World History Timeline

Timeline

23 events

3rd century

  1. c. 3rd century – c. 9th century★★★★★

    Classic period of Maya civilization

    Maya city-states such as Tikal, Palenque and Calakmul reach their height in architecture, writing, astronomy and calendrics.

    CultureScience· Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras
  2. c. 3rd century – c. 11th century★★★★★

    The Ghana Empire in West Africa

    The Soninke Ghana Empire (Wagadu) flourished in what is now Mauritania and Mali, growing rich from control of the trans-Saharan gold and salt trade.

    DynastyEconomy· Mauritania, Mali

7th century

  2. 605 – c. 610★★★★★

    Sui builds the Grand Canal

    Emperor Yang of Sui links and extends canals into the Grand Canal, joining the Yellow River and Yangtze basins.

    TechnologyEconomy· China
  3. c. 610★★★★★

    Muhammad's first revelation

    According to Islamic tradition, Muhammad receives his first revelation in the cave of Hira near Mecca, beginning his prophetic mission.

    Religion· Saudi Arabia
  4. 618★★★★★

    Li Yuan founds the Tang dynasty

    Li Yuan (Emperor Gaozu) takes the throne at Chang'an, opening one of the most prosperous dynasties in Chinese history.

    DynastyPolitics· China
  5. 622★★★★★

    The Hijra

    The Prophet Muhammad and his followers migrate from Mecca to Medina; the year becomes the start of the Islamic calendar.

    Religion· Saudi Arabia
  6. 626★★★★★

    Xuanwu Gate incident

    Li Shimin kills two rival brothers and soon takes the throne as Emperor Taizong, whose reign is remembered as a golden age.

    Politics· China
  7. 628★★★★★

    Brahmagupta sets out rules for zero

    In the Brāhmasphuṭasiddhānta, the Indian mathematician Brahmagupta gives the first known rules for arithmetic with zero and negative numbers.

    Science· India
  8. 629 – 645★★★★★

    Xuanzang's pilgrimage to India

    The monk Xuanzang travels to India and brings back hundreds of Buddhist texts, which he translates into Chinese.

    ReligionExploration· China, India
  9. 630★★★★★

    Conquest of Mecca

    Muhammad and his followers enter Mecca almost without bloodshed, making it the centre of Islam.

    ReligionPolitics· Saudi Arabia
  11. c. 636★★★★★

    Battle of al-Qadisiyyah

    Rashidun forces defeat the Sasanian army in Iraq, opening the way to the capture of the capital Ctesiphon.

    War· Iraq
  12. August 636★★★★★

    Battle of the Yarmuk

    Rashidun Muslim forces defeat the Byzantine army, opening the way to the conquest of Syria and the Levant.

    War· Syria, Jordan
  13. 639 – 642★★★★★

    Muslim conquest of Egypt

    Rashidun forces under Amr ibn al-As take Egypt from the Byzantines and found the city of Fustat.

    WarReligion· Egypt
  14. 645★★★★★

    Taika Reform

    The Japanese court launches reforms modelled on Tang China, centralising power around the emperor.

    Politics· Japan
  15. 651★★★★★

    Fall of the Sasanian Empire

    The last Sasanian king, Yazdegerd III, is killed, completing the Arab Muslim conquest of Persia.

    WarDynasty· Iran, Turkmenistan
  16. 661 – 750★★★★★

    Umayyad Caliphate founded

    Muawiya I establishes the Umayyad dynasty with its capital at Damascus, making the caliphate hereditary.

    DynastyPolitics· Syria
  17. 668★★★★★

    Silla unifies the Korean Peninsula

    Allied with Tang China, Silla defeats Baekje and Goguryeo, unifying most of the Korean Peninsula for the first time.

    WarPolitics· South Korea, North Korea
  18. 671★★★★★

    Yijing visits Srivijaya

    The Chinese monk Yijing stops at Srivijaya (Palembang) to study Sanskrit, recording it as a centre of Buddhist learning and maritime trade.

    ReligionEconomy· Indonesia
  19. October 10, 680★★★★★

    Battle of Karbala

    Husayn ibn Ali, grandson of Muhammad, is killed by Umayyad forces at Karbala, an event central to Shia Muslim memory.

    WarReligion· Iraq
  20. 690 – 705★★★★★

    Wu Zetian proclaims herself emperor

    Wu Zetian founds her own Zhou dynasty, becoming the only officially recognised female emperor in Chinese history.

    Politics· China
  21. c. 691★★★★★

    Dome of the Rock completed

    Caliph Abd al-Malik completes the Dome of the Rock, one of the oldest surviving works of Islamic architecture.

    ReligionArt· Israel, Palestine
Timeline · World History Timeline