Chronology of
World History

This document is an attempt to bring various published sources together to present a timeline about World History. This is a VERY rough timeline of the events of world history. The main source is a "today in history" that I have had since the 1980s, with updates through the 1990s. Some topics are covered in too much detail, many others not enough. I am currently doing some proper research and adding detail.

References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2008 June 28.

About 3000 B.C. Egyptian pyramid of Cheops at Gizeh near Cairo includes a tablet recording mythical explanation of extra five days added to Egyptian calenar of 360 days. Thoth, god of night, gambled with the moon, winning five new days to add to the calendar, outside the jurisdiction of Ra, the god of creation. [80.30] About 2300 B.C. Emperor Yao of China invents an elaborate game with hundreds of pieces, in which spectators bet on the outcome played by two opponents. [80.31] June 16, 1686 B.C. Hammurabi the Great dies in Babylon. [1] About 1500 B.C. In India, betting herds of cattle on chariot racing and dice games are the chief amusements of the people. [80.33] May 15, 1479 B.C. Pharaoh Thutmose III defeats the King of Kadesh at the Battle of Megiddo. [118.9] July 19, 1321 B.C. Origin of Era of Menophres. [1] June 11, 1184 B.C. Greeks finally capture Troy. [1] June 4, 780 B.C. First total solar eclipse reliably recorded by Chinese. [1] June 15, 763 B.C. Assyrians record total solar eclipse event on clay tablet. [1] April 21, 753 B.C. Traditional date of the foundation of Rome. [1] February 26, 747 B.C. Origin of Era of Nabonassar. [1] March 19, 721 B.C. First recorded lunar eclipse, seen in Babylon. [1] April 22, 687 B.C. Chinese record a meteor shower in Lyra. [1] February 11, 660 B.C. Traditional founding of Japan by Emperor Jimmu Tenno. [1] April 6, 648 B.C. Earliest total solar eclipse; chronicled by Greeks. [1] May 28, 585 B.C. Thales Miletus predicts solar eclipse; Persian-Lydian battle ends. [1] September 28, 551 B.C. Birth of Confucius (as celebrated in Republic of China (Taiwan)). [1] [5] October 29, 539 B.C. Babylon falls to Cyrus the Great of Persia. [1] September 2, 490 B.C. Phidippides runs first marathon, seeking aid from Sparta versus Persia. [1] September 12, 490 B.C. Athenians defeat second Persian invasion of Greece at Marathon. [1] September 23, 484 B.C. Birth of Euripides, Greek playwright (Trojan Women). [1] August 9, 480 B.C. Persia defeats Spartan king Leonidas at Thermopylae. [1] July 13, 432 B.C. Origin of Metonic Cycle. [1] May 21, 427 B.C. Birth of Plato (Aristocles), Athens(?). [1] February 15, 399 B.C. The philosopher Socrates is sentenced to death. [1] [5] July 18, 390 B.C. Battle of Allia - Gauls inflict heavy casualties on Romans. [1] July 20, 356 B.C. Birth of Alexander III the Great, king of Macedonia, emperor. [5] (September 20 [1]) October 1, 331 B.C. Alexander the Great of Macedon defeats Persian army at Gaugamela. [1] November 12, 324 B.C. Origin of Era of Alexander. [1] June 13, 323 B.C. Alexander the Great dies of fever at Babylon. [1] [5] October 2, 322 B.C. Aristotle dies of indigestion. [1] (March 7 [5]) September 1, 312 B.C. Origin of Greek Era - Start of Indiction of Constantinople. [1] April 3, 309 B.C. Origin of Seleucid Era. [1] April 3, 245 B.C. Origin of Era of Arsaces. [1] March 10, 241 B.C. Battle of Aegusa: Roman fleet sinks 50 Carthagean ships. [1] June 19, 240 B.C. Eratosthenes estimates circumference of Earth. [1] March 30, 239 B.C. First recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. [1] June 5, 221 B.C. Chu Yuan, China's poet, drowns. [1] November 24, 166 B.C. Origin of Era of Maccabees. [1] October 19, 125 B.C. Origin of Era of Tyre. [1] October 1, 110 B.C. Origin of Sidonian Era. [1] January 3, 106 B.C. Birth of Marcus Tullius Cicero, Rome, statesman/author (Academica). [1] September 28, 106 B.C. Birth of Pompey (Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus), Rome, warrior. [1] July 12, 100 B.C. Birth of Julius Caesar, Roman Emperor. [1] October 15, 70 B.C. Birth of Virgil (Publius Vergilius Maro), Mantua Italy (Aeneid), poet. [1] December 8, 65 B.C. Birth of Horace, Rome, lyric poet/satirist (Satire, Odes). [1] September 23, 63 B.C. Birth of Octavian (Augustus Caesar), first Roman emperor (27 BC-14 AD). [1] February 22, 57 B.C. Origin of Vikrama Samvat Era (India). [1] August 26, 55 B.C. Roman forces under Julius Cæsar invade Britain. [1] June 9, 53 B.C. Parthians defeat Romans at Battle of Carrhae, killing general Marcus Licinius Crassus. [118.9] January 10, 49 B.C. Julius Cesar crosses the Rubicon, invades Italy. [1] January 1, 45 B.C. Origin of Julian Era; Julian calendar begins. [1] February 5, 45 B.C. Cato, Roman patriot and philosopher, commits suicide. [1] March 15, 44 B.C. Julius Caesar assassinated in Roman Senate in the Portico of the Theater of Pompey. [1] December 7, 43 B.C. Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman writer, gets his head and right hand chopped off by Mark Antony's soldiers. [1] [5] November 16, 42 B.C. Birth of Tiberius Cesar, second Roman emperor (14-37 AD). [1] January 1, 38 B.C. Origin of Era of Spain (Cesars). [1] December 7, 36 B.C. Earliest known Mayan inscription, Stela 2 at Chiapa de Corzo. [1] August 30, 31 B.C. Origin of Era of Augustus. [1] September 2, 31 B.C. Battle of Actium; Octavian defeats Antony, becomes Emperor Augustus. [1] January 1, 30 B.C. Origin of Actian Era. [1] August 30, 30 B.C. Cleopatra, seventh and most famous queen of Egypt, commits suicide. [1] August 27, 26 B.C. Origin of Egyptian Era. [1] August 19, 14 B.C. Octavian [Augustus], Roman general, dies at age 48. [1] May 22, 12 B.C. A daytime meteor shower, possibly Zeta Perseid observed in China. [1] August 1, 10 B.C. Birth of Claudius, fourth Roman emperor (41-54 AD). [1] November 27, 8 B.C. Horace, Latin poet and satirist, dies. [1] December 25, 4 B.C. Birth of Jesus of Nazareth, religious leader/philosopher (estimated date). [1] December 24, 3 B.C. Birth of Servius Sulpicius Galba, sixth Roman emperor (68-69). [1] January 1, 1 B.C. Origin of Era of Pisa. [1] March 1, 1 B.C. Start of revised Julian calendar in Rome. [1] 17 January 2 Publius Ovidius Naso Roman poet, dies. [1] 29 August 29 John the Baptist beheaded (Note: Actual date is questionable). [1] 30 April 7 Jesus Christ crucified by Roman troops in Jerusalem (scholars' estimate, according to astronomer Schaefer). [1] 33 April 3 Jesus Christ crucified (according to astronomer Humphreys and Waddington). [1] 34 April 23 Jesus Christ crucified (according to Isaac Newton). [1] 37 February 15 Birth of Claudius Drusus Germanicus Caesar Nero, emperor of Rome (54-68). [1] March 16 Tiberius Claudius Nero, emperor of Rome (14-37), dies at age 77. [1] December 15 Birth of Nero Claudius Augustus Germanicus, 5th emperor of Rome (54-68). [1] 39 November 3 Birth of Lucan Cordova Spain, Latin poet (Bellum Civile). [1] December 30 Birth of Titus, 10th Roman emperor (79-81), conqueror of Jerusalem. [1] 40 June 13 Birth of Gnaeus Julius Agricola, Roman general; conquered Wales, North England. [1] 41 January 24 Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (Caligula), Roman emperor (37-41), assassinated at age 28. [1] 53 September 15 Birth of Trajan, 13th Roman emperor (98-117), conqueror of Ctesiphon. [1] 54 October 13 Claudius, Roman Emperor, dies. [1] Prince L Rwagasore of Burundi, murdered; Hero of the Nation Day. [1] 64 July 18 Great Fire of Rome begins. [1] 66 January 26 Fifth recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. [1] 68 June 9 Nero, Roman Emperor, commits suicide. [1] 69 January 1 Roman garrison of Mainz uprising. [1] January 2 Roman Lower Rhine army proclaims its commander, Vitellius, emperor. [1] January 10 Roman emperor Galba adopts Marcus Piso Licinianus as Cæsar. [1] January 15 Servius Sulpicius Galba, 6th emperor of Rome (68-69), killed by Praetorian guard in the Forum Rome, at age 70. [1] April 15 Battle at Bedriacum, North-Italy. [1] June 29 Saint Peter dies. [5] September 1 Traditional date of the destruction of Jerusalem. [1] December 20 Aulus Vitellius Roman, commandant of Rhine and seventh emperor of Rome, murdered. [1] General Vespasianus occupies Rome. [1] 70 May 31 Rome captures first wall of the city of Jerusalem. [1] 76 January 24 Birth of Publius A Hadrianus, 14th Roman Emperor (117-138). [1] March 15 Birth of Hadrian, Roman Emperor (builder of Hadrian's Wall). [1] 78 March 3 Origin of Saka Era (India). [1] 79 August 24 Mount Vesuvius erupts, burying the cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae in volcanic ash. [1] [5] Pliny the Elder dies. [5] November 1 Pompei buried by Mount Vesuvius. [1] 86 September 19 Birth of Antoninus Pius, 15th Roman emperor (138-161). [1] 89 January 1 Governor Lucius Antonius Saturninus of Germany becomes emperor of Rome. [1] 98 January 27 Marius Cocceius Nerva, Emperor of Rome (96-98), dies at about age 67. [1] 121 April 26 Birth of Antonius Marcus Aurelius [Marcus A Verus], Emperor of Rome (161-180). [1] 122 September 13 Building begins on Hadrian's Wall. [1] 126 August 1 Birth of Publius Helvius Pertinax, Roman emperor (193 AD). [1] 141 March 20 Sixth predicted perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. [1] 143 May 21 Earliest known date in America - pre Mayan king Harvest - Bergvorst installed. [1] 155 February 23 Polycarp, disciple of Apostle John, arrested and burned at stake. [1] 161 March 7 Antoninus Pius [Titus Aurelius], emperor of Rome (138-61), dies at age 74. [1] 180 March 17 Antonius Marcus Aurelius [Marcus Verus], Emperor of Rome, dies at age 58. [1] 185 December 7 Emperor Lo-Yang, China sees supernova (MSH15-52?). [1] 188 April 4 Birth of Caracalla [Marcus Aureiius Antoniius], Roman emperor (211-17). [1] 192 December 31 Lucius Aurelius Commodus, Emperor of Rome (180-192), murdered at age 31. [1] 193 March 28 Publius Helvius Pertinax, Roman Emperor (192-93), assassinated. [1] April 14 Lucius Septimus Severus crowned emperor of Rome. [1] 197 February 19 D Clodius Septimus Albinus, Roman bequest in England, dies in battle. [1] Lucius Septimius Severus' army beats Clodius Albinus at Lyon. [1] 211 February 4 Lucius Septimus Severus, emperor of Rome (193-211), dies at age 64. [1] 217 April 8 Caracalla [Marcus Aurelius Antoniius], Roman emperor (198-217), murdered at age 29. [1] 218 May 17 Seventh recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. [1] 222 March 11 Varius A Bassianus, Syrian emperor of Rome (218-222), murdered at age 18?. [1] 230 July 21 Saint Pontianus begins his reign as Catholic Pope. [1] 235 March 18 Marcus Aurelius Alexander, Syrian emperor of Rome (222-235), murdered. [1] September 29 Saint Pontianus ends his reign as Catholic Pope. [1] November 21 Saint Anterus begins his reign as Catholic Pope. [1] 236 January 3 Saint Anterus ends his reign as Catholic Pope. [1] January 10 Saint Fabian begins his reign as Catholic Pope. [1] 238 May 10 Gaius Julius Verus Maximinus the Thracian, Roman Emperor, murdered. [1] 250 January 20 Saint Fabian dies, ending his reign as Catholic Pope (236-50). [1] 253 June 25 Saint Lucius I begins his reign as Catholic Pope. [1] 254 March 5 Saint Lucius I dies, ending his reign as Catholic Pope. [1] May 12 Saint Stephan I replaces Lucius I as Catholic Pope. [1] 257 August 2 Saint Stephen I ends his reign as Catholic Pope. [1] August 30 Saint Sixtus II begins his reign as Catholic Pope. [1] 258 August 6 Saint Sixtus II ends his reign as Catholic Pope. [1] 260 July 22 Saint Dionysius begins his reign as Catholic Pope. [1] 268 December 26 Saint Dionysius dies, ending his reign as Catholic Pope. [1] 269 January 3 Saint Felix I begins his reign as Catholic Pope. [1] 274 December 30 Saint Felix I dies, ending his reign as Catholic Pope. [1] 275 January 4 Saint Eutychian begins his reign as Catholic Pope. [1] 280 February 27 Birth of Constantine the Great, Roman emperor (306-37), adopted Christianity. [1] 283 December 7 Saint Eutychian ends his reign as Catholic Pope. [1] December 17 Saint Gaius begins his reign as Catholic Pope. [1] 284 August 29 Origin of Era of Diocletian (Martyrs). [1] 293 March 1 Roman emperor Maximianus introduces tetrarchy. [1] 295 April 20 Eighth recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. [1] November 12 Origin of Era of Ascension. [1] 296 April 22 Saint Gaius ends his reign as Catholic Pope. [1] June 30 Saint Marcellinus begins his reign as Catholic Pope. [1]