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
Events this year
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
Ongoing
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
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
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