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The most commonly given starting point for the Middle Ages is around 500, with 476—the year the last Western Roman Emperor was deposed—first used by Bruni. For Europe as a whole, 1500 is often considered to be the end of the Middle Ages, but there is no universally agreed-upon end date. -
After about 20 years of warfare, the Sassanian Empire collapses, allowing the Islamic caliphate to take control of most its territory. This is one of the most important events in the expansion of Islam. -
The Abbasid Revolution, also called the Movement of the Men of the Black Raiment. Was the overthrow of the Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE), the second of the four major Caliphates in Islamic history
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Four armies of Crusaders were formed from troops of different Western European regions, led by Raymond of Saint-Gilles, Godfrey of Bouillon, Hugh of Vermandois and Bohemond of Taranto (with his nephew Tancred). These groups departed for Byzantium in August 1096.
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A charter agreed to by King John of England and his rebellious barons, the document would come to be seen as the beginning of legal limits on the power of monarchs -
Considered one of the greatest works in literary history, it was written by an Italian poet. -
Musa I, ruler of the Mali Empire, is considered one of the wealthiest persons in history. In 1324 he began a pilgrimage to Mecca, bringing with him 60,000 people. His trip would have economic consequences for North Africa and Arabia that would last decades.
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The Kings of England and France begin a war – fought off and on – that would last until 1453. -
One of the largest pandemics in human history, it crossed through Eurasia and killed as many as 200 million people.
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Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, fell to the hands of the invading Ottoman Empire on May 29, 1453. This day, many believe, marks the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the 15th-century Renaissance.