World History Timeline

Timeline

102 events

13th century

  1. September 3, 1260★★★★★

    Battle of Ain Jalut

    Egyptian Mamluk forces defeat the Mongols in Palestine, halting the Mongol advance toward Egypt.

    War· Israel
  2. May 18, 1291★★★★★

    Fall of Acre ends the Crusader states

    The Mamluks capture Acre, the last major Crusader stronghold in the Levant, ending the Crusader states there.

    War· Israel
  3. c. 1299★★★★★

    Osman I founds the Ottoman state

    Osman I establishes a principality in northwestern Anatolia, the origin of the Ottoman Empire that lasted over six centuries.

    DynastyPolitics· Turkey

14th century

  1. 1324★★★★★

    Mansa Musa's pilgrimage to Mecca

    Mansa Musa of Mali made the pilgrimage to Mecca with a vast retinue, spending so much gold in Cairo that its value fell, spreading Mali's fame across the Islamic world and Europe.

    ReligionEconomy· Mali, Egypt, Saudi Arabia
  2. 1325 – 1354★★★★★

    Travels of Ibn Battuta

    The Moroccan scholar Ibn Battuta travels across the Islamic world and beyond, from West Africa to China, for nearly three decades.

    Exploration· Morocco

15th century

  1. July 20, 1402★★★★★

    Battle of Ankara

    Timur defeats and captures Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I, plunging the Ottoman state into a decade of civil war.

    War· Turkey
  2. 1405 – 1433★★★★★

    Voyages of Zheng He

    Admiral Zheng He leads seven Ming treasure voyages to Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean, Arabia and East Africa.

    Exploration· China
  3. May 29, 1453★★★★★

    Fall of Constantinople

    Ottoman forces under Sultan Mehmed II capture Constantinople, ending the Byzantine Empire.

    WarDynasty· Turkey

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
  2. August 23, 1514★★★★★

    Battle of Chaldiran

    Selim I's Ottoman army defeats the Safavids, opening a long rivalry between the two empires.

    War· Iran
  3. 1516 – 1517★★★★★

    Ottomans conquer the Mamluk Sultanate

    Selim I defeats the Mamluks, annexing Syria, Egypt and the Hejaz and making the Ottomans the leading power of the Muslim world.

    War· Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia
  4. 1520 – 1566★★★★★

    Reign of Suleiman the Magnificent

    Suleiman I rules the Ottoman Empire at the height of its territorial, legal and cultural power.

    DynastyPolitics· Turkey

18th century

  1. 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
  2. 1798 – 1801★★★★★

    Napoleon's campaign in Egypt and Syria

    French forces under Napoleon Bonaparte occupy Egypt but are eventually forced out; the expedition sparks European Egyptology.

    War· Egypt, Syria, Israel

19th century

  1. November 3, 1839 – 1876★★★★★

    Tanzimat reforms begin

    The Edict of Gülhane opens the Tanzimat, a series of reforms modernising Ottoman administration, law and the army.

    Politics· Turkey

20th century

  1. 1905 – 1911★★★★★

    Persian Constitutional Revolution

    A revolutionary movement forces the Qajar shah to accept a constitution and establish Iran's first parliament, the Majlis.

    RevolutionPolitics· Iran
  2. July 1908★★★★★

    Young Turk Revolution

    The Committee of Union and Progress forces Sultan Abdul Hamid II to restore the 1876 constitution, opening the Second Constitutional Era.

    RevolutionPolitics· Turkey
  3. April 24, 1915 – 1917★★★★★

    Armenian genocide

    During the First World War, Ottoman authorities carry out mass deportations and killings of Armenians, causing roughly a million or more deaths.

    WarPolitics· Turkey, Armenia, Syria
  4. April 25, 1915★★★★★

    ANZAC landing at Gallipoli

    The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps landed on the Gallipoli peninsula in the Allies' unsuccessful campaign against the Ottoman Empire; 25 April is now commemorated as Anzac Day.

    War· Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, United Kingdom
  5. May 16, 1916★★★★★

    Sykes–Picot Agreement

    Britain and France secretly agree to divide the Ottoman Empire's Arab lands into post-war spheres of influence.

    TreatyPolitics· Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine
  6. June 1916 – 1918★★★★★

    The Arab Revolt

    With British backing, Sharif Hussein of Mecca launches an uprising against the Ottoman Empire seeking Arab independence.

    WarRevolution· Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria
  7. November 2, 1917★★★★★

    Balfour Declaration

    The British government declares support for a 'national home for the Jewish people' in Palestine, while stating that the civil and religious rights of non-Jewish communities should not be prejudiced.

    Politics· Israel, Palestine, United Kingdom
  8. October 29, 1923★★★★★

    Republic of Turkey proclaimed

    The Grand National Assembly proclaims the Republic of Turkey, with Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk) as its first president.

    PoliticsRevolution· Turkey
  9. March 3, 1924★★★★★

    Abolition of the Ottoman Caliphate

    The Turkish parliament abolishes the caliphate, ending an institution dating back to the first caliphs of Islam.

    PoliticsReligion· Turkey
  11. November 29, 1947★★★★★

    UN Partition Plan for Palestine

    The UN General Assembly adopts Resolution 181, recommending the partition of Mandatory Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state.

    PoliticsTreaty· Israel, Palestine
  12. May 14, 1948★★★★★

    Israeli Declaration of Independence

    David Ben-Gurion proclaims the State of Israel in Tel Aviv as the British Mandate for Palestine ends.

    Politics· Israel
  13. May 15, 1948 – 1949★★★★★

    1948 Arab–Israeli War

    Neighbouring Arab states go to war with Israel; the war ends with the 1949 armistice agreements, and about 700,000 Palestinians flee or are expelled from their homes.

    War· Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq
  14. July 23, 1952★★★★★

    Egyptian Revolution of 1952

    The Free Officers Movement overthrows King Farouk; Egypt becomes a republic and Gamal Abdel Nasser soon rises to lead it.

    RevolutionPolitics· Egypt
  15. August 19, 1953★★★★★

    1953 Iranian coup d'état

    Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, who had nationalised the oil industry, is overthrown in a US- and UK-backed coup that strengthens the Shah.

    Politics· Iran
  16. October 29, 1956 – November 7, 1956★★★★★

    Suez Crisis

    After Nasser nationalises the Suez Canal, Israel, Britain and France attack Egypt but withdraw under US and Soviet pressure.

    WarPolitics· Egypt, Israel, United Kingdom, France
  17. September 14, 1960★★★★★

    OPEC founded

    Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela found the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries at the Baghdad Conference.

    Economy· Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela
  18. June 5, 1967 – June 10, 1967★★★★★

    Six-Day War

    Israel fights Egypt, Jordan and Syria, capturing the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Golan Heights.

    War· Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Jordan, Syria
  19. October 1973 – March 1974★★★★★

    1973 oil crisis

    Arab oil producers impose an embargo on countries supporting Israel, causing world oil prices to soar.

    Economy· Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, United States
  20. October 6, 1973 – October 25, 1973★★★★★

    Yom Kippur War

    Egypt and Syria launch a surprise attack on Israel to regain Sinai and the Golan; the war ends in a ceasefire and paves the way for later negotiations.

    War· Israel, Egypt, Syria
  21. April 13, 1975 – 1990★★★★★

    Lebanese Civil War

    A multi-sided civil war devastates Lebanon for fifteen years, with intervention by Syria, Israel and other foreign forces.

    War· Lebanon
  22. 1978 – February 11, 1979★★★★★

    Iranian Revolution

    Mass protests topple Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi; Ayatollah Khomeini returns and Iran becomes an Islamic Republic.

    RevolutionReligionPolitics· Iran
  23. September 17, 1978★★★★★

    Camp David Accords

    Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin sign US-brokered accords, leading to the 1979 Egypt–Israel peace treaty.

    Treaty· Egypt, Israel, United States
  24. September 22, 1980 – August 20, 1988★★★★★

    Iran–Iraq War

    Saddam Hussein's Iraq invades Iran, beginning an eight-year war of attrition that kills hundreds of thousands.

    War· Iran, Iraq
  25. December 1987 – 1993★★★★★

    First Intifada

    Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip rise up against Israeli occupation, in an uprising lasting until the Oslo Accords.

    RevolutionPolitics· Palestine, Israel
  26. August 2, 1990★★★★★

    Iraqi invasion of Kuwait

    Iraqi forces invade and occupy Kuwait, prompting UN sanctions and the formation of a US-led coalition.

    War· Iraq, Kuwait
  27. January 17, 1991 – February 28, 1991★★★★★

    Gulf War

    A US-led coalition launches Operation Desert Storm, expelling Iraqi forces from Kuwait.

    War· Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United States
  28. September 13, 1993★★★★★

    Oslo Accords

    Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization recognise each other and sign the Declaration of Principles in Washington, creating the Palestinian Authority.

    Treaty· Israel, Palestine, United States

21st century

  1. March 20, 2003 – December 2011★★★★★

    Iraq War

    A US-led coalition invades Iraq and topples Saddam Hussein, beginning a long period of occupation and conflict.

    War· Iraq, United States, United Kingdom
  2. December 17, 2010 – January 14, 2011★★★★★

    Tunisian Revolution begins the Arab Spring

    The self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi sparks protests that force President Ben Ali to flee, spreading into the Arab Spring.

    Revolution· Tunisia
  3. January 25, 2011 – February 11, 2011★★★★★

    Egyptian Revolution of 2011

    Mass protests centred on Tahrir Square force President Hosni Mubarak to resign after nearly 30 years in power.

    Revolution· Egypt
  4. March 15, 2011★★★★★

    Syrian civil war

    Protests against Bashar al-Assad's government are suppressed and escalate into a multi-sided civil war, causing a major refugee crisis.

    War· Syria
  5. June 29, 2014★★★★★

    ISIS proclaims a caliphate

    The Islamic State group proclaims a 'caliphate' over territory seized in Iraq and Syria; it loses nearly all of it by 2017–2019.

    WarPolitics· Iraq, Syria
  6. September 15, 2020★★★★★

    Abraham Accords

    Israel signs US-brokered agreements normalising relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

    Treaty· Israel, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, United States
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