World History Timeline

Timeline

1026 events

2nd century

  1. c. 150s★★★★★

    Ptolemy's Almagest

    Claudius Ptolemy completes the Almagest, setting out a geocentric model of the cosmos that remains the standard work of astronomy for over a millennium.

    Science· Egypt
  2. March 17, 180★★★★★

    Death of Marcus Aurelius

    The death of the philosopher-emperor Marcus Aurelius is often regarded as marking the end of the Pax Romana.

    DeathPolitics
  3. 184★★★★★

    Yellow Turban Rebellion

    A peasant uprising led by Zhang Jiao shakes the Eastern Han and paves the way for an era of rival warlords.

    WarReligion· China
  4. c. 192★★★★★

    Founding of Linyi (Champa)

    A revolt against Han rule in Rinan commandery founds the kingdom of Linyi, the precursor of Champa in central Vietnam.

    Politics· Vietnam

3rd century

  1. 208★★★★★

    Battle of Red Cliffs

    Allied forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei defeat Cao Cao's army on the Yangtze, preventing him from conquering the south.

    War· China
  2. 220 – 280★★★★★

    Three Kingdoms period

    After the fall of the Han, China splits into the states of Wei, Shu and Wu until reunification under the Jin in 280.

    WarDynasty· China
  3. 224★★★★★

    Founding of the Sasanian Empire

    Ardashir I defeats the last Parthian king, founding the Sasanian Empire, the last Iranian empire before the rise of Islam.

    DynastyWar· Iran, Iraq
  4. 235 – 284★★★★★

    Crisis of the Third Century

    The Roman Empire nearly collapses under civil wars, invasions, plague and economic crisis until Diocletian's accession.

    PoliticsEconomy· Italy
  5. 248★★★★★

    Uprising of Lady Triệu

    Triệu Thị Trinh leads an uprising against Eastern Wu rule in Jiuzhen.

    War· Vietnam
  6. 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
  7. 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

4th century

  1. October 28, 312★★★★★

    Battle of the Milvian Bridge

    Constantine defeats Maxentius near Rome; according to tradition he saw a Christian sign before the battle.

    WarReligion· Italy
  2. 313★★★★★

    Edict of Milan

    Emperors Constantine and Licinius agree on religious toleration, ending the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire.

    ReligionPolitics· Italy
  3. c. 320★★★★★

    Founding of the Gupta Empire

    Chandragupta I takes the throne, beginning the Gupta era, often regarded as a golden age of Indian science, art and literature.

    Dynasty· India
  4. 325★★★★★

    First Council of Nicaea

    The first ecumenical council of Christianity, convened by Constantine, condemns Arianism and formulates the Nicene Creed.

    Religion· Turkey
  5. c. 330s★★★★★

    King Ezana of Aksum converts to Christianity

    King Ezana of Aksum, in present-day Ethiopia and Eritrea, adopted Christianity under the influence of Frumentius, making Aksum one of the first Christian states.

    ReligionPolitics· Ethiopia, Eritrea
  6. May 11, 330★★★★★

    Dedication of Constantinople

    Emperor Constantine I dedicates Constantinople as the new capital of the Roman Empire.

    Politics· Turkey
  7. c. 350s★★★★★

    Decline of the Kingdom of Kush at Meroë

    The Nubian Kingdom of Kush, whose capital Meroë was famed for ironworking and pyramids, came to an end around the mid-4th century amid campaigns by Aksum.

    DynastyPolitics· Sudan
  8. August 9, 378★★★★★

    Battle of Adrianople

    The Goths, many of whom had crossed the Danube fleeing the Huns, crush a Roman army and kill Emperor Valens.

    War· Turkey
  9. February 27, 380★★★★★

    Edict of Thessalonica

    Emperor Theodosius I proclaims Nicene Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire.

    ReligionPolitics· Greece
  10. 395★★★★★

    Permanent division of the Roman Empire

    After the death of Theodosius I, the empire is divided between his two sons into Western and Eastern halves, never to be reunited.

    Politics· Italy, Turkey

5th century

  1. August 24, 410★★★★★

    Visigoths sack Rome

    Visigoths under Alaric I enter and sack Rome, the first time in about 800 years the city had fallen to a foreign enemy.

    War· Italy
  2. 415★★★★★

    Murder of Hypatia

    The mathematician and philosopher Hypatia is murdered by a mob in Alexandria.

    DeathScience· Egypt
  3. c. 420s★★★★★

    Founding of Nalanda Mahavihara

    Under the Guptas, the monastery of Nalanda in Bihar is founded and becomes Asia's foremost centre of Buddhist learning for centuries.

    ReligionCulture· India
  5. September 4, 476★★★★★

    Fall of the Western Roman Empire

    Odoacer deposes Romulus Augustulus, the last Western Roman emperor, a conventional end of antiquity in Europe.

    PoliticsDynasty· Italy
  6. c. 496★★★★★

    Baptism of Clovis I

    Clovis I, unifier of the Franks, converts to Catholic Christianity; traditionally dated to around 496 at Reims.

    ReligionPolitics· France
  7. 499★★★★★

    Aryabhata writes the Aryabhatiya

    Mathematician-astronomer Aryabhata completes the Aryabhatiya, treating place-value notation, an approximation of pi and the Earth's rotation.

    Science· India

6th century

  1. 529 – 534★★★★★

    Justinian's Code (Corpus Juris Civilis)

    Emperor Justinian I has Roman law codified as the Corpus Juris Civilis, the foundation of many modern civil-law systems.

    Politics· Turkey
  2. December 27, 537★★★★★

    Hagia Sophia consecrated

    The Hagia Sophia, rebuilt by Justinian I in Constantinople, is consecrated, crowned by a dome unprecedented in its time.

    ReligionArt· Turkey
  3. c. 538★★★★★

    Buddhism introduced to Japan

    By tradition, a king of Baekje sends Buddhist images and scriptures to the Yamato court, beginning Buddhism's spread in Japan.

    Religion· Japan, South Korea
  4. 541★★★★★

    Plague of Justinian

    The first recorded pandemic of bubonic plague sweeps the Mediterranean, devastating the Byzantine Empire and killing vast numbers.

    Disease· Turkey, Egypt
  5. 544★★★★★

    Lý Bí founds Vạn Xuân

    After expelling the Liang, Lý Bí proclaims himself Emperor Lý Nam Đế of the state of Vạn Xuân.

    DynastyPolitics· Vietnam
  6. 589★★★★★

    Sui dynasty reunifies China

    Emperor Wen of Sui conquers the southern Chen dynasty, ending nearly three centuries of division.

    WarDynasty· China

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
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