Period 3 Timeline

Mayan city-states, 1800

1800 BCE

Maya cities were the centres of population of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization of Mesoamerica. They served the specialised roles of administration, commerce, manufacturing and religion that characterised ancient cities worldwide. Maya cities tended to be more dispersed than cities in other societies, even within Mesoamerica, as a result of adaptation to a lowland tropical environment that allowed food production amidst areas dedicated to other activities.

Inca Empire, 1438

1438 BCE

The Inca Empire, also known as the Incan Empire, was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political, and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century, and the last Inca stronghold was conquered by the Spanish in 1572.

Grand Canal built, 1400

1400 BCE

The Grand Canal), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the longest canal or artificial river in the world and a famous tourist destination. Starting at Beijing, it passes through Tianjin and the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the city of Hangzhou, linking the Yellow River and Yangtze River. The oldest parts of the canal date back to the 5th century BC.

Ming Dynasty, 1393

1393 BCE

The Ming dynasty, or the Great Ming, also called the Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China for 276 years large amounts of famine and plague caused the downfall of the Mongol Yuan dynasty leaving room for the Ming Dynasty to form. Following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming, described by some as "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history," was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic Han Chinese.

Black Death, 1340

1340 BCE

The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 75 to 200 million people and peaking in Europe in the years 1346–53. Although there were several competing theories as to the etiology of the Black Death, analysis of DNA from victims in northern and southern Europe published in 2010 and 2011 indicates that the pathogen responsible was the Yersinia pestis bacterium.

100 Years War, 1337

1337 BCE

The Hundred Years' War was a series of conflicts waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Plantagenet, rulers of the Kingdom of England, against the House of Valois, rulers of the Kingdom of France, for control of the latter kingdom. Each side drew many allies into the war. It was one of the most notable conflicts of the Middle Ages, in which five generations of kings from two rival dynasties fought for the throne of the largest kingdom in Western Europe.

Tenochtitlan built, 1325

1325 BCE

Mexico-Tenochtitlan, commonly known as Tenochtitlan was an Aztec altepetl located on an island in Lake Texcoco, in the Valley of Mexico. Founded on June 20 of 1325, it became the capital of the expanding Mexican Empire in the 15th century, until captured by the Spanish in 1521.

Pax Mongolica, 1300

1300 BCE

The Pax Mongolica is a historiographical term, modeled after the original phrase Pax Romana, which describes the stabilizing effects of the conquests of the Mongol Empire on the social, cultural, and economic life of the inhabitants of the vast Eurasian territory that the Mongols conquered in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Aztec Empire, 1300

1300 BCE

The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica from the 14th to 16th centuries. The Nahuatl words aztec atl and azteca mean "people from Aztlan", a mythological place for the Nahuatl-speaking culture of the time, and later adopted as the word to define the Mexica people. Often the term "Aztec" refers exclusively to the Mexica people of Tenochtitlan.

Yuan Dynasty, 1271

1271 BCE

The Yuan dynasty, officially the Great Yuan, was the empire or ruling dynasty established by Kublai Khan, leader of the Mongolian Borjigin clan. Although the Mongols had ruled territories including today's North China for decades, it was not until 1271 that Kublai Khan officially proclaimed the dynasty in the traditional Chinese style. His realm was, by this point, isolated from the other khanates and controlled most of present-day China and its surrounding areas.

Abbasid’s take Baghdad, 1258

1258 BCE

The Siege of Baghdad, which lasted from January 29 until February 10, 1258, entailed the investment, capture, and sack of Baghdad, the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate, by Ilkhanate Mongol forces and allied troops. The Mongols were under the command of Hulagu Khan, brother of the khagan Möngke Khan, who had intended to further extend his rule into Mesopotamia but not to directly overthrow the Caliphate.

The Inquisition, 1229

1229 BCE

The Inquisition is a group of institutions within the judicial system of the Roman Catholic Church whose aim was to combat heresy. It started in 12th-century France to combat religious sectarianism, in particular the Cathars and the Waldensians.

Magna Carta, 1215

1215 BCE

The Magna Carta is one of the earliest ancestors of the United States Constitution. This is a translation from the Latin. The 1225 charter omitted passages marked with an asterisk. This translation conveys the sense rather than the precise wording. The original charter ran continuously; it is numbered and broken into paragraphs here for easier understanding. The term "Magna Carta" means "Great Charter.

Parliament Established, 1215

1215 BCE

The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastes before making laws. In 1215, the tenants-in-chief secured Magna Carta from King John, which established that the king may not levy or collect any taxes.

Mongol Empire, 1206

1206 BCE

The Mongol Empire, existed during the 13th and 14th centuries and was the largest contiguous land empire in history. Originating in the steppes of Central Asia, the Mongol Empire eventually stretched from Eastern Europe to the Sea of Japan, extending northwards into Siberia, eastwards and southwards into the Indian subcontinent, Indochina, and the Iranian plateau, and westwards as far as the Levant and Arabia.

Crusades, 1095

1095 BCE

The Crusades were military campaigns sanctioned by the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages. In 1095 Byzantine Emperor Alexios I, in Constantinople, sent an ambassador to Pope Urban II in Italy pleading for military help against the growing Turkish threat. The Pope responded promptly by calling Catholic soldiers to join the First Crusade. The immediate goal was to guarantee pilgrims access to the holy sites in the Holy Land under Muslim control.

William the Conqueror takes England, 1087

1087 BCE

William I, usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman King of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087. The descendant of Viking raiders, he had been Duke of Normandy since 1035. After a long struggle to establish his power, by 1060 his hold on Normandy was secure, and he launched the Norman conquest of England in 1066.

Great Schism between Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, 1053

1053 BCE

The East–West Schism is the break of communion between what are now the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, and which began in the 11th century. There had long been ecclesiastical differences and theological disputes between the Greek East and Latin West. Prominent among these were the issues of the source of the Holy Spirit, whether leavened or unleavened bread should be used in the Eucharist, the Pope's claim to universal jurisdiction.

High Middle Ages, 1000

1000 BCE

The High Middle Ages or High Medieval Period was the period of European history around the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries. The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which by convention end around 1500.

Holy Roman Empire, 962

962 BCE

The Holy Roman Empire was a multi-ethnic complex of territories in central Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806. The largest territory of the empire after 962 was the Kingdom of Germany, though it included the Kingdom of Bohemia, the Kingdom of Burgundy, the Kingdom of Italy, and numerous other territories.

Song Dynasty, 960

960 BCE

The Song dynasty was an era of Chinese history that began in 960 and continued until 1279. It succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, and was followed by the Yuan dynasty. It was the first government in world history to nationally issue banknotes or true paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a permanent standing navy. This dynasty also saw the first known use of gunpowder.

Viking invasions in Europe, 793

793 BCE

The Viking Age is the period A.D. 793–1066 in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, following the Germanic Iron Age.

Sunni/Shia Split, 765

765 BCE

Sunni and Shia Islam are the two major denominations of Islam. The demographic breakdown between the two denominations is difficult to assess and varies by source, but a good approximation is that 85-90% of the world's Muslims are Sunni and 10-15% are Shia, with most Shias belonging to the Twelver tradition and the rest divided between many other groups.

Abbasid Caliphate, 750

750 BCE

The Abbasid Caliphate was the third of the Islamic caliphates to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The Abbasid dynasty descended from Muhammad's youngest uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, from whom the dynasty takes its name. They ruled as caliphs, for most of their period from their capital in Baghdad in modern-day Iraq.

Battle of Tours, 732

732 BCE

The Battle of Tours also called the Battle of Poitiers and, by Arab sources, Battle of the Palace of the Martyrs was fought in an area between the cities of Poitiers and Tours, in north-central France, near the village of Moussais-la-Bataille, about 20 kilometres northeast of Poitiers.

Muslim’s control Spain, 711

711 BCE

Islam has had a fundamental presence in the culture and history of Spain. The religion was present in modern Spanish soil from 709 until 1614 beginning with Arab rule and ending with the Spanish Inquisition. During this Islamic period Spain was known as the Jewel of Europe. For key historical dates, see Timeline of the Muslim presence in the Iberian peninsula.

Ummyad Caliphate, 661

661 BCE

he Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Islamic caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. This caliphate was centered on the Umayyad dynasty, hailing from Mecca. The Umayyad family had first come to power under the third caliph.

Death of Muhammad, 632

632 BCE

Prophet Muhammad died due to high fever or illness. He was neither poisoned nor did he ascend to heaven on a flying horse. Him ascending on a flying horse is a different incident altogether.Jul 11, 2014. Third was a dynasty and it is significant because it tells how the muslims great leader died and what caused it.

The Hijrah, 622

622 BCE

The Hegira or Hijrah, also romanized as Hijra and Hejira, is the migration or journey of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Yathrib, later renamed by him to Medina, in the year 622 CE. In June 622 CE, after being warned of a plot to assassinate him, Muhammad secretly left his home in Mecca to emigrate to Yathrib, 320 km (200 mi) north of Mecca, along with his companion Abu Bakr.

Tang Dynasty, 618

618 BCE

The Tang dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. It was founded by the Lǐ family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire. The dynasty was briefly interrupted when Empress Wu Zetian seized the throne, proclaiming the Second Zhou dynasty (690–705) and becoming the only Chinese empress regnant.

Muhammad’s 1st revelation, 610

610 BCE

According to Islam, Muhammad's first revelation was the event in which Muhammad was visited by the archangel Gabriel who revealed to him a verse from the Quran. The event took place in a cave called Hira, located on the mountain called Jabal an-Nour, near Mecca. According to biographies of Muhammad, while on retreat in a mountain cave near Mecca, Gabriel appears before him and commands him to recite the first lines of chapter 96 of the Quran.

Middle Ages, 500

500 BCE

In European history, the Middle Ages or Medieval period lasted from the 5th to the 15th century. It began with the collapse of the Western Roman Empire and merged into the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery. The Middle Ages is the middle period of the three traditional divisions of Western history: Antiquity, Medieval period, and Modern period.

Dark Ages, 500

500 BCE

The Dark Ages is a historical periodization used originally for the Middle Ages, which emphasizes the cultural and economic deterioration that supposedly occurred in Western Europe following the decline of the Roman Empire.

Byzantine Empire, 330

330 BCE

The Byzantine Empire, sometimes referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the Greek-speaking continuation of the Roman Empire in the East during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages.

Voyages of Zhen He, 1371

1371

Zheng He, originally named Ma He, was a Hui court eunuch, mariner, explorer, diplomat, and fleet admiral during China's early Ming dynasty. Zheng commanded expeditionary voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, and East Africa from 1405 to 1433. His larger ships stretched 400 feet in length. These carried hundreds of sailors on four tiers of decks.