481 CE
Clovis who becomes King of the Franks 481 rules until 511. Converts to Christianity (AD. 496).
490 CE
Battle of Mount Badon and according to legend, British forces led by Arthur defeat the invading Saxons.
Buddhism reaches Burma and Indonesia.
527 CE
In 527, Justinian I becomes emperor of the Byzantine Empire, until 565. His legacy was the uniform rewriting of Roman law, the Corpus Juris Civilis, which is still the basis of civil law in many modern states. Under the Justinian Dynasty, particularly the reign of Justinian I, the Empire reached its largest territorial point, reincorporating North Africa, southern Illyria, southern Spain, and Italy into the Empire.
538 CE
Buddhism was introduced to Japan from Korea, either in 538 or 552 CE.
541 CE
The Plague of Justinian afflicted the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire and was one of the deadliest pandemics in history, with deaths of an estimated 25–100 million people during two centuries of recurrence (541–542 AD, with recurrences until 750).
570 CE
Muhammad, the founder of Islam, was born in Mecca in Saudi Arabia in 570 CE.
597 AD
The first organised attempt to convert the British people to Christianity by Augustine in 597 AD.
622 CE
In 622, Muhammad flees to the town of Medina, known as the Hegira, Arabic for "flight." And so, the first year of the Islamic calendar began in 622 CE.
626 CE
The Siege of Constantinople in 626 by the Sassanid Persians and Avars.
658 CE
Cædmon, the earliest English poet whose name is known, who cared for the animals at the monastery Streonæshalch (now known as Whitby Abbey). Composed "Cædmon's Hymn" between 658 and 680 CE.
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| Whitby Abbey, North Yorkshire, was founded in 657, Wilson44691 |
532 CE
Death of Muhammad.
638 CE
Jerusalem captured by the Arab army, mostly Muslims, but with contingents of Syrian Christians.
645 CE
The Soga clan falls in Japan.
645 CE
The Soga clan falls in Japan.
Islamic armies defeated at Constantinople, forestalling Islamic conquest of Europe.
698 CE
Byzantine rule in North Africa ends when Arabs destroy Carthage.
698 CE
Byzantine rule in North Africa ends when Arabs destroy Carthage.
711 CE
Muslim army defeated the Visigoth army in Spain and by 720, Spain was largely under Muslim (Moorish) control.
712 CE
Buddhism in Pakistan took root some 2,300 years ago under the Mauryan king Ashoka. However, in 712 CE, Muslims established a state in Sind (modern day Pakistan).
732 CE
Battle of Tours halted the advancement of the Muslims (Moors) in southwestern Europe.
735 CE
The Venerable Bede, one of the greatest Anglo-Saxon scholars dies. He wrote many scientific, historical and theological works.
746 CE
Greeks take back Cyprus from the Arabs. |
| The Sanctuary and Temple of Apollo Hylates at Kourion, Cyprus |
The Battle of Talas, a military engagement between the Abbasid Caliphate, along with their ally, the Tibetan Empire, against the Chinese Tang dynasty. In July 751 AD. The Chinese were defeated and China's westward expansion came to an end.
757 CE
Offa was King of Mercia, a kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England, from 757, until his death in July 796.
768 CE
Beginning of Charlemagne's reign. He was King of the Franks and later became the Holy Roman Emperor.
772 CE
From 772, Charlemagne conquers Saxony and forcibly converts Germanic pagans to Catholicism.
787 CE
The Second Council of Nicaea met in 787 in Nicaea, to restore the use and veneration of icons.
772 CE
From 772, Charlemagne conquers Saxony and forcibly converts Germanic pagans to Catholicism.
787 CE
The Second Council of Nicaea met in 787 in Nicaea, to restore the use and veneration of icons.
793 CE
Sack of Lindisfarne. Viking attacks on Britain begin. The first English monastery raided by Vikings was in 793 at Lindisfarne. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle described the Vikings as "heathen men".
The Heian period, the last division of classical Japanese history begins, running from 794 to 1185.
Beowulf, an Old English epic poem, was produced between 975 and 1025.
Beowulf, an Old English epic poem, was produced between 975 and 1025.
795 CE
The first recorded Viking raid in Ireland occurred in 795 AD when the Vikings plundered and burned the church on Lambeg Island, Dublin.
796 CE
The death of Offa marks the end of Mercian supremacy in England.
814 CE
826 CE
871 CE
King Alfred the Great ruled Wessex from 871 to 899 and successfully defendied his kingdom against Viking invaders.
882 CE
In 882 CE, Kievan Rus', a loose federation of East Slavic and Finnic peoples in Europe forms under the reign of the Varangian Rurik dynasty. The modern nations of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine all claim Kievan Rus' as their cultural ancestors.
893 CE
One of the earliest surviving biographies was written by Asser, a Welsh monk, called the "Life of King Alfred", in 893 CE.
900 CE
End of the Classic Period of Maya history.
By the late 8th century, the Muslim Empire had conquered all of Persia and parts of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) territory including Egypt, Palestine, and Syria.
814 CE
After Charlemagne died in 814. Europe was in chaos, as there was no central government. Around 900 CE, some nobles began building castles to protect their lands from Viking raids and also collecting taxes, enforcing laws and raising armies. This was the era of Feudalism.
Arabs conquer Crete, Sicily, and Sardinia, 826–827.
865 CE
Danish raiders first begin to settle in England.
868 CE
In the words of the British Library, "the earliest complete survival of a dated printed book, is the Diamond Sūtra, a Tang-dynasty Chinese version dated back to 11 May 868.
870 CE
Iceland was first settled around 870.
865 CE
Danish raiders first begin to settle in England.
868 CE
In the words of the British Library, "the earliest complete survival of a dated printed book, is the Diamond Sūtra, a Tang-dynasty Chinese version dated back to 11 May 868.
870 CE
Iceland was first settled around 870.
871 CE
882 CE
In 882 CE, Kievan Rus', a loose federation of East Slavic and Finnic peoples in Europe forms under the reign of the Varangian Rurik dynasty. The modern nations of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine all claim Kievan Rus' as their cultural ancestors.
893 CE
One of the earliest surviving biographies was written by Asser, a Welsh monk, called the "Life of King Alfred", in 893 CE.
900 CE
End of the Classic Period of Maya history.
907 CE
Tang Dynasty ends and Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms begins in China.
911 CE
The Viking Rollo and his tribe settle in what is now Normandy.
914 CE
Sri Kesari Warmadewa was the first king of Bali to leave a written inscription. He authored the inscription on the 914 CE Belanjong pillar.
927 CE
King Aethelstan the Glorious unites the heptarchy of the Anglo-Saxon nations of Wessex, Sussex, Essex, Kent, East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria founding the Kingdom of England.
960 CE
Song Dynasty begins, China.
960 CE
Westminster Abbey was founded in London, England, in 960 CE. However, today's building dates from the reign of Henry III in the 13th century.
988 CE
1095 CE
The first of 9 major crusades, which would continue into late 13th century. to capture the Holy Land, and to repel the Seljuk Turks from the Byzantine Empire occurred in 1095 CE.
Volodymyr I of Kiev makes Christianity the national religion (Ukraine, Russia).
1000 AD
The Japanese epic "The Tale of Genji" is often called the world’s first novel. Following the life and romances of Hikaru Genji. It was written by a woman, Murasaki Shikibu, just after 1000 AD.
1001 CE
Leif Erikson, the Norse explorer from Iceland, was the first known European to set foot on continental North America (excluding Greenland).
1025 CE
An encyclopedia of medicine in five books is compiled by Persian Muslim physician-philosopher Avicenna (Ibn Sina) and completed in 1025.
1054 CE
The East-West Schism of 1054, was the break between what are now the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic churches. One major factor being the use of religious images, by the Western Church.
Construction on the Great Zimbabwe city in the south-eastern hills of Zimbabwe began in the 11th century and continued until it was abandoned in the 15th century.
The Japanese epic "The Tale of Genji" is often called the world’s first novel. Following the life and romances of Hikaru Genji. It was written by a woman, Murasaki Shikibu, just after 1000 AD.
1001 CE
Leif Erikson, the Norse explorer from Iceland, was the first known European to set foot on continental North America (excluding Greenland).
1025 CE
An encyclopedia of medicine in five books is compiled by Persian Muslim physician-philosopher Avicenna (Ibn Sina) and completed in 1025.
1054 CE
The East-West Schism of 1054, was the break between what are now the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic churches. One major factor being the use of religious images, by the Western Church.
Construction on the Great Zimbabwe city in the south-eastern hills of Zimbabwe began in the 11th century and continued until it was abandoned in the 15th century.
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| A closeup of Great Zimbabwe ruins, Macvivo |
1066 CE
William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, invades England and becomes king after the Battle of Hastings in 1066 CE.
1077 CE
In 1077, construction begins on the Tower of London, on the north bank of the River Thames in central London.
1086 CE
Domesday Book, the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William the Conqueror.
1088 CE
The University of Bologna is founded in 1088 by an organised guild of students (hence studiorum), it is the oldest university in the world.1095 CE
The first of 9 major crusades, which would continue into late 13th century. to capture the Holy Land, and to repel the Seljuk Turks from the Byzantine Empire occurred in 1095 CE.
1096 CE
The University of Oxford began teaching as early as 1096 CE.
1119 CE
The Knights Templar were a Catholic military order founded in 1119, headquartered on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
1135 CE
The Anarchy was a civil war in England and Normandy between 1135 and 1153, which resulted in a widespread breakdown in law and order.
1150 CE
The University of Paris, known as the Sorbonne, emerged around 1150.
1154 CE
In 1154, Henry II institutionalised common law in England, by creating a unified court system "common" to the country.
1158 CE
The Hanseatic League, a commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds, for northern and central Europe, was founded 1158.
1160 CE
Construction of Notre-Dame de Paris began in 1160.
King Henry II of England commenced the Norman invasion of Ireland, marking the beginning of more than 800 years of direct English and, later, British involvement in Ireland.
1192 CE
Minamoto no Yoritomo was the founder and the first shōgun of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan. He ruled from 1192 until 1199.
1215 CE
The Magna Carta, a charter of rights is agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, on 15 June 1215.
1237–1240 CE
The split of Kievan Rus' into three components (present day Russia, Ukraine, Belarus) followed from the Mongol invasion of Europe.
1258 CE
The Siege of Baghdad by the Mongols, which lasted from January 29 until February 10, 1258, is considered to mark the end of the Islamic Golden Age.
1258 CE
The Siege of Baghdad by the Mongols, which lasted from January 29 until February 10, 1258, is considered to mark the end of the Islamic Golden Age.
1274 CE
The Summa Theologiae, the best-known work of Thomas Aquinas, one of the most influential works of Western literature, published 1274.
All of China is under the rule of Kublai Khan as the emperor.
1296 CE
The English invasion of Scotland in 1296.
The Ottoman Empire is founded by Osman I and would last over 600 years.
1305 CE
Sir William Wallace, who became one of the main leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence was executed for treason.
1337 CE
The Hundred Years' War from 1337 to 1453, between the House of Plantagenet, rulers of England and the French House of Valois, over the right to rule the Kingdom of France.
The Black Death swept through the Middle East and Europe in the years 1346-1353. Believed to have wiped out as many as 50% of Europe's population by its end.
1364 CE
The first modern documented astrarium clock was completed in 1364 by Giovanni de' Dondi.
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| The astrarium made by Giovanni Dondi dell'Orologio showed hour, year calendar, movement of the planets, Sun and Moon. Reconstruction, Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci, Milan. |
The Western Schism, was a split within the Catholic Church lasting from 1378 to 1417, in which two men (by 1410 three) simultaneously claimed to be the true pope, and each excommunicated one another.
1380 CE
Chaucer begins to write The Canterbury Tales.
1381 CE
The Peasants' Revolt, a major uprising across large parts of England in 1381.
1389 CE
After the Battle of Kosovo in Serbia in 1389, the Turkish empire continued to spread over the Balkans, to finally reach Vienna.
1399 CE
End of Plantagenet Dynasty, beginning of the Lancaster lineage in England.
1405 CE
Zheng He, born Ma He, to a Muslim family in China, travels to Southeast Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, and East Africa from 1405 to 1433.1417 CE
In 1417, Pope Martin V becomes the pope and the Western Schism is resolved.
1429 CE
The battle at Orléans and Joan of Arc's role finally drive the English from continental Europe.
1434 CE
The rise of the Medici family in Florence.
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| Van Eyck - Arnolfini Portrait, 1434 oil painting |
1438 CE
The Inca civilisation begins expanding and the Inca Empire is born.
1439 CE
Invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg.
1443 CE
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| Picture of a copy of the Gutenberg Bible owned by the US Library of Congress, taken by Mark Pellegrini |
King Sejong of Korea, created hangul, the native phonetic writing system for the Korean language.
1453
The Fall of Constantinople was the capture of the Byzantine Empire's capital by the Ottoman Empire on 29 May 1453.
1464 CE
The Dardanelles Gun, was cast in bronze in 1464, by Munir Ali, Turkish military engineer.
The Fall of Constantinople was the capture of the Byzantine Empire's capital by the Ottoman Empire on 29 May 1453.
1464 CE
The Dardanelles Gun, was cast in bronze in 1464, by Munir Ali, Turkish military engineer.
1485 CE
"Le Morte d'Arthur" was first published in 1485 by William Caxton and is today one of the best-known works of Arthurian literature in English.
1485 CE
The Battle of Bosworth Field, was the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the Houses of Lancaster and York.
1492 CE
Age of discovery begins when Christopher Columbus reaches the New World.
1494 CE
The Treaty of Tordesillas was an agreement between Portugal and Spain to divide ownership rights of land found outside of Europe between them.
1499 CE
The naval Battle of Zonchio, part of the Ottoman–Venetian War of 1499–1503, is the first naval battle that used cannons in ships. Ottoman fleet defeats Venetians.