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• AD 1
• AD 476     End of Classical Period; Start of Middle Ages
• AD 1453   End of Middle Ages; Start of Renaissance

The icons indicate the continent for each event (the Middle East has its own icon). I will add to this timeline as I study more history.

8000 BC Jericho, the most ancient known city, is constructed.

6500 BC Catal Huyuk is the biggest city of its time. See also. And also.

3500 BC The wheel is invented in Mesopotamia.

3500 BC In Africa, the Sahara endures a climate change, and dries up. See also.

3200 BC Cuneiform develops in Mesopotamia. See also. And also.

3100 BC Menes unites Upper and Lower Egypt.

3000 BC Silk is first produced in China. See also.

3000 BC Egyptians invent Papyrus, an early form of paper made by pressing together reed strips. See also.

2750 BC Stonehenge is begun in what is now southern England. See also.

2613 BC The pyramids of Giza, built to hold the mummified pharaoh, are a wonder of the world. See also.

2500 BC Mohenjo Daro and other Indus Valley civilizations. See also.

2350 BC Sumerian civilization, the people between the rivers, prospers.

2350 BC Sargon I rules Sumeria by conquering its city-states. See also.

2200-1450 BC Minoan culture thrives on Crete. See also. And also.

2086 BC Abram travels, by divine calling, from Ur to Canaan, renamed Abraham.

2000 BC Ziggurats, giant step pyramid temples, are built in Sumer (Mesopotamia). See also.

1871 BC Joseph's parents and brothers go down to Egypt. See also.

1813 BC The Assyrians conquer northern Mesopotamia under Shamshi-Adad.

1770 BC Hammurabi's laws apply to all, not just the poor. See also.

1567 BC The Hyksos peoples (Amalekites?) are driven out of Egypt. After defeating the Hyksos, Egypt conquers other lands. See also.

1500 BC The volcano on Thera erupts violently, causing far reaching damage. See also. And also.

1500 BC Cleopatra's Needle, in New York's Central Park, is erected for Thutmosis III (it was centuries before Cleopatra). Its twin obelisk is in London.

1500 BC Stonehenge is completed in what is now southern England. See also.

1495 BC Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt, and then 40 years later, they are led to the promised land. See also.

1490 BC The rule of Hatshepsut, the only successful ancient Egyptian female pharaoh. See also. And also.

1468 BC Thutmosis III gains true power instead of being a puppet under the now dead Hatshepsut. See also. And also.

1460 BC The Hittite Empire reigns in modern day Turkey. See also. And also.

1450 BC Mycenaens rule Crete & parts of Greece. See also.

1400 BC The Israelites leave Egypt in the great Exodus .

1364 BC Akhenaten is remembered for the first monotheist Egypt, yet he was hated for it. See also.

1361 BC Tutankhamen rules Egypt for only nine years, yet is famous for his expensive tomb. See also. And also.

1300-609 BC The Assyrian empire cruelly rules. See map.

1289 BC Ramses II rules Egypt, creating many statues. See also. And also.

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1250 BC The Greeks and the Trojans fight in the Trojan War, as described in Homer's Iliad.

1200 BC The Sea Peoples (see also) conquer the Hittites, and attack Egypt. Ramses III defeats them, barely. See map.

1200 BC Deborah is judge of Israel, and helps Israel fight a war. See also.

1200-750 BC Greek Dark ages. After being conquered by the Sea Peoples, writing of history stopped, so not much is known about it. See also.

1200-700 BC The Phoenicians dominate Mediterranean See also.

1200 BC The Olmecs live in Mexico without the wheel or metal tools, yet they still manage to build large structures and carve stone. See also.

1190 BC The Philistines (Sea Peoples) settle in Canaan. See also.

1000 BC King David rules the Jews, and is one of their best kings.

1000 BC The Phoenicians invent the phonetic alphabet, allowing more people to be able to read. See also.

960 BC Solomon builds the temple in Jerusalem. See also.

926 BC Israel Divides into Israel and Judah.

850 BC Carthage, a trading colony, is founded by the Phoenicians in North Africa. See also.

800 BC Etruscan civilization. See also. Also, art.

776 BC The first Olympics, held in honor of the Greek gods on Mount Olympus. See also.

760 BC Jonah prophesies God's message of destruction to Ninevah, reluctantly. In turn, Ninevah repents, for awhile. See also.

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753 BC Rome is founded. See also. See also.

750 BC Rise of Greek City-States. See also. Also art and map.

750 BC Homer writes the Iliad and the Odyssey. See also.

722 BC Assyrians, under Sargon II, conquer Israel. See also.

668 BC Ashurbanipal creates the library in Assyria. See also. And also.

613 BC The highly precise Mayan Calendar is written. See also. See conversions. See links.

612 BC Babylonians and Medes defeat Assyrians. See also.

609 BC Destruction of Assyrian empire, by the Medes and the Persians.

604 BC Nebuchadnezzar rules Babylon and creates Hanging Gardens. See also.

604-539 BC The Babylonian Empire, which is started by Nebuchadnezzar. See also.

600 BC The Phoenicians sail around Africa, a great journey in those days.

600 BC The life of the Persian teacher Zoroaster, who said that the whole world was a battleground between good and evil.

586 BC Babylon conquers Judah and keeps Judah in captivity for about 150 years. See also.

586 BC Daniel's career in Babylon begins when Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar his dream.

582-500 BC The life of Pythagoras, one of the first scientists / mathematicians. See theorem.

563-483 BC The life of Siddhartha also known as The Buddha. See also.

559-525 BC Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers a huge empire. See also.

551-479 BC Life of Confucius, "Solomon" of China. See also.

539 BC The Persians capture Babylon. See also. And also.

521-486 BC Darius I efficiently runs the Persian empire. See also. And also.

509 BC The Roman Republic, a democracy, exists. See also. And also.

507 BC Horatius single-handedly fends off the Etruscan army at the Tiber river.

500 BC Peak of Aryan civilization in India. See also.

500 BC Chinese Warring States period. See also.

490 BC The Greeks beat the Persians at the Battle of Marathon. See also.

480 BC Spartans fight incredible odds at Thermopylae. See also.

480 BC The Greeks beat the Persians at the Battle of Salamis. See also.

479 BC Xerxes marries Esther. She, in turn, saves Israel from one of the King's advisers. See also.

480-430 BC The Golden Age of Greece, in which philosophy and the arts flourish. See also.

470-399 BC The life of the Greek philosopher Socrates, who taught that you should know yourself. See also. See Quotes.

460-370 BC Life of Democritus, who makes many theories about atoms. See also.

458 BC Cincinnatus defends Rome well, and is given a chance to be king, but he declines and goes back to farming. See also.

450 BC The construction of the enormous statue of Zeus in Olympia, Greece. One of the seven wonders of the ancient world. See also.

440 BC Herodotus the first reliable historian, writes the history up to his time. See also.

438 BC The Parthenon is built, in honor of the Greek goddess, Athena Parthenos. See also.

431 BC The Peloponnesian War between Sparta and Athens. See also.

427-347 BC The life of Plato, who was interested in every question involving God and man. See also. And also.

384-322 BC The life of the Greek philosopher Aristotle, who believed that facts were most important. See also.

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336-323 BC Reign of Alexander the Great, the military genius who conquered a huge empire. See also. And also.

300 - 200 BC The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Torah, is copied word for word. See also.

287-212 BC Life of Archimedes, the great Greek scientist. See also. And also.

285 BC The huge Pharos of Alexandria lighthouse is built. See also. And also.

268-233 BC Asoka rules Mauryan empire, in northern India. See also.

264-146 BC Rome fights Carthage in the Punic Wars. See also.

221 BC Modern Chinese writing is invented. See also. And also.

221 BC Qin Zheng unifies Chinese warring states into an empire. See also.

218 BC Hannibal crosses the narrow and dangerous path through the Alps on ELEPHANTS!

214 BC The Great Wall of China is built. See also. And also.
(Can you see the Great Wall of China from the moon? Find out!)

200 BC Construction of the Nazca lines, huge mounds of dirt that form pictures. See also. And also.

200 BC - 650 AD Buddhists dig the Ajanta caves in India. See also.

165 BC The miracle of Hanukkah (Chanukah). A holy lamp kept burning for many days, even though it only had enough oil for one day. See also.

140 BC Chinese civil service system allows any educated boy to try for a government job.

138-126 BC The travels of Chang Chien, the man who gave China more knowledge of the West. See also.

100 BC - AD 500 The Hopewell Mounds are constructed. See also.

69 - 30 BC Life of Cleopatra, queen of Egypt. See also. And also.

60 BC-9 AD The life of the great Jewish rabbi, Hillel. See also.

49 BC Julius Caesar, last leader (dictator) of the Roman Republic. See also. And also.

45 BC Julius Caesar invents a new calendar, very similar to the one we use today. See also.

39 BC The Romans sack the city of Sepphoris in Galilee, crucifying 2000, and selling the rest of the city into slavery.

37 BC - AD 93 The reign of the Herods in Israel. See also. See chart.

31 BC Mark Antony and Cleopatra fight Octavian (Augustus) in the sea battle of Actium. See also.

30 BC Virgil writes the Aeneid, the story of the founding of Rome. See also.

27 BC Start of the Roman Empire which would endure for over 500 years. See also. See timeline. See map.

27 BC Caesar Augustus, first head of the Roman Empire, makes Rome beautiful. See also. And also.

27 BC - AD 180 A long period of peace in the Roman Empire, which is known as the Pax Romana, meaning "Roman peace." See also.

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c. 4 BC - AD 33 Earthly life of Jesus Christ.

AD 9 Hermann the German attacks the Roman general Varus's legions and beheads Varus, this pushed back Roman influence in Germany. See also.

AD 31 Octavian (Augustus) defeats Antony and Cleopatra at Battle of Actium, securing his sole rule of the Roman empire. See also. And also.

AD 43 Roman conquest of Britain during the reign of Emperor Claudius. See also.

AD 46-53 Paul the Apostle goes on his Missionary journeys. See also.

AD 61 Boadicea (Boudicca) leads British barbarian raiders against Rome. See also.

AD 64 Nero blames the great fire of Rome on the Christians, starting their persecution. See also.

AD 70 The Romans destroy Jerusalem in response to Jewish rebellion. See also. And also.

70 AD In the terrible Diaspora, the Romans disperse the Jews throughout their empire, in an attempt to wipe out the Jewish race.

AD 73 After the sack of Jerusalem, the zealot rebels of Masada commit suicide rather than be captured by the Romans.

AD 79 Mt Vesuvius erupts, showering the unlucky residents of Pompeii. See also. And also.

87-150 AD Life of Ptolemy, who makes an inaccurate map of the solar system, in which the earth is in the center. See also.

c. 115 The Roman empire reaches its greatest size under Emperor Trajan.

122 The Romans build Hadrian's wall in Britain, to provide a defensible boundary against the northern tribes. See also. And also.

126 Construction of the today's Roman Pantheon. See also.

156 Polycarp is martyred because he honored Christ to the very end. See also.

c. 200+ The Catacombs, tunnels under the ground, are used by Christians, not to worship in secret, but to bury their dead. See also. See photo.

286 Diocletian divides the Roman Empire. See also.

312 Rome builds the famous Appian Way.

313 Emperor Constantine granted religious freedom to Christianity. See also. And also.

320-535 North India is united into the Gupta dynasty. See also.

410 The Visigoths sack Rome. The capitol is moved to Ravenna. See also.

432 St. Patrick evangelizes Ireland. See also.

449 Anglo Saxon invasion of Britain. See also.

451 Romans and Franks defeat Attila the Hun at the Battle of Chalons, France. See also. And also.

455-467 Skandagupta unites India into one army, then defeats the invading Huns.

475 A barbarian boy named Romulus Augustus is the last emperor of the Western Roman Empire. See also.

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476 Rome falls due mainly to continuously rebelling barbarians. See also. And also. Timeline.

485-510 Clovis rules the Franks. See also.

518 King Arthur of Britain fought the Saxon invaders. See also. And also.

527-565 Justinian rules the Byzantine Empire well. See also.

529 St Benedict founds the first monastery in Western Europe. See also.

532 Construction of Justinian's great cathedral, Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. See also.

535 World wide climate change. Possible cause of profound historic trends. Possibly caused by a supervolcano. See also. And also.

542 The first bubonic plague pandemic, known as The Plague of Justinian. See also. And also.

563 Columba evangelizes Scotland. See also. And also.

570-632 The life of Mohammed, the prophet of Islam.

596 St Augustine of Canterbury goes on a missionary journey to Britain.

c. 600 The story of Beowulf is composed, and in the year c. 1000, it is transcribed. See also.

622 Founding of Islam.

  637-750 Arab conquest of the Middle East, North Africa, and Spain. See also.

664 The Catholic church tries to absorb the Celtic church at the Synod of Whitby, and an agreement is reached. See also.

690-741 The life of Charles Martel, brave ruler of France.

711 Tariq conquers Spain for the Muslim empire.

732 The Franks defeat the Muslims and halt their advance at the Battle of Tours in France. See also.

762 Baghdad is founded by Al Mansur. See also.

771-814 The rule of Charlemagne, who brought education to France. See also.

800 Mayan culture thrives in Central America.

860 Rus siege of Constantinople fails.

863 Cyrill and Methodius create Cyrillic alphabet for Russia.

866 The Viking "Great Army" conquers large section of England. See also.

871-899 Alfred the Great fights off the Vikings and paves the way for a united England. See also. And also.

1000 Leif Ericson lands his ship in Newfoundland. He is the first European to find the Americas. See also.

1031+ In the Reconquest of Spain, El Cid captures Spain back from the Muslims. See also. And also.

1054 The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches separate in the Eastern Schism. See also.

1066 Harold of England and William of Normandy fight over who should be king of England in the Battle of Hastings. See also. See map.

1095 The first Crusade is funded by the Pope to take back the Holy Land from the "infidel". What occurs is a wholesale slaughter of both Muslims and Christians alike. See also. See map.

1100's Great Zimbabwe's walls are constructed.

1113 Angkor Wat the ancient Cambodian temple, is built. See also.

1154-1189 Reign of Henry II, who standardized England's legal system and caused the murder of his best friend, Archbishop Thomas Becket. See also.

1170 Archbishop Thomas Becket is murdered at the urging of King Henry II. Becket was meant as a pawn, so that Henry could control the church through him. When Becket defied the king and followed his convictions, he was convicted of treason. See also. And also.

1187 Saladin's fresh army beats the weak, tired and thirsty crusaders in the Battle of Hattin, then recaptures Jerusalem. After this battle, there are no more serious crusades. See also.

1189-1199 Richard the Lionheart, son of Henry II, rules England, then goes on a crusade and leaves his brother John in charge. See also.

1199-1219 Reign of Richard's brother John "Lackland", made infamous in the tale of Robin Hood. See also. More links.

1206+ Genghis Khan conquers China and other lands. See also. And also.

1215 Spurred by the abuses of power, the barons of England force King John to sign Magna Carta. For the first time, a ruler is subject to law (Rule of Law). See also.

1220-1292 Life of Roger Bacon, who uses science to disprove superstition. See also.

1257-1294 Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, rules China. See also. And also.

1271 Marco Polo explores China and serves in Kublai Khan's court. See also.

1290 and 1306 The Jews are Expelled from England and France. See also. And also.

1200-1300 The Silk Road supplies the rich with silk treasures from the Far East. See also. And also.

1337-1453 A fight over land between France and England turns into a 116-year-long war named the 100 Years War. See also.

1348 Black Death (Bubonic Plague) strikes throughout known world, kills as much as a third of Medieval Europe's population, and brings massive societal changes. See also. And also. Map.

1368-1644 The Ming Dynasty closes China to the outside world. See also.

1378-1418 During the Great (Western) Schism, factions of the Catholic church follow two and sometimes three different popes. See also.

1386-1466 The life of the famous Renaissance sculptor, Donatello. See also.

1407-1420 The Forbidden City is constructed for the emperors of China. See also. And also.

1412-1431 Joan of Arc attempts to liberate France, and is successful briefly. Then the English capture her and burn her at the stake for witchcraft. See also.

1415 England and France fight over France in the Battle of Agincourt. The English dominate with their longbows. See also.

1418 Prince Henry the Navigator sends out many ships to look for a sea route around Africa, to India. See also. And also.

1425 Armies start using cannons and gunpowder, which brings the end of castles and armor. See also.

1436-1440 Gutenberg invents printing with moveable type. This changes the world. He prints the first Bible in 1455. See also. And also.

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1453 Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks brings significant changes to Western World. See also.

1455-1487 The Yorks and the Lancastrians, cousins, fight the Wars of the Roses for control of the English throne. See also. And also.

1462-1505 Reign of Ivan the Great who united Russia, then kicked out the Mongols.

1480s Ivan the Great rebuilds the Kremlin as Russia's capital. See also.

1492 Spain recaptures Granada, the last Muslim territory in Spain.

1492 October 12, Christopher Columbus landed in the New World. See also.

1520-1566 Reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, who established a system of laws in the Ottoman Empire See also.

1520 Magellan circles the globe. See also.

1543 Copernicus writes a book that shows a solar system with the Sun in the center, not the Earth. See also.

1547-1584 Reign of Ivan the Terrible of Russia. He went mad after his wife's death, accusing and killing many people. See also. And also.

1571 The Christians (mostly Spanish) defeat the Ottomans at The battle of Lepanto off Greece. The Ottoman Empire begins to decline. See also. And also.

1571-1630 The life of Johannes Kepler, who writes three laws on orbits. See also. And also.

1583 Matteo Ricci teaches Christianity in China. See also.

1592 Admiral Yi of Korea uses turtle ship to thwart Japanese attacks. See also.

1609 Galileo adds evedence to Copernicus's theory, with the help of the newly invented telescope. See also. And also.

1623-1662 The life of Blaise Pascal, who writes much on geometry and hydrostatics, even showing that all triangles add up to 180 degrees. See also.

1627-1691 The life of Robert Boyle the first modern chemist. See also.

1630s Tokugawa period, Japan shuts out the rest of the world. See also.

1642-1727 The life of the great scientist; Issac Newton, noted for writing 3 laws of motion and developing calculus. See also. And also.

1665 Great Plague of London killed 15% of the city. See also.

1672-1725 Peter the Great modernizes Russia, and taxes heavily for it. See also.

1700s and 1800s The Enlightenment; a philosophical change makes man into the ultimate authority for science, instead of God. See also.

1702 Leeuwenhoek looks through a microscope and sees protista. See also.

1735 Carrolus Linnaeus tries to classify all living creatures, and sets down rules for animal classification that we still use today. See also. And also.

1770 April 9. Captain James Cook claimed Australia for Britain. See also.

1788 January 26. The first European settlement in Australia. Known as First Fleet, it is a combination of convicts and settlers from England.

1791-1867 The life of Michael Faraday, who studied electricity. Many modern electrical terms were named by him. See also.

1820 Antarctic continent first sighted.

1822-1884 The life of Gregory Mendel, who advanced the study of genetics and how traits are passed on. See also. And also.

1839 James Clark Ross explored Antarctica. See also.

1850 Louis Pasteur discovered microbes and many other things. See also.

1853 July, Commodore Perry's mission to "open" Japan.

1854 Hudson Taylor successfully preaches Christianity to China. See also. And also.

1862 David Livingstone preaches and explores in Africa.

1869 The Suez Canal is constructed, greatly shortening the journey to the west/east.

1900 Boxer Rebellion results because Britain is taking advantage of China. See also.

1909 January 15. Men from Ernest Shackleton's crew are the first to reach the magnetic South Pole. See also.

1910s Russian Revolution. Communism (uugh!). See also.

1916-1918 Lawrence of Arabia assists Arabs in revolt against Turkish occupation. See also.

1947 Mahatma Gandhi frees India from Britain. See also.

1950 Korean war. A war that should have lasted 6 months lasted 3 years. See also.

1946 - 1997 Mother Teresa helps fight disease and poverty in India, relying on God. See also. Also see also.

1957-1975 Americans help the South Vietnamese fight the Vietnam War against North Vietnam and Communism.

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