and sacks Delhi, carrying off treasures including the Peacock Throne.

    War· India, Iran
  11. 1751★★★★★

    First volume of the Encyclopédie

    Diderot and d'Alembert publish the first volume of the Encyclopédie, a defining work of the Enlightenment.

    CultureScience· France
  12. 1754 – 1763★★★★★

    French and Indian War

    Britain and France, with their Indigenous allies, fight for control of North America; France is defeated and loses most of its territory on the continent.

    War· United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France
  13. November 1, 1755★★★★★

    1755 Lisbon earthquake

    A massive earthquake, followed by a tsunami and fires, devastates Lisbon, killing tens of thousands and deeply influencing Enlightenment thought.

    Disaster· Portugal, Spain, Morocco
  14. 1756 – 1763★★★★★

    Seven Years' War

    A global conflict among the European powers fought in Europe, North America and India; Britain gains colonial supremacy and Prussia confirms its great-power status.

    War· United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria, Russia, Spain, United States, Canada, India
  16. June 23, 1757★★★★★

    Battle of Plassey

    The East India Company under Robert Clive defeats Siraj ud-Daulah, Nawab of Bengal, beginning British dominance in India.

    War· India, United Kingdom
  17. January 14, 1761★★★★★

    Third Battle of Panipat

    Ahmad Shah Durrani's Afghan army defeats the Maratha Empire in one of the bloodiest battles of the 18th century.

    War· India, Afghanistan
  18. 1766★★★★★

    Birth of Nguyễn Du

    Nguyễn Du, author of The Tale of Kiều, is born.

    Birth· Vietnam
  19. 1767★★★★★

    Fall of Ayutthaya to Burma

    Konbaung Burmese forces capture and destroy Ayutthaya, ending the Siamese kingdom after more than four centuries.

    War· Thailand, Myanmar
  21. January 5, 1769★★★★★

    James Watt patents his steam engine

    James Watt's patent for a separate condenser makes steam engines far more efficient, driving the Industrial Revolution.

    TechnologyEconomy· United Kingdom
  22. August 15, 1769★★★★★

    Birth of Napoleon Bonaparte

    Napoleon Bonaparte is born in Ajaccio, Corsica; he will later become Emperor of the French.

    Birth· France
  23. March 5, 1770★★★★★

    Boston Massacre

    British soldiers fire into a crowd in Boston, killing five people and heightening tensions between the colonies and Britain.

    Politics· United States, United Kingdom
  24. April 29, 1770★★★★★

    James Cook lands at Botany Bay

    On his first voyage, Captain James Cook of HMS Endeavour landed at Botany Bay, then charted Australia's east coast and claimed it for Britain.

    Exploration· Australia, United Kingdom
  25. 1771★★★★★

    Tây Sơn rebellion begins

    The brothers Nguyễn Nhạc, Nguyễn Huệ and Nguyễn Lữ rise in revolt at Tây Sơn (Bình Định), eventually overthrowing both the Nguyễn and Trịnh lords.

    RevolutionWar· Vietnam
  26. 1772 – 1795★★★★★

    Partitions of Poland

    Russia, Prussia and Austria carve up the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in three partitions, erasing it from the map of Europe by 1795.

    PoliticsTreaty· Poland, Lithuania, Russia, Germany, Austria
  27. December 16, 1773★★★★★

    Boston Tea Party

    Colonists protesting British taxation dump an entire shipment of East India Company tea into Boston Harbor.

    PoliticsRevolution· United States, United Kingdom
  28. April 19, 1775★★★★★

    Battles of Lexington and Concord

    The first clashes between colonial militia and British troops in Massachusetts begin the American Revolutionary War.

    WarRevolution· United States, United Kingdom
  29. July 4, 1776★★★★★

    United States Declaration of Independence

    The Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence, proclaiming the 13 colonies free from Britain.

    PoliticsRevolution· United States, United Kingdom
  30. October 17, 1777★★★★★

    British surrender at Saratoga

    British General John Burgoyne surrenders to the Continental Army at Saratoga, a victory that helps bring France into an alliance with the Americans.

    War· United States, United Kingdom
  31. February 14, 1779★★★★★

    Death of James Cook in Hawaii

    The explorer James Cook was killed in a clash with Hawaiians at Kealakekua Bay during his third voyage.

    DeathExploration· United States, United Kingdom
  32. October 19, 1781★★★★★

    British surrender at Yorktown

    General Cornwallis surrenders to American and French forces at Yorktown, Virginia, effectively ending major fighting in the American Revolutionary War.

    War· United States, United Kingdom, France
  34. July 24, 1783★★★★★

    Birth of Simón Bolívar

    Simón Bolívar, leader of independence movements across much of South America, is born in Caracas.

    Birth· Venezuela
  35. September 3, 1783★★★★★

    Treaty of Paris (1783) recognizes US independence

    Britain signs a treaty with the United States in Paris, formally ending the American Revolutionary War and recognizing American independence.

    Treaty· United States, United Kingdom
  37. September 17, 1787★★★★★

    Signing of the United States Constitution

    The Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia adopts and signs the US Constitution, creating a federal government with separation of powers.

    Politics· United States
  39. January 26, 1788★★★★★

    The First Fleet arrives at Sydney Cove

    Arthur Phillip's eleven-ship convict fleet arrived at Sydney Cove and founded the penal colony of New South Wales, the first permanent European settlement in Australia.

    PoliticsExploration· Australia, United Kingdom
  42. July 14, 1789★★★★★

    Storming of the Bastille

    Parisians storm the Bastille fortress-prison, an iconic moment of the French Revolution.

    Revolution· France
  43. August 26, 1789★★★★★

    Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

    France's National Constituent Assembly adopts a declaration of liberty, equality and national sovereignty, a founding document of the French Revolution.

    RevolutionPolitics· France
  44. August 22, 1791 – January 1, 1804★★★★★

    Haitian Revolution begins

    Enslaved people in the French colony of Saint-Domingue rise up, beginning the only successful slave revolution in history.

    RevolutionWar· Haiti, France
  45. 1792★★★★★

    Death of Emperor Quang Trung

    Emperor Quang Trung dies suddenly; the Tây Sơn dynasty declines rapidly afterwards.

    Death· Vietnam
  46. 1793★★★★★

    Macartney Embassy to China

    A British embassy led by Lord Macartney meets the Qianlong Emperor but fails to secure expanded trade.

    PoliticsEconomy· China, United Kingdom
Timeline · World History Timeline