eHistory at OSU | Timelines

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We are in the process of editing and overhauling our timelines to broaden their scope and increase their usefulness as teaching tools. We plan to re-organize the content as well, grouping events by geographic regions first and then by category within each geographic region as the viewer "zooms in" on events in history.

Enter word OR year. Examples: Rice or 1932 or 323 bce

In the meantime, please tell us if you spot any errors or notice missing events that deserve inclusion.

[Timeline Sources]

Ancient History: 12,000 BCE to 476 CE Timeline

Year	International Relations & Warfare	Politics	Science, Technology & Discovery	Society & Culture	Economics & Daily Life
c. 10000 BCE					(1) Dog first domesticated (Middle East) (2) Development of intensive flock management in Zagros Mountains
c. 8350 BCE			Earliest known walled city at Jericho
c. 8000 BCE					(1) Potatoes and beans first cultivated in South America (2) Earliest permanent farming villages in Fertile Crescent
c. 7500 BCE			First manufacture of textiles in the Middle East using flax
c. 7000 BCE					Goats, sheep, and pigs domesticated (Middle East)
c. 6200 BCE			Copper smelting in Asia Minor
c. 6000 BCE			Irrigation in Zagros Mountains		(1) Cat domesticated (Northeast Africa) (2) Cattle domesticated (Turkey)
c. 5500 BCE			Cotton cultivated in India
c. 5200 BCE					Chickens domesticated (China)
c. 5000 BCE			Irrigation spreads to Mesopotamia
c. 4500 BCE			Sail, plow, and potter's wheel invented in Mesopotamia
c. 4300 BCE				Megalithic tombs in Western Europe	c. 4300-3100; Spread of cities in Mesopotamia
c. 4000 BCE					Horse domesticated (Eurasian steppe)
c. 3800 BCE			Bronze in Mesopotamia
c. 3650 BCE			Wheeled vehicles in Mesopotamia
c. 3500 BCE			Pottery in South America		Permanent fishing villages in South America
c. 3400 BCE			Earliest hieroglyphics in Egypt
c. 3150 BCE		Unification of Egypt under King Menes
3000 BCE			Sumerians develop Cuneiform writing		Potatoes, alpacas, and llamas domesticated (Andes Mountains)
2900 BCE			Defensive walls around cities become more prevalent
2700 BCE				Yin and Yang theory developed in China	Olive trees cultivated (Crete)
2630 BCE			c. 2630; First pyramid constructed in Egypt; Imhotep is first known architect
2600 BCE					(1) Urbanization in Indus River Valley (2) Preservation of fish and poultry (Egypt)
2575 BCE		c. 2575-2134; Old Kingdom of Egypt
2528 BCE			c. 2528; Cheops buried in First Great Pyramid at Giza
2400 BCE			First wheeled war wagons in Mesopotamia
2350 BCE		Earliest known law code in Sumer
2334 BCE		c. 2334-2193; Sargon unifies Sumer and Akkad, creating Akkadian Empire		c. 2334-2193; First deification of kings in Sumer
2300 BCE					Earliest permanent farming villages in Mesoamerica
2296 BCE			Chinese record a comet
2200 BCE		Legendary Xia Dynasty in China			Dogs, goats, pigs, oxen, and sheep domesticated in China
2134 BCE		Collapse of central authority in Egypt; End of Old Kingdom
2100 BCE				First Ziggurats in Sumer
2040 BCE		c. 2040-1650; Mentuhotep restores centralized government in Egypt marking the beginning of the Middle Kingdom
2000 BCE	Hittites establish empire in Anatolia (modern Turkey)	c. 2000 - 1450; Minoan palace civilization on Crete (-2000 to -1450)	Decimal notation in Babylon	(1) Stonehenge in Southern England (2) Epic of Gilgamesh is first written myth	Tea and bananas cultivated (India)
1813 BCE	Emergence of Assyrian power under Shamshi-Adad I (-1813 to -1781)
1800 BCE	c. 1800-1750; Hammurabi establishes Babylonian Empire	c. 1800-1750; Hammurabi's Code is first written legal code	Irrigation in South America	Earliest prohibitions against pork among shepherd tribes in Middle East
1750 BCE				Collapse of Indus River Valley civilization at Mohenjo-daro and Harappa
1700 BCE	c. 1700-1650; Chariot-equipped Hyksos begin invasions and conquer Middle Kingdom Egypt		Spread of two-wheeled war chariot in Middle East		First evidence of leavened bread (Egypt)
1600 BCE		(1) Rise of Mycenaean Civilization in mainland Greece (2) c. 1600; First historical dynasty in China (The Shang)	(1) Canaanites invent first alphabet (2) Pictographic writing in China
1550 BCE		Ahmose reunites Egypt; c. 1550-1070; New Kingdom in Egypt
1500 BCE	c. 1504-1492; Thutmose I expands Egypt into Palestine, Syria, and Nubia		Geometry developed in Egypt		(1) Silkworm domesticated (China) (2) c. 1500 Rabbit domesticated (Europe)
1458 BCE		Thutmose III ascends to Egyptian throne; First usage of the term Pharaoh
1450 BCE	Mycenaean Greeks conquer Minoan Civilization on Crete			Brahma worship in India
1440 BCE			First metalworking in South America
1400 BCE			Iron Age begins in Asia Minor		Maize cultivation in Mesoamerica
1353 BCE				Amenhotep IV introduces monotheism to Egypt
1350 BCE			War chariot introduced to China
1333 BCE				Tutankhaman (King Tut) reestablishes polytheism as official religion in Egypt
1200 BCE		(1) c. 1200-400; Olmec Civilization in Mesoamerica (2) c. 1200-1100; Bronze Age palaces destroyed throughout Mediterranean world		c. 1200-1100; Judaism established in Palestine	c. 1200-800; Rise of Phoenician maritime dominance in the Mediterranean
1150 BCE					Aristocrats in Egypt use chairs
1122 BCE		c. 1122-256; Zhou Dynasty in China
1100 BCE			Phoenician traders begin spreading alphabet throughout Mediterranean
1070 BCE		End of New Kingdom in Egypt
1047 BCE		c. 1047-1007 BCE; Saul reigns as first Hebrew king in Judaea
1006 BCE	c. 1006-965; David becomes king of Israel and conquers Jerusalem
957 BCE				Solomon builds first Jewish temple in Jerusalem
900 BCE		Etruscans establish cities in Tuscany
883 BCE	Revival of Assyrian power under Ashurnasirpal II (-883 to -859)
850 BCE				c. 850-750; Approximate date of written transcriptions of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey from existing oral tradition
814 BCE		Traditional date for the founding of Carthage
800 BCE			(1) Hieroglyphic script in Mesoamerica (2) c. 800-750; Development of Greek alphabet	Olmecs build pyramids in Central America (modern Mexico)
780 BCE		c. 780-755; Alara establishes Napata Kingdom of Kush
776 BCE				First Olympic Games held in Greece
772 BCE				Construction begins on Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, one of Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
771 BCE		Destruction of the Zhou capital at Hào marks end of Western Zhou Dynasty in China; Beginning of Eastern Zhou Dynasty
753 BCE		Traditional date of the founding of Rome
744 BCE	Tiglath-Pileser III succeeds in Assyria; Conquers Syria, Palestine, Israel, and Babylon (-744 to -727)
722 BCE	Sargon II seizes power in Assyria; destroys the Kingdom of Israel	c. 722-481; Spring and Autumn Period in China; Decentralization and rise of powerful nobles
720 BCE			Chinese record solar eclipse
700 BCE			Aqueducts in the Middle East
671 BCE	Assyrians conquer Egypt
660 BCE		Legendary date for foundation of Japan by Emperor Jimmu; Celebrated in Japan as National Foundation Day
657 BCE		Cypselus becomes first tyrant in Corinth
650 BCE					First coins used by Lydians
621 BCE		First written legal code in Athens attributed to Draco
612 BCE	Babylonians sack Nineveh; Assyrian power collapses
609 BCE			Nekan of Egypt launches first known circumnavigation of Africa
605 BCE	Babylonians defeat last Assyrian army at Megiddo; End of Assyria as an independent kingdom
600 BCE	c. 600; Greeks colonize southern France			c. 600; Sappho is priestess of love cult on Lesbos
594 BCE		Solon's reforms in Athens
587 BCE	Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon destroys Jerusalem; Babylonian Captivity of the Jews begins
585 BCE			Greek astronomer Thales predicts an eclipse
565 BCE				Spread of Taoism in China
553 BCE				c. 553; Death of Zoroaster; Teachings emphasizing monotheism and eschatology become official religion of Persian Empire
550 BCE		Persian Empire unified by Cyrus II; Beginning of Achaemenid Dynasty	Earliest use of cast iron in China
539 BCE	Babylonian empire conquered by Cyrus the Great of Persia
530 BCE			Greek mathematician Pythagoras
522 BCE	Darius I rises to power in Persia; Expands Persian Empire to its maximum extent
520 BCE			Canal completed between the Nile River and Red Sea
517 BCE				Hsiao Yen (Wu Ti) backs Buddhist missionary efforts in central China
515 BCE				c. 515; Birth of Parmenides, who becomes founder of metaphysics
509 BCE		Rome becomes a republic
508 BCE		Cleisthenes' democratic reforms in Athens
500 BCE				(1) c. 500; Polynesian culture develops in Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga (2) Earliest versions of Sun Tzu's The Art of War (3) Heraclitus becomes one of the earliest dialectical philosophers	c. 500 Honeybee domesticated (Europe)
499 BCE	Ionian Revolt marks beginning of Persian-Greek Wars
498 BCE				Pindar begins composing his Odes
495 BCE				c. 495-483; Confucius teaches throughout China
490 BCE	Athenians defeat Persians at Battle of Marathon
480 BCE	(1) Spartan army under King Leonidas defeated by Persians at Battle of Thermopylae (2) Greek fleet defeats Persian fleet at Battle of Salamis	c. 480-221; Warring States Period in China; Seven regional warlords fight for dominance in China
479 BCE	Battles of Plataea and Mycale mark the end of Spartan leadership of the Greek coalition against Persia
478 BCE	Athens founds Delian League to lead the Greek war against Persia
472 BCE				Aeschylus's tragedy Persae performed
466 BCE	Delian League decisively defeats Persian fleet at Battle of Eurymedon River
461 BCE		Golden Age of Athens begins; Pericles funds massive public works in city
458 BCE		Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus becomes dictator of Rome then retires; One of the founding myths of Roman Virtue
457 BCE	First Peloponnesian War; Sparta dominant in Peloponnesian Peninsula (-457 to -445)
455 BCE				Anaxagoras teaches atomistic theory of the natural world
450 BCE					Reindeer domesticated (Central Asia)
441 BCE				First stage success of Euripides in Athens
440 BCE				Sophocles' tragedy Antigone
438 BCE				Phidias completes Parthenon
431 BCE	Second Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta begins			Euripides' Medea
430 BCE				(1) Death of Empedocles, who developed Four Elements theory of the natural world (2) c. 430; Herodotus writes his History	Hippocrates teaches in Athens
429 BCE				c. 429, Sophocles' Oedipus Rex
428 BCE				Euripides' Hippolytus; portrays struggle between sexual desire and asceticism
426 BCE				Euripides' Andromache
423 BCE				Aristophanes' comedy The Clouds
421 BCE				Aristophanes' comedy The Peace
420 BCE				c. 420-413; Sophocles' Electra
415 BCE	Athens sends large expeditionary force to Sicily; Athenians are decisively defeated			Euripides' The Trojan Women
411 BCE	Outnumbered Athenian fleet defeats Spartans at Battle of Cynossema			Aristophanes' anti-war satire Lysistrata
405 BCE	With Persian aid, Spartan fleet decisively defeats Athenians at the battle of Aegospotami
404 BCE	Athens surrenders, marking end of Peloponnesian War	Sparta establishes government of the "Thirty Tyrants" and suspends democracy in Athens
403 BCE		Thrasybulus overthrows "Thirty Tyrants" and reestablishes democracy in Athens
401 BCE	Battle of Cunaxa; Xenophon and 10,000 Greek mercenaries retreat through Persian Empire			(1) Posthumous production of Sophocles' Oedipus at Colonus (2) Death of Thucydides, who leaves behind The History of the Peloponnesian War
399 BCE				Trial and death of Socrates
385 BCE				Plato establishes his Academy
371 BCE	Thebes defeats Sparta at Battle of Leuctra; Spartan helots freed
367 BCE				Aristotle begins study at Plato's Academy
359 BCE		Philip II becomes king in Macedon
350 BCE					c. 350; Earliest Mayan city-states
343 BCE	Rome subdues Campania in First Samnite War (-343 to -341)
340 BCE	Athens forms Hellenic League to resist Philip II of Macedon
338 BCE	Philip II of Macedon defeats Greek army at Battle of Chaeronea; End of independent Greek city-states
336 BCE	Philip II of Macedon assassinated; Alexander rises to power in Macedon
335 BCE	Alexander destroys the rebellious city of Thebes and enslaves its population			Aristotle opens the Lyceum
334 BCE	Alexander the Great Invades Asia Minor and defeats Persians at Granicus River
332 BCE	Alexander conquers Palestine and Egypt	Alexander the Great founds Alexandria in Egypt
331 BCE	Alexander defeats Persians at Gaugamela; Effectively destroys Persian army
330 BCE	(1) Alexander the Great enters Babylon; Conquers Persian Empire (2) Darius III assassinated by Persian satrap Bessus
329 BCE	Alexander the Great reaches India
326 BCE	Macedonian army defeats King Porus at the battle of The Hydaspes River; Alexander the Great's army mutinies and refuses to march farther into India
325 BCE					First historical reference to sugar cane by Nearchus
324 BCE				Menander introduces 'New Comedy' to Greece
323 BCE	(1) Alexander's general Ptolemy establishes control of Egypt (2) Alexander the Great dies; Wars of the Diadochoi (Successors) begin
322 BCE		Chandragupta Maurya establishes the Mauryan Empire in northern India
312 BCE	Seleucus establishes Seleucid Empire in Mesopotamia		Appius Claudius Caecus begins construction of the Appian Way in Rome
301 BCE	Antigonus dies at battle of Ipsus; Dissolution of Alexander's empire is confirmed			Zeno introduces Stoic philosophy in Athens
300 BCE			(1) c. 300; Coal technology in Greece (2) Euclid's Elements	c. 300 BCE; Epicurus founds school of philosophy in Athens	c. 300; Rise of horse-nomadism among Turko-Mongol tribes of Central Asia
290 BCE	Rome completes conquest of Samnites; Effectively controls Italy			Approximate date for the construction of the Library of Alexandria
289 BCE				Chinese ruler/philosopher Mencius dies; Responsible for refining Confucianism
283 BCE				Pharos lighthouse in Alexandria
281 BCE				Completion of the Colossus of Rhodes, one of Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
272 BCE	Rome conquers Tarentum and unifies Italian Peninsula
270 BCE			c. 270; Aristarchos of Samos proposes heliocentric universe
264 BCE	First Punic War begins between Rome and Carthage
260 BCE				(1) c. 260; Mauryan king Ashoka converts to Buddhism (2) c. 260; First gladiatorial games in Rome
256 BCE		End of Eastern Zhou Dynasty in China
241 BCE	First Punic War ends after Carthaginian defeat at the battle of the Aegates Islands; Rome conquers Sicily and makes it the first Roman province
238 BCE		Arsaces establishes independent kingdom of Parthia
221 BCE		China united by the first emperor Shih Huang-ti; Beginning of Qin Dynasty and Imperial China		Chinese Emperor Shih Huang-ti outlaws and persecutes Confucianism
219 BCE	Second Punic War between Rome and Carthage begins
217 BCE	Roman army ambushed and destroyed at Battle of Lake Trasimene
216 BCE	Hannibal's Carthaginian army destroys 16 Roman legions at Battle of Cannae
212 BCE			Archimedes dies during siege of Syracuse; Regarded as one of the greatest ancient scientists
210 BCE		Chinese Emperor Shih Huang-ti dies; Buried in massive mausoleum with the Terracotta Army
206 BCE	Roman army under Scipio Africanus defeats Carthaginians at battle of Ilipa; Rome conquers Hispania	Han Dynasty established in China
202 BCE	Roman army under Scipio Africanus defeats Hannibal at Zama; Second Punic War ends with Rome dominant in the Mediterranean
200 BCE					c. 200, Polynesians settle Tahiti
190 BCE	Rome defeats Seleucid king Antiochus III at battle of Magnesia; Rome secures control of Greece and gains territory in Asia Minor
179 BCE			Earliest dated stone arched bridge constructed over the Tiber River
171 BCE	Third Macedonian War between Rome and Macedon (-171 to -168)
170 BCE			Paved streets in Rome
168 BCE	Rome defeats Philip V of Macedon at battle of Pydna; Rome assures dominance in Greece
167 BCE	Mattahias the Hasmonian begins Maccabean Revolt against Seleucid rule in Judea
150 BCE				(1) c. 150; El Mirador (Guatemala) has become largest center of Mayan civilization (2) c. 150; Polybius publishes first part of The Histories
149 BCE	Third Punic War between Rome and Carthage begins; Roman army besieges Carthage
146 BCE	(1) Romans capture Carthage; Carthaginian territory incorporated into Roman province of Africa (2) Rome eliminates democracies in Greece
144 BCE	Mithridates I of Parthia conquers Babylonia, Media, and Persia (-144 to -138)
142 BCE		Simon Maccabeus creates Hasmonean Dynasty in Judea; Independent Jewish state until 63 BCE
135 BCE		c. 135-132; First Slave Revolt in Sicily
133 BCE		Tiberius Gracchus elected tribune in Rome and proposes land reform; Murdered by aristocratic opponents
130 BCE					Silk Road expands after Chinese emperor Wu Di sends emissaries into Central Asia
123 BCE		Gaius Gracchus proposes price controls in Rome, sparking aristocratic opposition
121 BCE		Gaius Gracchus killed during insurrection
110 BCE					Cultured oyster beds in Southern Italy
107 BCE		Gaius Marius abolishes land qualifications for military service in Rome
105 BCE	Proto-Germanic Cimbri and Teutones destroy a Roman army at battle of Arausio
104 BCE	Second Slave Revolt in Sicily (-104 to -100)
102 BCE	Roman army under Gaius Marius defeats Teutones at battle of Aquae Sextiae
100 BCE		Saturnus and Glauca propose price controls in Rome; Both are mudered with support of Gaius Marius
91 BCE		Social War begins in Italy; Roman allies rebel
88 BCE		(1) Social War ends; Italian allies gain Roman citizenship (2) Sulla marches on Rome; First Civil War in Rome
86 BCE		Gaius Marius dies suddenly, ending First Civil War in Rome
75 BCE			Greek physician Asclepiades makes distinction between chronic and acute disease; Develops theories of diet and exercise
73 BCE		Spartacus leads slave revolt against Rome
71 BCE		Slave Revolt under Spartacus defeated by Crassus and Pompey
70 BCE		Pompey and Crassus restore the powers of the Tribunate and resume grain distribution in Rome
63 BCE	Judea becomes client-kingdom of Rome
60 BCE		1st Triumvirate of Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus
58 BCE	Julius Caesar invades Gaul; Gallic Wars begin
53 BCE	Parthians crush Roman army at battle of Carrhae; Crassus killed afterward	War of the First Triumvirate begins
51 BCE		Cleopatra assumes Egyptian throne		Cicero's De Republica
49 BCE		Caesar crosses Rubicon with his army
48 BCE	Caesar defeats Senetorial army under Crassus at Pharsalus
47 BCE		Pompey assassinated
45 BCE	Julius Caesar defeats conservative republican army at the Battle of Munda; Caesar returns to Rome to rule as dictator			Julius Caesar enforces the Julian Calendar developed by Sosigenes of Alexandria
44 BCE		Julius Caesar named dictator for life; Assassinated by Senatorial opponents
43 BCE		2nd Triumvirate of Octavian, Marcus Aemilius, and Mark Antony
42 BCE	Marcus Junius Brutus defeated at the Second Battle of Philippi; Commits suicide soon after			(1) Virgil begins his Eclogues (2) Second Triumvirate deifies Julius Caesar; Origin of Caesar worship
37 BCE		Herod the Great confirmed as King of Judaea
35 BCE				First volume of Horace's Satires
32 BCE		Mark Antony divorces Octavian's sister; Civil war resumes
31 BCE		Octavian defeats Mark Antony at Battle of Actium; War of Second Triumvirate ends
30 BCE		(1) Antony and Cleopatra commit suicide (2) Egypt becomes personal property of Octavian; Serves as financial power base for he and successive emperors	Sundial in China
27 BCE		Octavian gains title Caesar Augustus; Rules Rome informally as first emperor
19 BCE			Pont du Gard aqueduct completed in Nîmes, France	Virgil dies; Augustus immediately publishes the Aeneid
18 BCE				Ovid's Amores
15 BCE	Augustus expands Rome's frontier to the Danube River
4				c. 4; Approximate date of the birth of Jesus

6 CE	Rome incorporates client-kingdom of Judea into new province of Iudaea
7				Ovid's Metamorphoses
9	Germanic revolt against Rome under Arminius; Destroys Varus and three legions at battle of Teutoburg Forest
14		Roman Emperor Augustus dies; Tiberius succeeds
16	Romans defeat Arminius but German tribes remain independent
17				Livy, Roman historian, dies leaving behind his 142-volume history of Rome, Ab Urbe Condita
25		c. 25-220; Eastern Han dynasty established by Guang Wudi
27				c. 27; Jesus is baptized and begins ministry
30			Water-powered bellows and iron furnace in China	c. 30; Crucifixion and death of Jesus
37		Roman Emperor Tiberius dies; Caligula succeeds
41		Roman emperor Caligula murdered; Claudius succeeds
46				Paul of Tarsus begins missionary work in Asia Minor
49
50		c. 50; Londinium (London) founded
54		Roman Emperor Claudius poisoned; Nero succeeds
63				Seneca's work of stoic philosophy, Epistolae Morales
64				Fires destroy half of Rome; Nero blames Christians and begins persecutions
66	First Jewish Revolt against Roman rule in Judaea			Petronius' Satyricon
67				Official introduction of Buddhism into China
68		Roman emperor Nero commits suicide; End of Julio-Claudian Dynasty
69		Year of the Four Emperors in Rome; Vespasian founds Flavian Dynasty
70	Roman army under Titus captures Jerusalem and destroys Jewish Temple
73				Jewish Zealots commit mass suicide at Masada
76	Chinese army defeats Xiongnu nomads (Probably the early Huns)
79		Roman emperor Vespasian dies; Titus succeeds		Pliny the Elder killed in Pompeii during eruption of Vesuvius
80				Colosseum opens in Rome
81		Roman emperor Titus dies; Domitian succeeds
96		Roman emperor Domitian assassinated; Nerva succeeds
98		Roman emperor Nerva dies; Trajan succeeds
100					c. 100 Turkey domesticated (Mexico)
105			Zailun invents new paper production technique in China	Tacitus' Historiae
106		Dacia (Romania) becomes Roman province
113				Trajan's Column erected in newly rebuilt Roman Forum
114	Rome annexes Armenia
115	Emperor Trajan expands the Roman frontier to the Tigris River
117		Roman emperor Trajan dies; After series of revolts, Hadrian succeeds		Tacitus' Annales
120				c. 120; Plutarch's Parallel Lives
121				Seutonius' Lives of the Caesars
122	Hadrian's Wall built in Britain
125				Approximate date of completion of the Pantheon in Rome
132				c. 132-135; Jewish Rebellion in Jerusalem
135				Hadrian orders destruction of Jerusalem and enforces a diaspora of the Jews
138		Roman emperor Hadrian dies; Antoninus Pius succeeds
155				Martyrdom of Polycarp, an early Christian bishop in Smyrna; His Letter to the Philippians among earliest Christian writings to survive
161		Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius dies; Marcus Aurelius succeeds
164					c. 164-180; Plague (probably smallpox) hits Rome
167	Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius leads series of successful campaigns against Germanic tribes (167 to 176)
180		Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius dies; Commodus succeeds	Galen's Methodus Medendo; Becomes ultimate medical authority for centuries	Marcus Aurelius' Meditations; Stoic philosophy
184		(1) Diocletian becomes Roman emperor; Begins administrative division of Eastern and Western Roman Empire (2) Revolt of the Yellow Turbans in China
192		Roman Emperor Commodus murdered
193		After series of murders, Septimus Severus uses army to become Roman emperor
197				Approximate date of Tertullian's conversion to Christianity; Introduced the term Trinity into Christian theology
200				Judah haNasi compiles Mishnah, the foundation of Talmudic Law
211		Roman emperor Septimus Severus dies; Caracalla succeeds
212		Caracalla extends Roman citizenship to all free males in the Empire
217		Roman emperor Caracalla murdered by army officers; Macrinus succeeds
218		Roman emperor Macrinus killed in battle; Heliogabalus succeeds
220		c. 220-280; Han Dynasty falls in China; Replaced by Period of the Three Kingdoms
222		Roman emperor Heliogabulus murdered; Severus Alexander succeeds
224		Parthian Arsacid Dynasty overthrown; Beginning of Sassanian Dynasty in Persia
225			c. 225; Early form of gunpowder developed in China		c. 225; Tea drinking becomes common in China
235		Roman Emperor Severus Alexander buys peace from Alemanni in Gaul; Murdered by his troops; Maximinus succeeds
238		Roman emperor Maximinus murdered by Praetorian Guard; Gordianus III succeeds
241	Shapur I expands the Sassanid Empire at the expense of Roman territory (241 to 272)
244		Roman emperor Gordianus III killed by Praetorian Guard; Philippus succeeds
247				Philippus holds games to celebrate millennial anniversary of the founding of Rome
249		Decius proclaimed Roman emperor by troops; Philippus assassinated
250				Roman emperor Decius begins systematic persecution of Christians to ensure dominance of paganism
251		Roman emperor Decius killed fighting Goths; Gallus succeeds
253		Roman emperor Gallus overthrown; After brief civil war Valerian succeeds
260	Persian King Shapur I defeats Roman army and seizes emperor Valerian	Gallienus becomes Roman emperor	Great Wall of China begun
268	Roman emperor Claudius II repels invasion of Goths; Gains title Gothicus	Roman emperor Gallienus murdered by troops; Claudius II succeeds
270		Roman emperor Claudius II dies of the plague; Aurelian succeeds
271			Magnetic Compass used in China
272
274	Aurelian defeats rebels at Châlons to restore Roman authority in Gaul
275		Roman emperor Aurelian murdered; Tacitus succeeds		c. 275; Anthony begins hermetic life of study; Beginning of Christian Monasticism
276		Roman emperor Tacitus murdered by troops; Period of civil war and instability in Rome		Mani executed; Teachings will become Manichaeism, which combines Christian salvation and Zoroastrian dualism
280		Western Jin emperor reunites China; Beginning of Jin Dynasty
291		Rebellion of the Eight Princes in China
301				Armenia becomes first state to officially adopt Christianity
303				Roman emperor Diocletian begins the Great Persecution of Christians and Manicheans in the empire
305		Diocletian and Maximian abdicate as co-emperors; Civil war erupts
306				Baths of Diocletian open in Rome, the most lavish public bath in Rome
311		Nomadic invasions divide China; Sixteen Kingdoms in North China and Jin Capital at Nanjing
312		Constantine defeats Maxentius at battle of Milvian Bridge; Becomes sole emperor in the Western Roman Empire
313				Constantine issues the Edict of Milan granting official toleration to Christianity in the Roman Empire
320		Chandragupta I founds Gupta Dynasty in India
321				Sunday becomes the Sabbath in Roman Empire
324		Constantine defeats Licinius to become sole emperor of Rome
325				Council of Nicaea; Arian Christianity condemned
330		Constantinople made capital of Roman Empire		Construction begins on St. Peter's Basilica in Rome
335				The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is consecrated in Jerusalem
337		Roman emperor Constantine dies; Three sons succeed
341				Coptic Christianity introduced to Ethiopia
350	Huns invade Persia
360	(1) Huns invade Europe (2) Picts invade Roman Britain
361		Julian becomes Roman emperor
362				Roman emperor Julian decrees religious toleration in the empire and attempts to reestablish paganism
363		Roman Empire redivided into Eastern and Western halves
372				Spread of Buddhism in China and Korea
376	Visigoths permitted to settle in Balkans by Rome
378	Visigoth cavalry destroys Roman army and kills emperor Valens at battle of Adrianople
379	Roman emperor Theodosius makes treaty with Visigoths as military allies of Rome
380				Theodosius I establishes Catholic Christianity as the official state religion of the Roman Empire
390				Bishop Ambrose of Milan forces emperor Theodosius to do public penance for a massacre of 7,000 in Thessalonica
391				Roman emperor Theodosius orders all non-Christian books burned
393				Olympic games forbidden by Emperor Theodosius
395		(1) Emperor Theodosius dies (2) Roman Empire permanently divided
396	Visigoths under Alaric invade Greece
397				Augustine's Confessions
401	Visigoths under Alaric invade Italy
403		Western Roman capital moved to Ravenna
406	Vandals invade Gaul, sacking numerous Roman cities
409	(1) Vandals invade Iberian Peninsula (2) Revolt in Britain marks the end of Roman rule
410	Visigoths under King Alaric sack Rome
411				Augustine's The City of God
420		Nanking capital of China
427		Korean capital established at Pyongyang
431				Council of Ephesus exiles Nestorius; Emergence of cult of the Virgin Mary
433		Attila becomes leader of the Huns
438				Roman law since 312 published in Codex Theodosianus
439		Vandals establish capital at Carthage
449	Saxons and Angles invade Britain
451	Attila and Huns defeated in Gaul at battle of Chalons; Last great military campaign by Western Roman Empire		c. 451; Spread of stirrups and metal horseshoes throughout Europe by the Huns
452		Venice founded
453	Attila dies; Huns expelled from Italy
455		c. 455; Mayan city of Cichen Itza founded in Yucatan Peninsula
473	King Euric of the Visigoths declares Gaul independent of Roman rule
476		(1) Odoacer deposes emperor Romulus Augustus and becomes King of Italy; Formal end of the Western Roman Empire (2) Traditional date for the beginning of the Middle Ages in Europe
Year	International Relations & War	Politics	Science, Technology & Discovery	Society & Culture	Economics & Daily Life

Timeline Sources