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2000 BCE
Minoan civilization prospers on Crete.
Minoan civilization, Bronze Age civilization of Crete that flourished from about 3000 bce to about 1100 bce. Its name derives from Minos, either a dynastic title or the name of a particular ruler of Crete who has a place in Greek legend. -
1500 BCE
Mycenaean culture thrives on the Greek mainland.
The Mycenaean civilization thrived between 1650 and 1200 BC. The Mycenaeans were influenced by the earlier Minoan civilization, located on the island of Crete. -
1200 BCE
Trojan War takes place.
Those who believe that the stories of the Trojan War are derived from a specific historical conflict usually date it to the 12th or 11th century BC, often preferring the dates given by Eratosthenes, 1194–1184 BC, which roughly correspond to archaeological evidence of a catastrophic burning of Troy VII, and the Late -
753 BCE
The Age of Kings
Often referred to the "Cradle of Civilization", Greece has a long and varied history and rich artistic, religious, and literary traditions -
750 BCE
Greek city-states flourish
One major reason why ancient Greece was dominated by small city-states and independent towns, rather than by one all-powerful king, is its geography. -
509 BCE
Birth of the Republic
The Roman Republic was founded in 509 B.C.E. after the last Etruscan king that ruled Rome was overthrown. Rome's next government served as a representative democracy in the form of a republic. Initially, Rome's wealthiest families, the patricians, held power and only they could hold political or religious offices. -
479 BCE
Greece triumphed in Persian Wars
A series of successful operations culminated about 467 bce in victory at the Eurymedon River in Pamphylia, where an allied force of 300 ships under Cimon defeated a Persian army and navy. In 460 the Athenians and their allies supported Egypt in a successful revolt, but the Persian army returned to the attack. -
390 BCE
The Expansion of Rome
Rome was able to gain its empire in large part by extending some form of citizenship to many of the people it conquered. Military expansion drove economic development, bringing enslaved people and loot back to Rome, which in turn transformed the city of Rome and Roman culture. -
334 BCE
Alexander start to build his empire.
In 334 BC he invaded the Achaemenid Empire (Persian Empire) and began a series of campaigns that lasted 10 years. Following his conquest of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), Alexander broke the power of Persia in a series of decisive battles, including those at Issus and Gaugamela. -
286 BCE
England
Admiral Carausius breaks away from the rest of the Roman Empire and makes himself emperor of an independent Britain -
221 BCE
Qin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty, from which China derives its name (Qin is pronounced “Chin”), was the first official empire in its history. -
133 BCE
Civil Wars and the Fall of the Republic
Internal turmoil provoked in 133 BC by economic stagnation in the city of Rome , slave revolts without, and dissension in the military precipitated a period of unrelenting political upheaval known as the Roman Revolution, the Late Roman Republic , or the Fall of the Republic, 133-27 BC. -
27 BCE
Empire. The Age of Augustus
Augustus brought peace (“Pax Romana”) to the Greco-Roman world. In 27 BCE he nominally restored the republic of Rome and instituted a series of constitutional and financial reforms that culminated in the birth of the principate. As princeps of Rome, Augustus enjoyed enormous popularity. -
14
The First Emperors
Caesar Augustus (23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor, reigning from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. -
96
The Height of the Empire
The Roman Empire, at its height (c. 117 CE), was the most extensive political and social structure in western civilization. By 285 CE the empire had grown. -
180
The Crisis of Empire
The Crisis of the Third Century, also known as Military Anarchy or the Imperial Crisis (AD 235–284), was a period in which the Roman Empire nearly collapsed . -
305
The End of Empire
In 305, the senior emperors jointly abdicated and retired, allowing Constantius and Galerius to be elevated in rank to augustus. They in turn appointed two new caesares—Severus II in the west under Constantius, and Maximinus in the east under Galerius—thereby creating the second Tetrarchy. -
305
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire of the 13th and 14th centuries was the largest contiguous land empire in history. Originating in Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan -
862
The first major East Slavic state, Kievan Rus
As the centre of Kyivan (Kievan) Rus, the first eastern Slavic state, 1,000 years ago, it acquired the title “Mother of Rus Cities.” It was severely damaged during World War II, but by the mid-1950s it had been restored, and in the second half of the 20th century it enjoyed a well-developed economic and cultural life. -
1299
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire was an empire that controlled much of Southeast Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa between the 14th and early 20th centuries. It was founded at the end of the 13th century in northwestern Anatolia in the town of Söğüt by the Turkoman tribal leader Osman I. -
Shang Dynasty
The earliest ruling dynasty of China to be established in recorded history, the Shang was headed by a tribal chief named Tan. -
The Romanov Dynasty begins
The Romanov family was the last imperial dynasty to rule Russia. They first came to power in 1613, and over the next three centuries, 18 Romanovs took the Russian throne, including Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, Alexander I and Nicholas II. -
The United States is Founded
The Thirteen Colonies began a rebellion against British rule in 1775 and proclaimed their independence in 1776 as the United States of America. -
the Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States of America
On June 21, 1788, the Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States of America when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it. The journey to ratification, however, was a long and arduous process. -
France is founded
In the 4th century, the Franks, which is where the name France comes from, began to take power. In 768 Charlemagne united the Franks and began to expand the kingdom. He was named the Holy Roman Emperor by the Pope and is today considered the founder of both the French and German monarchies. -
Mexico was founded
On September 16, 1810, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a parish priest from the town of Dolores, issued a call to rebellion. In response, rebel leader Vicente Guerrero and defected royalist general Agustín de Itúrbide collaborated to gain Mexico's independence from Spain in 1821. -
the 13th amendment abolished slavery in the United States
Passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, the 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States. -
The Republic of China
Fueled by western-educated revolutionary Sun Yat-Sen, the Xinhai Revolution of 1911 culminated in the Wuchang Uprising, and 15 provinces declared their independence from the Qing Dynasty. Sun took control in 1912, announcing the republic. -
Russia Revolution & beginning of the Soviet Union
The Russian Revolution of 1917 was one of the most explosive political events of the twentieth century. The violent revolution marked the end of the Romanov dynasty and centuries of Russian Imperial rule. During the Russian Revolution, the Bolsheviks, led by leftist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin, seized power and destroyed the tradition of csarist rule. -
The Communist Party of China
With its roots in the May Fourth Movement protesting the Chinese government's response to the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, the CPC officially formed. -
United Kingdom
Great Britain is founded -
the 27 Amendment to the constitution was ratified
With no time limit on ratification, the Twenty-seventh Amendment was ratified in May 7, 1992, when Michigan approved it. -
Germany is founded
Although Germany in that sense is an ancient entity, the German nation in more or less its present form came into being only in the 19th century, when Prussian Prime Minister Otto von Bismarck brought together dozens of German-speaking kingdoms, principalities, free cities, bishoprics, and duchies to form the German . -
Civil Rights Movement
The American Civil Rights Movement was a political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish institutional racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement throughout the United States. -
Spain was founded
1479 - The Kingdom of Spain is formed when Isabella and Ferdinand are made King and Queen uniting Aragon and Castile. 1492 - The Reconquista ends with the conquest of Grenada. -
The Soviet Union Falls
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was the process of internal disintegration within the Soviet Union which resulted in the end of its existence as a sovereign state. -
Vladimir Putin is elected president
After the resignation of Yeltsin, Putin became acting president and, less than four months later, was elected outright to his first term as president.