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490 BCE
Siddhartha's Birth
He was born in 490 BCE to father Śuddhodana and mother Maya, and grew up in a town secluded from the rest of the world. -
474 BCE
Siddhartha's Marriage
At the age of 16, Siddhartha's father arranged for him to be married to his cousin of the same age, Yasodhara. -
468 BCE
Rahula Is Born
Siddhartha's wife, Yasodhara, gives birth to their only child, Rahula. He was raise by his mother and grandfather, with Siddhartha not present. -
461 BCE
Siddhartha Leaves Home
Around age 29, Gautama has a personal crisis as he realizes he is not immune from the suffering of old age, disease, and death. He leaves home around 461 BCE to search for a solution to human suffering. -
455 BCE
Siddhartha Fasts
In an attempt to find answers to his grueling questions, Siddhartha begins to fast, to the point where he nearly died of starvation due to his refusal of food and water. -
455 BCE
Buddha Gains His First Followers
After becoming the Buddha, Gautama gives his first sermon in a deer park called Sarnath, near the city of Varanasi. Known as the time when the Buddha "set in motion the wheel of the law," this sermon is the first time he explains the four noble truths, the eightfold path towards ending suffering, and the middle way between asceticism and luxury. Shortly afterwards, Gautama gains his first disciples, Sariputra and Mahamaudgalyayana, and the monastic community of Sangha is established. -
455 BCE
Buddha's First Sermon
Also regarded as the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, this sermon was conducted during a full-moon in front of 5 intentive monks. -
455 BCE
Siddhartha Becomes The Buddha
After realizing that extreme asceticism will not help him solve the problem of human suffering, Gautama sits under a ficus tree and becomes enlightened. He is known as "the Buddha," or "the enlightened one." -
417 BCE
The King and His Entourage Kneel Before Buddha
At 73, Buddha was visited by King Yenlo and his entourage, who came to speak with him, learn about his journey and discover his path to enlightenment. -
410 BCE
Buddha Dies
Sometime between 410 and 370 BCE, Gautama dies, after about 45 years of preaching around northern India. While traveling to deliver sermons, he accepts a meal from a smith, but the food makes him sick. Before he dies, he asks that his disciples continue spreading his teachings.