|
|
c. 40,000– 12,000 BCE
|
|
Paleolithic Era: Nomadic hunter-gatherers
roam Africa, Europe, Asia, Middle East
|
|
|
c. 15,000
|
|
Coldest period of ice age ends
|
|
|
c. 15,000– 10,000
|
|
Migrations across Bering Strait into the
Americas
|
|
|
c. 8000
|
|
Farming villages spread around Mediterranean and Persian
Gulf
|
|
|
c. 3500
|
|
Height
of Sumerian civilization
|
|
|
c. 3100
|
|
King Menes unifies and rules Upper and
Lower Egypt
|
|
|
c. 2900
|
|
First city at Troy
|
|
|
c. 2750
|
|
Mesopotamia: Gilgamesh, king of
Uruk
|
|
|
2686–2181
|
|
Egypt: Old Kingdom
|
|
|
c. 2500
|
|
Canaanite tribes in Palestine
|
|
|
c. 2500–2300
|
|
Yao dynasty in China
|
|
|
c. 2440–1786
|
|
Egypt: Middle Kingdom
|
|
|
c. 2000
|
|
Indus Valley civilization in
India
|
|
|
c. 1994–1600
|
|
Xia dynasty in China
|
|
|
c. 1792–1750
|
|
King Hammurabi extends boundaries of
kingdom of Babylonia
|
|
|
c. 1600–1050
|
|
Shang dynasty in China
|
|
|
1567–1085
|
|
Pharaohs expel Hyksos from Egypt and rule New
Kingdom
|
|
|
c. 1500
|
|
Beginning of Olmec civilization on coast
of Gulf of Mexico
|
|
|
c. 1500
|
|
Fall of Indus civilization
|
|
|
c. 1225
|
|
Trojan War of legend; fall of
Troy
|
|
|
c. 1200
|
|
Fall of Hittite Empire
to Assyrians
|
|
|
c. 1100
|
|
Kingdom of Israel established by Jews in
Palestine
|
|
|
c. 1050–480
|
|
Zhou dynasty in China
|
|
|
c. 1000–900
|
|
King David in Israel, succeeded
by Solomon
|
|
|
c. 850
|
|
Beginning of Zapotec civilization in
Mexico
|
|
|
753
|
|
Traditional date of the founding
of Rome
|
|
|
c. 750
|
|
Rise of Greek city-states
|
|
|
c. 750
|
|
Kush (Nubian) dynasty conquers Egypt
|
|
|
c. 675
|
|
Assyrians destroy Babylon, Memphis, Thebes
|
|
|
c. 600
|
|
Mayan civilization in Mexico
|
|
|
c. 540
|
|
Rise of Persian
Empire under Cyrus II “the
Great”; conquers Babylonia in 538 BCE
|
|
|
c. 525
|
|
Persians capture Egypt
|
|
|
c. 510
|
|
Etruscans expelled from Rome; republic founded
|
|
|
461–451
|
|
Athens and Sparta at war
|
|
|
431–404
|
|
Peloponnesian War
|
|
|
c. 403
|
|
Period of Warring States begins in China
|
|
|
c. 400
|
|
Decline of Olmec civilization in Mexico
|
|
|
390
|
|
Gauls sack Rome
|
|
|
338
|
|
Phillip II defeats Athens; rules unified
Greece
|
|
|
334–331
|
|
Alexander the Great invades Persian
Empire; takes Egypt, founds Alexandria; conquers Mesopotamia
|
|
|
330
|
|
Persian Empire ends with murder
of Darius
|
|
|
323
|
|
Alexander dies; empire divided
|
|
|
321
|
|
Chandragupta founds Mauryan Empire in
India
|
|
|
321–280
|
|
Mauryan Empire expands through subcontinent
|
|
|
c. 320–275
|
|
Expansion of Roman power throughout Italy
|
|
|
312
|
|
Start of Seleucid Empire in
Persia
|
|
|
304
|
|
Egypt: Ptolemaic Era begins
|
|
|
c. 300
|
|
Mayan cities established in Peten, Guatemala
|
|
|
295
|
|
Meroë kingdom founded in
Sudan
|
|
|
264–241
|
|
Romans defeat Carthage in North Africa
in First Punic War, take Sicily
|
|
|
221
|
|
Qin dynasty begins after conquest and
unification of China
|
|
|
218–202
|
|
Second Punic War: Hannibal crosses Alps
to defeat Romans
|
|
|
206
|
|
China: Han dynasty begins
|
|
|
202
|
|
Hannibal driven back to Algeria; Spain becomes Roman
province
|
|
|
c. 200
|
|
Mexico: Rise of Zapotecs
|
|
|
187
|
|
Fall of Mauryan Empire in India
|
|
|
147–146
|
|
Third Punic War; Romans take
Carthage
|
|
|
121
|
|
Rome conquers southern Gaul (France)
|
|
|
91
|
|
Huns attack Chinese
|
|
|
87
|
|
Chinese Empire rules Korea and Vietnam
|
|
|
c. 71
|
|
Spartacus leads slave revolt against
Romans
|
|
|
60
|
|
First Triumvirate established in
Rome
|
|
|
49–47
|
|
Civil war in Rome
|
|
|
44
|
|
Julius
Caesar assassinated; Second
Triumvirate formed in 43 BCE
|
|
|
37
|
|
Romans make Herod King of Judea
|
|
|
31
|
|
Octavian defeats Anthony and
Cleopatra at Actium
|
|
|
27
|
|
Octavian becomes Augustus, Roman
Emperor
|
|
|
c. 10
|
|
Satavahana dynasty in India
|
40,000 BCE–1 BCE: Political & Military
