-
The Sumer form the first towns and cities. They use irrigation to farm large areas of land.
-
Means "land between two rivers".
-
The Sumer establish powerful city-states building large ziggurats at the center of their cities as temples to their gods.
-
Much of lower Mesopotamia is inhabited by numerous Sumer city-states such as Ur, Uruk, Eridu, Kish, Lagash, and Nippur.
-
The Sumerians invent the first writing. They use pictures for words and inscribe them on clay tablets.
-
The Sumerians begin to use the wheel on vehicles.
-
The Sumerians start to implement mathematics using a number system with the base 60.
-
The famous Sumerian King Gilgamesh rules the city-state of Ur.
-
The Sumerian language is replaced by the Akkadian language as the primary spoken language in Mesopotamia.
-
Sargon I of the Akkadians conquers most of the Sumerian city states and creates the world's first empire, the Akkadian Empire.
-
King Naram-Sin of the Akkadians expands the empire to its largest state. He will rule for 50 years.
-
After the Akkadian Empire crumbles, the Sumerians once again gain power. The city of Ur is rebuilt.
-
The Elamites capture Ur.
-
The Assyrians rise to power in northern Mesopotamia.
-
Hammurabi becomes king of Babylon. He establishes the Code of Hammurabi and Babylon soon takes over much of Mesopotamia.
-
King Shamshi-Adad of the Assyrians dies. The First Assyrian Empire is soon taken over by the Babylonians.
-
Hammurabi dies and the First Babylonian Empire begins to fall apart.
-
The Kassites take the city of Babylon.
-
The Assyrians once again rise in power.
-
The Assyrians begin to use iron weapons and chariots.
-
The Assyrians capture Babylon.
-
The Second Assyrian Empire reaches its peak under the rule of King Tiglath-Piliser I.
-
Tiglath-Piliser dies and the Assyrian Empire becomes weaker for a time
-
The Assyrian Empire becomes strong once again under the rule of Tiglath-Piliser III
-
King Sargon II takes control of Assyria. The empire grows stronger.
-
Sargon II takes control of the city of Babylon.
-
Sargon II dies and Sennacherib becomes king. He moves the capital to Nineveh.
-
Ashurbanipal becomes the last great King of Assyria. He establishes a great library in the city of Nineveh.
-
Ashurbanipal dies and Assyria begins to crumble.
-
Nabopolassar takes control of Babylon back from the Assyrians and crowns himself king. The neo-Babylonian empire begins.
-
Nabopolassar dies and Nebuchadnezzar II becomes King of Babylon. He will rule for 43 years and bring the Babylonian Empire to its peak.
-
Cyrus the Great rises to power and the Persian Empire begins.
-
Cyrus the Great takes the city of Babylon and lets the Jewish people return to Israel.
-
Darius I becomes King of Persia. He expands the empire and divides it up into states each ruled by a governor called a satrap
-
Darius I establishes the capital of the Persian Empire at Persepolis.
-
Darius I attacks the Greeks. He is defeated at the Battle of Marathon.
-
Xerxes I tries to conquer the Greeks with a huge army. He is eventually turned back in defeat.
-
Alexander the Great invades the land and conquers the Persian Empire.