Historical Timeline

  • 3000 BCE

    Egypt unites

    Egypt unites
    Based on tradition, Menes was the first king of Egypt.
  • 2400 BCE

    Temple platforms are built in Peru

    Temple platforms are built in Peru
    In 2013, a 5,000 year old temple was unearthed in Peru.
  • 2050 BCE

    Middle Kingdom of Egypt begins

    Middle Kingdom of Egypt begins
    The Middle Kingdom is sometimes known as the “Classical Age” or “Period of Unification.”
  • 2000 BCE

    Development of Chinese Writing

    Development of Chinese Writing
    Chinese writing is composed of more than 50,000 characters.
  • 1503 BCE

    Reign of Queen Hatshepsut

    Reign of Queen Hatshepsut
    Queen Hatshepsut is considered one of the best 18th dynasty pharaohs.
  • 1350 BCE

    Akhenaten and Nefertiti begin their rule

    Akhenaten and Nefertiti begin their rule
    Originally, Akhenaten wasn’t meant to be a pharaoh.
  • 750 BCE

    Greeks colonize the Mediterranean

    Greeks colonize the Mediterranean
    The Ancient Greeks were the first to come up with the concept of a democracy.
  • 566 BCE

    Buddha is born

    Buddha is born
    Buddha eventually died in 483 BCE
  • 551 BCE

    Confucius is born

    Confucius is born
    Confucius died of natural causes in 479 BCE.
  • 509 BCE

    Roman Republic is established

    Roman Republic is established
    The Roman Republic was a mix of a democracy, aristocracy, and monarchy.
  • 500 BCE

    Adena mounds are built in Ohio

    Adena mounds are built in Ohio
    The Adena mounds were used as religious, burial, and possibly defensive structures.
  • 221 BCE

    China has first emperor

    China has first emperor
    The first emperor of China was Qin Shi Huang, who was born in 259 BCE.
  • 206 BCE

    Han Dynasty begins in China

    Han Dynasty begins in China
    The Han Dynasty ended in 220 CE. Sometimes, it is called the Golden Age of Ancient China.
  • 44 BCE

    Julius Caesar is killed

    Julius Caesar is killed
    Caesar was assassinated by senators during a meeting of the Senate.
  • 100

    Paper invented in China

    Paper invented in China
    Cai Lun was the Chinese man thought to have invented paper.
  • 476

    Roman Empire falls

    Roman Empire falls
    The Roman Empire supposedly fell because of invasions, laziness, and an unstable government.
  • 500

    Height of Mayan CIvilization

    Height of Mayan CIvilization
    The Mayan Civilization created astronomy, calendar systems, and hieroglyphics.
  • 570

    Muhammad is born

    Muhammad is born
    Muhammad was the proclaimer and founder of the book of the Muslim religion, the Quran.
  • 600

    Islam spreads to North Africa

    Islam spreads to North Africa
    Islam is the main religion of the North African people.
  • 800

    Arab traders brought paper from China

    Arab traders brought paper from China
    Chinese paper replaced papyrus when it spread to Islamic countries.
  • 960

    Song Dynasty began in China

    Song Dynasty began in China
    Gunpowder was invented during the Song Dynasty.
  • 1215

    English Magna Carta signed

    English Magna Carta signed
    The Magna Carta was the first document to say that a king isn’t above the law.
  • 1438

    Inca Empire founded

    Inca Empire founded
    The Inca Empire only lasted for about a century.
  • 1492

    Columbus reaches the Caribbean

    Columbus reaches the Caribbean
    Many people believe that Columbus set out to prove the world was round.
  • Declaration of Independence signed

    Declaration of Independence signed
    56 delegates signed the Declaration of Indepedence.
  • President Lincoln is killed

    President Lincoln is killed
    John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Lincoln by shooting him in the head.
  • WWII Begins

    WWII Begins
    The Nazis targeted Jews, Jehovah’s witnesses, homosexuals, disabled people, Poles, and other minorities.
  • Berlin Wall falls

    Berlin Wall falls
    The Berlin Wall was built to keep “Western fascists” from coming into East Germany.
  • Soviet Union breaks apart

    Soviet Union breaks apart
    Political policies, defense spending, economics, and the Chernobyl disaster were reasons why the Soviet Union broke up.
  • Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa

    Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
    Nelson Mandela was the first black president of South Africa.