World History Timeline

Timeline

1026 events

5th century BCE

  1. 431 BCE – 404 BCE★★★★★

    Peloponnesian War

    A long war between Athens and the Sparta-led Peloponnesian League ends in Athens' defeat.

    War· Greece

4th century BCE

  1. 399 BCE★★★★★

    Trial and death of Socrates

    The philosopher Socrates is convicted by an Athenian jury of impiety and corrupting the youth, and is executed by drinking hemlock.

    DeathCulture· Greece
  2. c. 387 BCE★★★★★

    Plato founds the Academy in Athens

    Plato establishes the Academy in Athens, a centre of philosophy with lasting influence on the Greek world.

    CultureScience· Greece
  3. 338 BCE★★★★★

    Battle of Chaeronea

    Philip II of Macedon defeats Athens and Thebes, establishing Macedonian dominance over Greece.

    War· Greece
  5. October 331 BCE★★★★★

    Battle of Gaugamela

    Alexander the Great defeats Darius III, sealing the fall of the Achaemenid Empire.

    War· Iraq
  6. 323 BCE★★★★★

    Death of Alexander the Great

    Alexander the Great dies in Babylon aged 32, leaving an empire stretching from Greece to India.

    DeathPolitics· Iraq, Greece
  7. c. 322 BCE★★★★★

    Chandragupta Maurya founds the Maurya Empire

    Chandragupta Maurya overthrows the Nanda dynasty of Magadha, founding the first empire to unite most of the Indian subcontinent.

    DynastyPolitics· India

3rd century BCE

  1. c. 300s BCE★★★★★

    Euclid's Elements

    In Alexandria, Euclid systematises geometry and number theory in the thirteen books of the Elements, one of the most influential mathematics textbooks ever written.

    Science· Egypt
  2. 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
  3. c. 261 BCE★★★★★

    Kalinga War

    Emperor Ashoka conquers Kalinga; the war's devastation leads him to embrace Buddhism.

    WarReligion· India
  4. c. 260s BCE – c. 230s BCE★★★★★

    Edicts of Ashoka

    Emperor Ashoka has edicts inscribed on rocks and pillars across his empire, promoting Buddhist ethics and tolerance.

    ReligionPolitics· India, Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan
  5. c. 257 BCE – c. 179 BCE★★★★★

    An Dương Vương founds Âu Lạc

    Thục Phán (An Dương Vương) unites the Âu Việt and Lạc Việt into the kingdom of Âu Lạc, with its capital at Cổ Loa; 257 BCE is the traditional date.

    PoliticsDynasty· Vietnam
  6. c. 250s BCE★★★★★

    Buddhism arrives in Sri Lanka

    According to tradition, the monk Mahinda, son of Ashoka, brings Buddhism to Anuradhapura and converts King Devanampiya Tissa.

    Religion· Sri Lanka
  7. c. 240s BCE★★★★★

    Eratosthenes measures the Earth

    Eratosthenes estimates the Earth's circumference by comparing the angle of the Sun's rays at Syene and Alexandria, with a remarkably close result.

    Science· Egypt
  8. 221 BCE★★★★★

    Qin unifies China

    The state of Qin conquers its rivals, ending the Warring States period; Ying Zheng proclaims himself the First Emperor.

    DynastyPoliticsWar· China
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. c. 215 BCE★★★★★

    Qin links walls into the Great Wall

    Under Qin Shi Huang, general Meng Tian connects and extends northern walls as a defence against the Xiongnu.

    WarTechnology· China
  12. 212 BCE★★★★★

    Death of Archimedes

    The mathematician and engineer Archimedes is killed by a Roman soldier during the fall of Syracuse.

    DeathScience· Italy
  13. 210 BCE★★★★★

    Death of Qin Shi Huang

    The first emperor of unified China dies while on tour; the Qin dynasty collapses within a few years.

    DeathPolitics· China
  14. 202 BCE★★★★★

    Battle of Zama

    Scipio Africanus defeats Hannibal in North Africa, forcing Carthage to sue for peace and ending the Second Punic War.

    War· Tunisia
  15. 202 BCE★★★★★

    Liu Bang founds the Han dynasty

    After defeating Xiang Yu, Liu Bang becomes Emperor Gaozu of Han, opening a dynasty that lasts over four centuries.

    DynastyPolitics· China

2nd century BCE

  1. c. 179 BCE★★★★★

    Nanyue conquers Âu Lạc

    Zhao Tuo, king of Nanyue, conquers Âu Lạc and incorporates it into Nanyue; traditionally dated to 179 BCE.

    WarPolitics· Vietnam, China
  2. 146 BCE★★★★★

    Rome destroys Carthage

    Ending the Third Punic War, Rome captures and destroys Carthage, making its territory the province of Africa.

    War· Tunisia

1st century BCE

  1. c. 1st century BCE – c. 6th century★★★★★

    Teotihuacan flourishes

    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.

    Culture· Mexico
  2. 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
  3. 53 BCE★★★★★

    Battle of Carrhae

    Parthian forces crush the Roman army of Crassus, opening centuries of Roman–Iranian rivalry.

    War· Turkey
  4. 52 BCE★★★★★

    Battle of Alesia

    Julius Caesar defeats the Gallic leader Vercingetorix, effectively completing the Roman conquest of Gaul.

    War· France
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. September 2, 31 BCE★★★★★

    Battle of Actium

    Octavian's fleet defeats Mark Antony and Cleopatra, clearing his path to supreme power in Rome.

    War· Greece
  8. 30 BCE★★★★★

    Death of Cleopatra; Rome annexes Egypt

    After defeat by Octavian, Cleopatra VII takes her own life; the Ptolemaic dynasty ends and Egypt becomes a Roman province.

    PoliticsDeath· Egypt

1st century

  1. 9★★★★★

    Battle of the Teutoburg Forest

    Germanic tribes led by Arminius annihilate three Roman legions, halting Roman expansion beyond the Rhine.

    War· Germany
  3. August 19, 14★★★★★

    Death of Augustus

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

    DeathPolitics· Italy
  4. 40 – 43★★★★★

    Trưng Sisters' uprising

    Trưng Trắc and Trưng Nhị lead a revolt against the Eastern Han and rule Jiaozhi independently, with Trưng Trắc proclaimed queen.

    WarRevolution· Vietnam
  5. 43★★★★★

    Roman conquest of Britain begins

    Under Emperor Claudius, Roman forces invade Britain, gradually making much of the island a province of the empire.

    War· United Kingdom
  6. c. 1st century★★★★★

    Rise of the kingdom of Funan

    Funan emerges in the lower Mekong region, becoming a hub of maritime trade between India and China.

    PoliticsEconomy· Cambodia, Vietnam
  7. July 64★★★★★

    Great Fire of Rome

    A great fire destroys much of Rome under Emperor Nero, who afterwards blames the city's Christians.

    Disaster· Italy
  8. 70★★★★★

    Rome destroys the Second Temple

    Roman forces under Titus take Jerusalem during the First Jewish–Roman War and destroy the Second Temple.

    WarReligion· Israel, Palestine
  9. 79★★★★★

    Eruption of Vesuvius buries Pompeii

    Mount Vesuvius erupts, burying the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum under ash and pumice and preserving them to this day.

    Disaster· Italy
  10. 80★★★★★

    Colosseum inaugurated

    Emperor Titus inaugurates the Flavian Amphitheatre in Rome with games lasting many days.

    CultureArt· Italy

2nd century

  1. 105★★★★★

    Cai Lun improves papermaking

    The Han court official Cai Lun presents a papermaking process using bark, rags and fishing nets.

    Technology· China
Timeline · World History Timeline