-
Period: 100 to
100 to Present
-
320
Gupta Empire Established
Although it was smaller than its predecessor, the Gupta Empire saw a golden age in India. There was peace and also great advances in science and art. Gupta mathmeticians developed pi, the concept of zero, and the decimal system. Hinduism also saw great advances as it became the dominant religion. The Gupta Empire was esabished in 320 and it collapsed to the White Huns in 550. -
400
Jenne-jeno Development
Jenne-jeno is believed to be the first city in sub-Saharan AFrica. It started about 250 B.C. as a small community, and it reached tis peak in about 400. This civilization is special because although it was populated enough to be urban sized, there is no evidence showing that it was a hierarchically organized society. It goes against the normal development of civilizations, and shows that a civilization doesn't have to be centralized to be urban. -
476
Fall of Rome
The two major reasons for the decline of the Roman emperor include internal unrest, such as tax revolts and economic depression, and external pressure, such as Germanic invaders. The Visogoths, a Germanic people, sacked Rome in 410, and by 476, the Roman emperor had been destroyed. Although the Byzantine Empire in the eastern half survived, the Roman Empire didn't, and it would never again see itself as the center of a such a great empire. -
570
Mohammad's Birth
Mohammad was a very important figure to Islam because Muslims believe that Allah spoke to Mohammad, and from that derived the Qu'ran. Once he began preaching his beliefs, he got in trouble with some leaders of Mecca, and he and his followers had to flee. This event is called the hijra. Mohammad is important to Muslims because they follow in his footsteps, such as the pilgrimage to Mecca, and follow his teachings. -
Jan 1, 1054
The Great Schism
With the Byzantine Empire separate from the Roman Empire, the Byzantine created a separate branch of Christianity that had more in common with its eastern culture, which was called Orthodox Christianity. Orthodox and Catholic Christianity had many differing views that, in the end, couldn't be overlooked. Some core disagreements include the language used in church, whether priests should be allowed to marry, and the view of icons. This led to the split, or schism, of Christianity. -
Jan 1, 1170
Aztecs enter Valley of Mexico
After 1770 A.D., the Aztecs entered the Valley of Mexico and developed a civilization of 200,000. The Aztecs were a very militaristic society, and they practiced human sacrifice, often using prisoners of war and/or women. They were ultimately destroyed by the invading Spanish, looking to colonize the Americas, with the help of the Aztecs' neighbors who wanted to get rid of the warring Aztecs. -
Jan 1, 1279
Mongol Rule in China
Mongol Rule, also known as the Yuan Dynasty, succeeded the Song Dynsaty in China. Although it lasted less than a century, at its peak, it controlled all of China and almost all of Russia, Iran, Iraq, and Central Asia. Because of the vastness of the empire, it allowed for a good amount of cultural exchange. It also allowed for a great deal of trade to occur. -
Jan 1, 1347
Bubonic Plague in Europe
The Black Death, as it was also called, originated in China, and then spread though trade routes, such as the Silk Road, to Europe. Because of how crowded European cities were, in addition to the lack of sanitation and no immunity to the disease, the plague spread quickly and easily. One in three people died in Europe beacause of this event. This also led to people losing faith in the church. -
Jan 1, 1492
Christopher Columbus to America
During the Age of Exploration, Christopher Columbus convinced the Spanish rulers to finance his voyage to try and reach the east by going west. He had the mistaken idea that the world was smaller than it really was, and he of course didn't know of the huge landmass, later the Americas, that woud be in his way. After he reached the American continents, the expoloration of the Americas began. -
Oct 31, 1517
Protestant Reformation
As the Catholic Church began to sell indulgences, many saw this as the church being corrupt. Martin Luther nailed a list of 95 theses on the church door, which pointed out all of his frustrations and the corrupt practices of the church. This in turn led to the separation of the church. Theologians began to have different interpretations of biblical scripture. By challenging the pope, Luther made it acceptable to question the church, which led to the questioning of church authority and the world. -
Jan 1, 1545
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent was, essentially, the Catholic Church's response to the Protestant Reformation. Also known as the counter reformation, it reaffirmed the basic doctrines and clarified religious questions such as the nature of salvation. They sought to purify the church, and they re-established Latin as the language to be used in worship. The response to the actions and decisions of the Council of Trent proved the counter reformation successful. -
Peter the Great's Rule
Peter the Great came to power in 1682, and he sought to "westernize" Russia. He wanted cultural and economic development, and he built the nation's first navy. St. Petersburg became the "window to the west", and he even brought in "westernized" Europeans to help along the process of becoming more modern. Western education and dress were also promoted. Because of Peter, Russia was now poised to engage with the rest of their world -
James Cook to Australia
In 1768, the British sent Captain James Cook to explore Australia and chart the coasts of New Zealand. He took along with him Joseph Banks. Cook explored the eastern coast of Australia, and became the first recorded Europeans to encounter the eastern coast. From these expeditions, he came across the aboriginals of Australia, which he observed to be peaceful and tranquil. From these observations, the British decided that Australia could be used as a "dumping ground" for criminals. -
American Revolution
After being treated unfairly by the British, who put them under great economic strain and left them underrepresetned in the English Parliment, the Amerians revolted. This led toDeclaration of Independence, which rejected British rule. The French fought on the side of the Americans, and with their help, the Americans prevailed and the war was done. Within ten years of the end of the war, the Constitution and Bill of Rights was writen and put into effect. -
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna's main goal was to create a balance of power in Europe and deal with post-Napoleon France. Borders were cut back and absolute rule was reaffirmed. This action countered some of the ideals and rights that were newly established from the French Revolution, like the idea of a republic, and instead restored the monarchy. -
World War I
World War I took place in Europe, between two sets of alliances: the Allies and the Central Powers. Trench warfare was a strategy used, from which many died. The United States didn't enter until after intercepting the Zimmerman Note. After the war, the League of Nations was created in the attempt to maintain peace. Germany was forced to take the entire blame of the war, and they were put into debt trying to pay war reparations. -
Panama Canal Completion
The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, which creates a route that ships can take to avoid the long trip around the southern tip of South America. Once the United States took over the construction of the canal, it took them ten years to finish it. However, this lengthy process was well worth it, because it allowed ships to cut their travel time in half going between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, which in turn allowed for easier connection of nations on either side. -
World War II
After the Munich Conference and the invasion of many countries, tensions were high again in Europe, and the second world war began in 1939. The Axis Powers, headed by Germany, was against the Allies. The United States joined the Allies after the bombing of Pear Harbor, which sealed the Axis fate. The first atomic bomb was used in Japan, which led to their surrender and the end of World War II. -
Pearl Harbor
The bombing of the United States' Pearl Harbor by Japan brought the United States into World War II. The United States coming into the war is what many say tipped the scales in favor of the Allies. Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, said that that the entry of the United States sealed the Axis fate. -
Ghana's Independence
Ghana was the first black African nation to gain freedom. They gained their freedom from Britain. This event was extremely important in that this movement may have urged the other Sub-Saharan African nations to begin to try to gain their own independence. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Soviet Union missiles placed in Cuba and aimed at the United States started an event that was perhaps the closet time to nuclear warfare during the Cold War. After a failed Bay of Pigs invasion, Cuba moved closer to the Soviet Union. Different missiles on Cuba pointed at the United States were reported, and tense relations emerged. The crisis ended on Octoboer 28, when the two nations reached an agreement where the missiles were sent back to the Soviet Union. -
A.P World History Test
This was the single most stressful day of my life. Not only did I have to take the A.P. History Test, I also had the Algebra and Chemistry ECA that week. A blood vessle in my eye actually popped from stress. Then, I had to sit in a room that was about 100 degrees for 4 hours to take the test, which was ridiculously hard. I'm pretty sure I bombed the multiple choice part and blew at least two essays, so I'm about 90% sure that I failed. So glad that I spent two months studying for that test! -
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was important in that it saw the construction of the Grand Canal. It was succeeded by the Tang Dynasty in 618. The Grand Canal was especially important because it allowed for more extensive transportation and communication network. This let them have a better and mroe extensive trade network, which was very important to the economic and political strategy. -
Charlemagne Crowned Emperor
Charles the Great, or Charlemagne, was, like his father, crowned by the pope in 800. It would be him that revitilized the meaning of "empire". The empire he created would soon be called the Holy Roman Empire. Although it wasn't like the original Roman Empire, it centralized the power, and used a system of feudalism. -
Christianity Official in Roman Empire
Although Christians were orginally persecuted in the Romans. They saw this upcoming religion as a threat to the power of the emperor. Emperor Nero is especially recognized as a huge persecutor of Christians, and even going to lengths of killing them. Despite this, Christianity persisted, and Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313 to allow Christianity to be legal. Then, in 391, it became the official religion of the Roman Empire.
