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MYA = Million Years Ago AD = After 'Christ' BC = Before 'Christ' SWA – Southwest Asia SEA – Southeast Asia E – Europe A – Africa AM – Americas AU – Australia MP – Melanesia & Polynesia EU – Eurasia NE – Near East SAC – South America & Caribbean M – Mesoamerica NA – North America C – China CC- Collapse of the Chinese Empire CR – Chinese Revolution CUC – China under communism I – India K – Korea MM – Minoan & Mycenaean P – Persia G – Greek H – Hellenistic World PNE – Peoples of Northern Europe RO – Roman ME – Middle East CHR – Christianity (rise of) GE – Germanic PIA – Pre-Islamic Arabia IS – Islam (rise of) J – Jewish diaspora FR – Frankish Kingdom (rise of) MSV – Magyars, Saracens & Vikings N+EE North & East Europe in 9-10th C Europe GEP – German empire & Papacy BY – Byzantine Empire KR – Kievan Russia IJ – Imperial Japan B+F – Monarchy in Britain and France EGE – Economic Growth in Europe MU – The Muslim World I+CA – Iran and Central Asia MO – Mongol Empire SAM – South America O – Ottoman Empire/Turkey 14E – 14 Century Europe OD – Disintigration of Ottoman Emp. WEE – World on the Eve of European Expansion MC – Mesoamerica & Carib. REX – Russian expansion in Europe & Asia th REN – The Renaissance & early modern state in Europe EV – European Voyages of Discovery EX – Expansion of the Trading Empires IRN – Iran from the Safavids to the Qajars LAC – Latin America & Caribbean LA – Latin America EE – European Economy: trade & industry MING – China at the time of the Ming Dynasty CHI – China at the time of the Ch'ing SJ – Shogunate Japan dynasty EMJ – Expansion Modern Japan BA – Struggle for the Baltic RCR – Reformation & Catholic Reformation JEA – Japan & East Asia MT – Mediterranean World AOP – Eastern Europe – Age of Partiton FR – France (Ascendy of) EMP – Struggle for Empire AR – Age of Revolt EM – Emerging Global Economy FRV – French Revolution IRB – Industrial Revolution - Britain POP – Population Growth & Movements RI – Rise of Nationalism in Europe NZ – New Zealand IRE – Industrial Revolution – Europe USA – United States IA – Iraq and Afghanistan SU – Development of USSR & Russia SCR – Slavery, Civil War & Reconstruction GI – Germany & Italy – struggles for reunification GE – Global Economy WW1 – World War 1 ERA – European rivalries & alliances CAN – Canada RR – Russian Revolution ECE – European Colonial Empires RU – Russian Empire AWR – Anti West Reaction to power RD – Racism and Deportations WC – World Commerce EP – European Political Problems W - Warfare IN – Imperialism & Nationalism GLOB – Global Environment SA – South Asia CA – Central America & Caribbean GD – Great Depression CW – Cold War WW2 – World War IIRE – Retreat from the EmpireCO COM – Communications in the Modern Age PZ – Palestine, Zionism and the Arab- ME – Middle East problems since Israeli conflict WW2 67 6-4 MYA Early hominid evolution in Africa A 2,6 MYA Earliest evidence of stone tools A 2 MY BC Earliest archaelogically proven hominine activity in China C Pre 1 MYA Homo erectus enters Asia SEA 500.000BC Emergence of Peking Man C 118.000BC Emergence of Homo Sapiens A 60.000BC Homo Sapiens spread throughout southeast Asia SEA c.50.000BC Emerald Tablets of Thoth-The-Atlantean written, containing the Sacred Knowledge of Creation FORBIDDEN KNOWLEDGE 40.000-10.000BC Late Pleistocene flake and blade tool tradition SEA 38.000BC Man first reaches Sahul (the ancient Australian megacontinent) AU 38.000BC Modern people (homo sapiens) arrived in New Guinea MP 33.000BC The Australian megafauna are hunted to extinction AU 30.000BC Emergence of Homo Sapiens in China C 30.000-7.500BC Palaeolithic period C 23.000BC First evidence of settlements in highland New Guinea MP 13.000BC First human settlement AM 12.000-9.000BC Epipalaeolithic: earliest semi permanent villages SWA 11.000BC Mammoth kill near Clovis (North America) AM 10.000BC Tasmania and mainland Australia seperated by rising sea levels AU 10.000BC The Biblical Flood – the first Human Epoch for humans to evolve GLOBAL 10.000BC Human settlement in Africa begins A 10.000-4.000BC Hoabinhian hunter-gatherer traditions on the mainland SEA 9.000BC Southern tip of South America colonized AM 9.000-6.500BC Pre Neolithic pottery: start of food production, extensive ritual evidence.SWA 7.000-4.000BC Rice agriculture expands through central and south China SEA 7.000BC First agricultural settlement of Europe E 6.500-5.500BC Pottery Neolithic (Hassuna, Samarra): craft specialization SWA 6.000BC Earliest evidence of cattle herding; cereal cultivation in Egypt A 5.500-4.200BC Chalcolithic ('Ubaid period): regional centres, administration SWA 5.000BC Agriculture reaches Iberian Peninsula and the Low Countries E 4.500BC Beginning of significant copper production in the Balkans E 4500BC Rising sea levels cut the land bridge between New Guinea and Australia AU 4.200-3.100BC Chalcolithic (Uruk period): growth of cities, earliest writing SWA 4.000BC Algricultural economy in Britain and southern Scandinavia E 4.000BC Austronesians advance through coastal regions of New Guinea and beyond MP 3.600BC Mesoamerica: evidence maize cultivated AM 3.500BC Spread of cart and plough across Europe E 3.500BC Neolithic period C 3.500BC Eanna in Uruk and other ceremonial complexes built as the centres of the earliest cities in Mesopotamia EU 3.500BC Beginning of Early Indus period I 3.200BC Earliest readable documents from Mesopotamia EU 3.100BC Egyptian hieroglyphics: The earliest examples are found as labels on small objects. They use a combination of logographic and phonographic signs. Over 6000 are known, but fewer than 1000 are thought to have been in use at any one time, and only a small proportion used frequently. Fully developed from it's earliest appearance, it continued in use until the 4th century AD. The ancient Egyptian language was the ancestor of Coptic. EU 3.100BC The traditional date of the unification of _Egypt under Meni (Menes) EU 3.100BC Palatial complexes at Abydus established under First Dynasty of Egypt EU 3.100-2.686BC Early Dynastic Period – capital at Memphis EU 3.000BC Megalithic tombs in western Europe E 3.000BC First pottery in America (northern South America) AM 3.000BC First agricultural settlements in southeast Asia SEA 3.000BC Evidence of slash and burn horticulture in Melanesia MP 3.000BC Beginning of Greek Early Bronze Age MM 3.000-2.000BC Desiccation of Sahara; domestication of tropical plants; rise of pharaonic Egypt A 3000BC & Mesopotamian pictograms and cuneiform. The earliest script developed 2400BC gradually over a wide area of Mesopotamia, it was pictographic and inscribed on damp clay with a stick or reed. Used for record keeping in economic transactions, the characteristic use of a stylus to make wedge-shaped marks ('cuneus' is Latin for 'wedge') led to stylized signs. It developed into a syllabic system for writing Sumerian, and later other Mesopotamian languages. EU 2900BC Beginning of Early Dynastic Period EU 2686-2181BC Old Kingdom of Egypt – great pyraminds built/resurrected at Giza EU 2500BC Beginning of Harappan culture in the Indus Valley I 2500BC Indus valley script: These signs are found mainly on seal stones, pottery, copper tablets, bone and ivory. About 400 seperate signs have been distinguished in about 3500 short inscriptions. The script is as yet undeciphered, but the language may be related to the Dravidian group which includes modern Tamil and Malayalam. I 2500BC Growth of urbanism in the Indus valley I 2500-1800BC Longshan period C 2350BC First ceremonial centre built at Troy in western Anatolia EU 2296BC Beginning of the reign of Sargon, first ruler of the empire of Agade EU 2181-2040BC First Intermediate Period, a time of political and social instability EU 2040-1720BC Middle Kingdom – 'classical' period of art and literature. EU 2029BC Beginning of the reign of Shulgi of Ur EU 2000BC Start of large-scale tin/bronze production in central Europe E 2000BC High point of ”Únětice” metal working in north central Europe PNE 2000BC First metal-working in the Central Andes AM 1900BC Beginning of First Palace Period on Crete MM 1800BC Beginning of Shang dynasty in China EU 1800BC & Linear A & B script: Both have been found on clay tablets used for record1500BC keeping. Linear A only in Crete, Linear B in later contexts in Crete and on mainland Greece. About 90 signs have been found and they suggest that these were syllabic systems, with some logographic elements. Linear A is as yet undeciphered; Linear B was adapted from it by Mycenaeans to write Greek, and a version was used in Cyprus down to the 5th century BC. E 1750BC Northernmost Greenland settled AM 1750BC Abandonment of major Indus valley cities I 1750BC Destruction of First Palaces. Beginning of Second Palace Period MM 1749BC Amorite Shamsi-Adad 1 conquers Ashur and takes the Assyrian throne EU 1728BC Beginning of the reign of Hammurabi of Babylon EU 1720-1550BC Second Intermediate period in Egypt; Kerma reached peak power A The Hyksos (15th dynasty c.1648-1540BC) rule over a large part of Egypt EU 1686BC Hammurabi publishes his law code shortly before his death EU 1650BC Indo Aryans begin to arrive in India I 1628BC Massive volcanic eruption on the Aegean island of Thera MM 1600BC Start of the Bronze Age in China C 1595BC Hittite Mursili 1 sacks Babylon EU 1550-1069BC New Kingdom of Egypt; Kerma ends A Egytpian empire in Nubia, Palestine and Syria EU 1520-1030BC Shang dynasty C 1500-500BC Bronze Age in northeast Thailand and north Vietnam SEA 1500BC The dingo (wild dog) arrives in Australia AU 1500BC Coastal parts of New Guinea, the Solomons, New Hebrides and Fiji settled by Austronesian Lapita pottery makers, who orginated in Indonesia MP 1500BC Mycenaean conquest of Crete MM 1420BC Tudhaliya 1 begins expansion of Hittite power NE 1400BC Appearances of Palaces on the mainland MM 1400BC Shang (”Oracle Bone”) script: earliest examples found on ”oracle bones”, pieces of bone and turtleshell used for divination by later rulers of Shang dynasty (c.1500-1000BC). About 4500 signs have been distinguished, of which around 1000 have been identified. Some signs are pictographic, but not all. It is a direct ancestor of modern Chinese scripts. SEA 1390BC Amenophis III of Egypt marries the daughter of Kassite King Kurigalzu 1 of Babylon NE 1300BC Start of Urnfield culture PNE 1275BC Battle of Kadesh between Rameses II of Egypt and the Hittites. NE 1190BC Abandonment of Mycenaean Palaces MM 1194–1184BC Archaeological evidence of a catastrophic burning of Troy VIIa G Now taken as history as opposed to myth. 1150BC Beginnings of Olmec civilization in Mexico AM 1100BC Earliest fortified hilltop sites in western Europe PNE 1069BC The beginning of the Third Intermediate Period EU 1046-256BC Zhou dynasty C 1025BC Emergence of Israelite kingdom NE 1000BC Indo Aryan settlements established in the Upper Ganges plains I 934BC Ashur-dan II begins Assyrian recovery NE 900BC Egypt disunited; rise of Napata A 776BC Traditional date for the first Olympic Games G 770-476BC Spring and Autumn period C 750BC First Greek colonizing expeditions G 750BC Start of ”Hallstatt” Iron Age PNE 700-600BC Emergence of tyrants in many Greek states G 671-656BC Assyrians gain temporary control of Egypt NE 664BC Roman Forum laid out RO 612BC Nabopolassar of Babylon sacks Ninevah NE 600BC Kausambi and Ujjain develop as earliest post Harappan cities I 600BC Foundation of Greek colony at Massilia (Marseille) PNE 550BC Chinese silks known in Athens EU 539BC Cyrus the Great of Persia captures Babylon NE 525BC Cambyses conquers Egypt P 511BC Expulsion of Tarquinius Superbus, last of Rome's kings RO 508BC Reforms of Cleisthenes establish Athenian democracy G 5th Century BC Earliest evidence of iron working in west Africa A 500BC Foundation of Zapotec capital, Monte Albán in Mexico AM 500BC Introduction of iron, trade with India and development of political elites SEA 500BC-250BC First movement of Arawak speaking peoples to the Caribbean SAC 496BC Battle of Lake Regillus; Rome defeats the Latins RO 486BC Birth of Buddha I 478-404BC Athens dominates Aegean through Delian League G 475-221BC Warring States Period - C 450BC Collapse of West Hallstatt system leads to spread of Celtic (La Tène) culture PNE 447BC Parthenon begun in Athens G 4th Century BC Alexander conquers Egypt (332BC); Egypt ruled by Ptolemies A 399BC Socrates tried and executed in Athens G 390BC Gauls (Celtic peoples) sack Rome PNE, RO 371BC Thebans defeat Spartans at Leuctra; end of Spartan influence in Greek affairs G 338BC Battle of Chaeronea; Phillip II of Macedon gains control of Greece G 336BC Phillip II of Macedon assassinated H 334BC Alexander invades the Persian Empire H 332BC Alexander conquers Egypt A 330BC Darius III the last Achaemenid King is assassinated P 327BC Alexander of the Greats incursion into India I 323BC Death of Alexander H 310BC Hopewell culture in eastern North America; burials more elaborate; chiefdoms and long distance trade network develops NA 305BC Seleucus Nicator defeated by Chandragupta I 301BC Battle of Ipsus; final break up of Alexander's empire H 3rd Century BC Punic Wars (Carthage versus Rome); settlement site at Jenne-Jeno in west Africa A 279BC Celts under Brennus attack Delphi PNE 238BC Arsaces I siezes Parthia from the Seleucids P 232BC Death of Mauryan Emperor Ashoko I 221-207BC Ch'in dynasty C 221BC Shih Huang-ti crowned the first emperor of China C 218-210BC Second Punic War; Hannibal defeated, Spain a Roman province RO 210BC Death of Shih Huang-ti; decline of the Ch'in C 202BC-9AD Former Han dynasty C 146BC Following rebellions, Macedonia becomes a Roman province H, RO 146BC Romans sack Carthage and Corinth RO 133BC Attalus III of Pergamum dies, leaving his kingdom to Rome H, RO 116BC Eudoxus of Cyzicus sails from Arabia to India using the monsoons EU 111BC Han invasion of northern Vietnam under emperor Wu-ti SEA 102BC Chinese emperor leads an expedition to Ferghana to seize horses EU 100BC First Nasca lines constructed SAC 91-89BC Social War; Roman citizenship extended to all Italians RO 88BC Bactria and the Indus Valley overrun by the Shakas I 87BC Death of emperor Han Wu-ti; decline of former Former Han C 64BC Romans annex Syria, ending Seleucid rule H, RO 63BC Judaea becomes Roman protectorate J 58-51BC Julius Caesar conquers Gaul PNE 53BC Parthians defeat Roman legions under Marcus Crassus at Carrhae P 49BC Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon and marches on Rome RO 30BC Death of Cleopatra; Romans annex Egypt H, RO 27BC Augustus becomes Roman emperor RO 1AD Basketmaker II period in southwest; hamlets with up to 11 circular houses NA 14AD Tiberius becomes emperor RO 9-23AD Hsin dynasty C 25-220AD Later Han dynasty C 33AD Crucifiction of sacred knowledge teacher, healer and preacher Yehoshua ben Josef, the first incarnation within a human vessel of the Creator Consciousness on Earth. Later the 'christ' consciousness within, that Yehoshua encapsulated the spirit of, was to return for a 'second coming' within the awakened firstfruits of Evolution that really began to take hold on a localized, yet mirrored globally, level in the International Year of the Light - 2015. The firstfruits of the second coming were not recognized by society in general at the time of writing, 2016 brought the largest leap in the embracement of the Evolution of man towards its ultimate goal of another successful wave of Evolution – to Spiritual or Fully Conscious human. This began on 21 december 2012 and was the period 20 of 0, the end of the Mayan Long Count calendar. Previously hidden knowledge was made public in the release of this book in 2016 CHR 43AD Claudius invades Britain RO 46-57AD Missionary journeys of St Paul CHR 64AD Nero persecutes Christians in Rome CHR 65AD First Buddhist missionaries arrive in China I, C 66-73AD First Jewish revolt J 69AD Year of the Four Emperors; civil wars between Galba, Otho, Vitellius and Vespasian RO 70AD Destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem J 97AD Chinese ambassador Kan Ying visits Persia EU 1st Century AD Spread of Christianity in Roman Africa; rise of Aksum A 100AD-700AD Moche culture dominates the Pacific coast SAC 100AD Rise of Teotihuacán M 101-106AD Trajan's Dacian Wars RO 110AD Kushana emperor Kanishka's accession to the throne I 131AD Hadrian establishes Panhellenion at Athens RO, G 132-35AD Second Jewish revolt under Bar Kokhba J 166AD Roman merchants at the Chinese imperial court EU 180AD Death of Marcus Aurelius RO 190-525AD Kingdom of Himyar in Yemen highlands PIA 2nd Century AD Decline of Meroë; rapid spread of iron working and food production in sub- Equatorial Africa A 205AD Ts'ao Ts'ao, founder of the Wei dynasty, in effective control of north China C 212AD Caracalla extends citizenship to all free inhabitants of the empire RO 220AD Last Han emperor Hsien-ti abdicates C 259AD Sasanid Shapur I captures the Roman emperor Valerian at Edessa P 280AD China unified under Western Chin C 284AD Diocletian becomes emperor RO Early 3rd C AD Earliest Sanskrit writing in southeast Asia in the 'Vo Canh' inscription of central Vietnam SEA 303-312AD The ”Great Persecution” of Christians in the Roman empire CHR 311AD Ch'ang-an first attacked by Ti armies C 312AD Emperors Licinius and Constantine declare toleration for all religions in the empire – The ”Conversion of Constantine” RO, CHR 313AD Koguryõ destroys the Chinese Lelang Commandery K 316AD Lo-yang sacked by Hsiungnu C 325AD The First Council of Nicaea - a council of Christian bishops convened in Nicaea in Bithynia by the Roman Emperor Constantine I in AD 325. This first ecumenical council was the first effort to attain consensus in the church through an assembly representing all of Christendom. It was presided over by Hosius of Corduba, a bishop from the West. Its main accomplishments were settlement of the Christological issue of the nature of the Son of God and his relationship to God the Father, the construction of the first part of the Creed of Nicaea, establishing uniform observance of the date of Easter, and promulgation of early canon law. CHR 335AD King Samudragupta accedes to the throne I 358AD Salian Franks in Toxandria GE 361-363AD Emperor Julian attempts to restore pagan religion RO 378AD Battle of Adrianople GE 391AD Legislation to ban pagan rites in the Roman empire RO, CHR 393AD Emperor Theodosius I decreed that all pagan cults and practices be eliminated, ending the Olympic Games G 395AD Death of Theodosius I; division between east and west becomes permanent RO 4th Century AD Aksum adopts Christianity A 400AD Settlement of the Hawaiian Islands and Easter Island MP 410AD Alaric and Visigoths sack Rome RO 410AD Alaric the Visigoth in Rome GE, RO 418AD Visigothic kingdom of Toulouse founded GE 420AD Overthrow of Eastern Chin dynasty C 429AD Vandal kingdom founded in north Africa GE, A 451AD The Council of Chalcedon was a church council held from October 8 to November 1, AD 451, at Chalcedon (a city of Bithynia in Asia Minor), on the Asian side of the Bosphorus, known in modern times as Kadıköy in Istanbul Province of Republic of Turkey, although it was then separate from Constantinople. The judgements and definitions of divine nature issued by the council marked a significant turning point in the Christological debates that led to the separate establishment of the church in the Western Roman Empire during the 5th century CHR 451AD Attila the Hun defeated at Catalaunian Fields GE 476AD Romolus Augustulus, the last Roman western emporer, deposed – signalled the fall of Ancient Rome RO 481AD Clovis becomes king of the Franks (to 511) 493AD Theodoric the Ostrogoth defeats Odoacer (rules Italy to 526) GE 496-508 Conversion to Catholicism and baptism of Clovis FR 500 Basketmaker III period in southwest; villages of up to 50 semi-sunken homes NA 502 Ghassanids replace the tribe of Salih as Byzantine clients in Syria PIA 506 Visigoths promulgate (put (a law or decree) into effect by official proclamation) Breviary of Alaric (lawcode) GE 507 Battle of Vouillé; Frankish conquest of Visigothic Aquitania FR 511 Huns, having sacked the important Gupta city of Prayaga, rule northern India I 514-40 King Pophõng launches full scale sinification of Silla K 525 Ethiopians conquer Yemen PIA 527 Justinian becomes emperor in the east: Justinian's rule constitutes a distinct epoch in the history of the Later Roman empire, and his reign is marked by the ambitious but only partly realized renovatio imperii, or "restoration of the Empire" RO 534 Northern Wei dynasty fragments C 536-561 Ostrogothic wars in Italy GE 540 Silkworms brought into the Byzantine empire EU 540 Chosroes I sacks Antioch P 568 Lombards enter Italy GE 570 Ethiopians attack on Mecca PIA 572 Persians expel Ehtiopians from Yemen PIA 584 Deposition of last Ghassanid King PIA 590 Gregory the Great extends papal power, commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was Pope from 3 September 590 to his death in 604. Gregory is well known for his writings, which were more prolific than those of any of his predecessors as pope. He is also known as St. Gregory the Dialogist in Eastern Christianity because of his Dialogues. For this reason, English translations of Eastern texts will sometimes list him as "Gregory Dialogus". CHR 597 Mission of Augustine of Canterbury to England CHR 6th Century AD Byzantium recovers African territories lost to the Vandals A 600 Huari and Tiahuanaco expansion begins SAC 600 Apogee of Maya civilization M 602 Fall of Lakhmid kingdom of Hira PIA 611 Bedouin defeat Sasanian army at battle of Dhu Qar PIA 611-614 Sui launches unsuccessful and draining invasions of north Korea C 618 Last Sui emperor, Yang-ti, assassinated C 618-907 T'ang dynasty C 622 16 July – Mohammed and his followers migrate to Medina; start of the Islamic Era IS 628 Heraclius defeats Persians at Nineveh BY 632 Death of Mohammed IS 632-34 Abu Bakr caliph; conquest of Arabia and southern Palestine IS 638 Capture of Jerusalem IS 637 Arabs capture Sasanid capital Ctesiphon P 643 Alexandria occupied IS 645 ”Taika” reforms IJ 651 Final defeat of Persians at Merv IS 651 Death of Yazgard III, last Sasanian Shah I+CA 661-750 Umayyad dynasty IS 682 Silla establishes a Confucian College K 687 Battle of Tertry FR Early 7th C Decline of Aksums; rise of Islam 7th C Trading settlement at Dorestad founded EGE 688-726 Hamwic founded EGE 700 Teotihuacán destroyed M 700 Domination of southeast by Hohokam, Mogollon and Anasazi cultures; production of high quality ceramics; temple mounds of Mississippi region start to form towns NA 711 Conquest of Spain IS 712 Conquest of Sind IS 714-718 Charles Martel effective ruler in Francia FR 726 Leo III delares all images to be idols; images finally restored in 843. BY 733-34 Battle of Tours; Charles Martel defeats Arabs FR 750 Pulguk-sa Temple is built in Kyõngju to be national Buddhist centre K 750-1258 Abbasid dynasty IS 750 Settlement at Staraya Ladoga KR 751 Arab victory against Chinese at Talas River IS 751 Pippin III usurps Merovingian throne FR 755 Frankish king Pippin takes control of coinage EGE 774 Lombard kingdom conquered by Charlemagne FR 780-850 Construction of Borobudur, Java SEA 788 Charlemagne annexes Bavaria FR 793 Sack of Lindisfarne MSV 794 Synod of Frankfurt; Coinage, weghts and measures reforms of Charlemagne FR, EGE 794 Kyoto established as imperial court IJ 800 Coronation of Charlemagne as emperor in Rome FR 800 First use of bow and arrow in Mississippi Valley NA 802 Caliph of Baghdad sends an elephant to Charlemagne at Aachen EGE 802 Foundation of Angkor in Cambodia SEA 809 Death of Haroun al Rashid MU 814 Death of Charlemagne; Louis the Pious becomes emperor FR 826 Baptism of Danish king Harold MSV 827 First Muslim attack on Sicily MSV 827-39 Egbert (Ecgherht) - The first monarch to establish a stable and extensive rule over all of Anglo-Saxon England. After returning from exile at the court of Charlemagne in 802, he regained his kingdom of Wessex. Following his conquest of Mercia in 827, he controlled all of England south of the Humber. After further victories in Northumberland and North Wales, he is recognised by the title Bretwalda (Anglo-Saxon, "ruler of the British". A year before he died aged almost 70, he defeated a combined force of Danes and Cornish at Hingston Down in Cornwall. He is buried at Winchester in Hampshire. SAXON 830-40 Viking raids on Dorestad EGE 839-56 Aethelwulf - King of Wessex, son of Egbert and father of Alfred the Great. In 851 Aethelwulf defeated a Danish army at the battle of Oakley while his eldest son Aethelstan fought and beat the Danes at sea off the coast of Kent, in what is believed to be the first naval battle. A highly religous man, Athelwulf travelled to Rome with his son Alfred to see the Pope in 855. SAXON 841-71 Muslims occupy Bari MSV 844-78 Rule of Rhodri Mawr in Wales N+EE 849 Pagan (Burma) founded SEA 850 Collapse of Maya civilization M 850 Dorestad abandoned due to silting up of Rhine EGE 856-60 Aethelbald - The eldest son of Aethelwulf, Æthelbald was born around 834. He was crowned at Kingston-upon-Thames in southwest London, after forcing his father to abdicate upon his return from pilgrimage to Rome. Following his fathers death in 858, he married his widowed stepmother Judith, but under pressure from the church the marriage was annulled after only a year. He is buried at Sherbourne Abbey in Dorset. SAXON 856-62 The great Viking raids MSV c.860 Flanders fairs begin EGE 860-66 Aethelbert - Became king following the death of his brother Æthelbald. Like his brother and his father, Aethelbert was crowned at Kingston-Upon-Thames. Shortly after his succession a Danish army landed and sacked Winchester before being defeated by the Saxons. In 865 the Viking Great Heathen Army landed in East Anglia and swept across England. He is buried at Sherborne Abbey. SAXON 862 Vikings sieze Kiev KR 862 Weland the Viking swears fealty (An oath of fealty, from the Latin fidelitas (faithfulness), is a pledge of allegiance of one person to another) to Charles the Bald MSV 864 Mission of Cyril and Methodius to Moravia CHR 866-71 Aethelred I - Aethelred succeeded his brother Aethelbert. His reign was one long struggle with the Danes who had occupied York in 866, establishing the Viking kingdom of Yorvik. When the Danish Army moved south Wessex itself was threatened, and so together with his brother Alfred, they fought several battles with the Vikings at Reading, Ashdown and Basing. Aethelred suffered serious injuries during the next major battle at Meretun in Hampshire; he died of his wounds shortly after at Witchampton in Dorset, where he was buried SAXON 871-99 Alfred the Great - son of Aethulwulf. Born at Wantage in Berkshire around 849, Alfred was well educated and is said to have visited Rome on two occasions. He had proven himself to be a strong leader in many battles, and as a wise ruler managed to secure five uneasy years of peace with the Danes, before they attacked Wessex again in 877. Alfred was forced to retreat to a small island in the Somerset Levels and it was from here that he masterminded his comeback, perhaps 'burning the cakes' as a consequence. With major victories at Edington, Rochester and London, Alfred established Saxon Christian rule over first Wessex, and then on to most of England. To secure his hard won boundaries Alfred founded a permanent army and an embryonic Royal Navy. To secure his place in history, he began the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles. SAXON 880 Muslims driven from Taranto MSV 882 Oleg unites Novgorod and Kiev KR, MSV 885-86 Viking siege of Paris MSV 893 Frisian merchants recorded in Duisberg EGE 896 Magyars settle Hungarian Plain MSV 899-924 Edward (The Elder) - Succeeded his father Alfred the Great. Edward retook southeast England and the Midlands from the Danes. Following the the death of his sister Aethelflaed of Mercia, Edward unites the kingdoms of Wessex and Mercia. In 923, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles record that the Scottish King Constantine II recognises Edward as "father and lord". The following year, Edward is killed in a battle against the Welsh near Chester. His body is returned to Winchester for burial. SAXON 900 First migration of Nahua speaking peoples to Central America M 900 Hohokam build irrigation canals up to 16km (10 miles) long; influence from Mexico shown through imports and architecture NA 906 Destruction of Moravia by the Magyars MSV, N+EE 909 Fatimid Caliphate proclaimed in Tunisia MU 911 Rouen ceded to Rollo by Charles the Simple MSV 911 Death of Louis, last Carolingian king of east Frankish kingdom GE 918 Wang Kõn founds the Koryõ dynasty K 922 Ibn Fadlan's visit to the middle Volga KR 924-39 Aethelstan - Son of Edward the Elder, Athelstan extended the boundaries of his kingdom at the Battle of Brunanburh in 937. In what is said to be one of the bloodiest battles ever fought on British soil, Athelstan defeated a combined army of Scots, Celts, Danes and Vikings, claiming the title of King of all Britain. The battle saw for the first time individual Anglo-Saxon kingdoms being brought together to create a single and unified England. Athelstan is buried in Malmesbury, Wiltshire. SAXON 929 Abd al-Rahman III proclaims Umayyad Caliphate in Cordoba MU 932 Election of Otto I GE 939-46 Edmund - Succeeded his half-bother Athelastan as king at the tender age of 18, having already fought alongside him at the Batlle of Brunanburh two years earlier. He re-established Anglo-Saxon control over northern England, which had fallen back under Scandanavian rule following the death of Athelstan. Aged just 25, and whilst celebrating the feast of Augustine, Edmund was stabbed by a robber in his royal hall at Pucklechurch near Bath. His two sons, Eadwig and Edgar, were perhaps considered too young to become kings. SAXON 941 Rus attack on Constantinople KR 945 Daylamite Mu'izz al-Dawla takes power in Iraq MU 946-55 Eadred - The son of Edward the Elder by his third marriage to Eadgifu, Eadred succeeded his brother Edmund following his premature death. He followed in the family tradition of defeating Norsemen, expelling the last Scandanavian King of York, Eric Bloodaxe, in 954. A deeply religious man, Eadred suffered a serious stomach ailment that would eventually prove fatal. Eadred died in his early 30s, unmarried and without an heir, at Frome in Somerset. He is buried in Winchester. SAXON 948 Three bishops appointed to sees in Denmark N+EE 954 Eric Bloodaxe, last Scandinavian king of York, killed N+EE 955 Battle of the Lechfeld MSV 955-59 Eadwig - The eldest son of Edmund I, Eadwig was about 16 when he was crowned king at Kingston-upon-Thames in southeast London. Legend has it that his coronation had to be delayed to allow Bishop Dunstan to prise Eadwig from his bed, and from between the arms of his "strumpet" and the strumpets' mother. Eadwig had Dunstan exiled to France. Eadwig died in Gloucester when he was just 20, the circumstances of his death are not recorded. SAXON 958 Koryõ establishes Chinese style civil service examination K 959-75 Edgar - The youngest son of Edmund I, Edgar had been in dispute with his brother concerning succession to the throne for some years. Following Eadwig's mysterious death, Edgar immediately recalled Dunstan from exile, making him Archbishop of Canterbury as well as his personal advisor. Following his carefully planned (by Dunstan) coronation in Bath in 973, Edgar marched his army to Chester, to be met by six kings of Britain. The kings, including the King of Scots, King of Strathclyde and various princes of Wales, are said to have signalled their allegience to Edgar by rowing him in his state barge accross the River Dee. SAXON 960 Coup d'etat of General Chao K'unag-yin, later Emperor Sung T'ai-tsu (960-76) C 960-992 Mieszko of Poland expands territory N+EE 962 Otto I crowned emperor in Rome GE 963-79 Sung's war to reunite China C 969 Fatimids conquer Egypt and found Cairo MU 975-78 Edward the Martyr - Eldest son of Edgar, Edward was crowned king when aged just 12. Although supported by Archbishop Dunstan, his claim to the throne was contested by supporters of his much younger half-brother Aethelred. The resulting dispute between rival factions within the church and nobility almost led to civil war in England. Edward's short reign ended when he was murdered at Corfe Castle by followers of Aethelred, after just two and half years as king. The title 'martyr' was a consequence of him being seen as a victim of his stepmother's ambitions for her own son Aethelred. SAXON 976-1025 Reign of Basil II, the Bulgar slayer BY 978-1016 Aethelred II The Unready - Aethelred was unable to organise resistance against the Danes, earning him the nickname 'unready', or 'badly advised'. He became king aged about 10, but fled to Normandy in 1013 when Sweyn Forkbeard, King of the Danes invaded England. Sweyn was pronounced King of England on Christmas Day 1013 and made his capital at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. He died just 5 weeks later. Aethelred returned in 1014 after Sweyn's death. The remainder of Aethelred's reign was one of a constant state of war with Sweyn's son Canute. SAXON 979-1004 Sung-Liao border war C 982-1126 Sung-Hsi-hsia border war C 986 Harald Bluetooth, who restored Danish overlordship in Scandinavia, dies N+EE 987 Hugh Capet, first Capetian king of France B+F After 987 Vladimir of Kiev converts to Christianity KR 988 Foundation of Russian church CHR 992 Venetian merchants accorded special prvileges in Constantinople EGE 992-1025 Boleslaw I forms kingdom of Poland N+EE 999 Revolt of Sitric Silkenbeard, Norse king of Dublin N+EE 1010 Firdawsi completes Shahnama, the Persian national epic I+CA 1013 Sven Forkbeard, king of Denmark, attacks England and makes himself king N+EE 1016-16 Edmund II Ironside - The son of Aethelred II, Edmund had led the resistance to Canute's invasion of England since 1015. Following the death of his father, he was chosen king by the good folk of London. The Witan (the king's council) however elected Canute. Following his defeat at the Battle of Assandun, Aethelred made a pact with Canute to divide the kingdom between them. Edmund died later that year, probably assassinated. SAXON 1016-35 Canute the Dane (Cnut) - Canute became king of all England following the death of Edmund II. The son of Sweyn Forkbeard, he ruled well and gained favour with his English subjects by sending most of his army back to Denmark. In 1017, Canute married Emma of Normandy, the widow of Aethelred II and divided England into the four earldoms of East Anglia, Mercia, Northumbria and Wessex. Legend has it that he wanted to demonstrate to his subjects that as a king he was not a god, he ordered the tide not to come in, knowing this would fail. SAXON 1019-54 Kievan Russia at height of its political influence under the reign of Yaroslav/Iaroslav the Wise N+EE, KR 1035-40 Harold I - Also known as Harold Harefoot, in recognition of his speed and skill as a hunter. Harold was the illegitimate son of Canute, he claimed the English crown on the death of his father whilst his half-brother Harthacanute, the rightful heir, was in Denmark fighting to protect his Danish kingdom. Harold died three years into his reign, just weeks before Harthacanute was due to invade England with an army of Danes. He was buried in Westminster Abbey before Harthacanute had his body dug up, beheaded, and thrown into the Thames. His bits were later gathered and re-buried at St. Clement Danes in London. SAXON 1040 Seljuk victory at Battle of Dandanqan I+CA 1040-42 Harthacanute - The son of Cnut the Great and Emma of Normandy, Harthacanute sailed to England with his mother, accompanied by a fleet of 62 warships, and was immediately accepted as king. Perhaps to appease his mother, the year before he died Harthacanute invited his half-brother Edward, Emma's son from her first marriage to Aethelred the Unready, back from exile in Normandy. Harthacanute died at a wedding whilst toasting the health of the bride; he was aged just 24 and was the last Danish king to rule England. SAXON 1041 Expedition of Ingvar the Widefarer KR 1042-66 Edward the Confessor - Following the death of Harthacanute, Edward restored the rule of the House of Wessex to the English throne. A deeply pious and religious man, he presided over the rebuilding of Westminster Abbey, leaving much of the running of the country to Earl Godwin and his son Harold. Edward died childless, eight days after the building work on Westminster Abbey had finished. With no natural successor, England was faced with a power struggle for control of the throne. SAXON 1047 Harald Hardrada establishes control over Norway N+EE 1050 Anasazi settlements of southwest move to well defended positions NA 1054 Schism between Roman Catholic and Byzantine Orthadox churches CHR, BY 1055 Seljuk Tughril beg takes Baghdad MU 1066-66 Harold II - Despite having no royal bloodline, Harold Godwin was elected king by the Witan (a council of high ranking nobles and religious leaders), following the death of Edward the Confessor. The election result failed to meet with the approval of one William, Duke of Normandy, who claimed that his relative Edward had promised the throne to him several years earlier. Harold defeated an invading Norwegian army at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire, then marched south to confront William of Normandy who had landed his forces in Sussex. The death of Harold at the Battle Of Hastings meant the end of the English Anglo-Saxon kings and the beginning of the Normans. SAXON 1066-87 William I The Conquerer - Also known as William the Bastard (but not normally to his face!), he was the illigitimate son of Robert the Devil, whom he succeeded as Duke of Normandy in 1035. William came to England from Normandy, claiming that his second cousin Edward the Confessor had promised him the throne, and defeated Harold II at the Battle of Hastings on 14th October 1066. In 1085 the Domesday Survey was begun and all of England was recorded, so William knew exactly what his new kingdom contained and how much tax he could raise in order to fund his armies. William died at Rouen after a fall from his horse whilst beseiging the French city of Nantes. He is buried at Caen. NORMAN 1071 Seljuk Alp Arslan defeats Byzantines at Manzikert BY, MU 1072 Normans under Roger I take Palermo MU 1076 Pope Gregory VII excommunicates Emperor Henry IV GE 1085 Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo MU 1087-1100 William II (Rufus) - William was not a popular king, given to extravagance and cruelty. He never married and was killed in the New Forest by a stray arrow whilst out hunting, maybe accidentally, or possibly shot deliberately on the instructions of his younger brother Henry. Walter Tyrrell, one of the hunting party, was blamed for the deed. The Rufus Stone in The New Forest, Hampshire, marks the spot where he fell. NORMAN 1095 Pope Urban II preaches the First Crusade GE 1096-99 First Crusade and capture of Jerusalem CHR, BY 1100 Establishment of the Latin kingdom in Jerusalem MU 1100-35 Henry I - Henry Beauclerc was the fourth and youngest son of William I. Well educated, he founded a zoo at Woodstock in Oxfordshire to study animals. He was called the 'Lion of Justice' as he gave England good laws, even if the punishments were ferocious. His two sons were drowned in the White Ship so his daughter Matilda was made his successor. She was married to Geoffrey Plantagenet. When Henry died of food poisoning, the Council considered a woman unfit to rule and so offered the throne to Stephen, a grandson of William I. NORMAN 1119 Templars founded CHR 1122 Concordat of Worms concludes Investiture controversy GE 1126-27 Tatar (Chin) war to conquer north China C 1135-54 Stephen - Stephen was a very weak king and the whole country was almost destroyed by the constant raids by the Scots and the Welsh. During Stephen's reign the Norman barons wielded great power, extorting money and looting town and country. A decade of civil war known as The Anarchy ensued when Matilda invaded from Anjou in 1139. A compromise was eventually decided, under the terms of the Treaty of Westminster Matilda's son Henry Plantagenet would succeed to the throne when Stephen died. NORMAN 1142 Krak des Chevaliers built CHR 1144 Edessa falls to Turks CHR 1145 Samguk sagi (official history) is completed: locates Korean identity on the peninsula not the continent K 1146-48 Second Crusade CHR 1147 Lisbon falls to the Christian Portuguese MU 1150 Anasazi dominate southwest, forming general Pueblo culture NA c. 1150 Beginnings of Yoruba city states A 1152 Henry of Anjou marries Eleanor of Aquitaine B+F 1154-89 Henry II - Henry of Anjou was a strong king. A brilliant soldier, he extended his French lands until he ruled most of France. He laid the foundation of the English Jury System and raised new taxes (scutage) from the landholders to pay for a militia force. Henry is mostly remembered for his quarrel with Thomas A Becket, and Becket's subsequent murder in Canterbury Cathedral on 29th December 1170. His sons turned against him, even his favourite John. PLANTAGENET 1156-59 Hogen and Heiji Disturbances pit rival Taira and Minamoto factions against each other IJ 1157 Death of Sultan Sanjar and the end of Seljuk rule I+CA 1158 Henry II invades Brittany B+F 1170-1270 Military dictators seize power in Koryõ, but feudalism does not result K 1175 Tula abandoned by Toltecs M 1175 Muhammad Ghuri invades India and begins the establishment of a Muslim Empire I 1185 Battle of Dannoura: first shogunate founded IJ 1187 Saladin takes Jerusalem and Acre – defeats Crusaders at the Battle of Hattin CHR, MU 1189-91 Third Crusade CHR 1189-99 Richard I The Lionheart - Richard was the third son of Henry II. By the age of 16, he was leading his own army putting down rebellions in France. Although crowned King of England, Richard spent all but 6 months of his reign abroad, preferring to use the taxes from his kingdom to fund his various armies and military ventures. He was the leading Christian commander during the Third Crusade. On his way back from Palestine, Richard was captured and held for ransom. The amount paid for his safe return almost bankrupt the country. Richard died from an arrow-wound, far from the kingdom that he so rarely visited. He had no children. PLANTAGENET 1197 Death of Emperor Henry VI GE 1199 Livonian Crusade in Baltic CHR 1199-1216 John - John Lackland was the fourth child of Henry II. Short and fat, he was jealous of his dashing brother Richard I whom he succeeded. He was cruel, selfindulgent, selfish and avaricious, and the raising of punitive taxes united all the elements of society, clerical and lay, against him. The Pope excommunicated him. On 15th June 1215 at Runnymede the barons compelled John to sign Magna Carta, the Great Charter, which reinstated the rights of all his subjects. John died - from over-eating - a fugitive from all his enemies. He has been termed "the worst English king". PLANTAGENET 1200 Collapse of Tiahuanaco SAC 1200 Rise of empire of Mali A c.1200 Incas establish themselves at Cuzco SAM c.1200 The Nicarao arrive in Nicaragua MC 1200-1400 Building of Great Zimbabwe A 1204 Fourth Crusade; sack of Constantinople, Latin empire established CHR, BY 1204 England loses Normandy B+F 1206 Temüjin proclaimed Genghis Khan (”universal ruler”) of Mongol tribes MO 1206 Delhi sultanate founded I 1208-1229 Albigensian Crusade B+F 1211-34 Mongol war to conquer Chin held north China C, MO 1212 Almohad armies defeated by Alfonso VIII at Las Navas de Tolosa CHR,MU 1215 Lateran Council on doctrine and church reform GE 1216 Foundation of Dominican and Franciscan orders CHR 1216-72 Henry III - was 9 years old when he became king. Brought up by priests he became devoted to church, art and learning. He was a weak man, dominated by churchmen and easily influenced by his wife's French relations. In 1264 Henry was captured during the rebellion of barons led by Simon de Montfort and was forced to set up a 'Parlement' at Westminster, the start of the House of Commons. Henry was the greatest of all patrons of medieval architecture and ordered the rebuilding of Westminster Abbey in the Gothic style. PLANTAGENET 1218 Mongol invasion of Khurasan, beginning of Mongol invasions of Iran I+CA, MO, MU 1219 Genghis attacks Samarkand MO 1221 Emperor Go-Toba unsuccessfully attempts to restore imperial authority IJ 1227 Death of Genghis MO 1235-79 Mongol war to conquer Sung held south China C 1237-38 Mongols attack Vladimir Suzdal, Moscow and Vladimir fall KR, MO 1240 Mongols sack Kiev KR 1240 Alexander defeats Swedes at River Neva KR 1241 Mongols invade Poland and Hungary MO 1248 Seville taken by Christian Castilians MU c.1250 Mayapán becomes dominant city of Yucatán MC 1250 The Southern Cult reaches it's height NA 1252 First western European gold coins for 450 years minted in Geneo and Florence 14E 1258 Hulegu sacks Baghdad I+CA 1258 Mongols sack Baghdad and end Abbasid Caliphate MO, MU 1259 Henry III renounces rights in Normandy, Anjou and Poitou B+F 1260 Mamluks defeat Mongols at the Battle of Ain Jalut MO 1261 Greek empire re-established BY 1270-1392 Koryõ becomes a son-in-law house to the Mongol Khans K 1272-1307 Edward I - Edward Longshanks was a statesman, lawyer and soldier. He formed the Model Parliament in 1295, bringing the knights, clergy and nobility, as well as the Lords and Commons together for the first time. Aiming at a united Britain, he defeated the Welsh chieftains and created his eldest son Prince of Wales. He was known as the 'Hammer of the Scots' for his victories in Scotland and brought the famous coronation stone from Scone to Westminster. When his first wife Eleanor died, he escorted her body from Grantham in Lincolnshire to Westminster, setting up Eleanor Crosses at every resting place. He died on the way to fight Robert Bruce. PLANTAGENET 1274 Mongol invasions defeated IJ 1275 Chimú conquests begin SAC 1277 Opening of sea route from Italy to Flanders 14E 1277 Sheep guild or Mesta organized in Castile 14E 1281 Further Mongol invations defeated IJ 1281 Accession of Osman O 1284 Edward I subdues Wales B+F 1287 Mongol attacks on Pagan and elsewhere defeated by Thai-Lao and Viet-Cham alliances SEA. MO 1289 Samguk yusa (unofficial history) completed: records mythical origin of Korean people from Tan'gun, the son of a god father and human mother K 1290 Expulsion of Jews from England J 1291 Fall of Acre marks end of Crusader states CHR, MU 1295 Conversion of Mongol II-Khans to Islam I+CA 1300 Emergence of Benin A 1300 Kanuri empire moves capital from Kanem to Bornu A 1302 First Estates General meet in France B+F 1302 War of Sicilian Vespers ends 14E 1305 Pope takes up residence in Avignon – the ”Babylonian captivity” GE 1305-76 Papacy in residence at Avignon 14E 1307-1327 Edward II - Edward was a weak and incompetent king. He had many 'favourites', Piers Gaveston being the most notorious. He was beaten by the Scots at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Edward was deposed and held captive in Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire. His wife joined her lover Mortimer in deposing him: by their orders he was murdered in Berkley Castle as legend has it, by having a red-hot poker thrust up his anus! His beautiful tomb in Gloucester Cathedral was erected by his son, Edward III. PLANTAGENET 1312 Templars suppressed CHR 1315-17 Great Famine in northern Europe 14E 1323-24 Aragonese invasion of Sardinia 14E 1324 Pilgrimmage of Mansa Musa to Mecca A 1325 Rise of Aztecs in Mexico MC 1327-57 Edward III - Son of Edward II, he reigned for 50 years. His ambition to conquer Scotland and France plunged England into the Hundred Years War, beginning in 1338. The two great victories at Crecy and Poitiers made Edward and his son, the Black Prince, the most renowned warriors in Europe, however the war was very expensive. The outbreak of bubonic plague, the 'Black Death' killed half the population of England. PLANTAGENET 1333-36 Go-Daigo briefly re-establishes imperial rule before being expelled from Kyoto by the new Ashikaga shogunate IJ 1335 Death of Abu Sa'id and collapse of II-Khanid state I+CA 1335 Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq rules most of India I 1337-1453 Hundred Years' War between France and England 14E 1341 Bengal breaks away from the Delhi sultanate I 1346-51 Black Death 14E 1347 Bankruptcy of Peruzzi bankers, Florence 14E 1350 Collapse of Pueblo cultures NA 1354 Ottomans capture Gallipoli and gain first foothold in Europe O 1360-1405 Campaigns of Tamerlane MO 1361 Edirne (Adrianople) taken; becomes new Ottoman capital O 1362-63 Second plague pandemic in Europe 14E 1368 Ming dynasty founded MING 1370 Peace of Straslund guarantees passage to Hansa merchants 14E 1370 Hindu state of Vijayanagar dominant in south India I 1375 Chimú conquests of central Andes begin SAM 1377-99 Richard II - The son of the Black Prince, Richard was extravagant, unjust and faithless. In 1381 came the Peasants Revolt, led by Wat Tyler. The rebellion was put down with great severity. The sudden death of his first wife Anne of Bohemia completely unbalanced Richard and his extravagance, acts of revenge and tyranny turned his subjects against him. In 1399 Henry of Lancaster returned from exile and deposed Richard, becoming elected King Henry IV. Richard was murdered, probably by starvation, in Pontefract Castle in 1400. PLANTAGENET 1378 Rebellion of Florentine clothworkers (Ciompi) 14E 1378 Beginning of Papal schism CHR 1378 Death of Emperor Charles IV 14E 1378-1417 Great Schism 14E 1381 Peasants' Revolt, England 14E 1386 Union of Poland and Lithuania 14E 1389 Battle of Kosovo: Ottoman supremacy in the Balkans established O 1392 Korea reduced to vassal status (A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held as a fiefdom). MING 1392 Chosŏn Kingdom established K 1394 Expulsion from France J 1397 Union of Kalmar brings together Scandinavian kingdoms 14E 1398 Tamerlane invades India and sacks Delhi I 1399 Deposition of Richard II of England 14E 1399-1413 Henry IV - The son of John of Gaunt (third son of Edward III), Henry returned from exile in France to reclaim his estates previously seized by Richard II; he was accepted as king by Parliament. Henry spent most of his 13 year reign defending himself against plots, rebellions and assassination attempts. In Wales Owen Glendower declared himself Prince of Wales and led a national uprising against English rule. Back in England, Henry had great difficulty in maintaining the support of both the clery and Pariament and between 1403-08 the Percy family lauched a series of rebellions against him. Henry, the first Lancastrian king, died exhausted, probably of leprosy, at the age of 45. LANCASTER 1400 Deposition of Wenzel of Bohemia from imperial throne 14E 1400 Songhay breaks away from Mali A 1402 Tamerlane destroys Ottoman army at Ankara O 1405 Death of Timur I+CA 1405 China sends the first of SEVEN huge fleets into the Indian Ocean MING 1407 China occupies Annam (Vietnam) MING 1413-22 Henry V - The son of Henry IV, he was a pious, stern and skilful soldier. Henry had honed his fine soldiering skills putting down the many rebellions launched against his father and had been knighted when aged just 12. He pleased his nobles by renewing the war with France in 1415. In the face of tremendous odds he beat the French at the Battle of Agincourt, losing just 400 of his own soldiers with more than 6,000 Frenchmen killed. On a second expedition Henry captured Rouen, was recognised as the next King of France and married Catherine, the daughter of the lunatic French king. Henry died of dysentery whilst campaigning in France and before he could succeed to the French throne, leaving his 10month old son as King of England and France. LANCASTER 1413-51 Otoman control of Balkans and Anatolia reinfornced O 1422-61 Henry VI – (Beginning of the Wars of the Roses) Gentle and retiring, he came to the throne as a baby and inherited a losing war with France, the Hundred Years War finally ending in 1453 with the loss of all French lands except for Calais. The king had an attack of mental illness that was hereditary in his mother's family in 1454 and Richard Duke of York was made Protector of the Realm. The House of York challenged Henry VI's right to the throne and England was plunged into civil war. The Battle of St Albans in 1455 was won by the Yorkists. Henry was restored to the throne briefly in 1470. Henry's son, Edward, Prince of Wales was killed at the Battle of Tewkesbury one day before Henry was murdered in the Tower of London in 1471. Henry founded both Eton College and King's College, Cambridge, and every year the Provosts of Eton and King's College lay roses and lilies on the altar which now stands where he died. LANCASTER 1427 China expelled from Annam MING 1434 Aztec expansion begins MC 1434 Portuguese voyages along west coast of Africa begin EV 1438 Inca expansion begins under Pachacuti SAM 1438-39 Council of Florence; attempt to unify eastern and western churches BY 1441 Mayapán defeated MC 1446 Hunminjeongeum (Correct sounds for the instructions of the people) promulgated (put (a law or decree) into effect by official proclamation) hangŭl, the new Korean script K 1448 Rebellions in Fukien and Chekiang lead to one million deaths MING 1449 Chinese invasion of Mongolia ends in the emperor's capture MING 1450 Population of Ming China reaches 100 million WEE 1453 Constantinople falls to Mehmed II, Fatih CHR, BY, O 1455 Gutengerg prints first book using moveable type REN 1456 Hungary defeats Ottoman army at Belgrade O 1461-83 Edward IV - was the son of Richard Duke of York and Cicely Neville, and not a popular king. His morals were poor (he had many mistresses and had at least one illegitimate son) and even his contemporaries disapproved of him. Edward had his rebellious brother George, Duke of Clarence, murdered in 1478 on a charge of treason. During his reign the first printing press was established in Westminster by William Caxton. Edward died suddenly in 1483 leaving two sons aged 12 and 9, and five daughters. YORK 1466 Peace of Thorn: Poland acquires Royal Prussia BA 1467-77 Onin Wars: Japan plunged into civil war IJ, SJ 1470 Incas conquer Chimú kingdom SAM 1471 Capture of Cham capital of Vijaya by Vietnamese SEA 1477 Battle of Nancy; death of Charles the Bold of Burgundy REN 1480 Portuguese found and fortify Elmina EX 1483-83 Edward V - Edward was actually born in Westminster Abbey, were his mother Elizabeth Woodville had sought sanctuary from Lancastrians during the Wars of the Roses. The eldest son of Edward IV, he succeeded to the throne at the tender age of 13 and reigned for only two months, the shortest-lived monarch in English history. He and his brother Richard were murdered in the Tower of London - it is said on the orders of his uncle Richard Duke of Gloucester. Richard (III) declared The Princes in the Tower illegitimate and named himself rightful heir to the crown. YORK 1483-85 Richard III (End of the Wars of the Roses) Brother of Edward IV. The ruthless extinction of all those who opposed him and the alleged murders of his nephews made his rule very unpopular. In 1485 Henry Richmond, descendant of John of Gaunt, father of Henry IV, landed in west Wales, gathering forces as he marched into England. At the Battle of Bosworth Field in Leicestershire he defeated and killed Richard in what was to be the last important battle in the Wars of the Roses. Archaeological investigations at a car park in Leicester during 2012 revealed a skeleton which was thought to have been that of Richard III, and this was confirmed on the 4th February 2013. YORK 1485-1509 Henry VII - When Richard III fell at the Battle of Bosworth, his crown was picked up and placed on the head of Henry Tudor. He married Elizabeth of York and so united the two warring houses, York and Lancaster. He was a skilful politician but avaricious. The material wealth of the country increased greatly. During Henry's reign playing cards were invented and the portrait of his wife Elizabeth has appeared eight times on every pack of cards for nearly 500 years. TUDOR 1487 Bartolomeu Dias rounds Cape of Good Hope EV 1492 Expulsion from Spain J 1492 Granada captured by Christians - destruction of Moorish kingdom CHR 1492 Spanish reconquest of Granada REN 1492 Columbus reaches Americas; European discovery of New World SAM, WEE, EV 1493 First Spanish settlement in New World WEE 1493-1528 Askia the Great ruler of Songhay A 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas defines Spanish and Portuguese spheres of influence LAC 1494 Charles VIII of France invades Italy; temporary French capture of Naples MT 1497 Expulsion from Portugal J 1498 Portuguese arrive on east coast of Africa A 1498 Vasco da Gama reaches India by sea WEE 1499-1552 Expulsion from many German states J 1500 Shah Ismail founds Safavid dynasty in Persia WEE 1500 The southeast Asian coconut reaches Panama, and the sweet potato reaches highland New Guinea MP 1500-12 Division of Empire into ten ”Circles” RO 1501 Isma'il the Safavid takes power IRN 1505 Portuguese establish trading posts in east Africa WEE 1507 Portuguese occupy Mozambique EX 1509-47 Edward VIII - The best known fact about Henry VIII is that he had six wives! Most school children learn the following rhyme to help them remember the fate of each wife: "Divorced, Beheaded, Died: Divorced, Beheaded, Survived". His first wife was Catherine of Aragon, his brothers widow, whom he later divorced to marry Anne Boleyn. This divorce caused the split from Rome and Henry declared himself the head of the Church Of England. The Dissolution of the Monasteries began in 1536, and the money gained from this helped Henry to bring about an effective Navy. In an effort to have a son, Henry married four further wives, but only one son was born, to Jane Seymour. Henry had two daughters both to become rulers of England - Mary, daughter of Catherine of Aragon, and Elizabeth, daughter of Anne Boleyn. TUDOR c.1510 First African slaves shipped to Americas WEE 1510 Portuguese capture Goa EX 1511 Portuguese capture of Melaka/Malacca SEA 1514 Safavids defeated by Ottomans at Chaldiran IRN 1515 Portuguese occupy Ormuz EX 1516-17 Ottomans overrun Syria, Egypt and Arabia O 1517 Martin Luther launches debate over church reform RCR 1519 Cortés begins the conquest of Aztec empire MC 1519 Charles V elected Holy Roman Emperor REN 1519-20 Cortés conquers the Aztec empire LAC 1520 Luther burns papal bull of excommunication RCR 1520 Communeros and Germaniá revolts in Spain E 1520-21 Magellan makes first crossing of the Pacific EV 1522 A secret Portuguese expedition under Christovao de Mendonca possibly sails down the east coast as far as Westernport Bay AU Mid 1520's Smallpox arrives in the Andes, killing the Inca emperor SAM 1523 Collapse of the Union of Kalmar; Sweden independent kingdom BA 1525 German peasants revolt E 1525 Secularization of the Duchy of Prussia BA 1526 Battle of Mohács: Ottomans conquer most of Hungary; O Habsburgs gain kingdom of Bohemia REN 1526 Battle of Panipat: Babur conquers Delhi sultanate and founds Mughal dynasty I 1529 Ottomans fail to take Vienna O 1531-33 Spanish invasion of Peru LAC 1532 Pizarro begins conquest of Inca empire SAM 1535 Hasburgs take Milan MT 1541-64 Calvin reforms Genevan church RCR 1543 Portuguese traders arrive SJ 1545 Discovery of silver mines at Potosi (Peru) and Zacatecas (Mexico) EE 1546 Mali empire destroyed by Songhay A 1547-53 Edward VI - The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was a sickly boy; it is thought he suffered from tuberculosis. Edward succeeded his father at the age of 9, the government being carried on by a Council of Regency with his uncle, Duke of Somerset, styled Protector. Even though his reign was short, many men made their mark. Cranmer wrote the Book of Common Prayer and the uniformity of worship helped turn England into a Protestant State. After Edward's death there was a dispute over the succession. As Mary was Catholic, Lady Jane Grey was named as the next in line to the throne. She was proclaimed Queen but Mary entered London with her supporters and Jane was taken to the Tower. She reigned for only 9 days. She was executed in 1554, aged 17. TUDOR 1549 Bahia founded in Portuguese Brazil LAC 1550 Mongol threat re-emerges; Japanese pirate attacks increase MING 1553-58 Mary I (Bloody Mary) - Daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. A devout Catholic, she married Philip of Spain. Mary attempted to enforce the wholesale conversion of England to Catholicism. She carried this out with the utmost severity. The Protestant bishops, Latimer, Ridley and Archbishop Cranmer were among those burnt at the stake. The place, in Broad Street Oxford, is marked by a bronze cross. The country was plunged into a bitter blood bath, which is why she is remembered as Bloody Mary. She died in 1558 at Lambeth Palace in London. TUDOR 1555 Peace of Augsburg: temporary end to religious conflict RO 1555-56 Charles V abdicates; divides inheritance REN 1557 Portuguese established at Macao (China) EV, SEA 1558 Ivan IV invades Livonia; the Livonian War (1558-82) BA 1558-1603 Elizabeth I - The daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth was a remarkable woman, noted for her learning and wisdom. From first to last she was popular with the people and had a genius for the selection of capable advisors. Drake, Raleigh, Hawkins, the Cecils, Essex and many many more made England respected and feared. The Spanish Armada was decisively defeated in 1588 and Raleigh's first Virginian colony was founded. The execution of Mary Queen of Scots marred what was a glorious time in English history. Shakespeare was also at the height of his popularity. Elizabeth never married. TUDOR 1559 Tobacco first introduced into Europe EE 1559 Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis ends Habsburg-Valois wars MT c.1560 Portuguese begin sugar cultivation in Brazil EE 1562 Start of the French Wars of Religion (1562-98) 1563 End of the Council of Trent RCR 1563-70 Nordic SEVEN years War BA 1565 Potato introduced to Europe from South America WEE 1565 Netherlands begins large scale land reclamation after potato introduciton E 1565 Failed Ottoman siege of Malta MT 1566-67 Outbreak and suppression of the first Dutch revolt E 1567 Spaniard Alvaro de Mendana lands on the Soloman Islands MP 1569 Union of Lublin: union between Poland and Lithuania REN, REX 1571 Portuguese colony established in Angola A 1571 Ottoman navy defeated by Don John of Austria at Lepanto O 1572 Dutch revolt renewed; continues until 1648 E 1575 Factional divisions appear in the government K 1577 Habsburg-Ottoman truce O, MT 1589 Independent Orthadox patriarchate established in Moscow RCR 1590 Morocco invades Songhay A 1594-97 Peasant wars in Austria and Hungary E 1595 Spaniard Fernandez de Quiros arrives in the Marquesas, Santa Cruz Ndeni MP 1596 Union of Brest establishes Greek Catholic (Uniate) church in Poland-Lithuania RCR 1598 Shah Abbas I moves captial to Isfahan IRN 1598 Edict of Nantes: religious peace in France (revoked 1685) RCR c.1600 Oyo empire at height of its power A 1600 English East India Company incorporated EV, EE 1602 Dutch East India Company incorporated EV, EE 1603 Union of the Crowns between Scotland and England REN 1603 Tokugawa Ieyasu first Tokugawa shogun SJ 1603-25 James I (England) VI (Scotland) James was the son of Mary Queen of Scots and Lord Darnley. He was the first king to rule over Scotland and England. James was more of a scholar than a man of action. In 1605 the Gunpowder Plot was hatched: Guy Fawkes and his Catholic friends tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament, but were captured before they could do so. James's reign saw the publication of the Authorised Version of the Bible, though this caused problems with the Puritans and their attitude towards the established church. In 1620 the Pilgrim Fathers sailed for America in their ship The Mayflower. STUART 1604 French fort established at Port Royal (now in Nova Scotia) NA 1606 Dutchman Willem Jansz sails through Torres Strait AU 1607 English settlement founded at Jamestown, Virginia NA 1609 Amsterdam Exchange Bank established EE 1611 Dutch initiate southerly route across Indian Ocean EV 1612 First Modern Olympic Games: first such event was the Cotswold Games or "Cotswold Olimpick Games", an annual meeting near Chipping Campden, England, involving various sports. It was first organized by the lawyer Robert Dover between 1612 and 1642 E 1618 Treaty of Deulino: highpoint of Polish-Lithuanian eastward expansion REX 1618 Bohemian Revolt; crushed 1620 E 1618 Bohemian Revolt although crushed 2 years later, was responsible for the start of the Thirty Years War RO 1619 Dutch East India Company established at Batavia EV 1619 Beginnings of Dutch colonial empire in the East Indies SEA 1620 Arrival of the Mayflower pilgrims NA 1622 Rebellion of the janissaries; Sultan Osman II assassinated O 1625-49 Charles I (English Civil War) - The son of James I and Anne of Denmark, Charles believed that he ruled by Divine Right. He encountered difficulties with Parliament from the beginning, and this led to the outbreak of the English Civil War in 1642. The war lasted four years and following the defeat of Charles's Royalist forces by the New Model Army, led by Oliver Cromwell, Charles was captured and imprisoned. The House of Commons tried Charles for treason against England and when found guilty he was condemned to death. His death warrant states that he was beheaded on Tuesday 30 January 1649. Following this the British monarchy was abolished and a republic called the Commonwealth of England was declared. STUART 1627 Wave of rebel movements begins MING 1628 Portuguese destroy Mwenemutapa empire A 1629 Edict of Restitution seeks to restore land secularized by Protestants since 1552 RO 1629-31 War of the Mantuan Succession MT 1640's Christian missionaries and European traders (except Dutch) expelled SJ 1640-52 Revolts of Catalonia against Spain E 1640-68 Revolts of Portugal against Spain E 1641 Dutch capture Malacca from the Portuguese SEA 1642-44 Dutchman Abel Tasman lands in Tasmania, Tonga, Fiji, NW Australia, New Guinea and New Zealand AU,MP 1642 Outbreak of the English Civil War (1642-49) E 1643 Accession of Louis XIV FR 1644 Ming dynasty toppled MING 1644 Manchus found the Ch'ing dynasty CHI 1648 Revolt of the Zaporozhian Cossacks against Poland-Lithuania REX 1648 Peace of Westphalia: religious peace in the Holy Roman Empire, ends the Thirty Years War RCR, RO 1648 Revolt of the Fronde (1648-53) E 1649 Serfdom legalized in Russia (Serfdom is a legal and economic system. A serf is a worker who has to stay in one area. Serfs were the lowest social class of the feudal society. Serfs were different from slaves. Serfs could have property.) E 1649 Execution of Charles I E 1652 Dutch settlement at Cape of Good Hope EV 1652 Foundation of Cape Colony by Dutch A 1652 First use of the Liberum Veto in the Polish Sejm. AOP 1653 May 19 – The Commonwealth declared. COMMONWEALTH 1653-58 Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector - Cromwell was born at Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire in 1599, the son of a small landowner. He entered Parliament in 1629 and became active in events leading to the Civil War. A leading Puritan figure, he raised cavalry forces and organised the New Model Army, which he led to victory over the Royalists at the Battle of Naseby in 1645. Failing to gain agreement on constitutional change in government with Charles I, Cromwell was a member of a 'Special Commission' that tried and condemned the king to death in 1649. Cromwell declared Britain a republic 'The Commonwealth' and he went on to become its Lord Protector. Cromwell went on to crush the Irish clans and the Scots loyal to Charles II between 1649 and 1651. In 1653 he finally expelled the corrupt English parliament and with the agreement of army leaders became Lord Protector (King in all but name). COMMONWEALTH 1654 Treaty of Pereyaslav: Tsar Alexis extends protection over Ukraine REX 1655-60 Second Northern War; zenith of Swedish power BA 1658-59 Richard Cromwell, Lord Protector - Richard was the third son of Oliver Cromwell, he was appointed the second ruling Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland, serving for just nine months. Unlike his father, Richard lacked military experience and as such failed to gain respect or support from his New Model Army. Richard was eventually 'persuaded' to resign from his position as Lord Protector and exiled himself to France until 1680, when he returned to England. COMMONWEALTH 1660 The Restoration of the Monarchy STUART 1660-85 Charles II - Son of Charles I, also known as the Merry Monarch. After the collapse of the Protectorate following the death of Oliver Cromwell and the flight of Richard Cromwell to France, the Army and Parliament asked Charles to take the throne. Although very popular he was a weak king and his foreign policy was inept. He had 13 known mistresses, one of whom was Nell Gwyn. He fathered numerous illegitimate children but no heir to the throne. The Great Plague in 1665 and the Great Fire of London in 1666 took place during his reign. Many new buildings were built at this time. St. Paul's Cathedral was built by Sir Christopher Wren and also many churches still to be seen today. STUART 1661 Start of Louis XIV's personal rule FR 1664 English sieze New Amsterdam (later New York) from the Dutch NA 1685-88 James II (England) VII (Scotland) - The second surviving son of Charles I and younger brother of Charles II. James had been exiled following the Civil War and served in both the French and Spanish Army. Although James converted to Catholicism in 1670, his two daughters were raised as Protestants. James became very unpopular because of his persecution of the Protestant clergy and was generally hated by the people. Following the Monmouth uprising (Monmouth was an illegitimate son of Charles II and a Protestant) and the Bloody Assizes of Judge Jeffries, Parliament asked the Dutch prince, William of Orange to take the throne. William was married to Mary, James II's Protestant daughter. William landed in England and James fled to France where he died in exile in 1701. STUART 1667 Treaty of Andrusovo: Russia acquires Kiev and the Ukraine lands on the left bank of the Dnieper REX 1667-68 War of Devolution FR 1669 Ottoman conquest of Crete AOP 1672 Louis XIV launches the Dutch War (1672-79) FR 1672 Peace of Buczacz: Ottomans take Podolia from Poland AOP 1674 Sivaji creates Maratha kingdom I 1674 Rebellion of the Three Feudatories begins CHI 1676-79 Scanian War BA 1682 Luis XIV moves his court to Versailles FR 1683 Grand vizier Kara Mustafa defeated at siege of Vienna by John Sobieski of Poland O 1685 Revocation of the Edict of Nantes FR 1688 Englishman William Dampier lands in NW Australia AU 1688 The Glorious Revolution: James II overthrown by William of Orange E 1688 Outbreak of Nine Years' War (1688-97); ends with Treaty of Ryswick FR 1689 Treaty of Nerchinsk between China and Russia CHI 1689-94 (Mary) Mary II and William III - On the 5 November 1688, William of Orange sailed 1689-1702 his fleet of over 450 ships, unopposed by the Royal Navy, into Torbay harbour and landed his troops in Devon. Gathering local support, he marched his army, now 20,000 strong, on to London in The Glorious Revolution. Many of James II's army had defected to support William, as well as James's other daughter Anne. William and Mary were to reign jointly, and William was to have the Crown for life after Mary died in 1694. James plotted to regain the throne and in 1689 landed in Ireland. William defeated James at the Battle of the Boyne and James fled again to France, as guest of Louis XIV. STUART 1693 Gold discovered in Brazil EE 1693-94 Famine kills more than one million people in France FR 1694 Bank of England established EE 1695 Gold discovered in Minas Gerais LAC 1696 Russians take Azov on the Black Sea O 1696 Britain begins official balance of trade statistics EM 1697 Last of the Maya defeated by Spaniards LAC 1697 China occupies Outer Mongolia CHI 1697 French found Saint-Domingue sugar colony EM 1699 Peace of Carlowitz: Poland regains Podolia; Habsburgs gain all of Hungary AOP c.1700 Rise of Ashanti power A 1700 Osaka, Kyoto and Edo flourish as merchant centres SJ 1700-21 Great Northern War; Russia becomes a Great Power BA 1701-14 The War of the Spanish Succession FR 1702-13 War of the Spanish Succession MT 1702-14 Anne - Anne was the second daughter of James II. She had 17 pregnancies but only one child survived - William, who died of smallpox aged just 11. A staunch, high church Protestant, Anne was 37 years old when she succeeded to the throne. Anne was a close friend of Sarah Churchill, the Duchess of Marlborough. Sarah's husband the Duke of Marlborough commanded the English Army in the War of Spanish Succession, winning a series of major battles with the French and gaining the country an influence never before attained in Europe. It was during Anne's reign that the United Kingdom of Great Britain was created by the Union of England and Scotland. After Anne's death the succession went to the nearest Protestant relative of the Stuart line. This was Sophia, daughter of Elizabeth of Bohemia, James I 's only daughter, but she died a few weeks before Anne and so the throne succeeded to her son George. STUART 1703 Foundation of St Petersburg REX 1703 Anglo-Portuguese trade treaty EM 1703-30 Tulip Age O 1707 Death of Aurangzeb; decline of Mughal power in India I 1713 France cedes its claims to Acadia, Newfoundland and the Hudson Bay forts to the British by the Treaty of Utrecht NA 1714-27 George I - Son of Sophia and the Elector of Hanover, great-grandson of James I. The 54 year old George arrived in England able to speak only a few words of English with his 18 cooks and 2 mistresses in tow. George never learned English, so the conduct of national policy was left to the government of the time with Sir Robert Walpole becoming Britain's first Prime Minister. In 1715 the Jacobites (followers of James Stuart, son of James II) attempted to supplant George, but the attempt failed. George spent little time in England - he preferred his beloved Hanover, although he was implicated in the South Sea Bubble financial scandal of 1720. HANOVER 1715 Death of Luis XIV FR 1718 New Orleans founded by France NA 1722 Isfahan sacked by the Afghans IRN 1727-60 George II - Only son of George I. He was more English than his father, but still relied on Sir Robert Walpole to run the country. George was the last English king to lead his army into battle at Dettingen in 1743. In 1745 the Jacobites tried once again to restore a Stuart to the throne. Prince Charles Edward Stuart, 'Bonnie Prince Charlie'. landed in Scotland. He was routed at Culloden Moor by the army under the Duke of Cumberland, known as 'Butcher' Cumberland. Bonnie Prince Charlie escaped to France with the help of Flora MacDonald, and finally died a drunkard's death in Rome. HANOVER 1728 Vitus Bering sails through Bering Strait EV 1730's Jethro Tull's seed drill invented. Charles Townshend advoates crop rotation E 1731 Sextant invented (A sextant is a doubly reflecting navigation instrument used to measure the angle between any two visible objects) EM 1739 Nadir Shah invades India and sacks Delhi IRN, I 1740-48 War of the Austrian Succession RO 1746 Chin-ch'uan tribal rebellion begins CHI 1750 Britain bans iron and steel making in American colonies EM 1751 China overruns Tibet, Dzungaria and; Tarim Basin (1756-59) CHI 1754 War breaks out between British and French colonists in North America EMP 1756 Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart is born in Salzburg, Austria on 27/1 1756 Outbreak of SEVEN Years War (1756-63) EMP 1757 Clive's victory at Plassey gives Britain control of Bengal EMP 1759 Britain takes Quebec EMP 1760 Parliament begins to compel land enclosure IRB 1760-1820 George III He was a grandson of George II and the first English-born and English-speaking monarch since Queen Anne. His reign was one of elegance and the age of some of the greatest names in English literature - Jane Austen, Byron, Shelley, Keats and Wordsworth. It was also the time of great statesmen like Pitt and Fox and great captains like Wellington and Nelson. in 1773 the 'Boston Tea Party' was the first sign of the troubles that were to come in America. The American Colonies proclaimed their independence on July 4th 1776. George was well meaning but suffered from a mental illness due to intermittent porphyria and eventually became blind and insane. His son ruled as Prince Regent after 1811 until George's death. HANOVER 1761 At the age of 5, Mozart begins composing 1761 Capture of Pondicherry; British destroy French power in India I 1762 Rousseau's Social Contract published AR 1763 Treaty of Paris transfers most French possessions to Britain, France loses Canada NA, EMP 1765 Watt develops improved steam engine IRB 1765 British granted the revenues of Bengal by the Mughal emperor I 1767 Jesuits expelled from Spanish America LAC 1768-71 Cook's first voyage to the Pacific EV 1769-70 Englishman James Cook maps the east coast of Australia; British penal colony established at Sydney Cove, New South Wales AU 1770 Englishman James Cook charts the east coast of Australia AU 1772-75 Cook's second voyage; first crossing of Antarctic Circle EV 1772-95 Partitions of Poland-Lithuania REX 1773 Mozart writes his first piano concerto 1773-74 Pugachev revolt in Russia AR 1774 Treaty of Küçük Kainarji surrenders Crimea to Russians and accepts Russia as guardian of Christian holy places in Palestine O 1776 Adam Weishaupt formed the Illuminati in the Electorate of Bavaria ”At a time, however, when there was no end of making game of and abusing secret societies, I planned to make use of this human foible for a real and worthy goal, for the benefit of people. I wished to do what the heads of the ecclesiastical and secular authorities ought to have done by virtue of their offices” - Adam Weishaupt Writing on this topic, Dr. Tony Page comments: "Weishaupt’s plan was to educate Illuminati followers in the highest levels of humanity and morality (basing his teachings on the supremacy of Reason, allied with the spirit of the Golden Rule of not doing to others what one would not wish done to oneself), so that if Illuminati alumni subsequently attained positions of significance and power (such as in the fields of education and politics), they could exert a benevolent and uplifting influence upon society at large. His project was utopian and naively optimistic, and he himself was certainly not without flaws of character – but neither he nor his plan was evil or violent in and of themselves. It is one of the deplorable and tragic ironies of history that a man who tried to inculcate virtue, philanthropy, social justice and morality has become one of the great hate-figures of 21st-century ‘conspiracy’ thinking.” “The term “Illuminati” was used by one early writer, Menendez Pelayo, as early as 1492 and is attributable to a group known as the “Alumbrados” of Spain. The Alumbrados were said to receive secret knowledge from an unknown higher source, resulting in superior human intelligence. This group was condemned by an edict of the Grand Inquisition in 1623, in what was another battle in the longrunning war between the catholic Church and the secret societies. 1776 Declaration of American Independence NA, USA 1776 Publication of The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith EE, IRB 1778 Free trade declared LAC 1778 Sardinia frees serfs E 1778 France enters American War of Independence EMP 1779 Establishment of Qajar dynasty IRN 1781 Steam engine first used in Europe IRE 1782 Mozart marries Constanze Weber 1783 Treaty of Versailles, Britain recognizes American independence EMP 1783 French slave trade act EM 1784 Mozart becomes a freemason 1786 Penang acquired by English East India Company SEA 1788 Calling of the Estates General FRV 1789 (June) Declaration of the National Assembly FRV 1789 (14 July) Storming of the Bastille prison FRV 1789 Fall of Bastille signals revolution in France AR 1789 The French revolution abolishes feudal privileges in the countryside E 1791 Mozart composes The Magic Flute 1791 Mozart dies on December 5th 1791 Polish Constitution of 3rd May AOP 1791 Slave revolt in Haiti AR 1791 French Constitution published FRV 1793 British embassy under Macartney to the Chinese court CHI 1793 Second Partition of Poland-Lithuania AOP 1793 Execution of Louis XVI AR, FRV 1793-4 The ”Terror” in France FRV 1794 Execution of Robespierre FRV 1794-5 Dutch revolt creates Batavian Republic AR 1795 Third Partion of Poland-Lithuania AOP 1795 French Directorate established FRV 1796 Jenner introduces vaccination for smallpox POP 1797 Napoleon conquers Austrian Lombardy and Venice MT 1798 Irish rebellion under Wolfe Tone AR 1798 Napoleon invades Egypt OD 1799 Napoleon declared First Consul FRV 1801-02 Anglo-Ottoman alliance drives French from Egypt O 1803 USA purchases Louisiana from France NA 1803 Secularization of remaining ecclesiastical states RO 1803 British defeat the Marathas at Delhi; the Mughal empire accepts British protection I 1804 Code Napoléon published FRV 1804 Usuman dan Fodio begins to establish the Fulani empire A 1805 Battle of Trafalgar EMP 1805 Grand Junction Canal completed IRB 1805 Battle of Trafalgar; Britain's naval supremacy uncontensted FRV 1806 Abdication of Emperor Francis II; end of Holy Roman Empire RO 1806 Battle of Jena: Germany reshaped into French-dominated client states FRV 1806 Cape Colony recaptured by the British, and kept at the end of the Napoleonic wars in 1815 A 1807 Prussia abolishes serfdom E 1808 Spanish revolt against French rule AR 1808 Napoleonic invasion of Portugal and Spain effectively begins the movement for independence LA 1809-14 Spanish uprising against France drains French resources FRV 1811-18 Building of Cumberland Road USA 1812 Russia invaded; Napoleon suffers catastrophic defeat FRV 1812-16 Last major outbreak of bubonic plague in Europe POP 1813 Battle of the Nations, Leipzig; Napoleon defeated and exiled FRV 1813 East India Company monopoly ended EM 1813 First cotton factory established in Waltham, Massachusetts USA 1815 Battle of Waterloo; Napoleon's final defeat followed by exile to South Atlantic FRV 1815 Congress of Vienna imposes ”legitimism” on Europe AR 1818 British defeat the Marathas and become the effective rulers of India I 1819 Dost Muhammad takes Kabul IRN 1819 Singapore founded by Britain as free trade port SEA 1819 Battle of Boyacá leads to independence of Colombia LA 1820 Missouri Compromise bans slavery north of 36 degrees 30' SCR 1820-30 George IV - Known as the 'First Gentleman of Europe'. He had a love of art and architecture but his private life was a mess, to put it mildly! He married twice, once in 1785 to Mrs. Fitzherbert, secretly as she was a Catholic, and then in 1795 to Caroline of Brunswick. Mrs. Fitzherbert remained the love of his life. Caroline and George had one daughter, Charlotte in 1796 but she died in 1817. George was considered a great wit, but was also a buffoon and his death was hailed with relief! HANOVER 1821 Mexico gains independence LAC 1821 Battle near Carabobo finally secures Venezuelan independence LA 1822 Greek declaration of national independence RI 1822 Brazil declares independence LA 1823 US Monroe Doctrine warns European powers against intervention in America ECE 1824 Treaty of London formalizes British control of Malaya and Dutch control of Carimon Islands SEA 1824 Peru and Bolivia become independent LA 1824 British begin conquest of Burma I 1824 British merchants establish post in Natal; first Anglo-Ashanti war A 1825 First steam railway opened IRB 1825 Completion of Erie Canal USA 1825 Nicholas I becomes tsar; ”Decembrist” uprising suppressed RU 1828 Treaty of Turkmenchay IRN 1828 First modern blast furnace in Silesia IRE 1829 Western Australia founded as Australia's first non-convict colony AU 1830 Last Caribbean pirate hanged EM 1830 Greek independence OD 1830 French occupation of Algiers A 1830 French conquest of Algiers ECE 1830-37 William IV - Known as the 'Sailor King' (for 10 years the young Prince William, brother of George IV, served in the Royal Navy), he was the third son of George III. Before his accession he lived with a Mrs. Jordan, an actress, by whom he had ten children. When Princess Charlotte died, he had to marry in order to secure the succession. He married Adelaide of Saxe-Coburg in 1818. He had two daughters but they did not live. He hated pomp and wanted to dispense with the Coronation. The people loved him because of his lack of pretension. During his reign England abolished slavery in the colonies in 1833. The Reform Act was passed in 1832, this extended the franchise to the middle-classes on a basis of property qualifications. HANOVER 1831 Mazzini founds Young Italy movement GI 1831-32 Cholera reaches Europe from China POP 1833 Death of Ram Mohan Roy (born 1772), father of modern Indian nationalism I 1833 Slavery abolished in British empire ECE 1833-39 Nationwide famine and unrest SJ 1834 Slavery abolished in British West Indies EM 1834 Zollverein formed IRE 1836 Afrikaners begin ”Great Trek” in southern Africa ECE 1837 First French railway, Paris to St Germain IRE 1837 Unsuccessful rebellions against British rule in Upper and Lower Canada (present day Ontario and Québec) CAN 1837-1901 Victoria was the only child of Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg and Edward Duke of Kent, fourth son of George III. The throne Victoria inherited was weak and unpopular. Her Hanovarian uncles had been treated with irreverence. In 1840 she married her cousin Albert of Saxe-Coburg. Albert exerted tremendous influence over the Queen and until his death was virtual ruler of the country. He was a pillar of respectability and left two legacies to England, the Christmas Tree and the Great Exhibition of 1851. With the money from the Exhibition several institutions were developed, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Science Museum, Imperial College and the Royal Albert Hall. The Queen withdrew from public life after the death of Albert in 1861 until her Golden Jubilee in 1887. Her reign saw the British Empire double in size and in 1876 the Queen became Empress of India, the 'Jewel in the Crown'. When Victoria died in 1901, the British Empire and British world power had reached their highest point. She had nine children, 40 grand-children and 37 great-grandchildren, scattered all over Europe. HANOVER 1838-39 Final removal of the southern Cherokee tribes (”Trail of Tears”) USA 1839 Start of Tanzimat reform era OD 1839-42 Opium War, China cedes Hong Kong to Britain and opens Treaty Ports CC, ECE 1840 Treaty of Waitangi; Wellington settled NZ 1843 British conquer Sind I 1844 Bank Act transforms monetary system IRB 1844-46 The Flagstaff War in the Bay of Islands NZ 1845 Annexation of Texas USA 1846 Central Bank established in Prussia IRE 1846-47 Last major famine in Europe POP 1846-48 War with Mexico, USA annexes California, Utah and New Mexico SCR 1848 Italian states revolt against Austrian rule GI 1848 Nationalist revolts in Hungary, Italy and Germany RI 1848 Resppnsible government granted to British colonies Nova Scotia and the United Canadas (present day Ontario and Québec) CAN 1848-49 German national assembly tries to build united German state GI 1849 Repeal of the Navigation Acts IRB 1849 California Gold Rush USA 1849 British conquer the Punjab I 1850-64 T'ai-p'ing rebellion; immense loss of life CC 1851 Great Exhibition, Crystal Palace IRB 1851 Gold rushes in Victoria and New South Wales AU 1852 Cavour prime minister of Piedmont GI 1852 South African Republic (Transvaal) established by the Sand River Convention between Boers and British A 1853 Commodore Perry arrives; proposes commercial arrangements between Japan and USA SJ, USA 1853 First railway and telegraph lines in India I 1853-55 Defeat in Crimean War against France and Britain RU 1853-56 David Livingstone the first European to traverse the African continent A 1854 The Kansas-Nebraska Act SCR 1856-60 Second Opium War in China ECE 1857 Danube and Danish Sound opened to free navigation IRE 1857 Outbreak of the Indian Mutiny I 1857-58 Indian mutiny sparks widespread rebellion ECE 1858 Trade treaties signed with US and Britain SJ 1858 National Society established in Germany GI 1858 Treaty of Tientsin; further Treaty Ports opened to foreign trade CC 1859 Olympic Games revival in Athens city square: Athletes participated from Greece and the Ottoman Empire G 1859 Zappas fund the restoration of the ancient Panathenaic Stadium for all future Olympic Games G 1859-60 Piedmont leads drive to unify Italy GI 1859-61 Italy unified RI 1860 Abraham Lincoln elected to the presidency. The South secedes SCR, USA 1860 Treaty of Peking confirms Russian control of Maritime Province CC 1860-65 The Waikato and Taranki Wars NZ 1860 Wenlock Olympic Games E 1861 Civil War begins SCR 1861 Emancipation of the serfs RU 1862 Bismarck minister-president of Prussia GI 1862 The Homestead Act USA 1862 Congress charters a Pacific railroad USA 1863 Polish national revolt RI 1863 Emancipation of the slaves SCR 1865 Russians take Tashkent IRN 1865 14 April – Lincoln assassinated SCR, USA 1865 26 April – The South surrenders; Reconstruction begins SCR, USA 1866 War between Prussia and Austria GI 1866 First trans-Atlantic telegraph cable laid WC 1866 Shropshire Olympian Games held in London E 1866-71 Germany unified RI 1867 North German Confederation founded GI 1867 Hungary granted autonomy RI 1867 Dominion of Canada is established CAN 1867 Maori seats introduced in Parliament NZ 1867 Discovery of diamonds in Griqualand West near the Orange Free State A 1868 Tokugawa shogunate ends and the Meijii emperor is restored SJ, EMJ 1868 Open-hearth process introduced in steel industry USA 1869 First trans-continental railroad completed USA 1869 Suez canal opens A, ECE, WC 1870 Large scale Jewish emigration from Europe to America begins POP 1870 Panathenaic Stadium hosts Olympic Games G 1871 Austrian government terminates the quarantine frontier against bubonic plague entering Europe POP 1871 William of Prussia crowned emperor of Germany GI 1874 Universal Postal Union founded WC 1875 Panathenaic Stadium hosts Olympic Games G 1876 Battle of the Little Big Horn USA 1876 Bell invents the telephone COM 1877 USA post Civil War Reconstruction formally comes to an end SCR, USA 1877 Sultan Abdulhamid II suspends constitution OD 1877 Queen Victoria proclaimed Empress of India I 1877-78 Famine in China and India POP 1878 Congress of Berlin: Serbia, Romania, Montenegro granted independence RI, ERA 1878 Serbia, Romania, Montenegro win independence OD 1878 Bulgaria becomes a principality OD 1878 Gold Standard established in Europe WC 1879 War of the Pacific (Chile, Bolivia, Peru) LA 1879 Austro-German alliance ERA 1880 First refrigerated cargo ship (from Australia) reaches London WC 1881 Alexander II, the 'reforming Tsar', assassinated RU 1881 France establishes protectorate over Tunisia A 1882 Britain occupies Egypt A 1882 Organization of Standard Oil, first big business ”trust” USA 1882 First frozen meat exports from New Zealand NZ 1883 Railroads introduce standard time zones across USA 1883 Sydney and Melbourne connected by rail AU 1883 British National Olympic Association ceases its operations E 1883-86 Discovery of gold in the Transvaal A 1884-85 Berlin West Africa Conference on the partition of Africa: Berlin Act and recognition of the Congo Free State A, ECE, AWR, ERA 1885 26 jan Khartoum falls to the Mahdi; General Gordon killed AWR 1885 Benz develops first petrol driven car IRE 1885 Completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway CAN 1885 Foundation of Indian National Congress I 1886 US Railroads adopt standard track gauge USA 1886 First regular trains running Canadian Pacific Railway WC 1888 Hoechst develops first chemical painkiller IRE 1888 Brazil becomes the last Latin American country to abolish slavery LA 1890 First electric tram, in Florence IRE 1890 US Bureau of Census declares the frontier closed USA 1890 Brussels convention forbids export of European arms to Africa AWR 1891 USA establishes office to control immigration POP 1891 Construction of the Trans-Siberian railway begins EMJ, WC 1893 New Zealand women (including Maoris) win the vote NZ 1894 Franco-Russian alliance ERA 1894-95 Sino-Japanese War; Japan occupies Formosa, Taiwan CC, EMJ 1896 Sŏ Chae-p'il opens The Independent, Korea's first modern newspaper, publishing in English and Korean K 1896 Marconi builds first radio transmitter IRE 1896 British reconquest of Sudan begins; Italy defeated at Adowa A 1896 Regular Modern Olympic Games first held ATHENS, GREECE 1898 Abortive ”Hundred Days” reform CC 1898 Fashoda Crisis: France confronts Britain on the Nile A 1898 Battle of Omdurman AWR 1899-1902 South African (”Boer”) War: Britain conquers Boer republics, Transvaal and Orange Free State A, ECE, AWR 1900 Boxer uprising in China CC, AWR 1900 Olympic Games PARIS, FRANCE 1901 Commonwealth of Australia created AU 1901 First wireless message sent across the Atlantic WC 1901-10 Edward VII - A much loved king, the opposite of his dour father. He loved horse-racing, gambling and women! This Edwardian Age was one of elegance. Edward had all the social graces and many sporting interests, yachting and horse-racing - his horse Minoru won the Derby in 1909. Edward married the beautiful Alexandra of Denmark in 1863 and they had six children. The eldest, Edward Duke of Clarence, died in 1892 just before he was to marry Princess Mary of Teck. When Edward died in 1910 it is said that Queen Alexandra brought his current mistress Mrs. Keppel to his bedside to take her farewell. His best known mistress was Lillie Langtry, the 'Jersey Lily'. HANOVER 1903 Wright brothers make first powered flight COM 1903 Ford Motor Company founded COM 1904 Anglo-French entente ends colonial rivalry ERA 1904 Panama canal opened WC 1904 Olympic Games ST LOUIS, USA 1904-05 Russia defeated in war with Japan RU Japanese success stimulates Asian nationalism EMJ 1904-07 Herero Revolt against German rule in South West Africa A 1905 Revolt causes constitutional reform RU 1905 First Moroccan crisis ERA 1906 First Iranian Constitution IRN 1906-10 Stolypin agrarian reforms RU 1907 Peak year for immigration to the USA POP 1907 New Zealand becomes a Dominion NZ 1907 Anglo-Russian entente ERA 1908 Olympic Games LONDON,GB 1908 Bulgaria becomes independent RI, OD 1908 Young Turk revolution OD 1908 Bosnian crisis ERA 1910 King Sunjong abdicates and Japan annexes Korea K, EMJ 1910 Start of Mexican revolution LA 1910 Beginning of Mexican Revolution CA 1910-36 George V - by royal proclamation on 17 July 1917, he changed the name of the British Royal Family from the German Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (a branch of the House of Wettin) to the English Windsor, due primarily to the anti-German sentiment in the British Empire during World War I. George had not expected to be king, but when his elder brother died he became the heir-apparent. He had joined the Navy as a cadet in 1877 and loved the sea. He was a bluff, hearty man with a 'quarter-deck' manner. In 1893 he married Princess Mary of Teck, his dead brother's fiancee. His years on the throne were difficult; the First World War in 1914 - 1918 and the troubles in Ireland which lead to the creation of the Irish Free State were considerable problems. In 1932 he began the royal broadcasts on Christmas Day and in 1935 he celebrated his Silver Jubilee. His latter years were overshadowed by his concern about the Prince of Wales and his infatuation with Mrs. Simpson. WINDSOR 1911 Chinese Revolution; Sun Yat-sen proclaimed provisional president of Chinese Republic in 1912 CC, AWR 1912 Olympic Games STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN 1912-13 Balkan Wars: Turkey loses bulk of remaining European territory OD, ERA 1914 28 June: Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir presumptive to the AustroHungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, were shot dead in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip, one of a group of six assassins (five Serbs and one Bosniak) coordinated by Danilo Ilić, a Bosnian Serb and a member of the Black Hand secret society. The political objective of the assassination was to break off Austria-Hungary's South Slav provinces so they could be combined into a Yugoslavia. The assassins' motives were consistent with the movement that later became known as Young Bosnia. The assassination led directly to the First World War when Austria-Hungary subsequently issued an ultimatum to the Kingdom of Serbia, which was partially rejected. Austria-Hungary then declared war. Outbreak of First World War AWR 1914 First battle of the Marne WW1 1914 Japan takes over German concessions in China EMJ 1915 Italy enters the war on the side of the Allies WW1 1915 Japan issues its ”Twenty One Demands” CR 1915-16 Armenian massacres OD 1916 Olympic Games not held due to war BERLIN, GERMANY 1916 Siege of Verdun leaves 600,000 dead WW1 1916 June: Battle of the Somme fails to break German line WW1 1916 Massacre of Armenian Christians in Turkey RD 1917 German navy begins unrestricted submarine warfare WW1 1917 February: Tsar Nicholas II overthrown by popular revolution RU 1917 October: Lenin and the Bolsheviks seize power RR 1917 USA enters war on Allied side WW1 1917-18 Arab revolt: Ottoman territories in Middle East lost OD 1918 March: Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Russia withdraws from WW1, RR 1918 May: German ”Spring Offensive” halted WW1 1918 September: Germans sue for armistice WW1 1918 November: Armistice on 11 November ends the war WW1 1918-20 Russian Civil War RR 1919 Korea declares independence from Japan K 1919 Former German colonies distributed as League of Nations mandates IN 1919 ”May 4th Movement” expresses Chinese nationalism CR 1919 Germany signs the Treaty of Versailles EP 1919 First trans-Atlantic flight COM 1920 Olympic Games ANTWERP, BELGIUM 1920 Polish-Russian war ends with Treaty of Riga EP 1920 Atatürk abolishes sultanate OD 1920 Japan given permanent seat on the League of Nations EMJ 1920 Chinese Communist Party founded CR 1920-22 Gandhi leads non-cooperation movement against the British I, IN 1921 Lenin introduces NEP RR 1922 Stalin appointed General Secretary RR 1922 Mussolini appointed prime minister in Italy EP 1922 Egypt independent IN 1922-24 Greeks expelled from Turkey, Turks from Greece RD 1923 Treaty of Lausanne creates new Turkish state by settling conflict between Turkey, Greece and the Allies OD, EP 1923 Hyperinflation in Germany EP 1924 Olympic Games PARIS, FRANCE 1924 Death of Lenin RR 1924-28 Reformist uprising led by Agusto César Sandino, Nicaragua CA 1925 Treaty of Locarno seals brief Franco-German friendship EP 1926 British Dominions recognized as independent IN 1926 Chiang Kai-shek begins reunification of China CR 1927 China: Nationalists purge their Communist supporters CR 1928 Olympic Games AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND 1928 Russia: Start of first Five-Year Plan RR, SU 1928 Kellog-Briand Pact outlaws war EP 1928 GEC develop first television images COM 1929 Russia: Collectivization begins RR 1929 October: New York Stock Market Crashes GD 1929-33 Soviet agriculture collectivized SU 1930 Hawley-Smoot Tariff in USA GD 1930-31 Civil disobediance campaigns in India IN 1930-31 Revolutions in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Peru SAM 1931 Banks collapse in Germany and Austria GD 1931 National government formed in Britain to combat slump GD 1931 Japan invades Manchuria IN, WW2 1931 Statute of Westminster recognizes independence of the Dominion of Canada (and Australia, New Zealand and South Africa) CAN 1932 Olympic Games LOS ANGELES, USA 1932 Iraq independent IN 1932 Lausanne Conference suspends German reperations EP, GD 1932-34 Renewed civil disobediance campaigns in India IN 1933 Roosevelt launches ”New Deal” GD 1933 Hitler appointed chancellor EP 1933 World Economic Conference fails to find a solution GD 1934 German ”New Plan” for controlling trade GD 1934 ”Long March” of China's Communists begins CR 1934 February riots in Paris overthrow government EP 1935 Government of India Act; Indians gain provincial autonomy I 1935 Nuremberg Laws against German Jews RD, WW2 1935-36 Italy conquers Abyssinia, Ethiopia IN, WW2 1936 Olympic Games BERLIN, GERMANY 1936 Large scale rearmament begins in Germany, Britain and France (preparing for the pre-organized war) GD, WW2 1936 June – December Edward VIII - Edward was the most popular Prince of Wales England has ever had. Consequently when he renounced the throne to marry Mrs. Wallis Simpson the country found it almost impossible to believe. The people as a whole knew nothing about Mrs. Simpson until early in December 1936. Mrs. Simpson was an American, a divorcee and had two husbands still living. This was unacceptable to the Church as Edward had stated that he wanted her to be crowned with him at the Coronation which was to take place the following May. Edward abdicated in favour of his brother and took the title, Duke of Windsor. He went to live abroad. WINDSOR 1936-52 George VI - George was a shy and nervous man with a very bad stutter, the exact opposite of his brother the Duke of Windsor, but he had inherited the steady virtues of his father George V. He was very popular and well loved by the English people. The prestige of the throne was low when he became king but his wife Elizabeth and his mother Queen Mary were outstanding in their support of him. The Second World War started in 1939 and throughout the King and Queen set an example of courage and fortitude. They remained at Buckingham Palace for the duration of the war in spite of the bombing. The Palace was bombed more than once. The two Princesses, Elizabeth and Margaret, spent the war years at Windsor Castle. George was in close touch with the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill throughout the war and both had to be dissuaded from landing with the troops in Normandy on D-Day! The post-war years of his reign were ones of great social change and saw the start of the National Health Service. The whole country flocked to the Festival of Britain held in London in 1951, 100 years after the Great Exhibition during Victoria's reign. WINDSOR 1937 National deportations of non-Soviets begin in USSR GD, WW2 1937 November: Start of Sino-Japanese war CR, WW2 1938 March: Anschluss; union of Germany and Austria WW2 1938 September: Munich Pact WW2 1938 July: Japan pull out of hosting 1940 Olympic Games TOKYO, JAPAN 1938 Olympic Games new host is to be HELSINKI, FINLAND 1939 March: Germany occupies Bohemia and Moravia WW2 1939 August: German-Soviet Pact secures Soviet neutrality WW2 1939 September: Hitler invades Poland; Britain and France declare war WW2 1939 Olympic Games 1940 Cancelled due to WW2 1940 May/June: Fall of France WW2, RE 1940 August/September: Battle of Britain WW2 1940-42 Japan conquers European colonies in Far East IN 1941 Germany invades USSR WW2, SU 1941 June: Japanese forces occupy Indo-China WW2 1941 July: ”Final Solution” initiated WW2 1941 December 7: Japanese air forces attack Pearl Harbour WW2 1942 Japan overruns Europe's Far Eastern colonies RE 1942 February 15: Britain surrenders Singapore WW2 1942 June 3-6: Battle of Midway: Japanese naval forces defeated WW2 1942-43 Sep 1942 to Feb 1943: Battle of Stalingrad WW2 1942 November: Anglo-American landings in north Africa WW2 1942-44 Murder of European Gypsies RD 1943 June: Combined Bomber Offensive launched WW2 1943 July: Battle of Kursk: USSR defeats Germany WW2 1943 September: Italy surrenders to Allies WW2, RE 1944 First rocket missiles W 1944 Japanese Imphal offensive in Burma defeated WW2 1944 April: Japanese launch Ichi-Go campaign in China WW2 1944 June 6: D-Day: Allied invasion of France WW2 1944 Olympic Games not held due to WW2 LONDON, GB 1944 October: Japan defeated at Battle of Leyte Gulf WW2 1944 November: US bombings of mainland Japan begins WW2 1944-47 Soviet control established in eastern Europe SU 1945 First jet aircraft in combat W 1945 May 2: Fall of Berlin WW2 1945 May 7: German surrender WW2 1945 August 6 & 9: Atomic bombs dropped on Japan provoke unconditional surrender WW2, JEA 1945 Japan defeated CR 1945 Liberation from Japan K 1945 Allied victory in WW2, RE 1945 November 18: President Truman authorises Operation Paperclip in August 1945 and, on 18 November, the first Germans reached America.: Project Paperclip, the US operation which saw von Braun and more than 700 others (including Hitler) were spirited out of Germany from under the noses of the US's allies. Its aim was simple: "To exploit German scientists for American research and to deny these intellectual resources to the Soviet Union." Major General Hugh Knerr WW2 1945-47 Germans driven from Eastern Europe RD 1945-48 Jewish terrorism in Palestine W 1945-50 Socially reformist, democratically elected regime of Juan José Arévalo Bermejo, Guatemala CA 1946 Civil war in China (to 1949) CR 1946-54 First Indo-China war; Huk peasant uprising in Phillipines SEA 1947 Marshall aid established E 1947 Greek Civil War ; Truman Doctrine announced CW 1947 India partitioned; India and Pakistan independent RE, SA 1947 Truman administration launches policy of containment USA 1948 Republic of Korea (ROK) is established in south; Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is established in north K 1948 Olympic Games LONDON, GB 1948 Mohendas Gandhi assassinated SA 1948 Establishment of State of Israel; first Arab-Israeli war PZ 1948 First UN intervention W 1948 Marshall Aid launched. Berlin airlift USA 1948 Transistor developed COM 1948 Britain develops first storage computer COM 1948-49 Berlin airlift E, CW 1949 Communist victory in China CR, CUC 1949 Newfoundland and Labrador join Canada CAN 1949 West and East Germany seperate states; NATO and COMECON established E, CW 1949 Soviet Union detonates first nuclear bomb CW 1950 North Korea attacks South Korea and the Korean War begins K 1950-53 Korean War CW, JEA, W 1951 USA's occupation of Japan ends JEA 1952 European Coal and Steel Community founded E 1952 Olympic Games HELSINKI, FINLAND 1952 Military coup in Egypt ME 1952 Eisenhower elected president USA 1952 First jet airliner, the Comet COM 1952-present Elizabeth II - Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, or ‘Lilbet’ to close family, was born in London on 21 April 1926. Like her parents, Elizabeth was heavily involved in the war effort during the Second World War, serving in the women's branch of the British Army known as the Auxiliary Territorial Service, training as a driver and mechanic. Elizabeth and her sister Margaret anonymously joined the crowded streets of London on VE Day to celebrate the end of the war. She married her cousin Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and they had four children: Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward. When her father George VI died, Elizabeth became Queen of seven Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka). Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953 was the first to be televised, serving to increase popularity in the medium and doubling television license numbers in the UK.The huge popularity of the royal wedding in 2011 between the Queen’s grandson, Prince William and the commoner Kate Middleton, now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, reflected the high profile of the British Monarchy at home and abroad. 2012 was also an important year for the royal family, as the nation celebrated the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, her 60th year as Queen. On 9th September 2015, Elizabeth became Britain's longest serving monarch, ruling longer than her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria who reigned for 63 years and 216 days. WINDSOR 1953 Armistice signed by USA, DPRK and China; but not by ROK K 1953 Uprisings in East Germany and Poland E 1953 Military coup in Iran ME 1953 Death of Stalin SU 1954 Communist Vietnamese defeat French at Dien Bien Ohu; start of the Algerian War RE 1954 Geneva Conference: Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam become independent states SEA 1954 US.inspired coup against reformist administration of Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán, Guatemala CA 1955 Four power occupation of Austria ended E 1955 Warsaw Pact formed CW 1955 Overthrow of Perón regime in Argentina SAM 1956 Britain and France unsuccessfully invade Egypt afer President Nasser seizes Suez Canal RE 1956 Suez crisis; second Arab-Israeli war PZ 1956 Hungarian uprising E 1956 Olympic Games MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA 1956 Nasser nationalizes Suez Canal; Israel, France, Britain invade ME 1956 Federal Highway Act USA 1956 Khrushchev launches ”de-Stalinization” campaign SU 1957 Treaty of Rome establishes EEC E 1957 Kwame Nkrumah leads the first black sub-Saharan African country, Ghana, to independence A 1957-68 Independence for British African colonies RE 1957-75 Vietnam War W 1958 United Arab Republic founded (Syria and Egypt) ME 1958-61 China: Great Leap Forward CUC 1959 Cuban revolution SAM 1959 Invention of the silicon chip COM 1959-75 War between North and South Vietnam SEA 1960 Independence for all French sub-Saharan colonies and Belgian Congo RE 1960 Olympic Games ROME, ITALY 1960 Sharpeville massacre and banning of nationalist parties in South Africa A 1960 Kennedy elected president USA 1961 Berlin Wall built E 1961 End of eight year Algerian war of independence, which was also a civil war A 1961-64 Nationalist uprisings against portuguese rule in Angola, Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique A 1961-79 Sandinista armed struggle, Nicaragua CA 1962 Launch of first telecommunications satellite COM 1962 Cuban missile crisis CW 1962 France withdraws from Algeria RE 1962 China invades northern India SA 1962 Charter of Organization of African Unity signed, recognizing existing frontiers A 1963 President Kennedy assassinated USA 1963-66 Indonesian 'confrontation' over creation of Malaysia SEA 1964 Olympic Games TOKYO 1964 PLO established PZ 1964 Brezhnev succeeds Khrushchev as Soviet Leader SU 1964-68 Military coups in Brazil, Argentina and Peru SAM 1964-73 USA intervenes militarily in Vietnam CW 1965 Rhodesian white settlers declare UDI (Unilateral Declaration of Independence), resulting in guerrilla war RE, A 1965 Sukarno overthrown in Indonesia SEA 1965 War between India and Pakistan SA 1965 Voting Rights Act becomes law USA 1965-90 Guerrilla war in Guatemala CA 1966-67 USA and Japan surpass Britain as Australia's main trading partners; Mabo judgement establishes native title in Australia AU 1966-72 China: Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution CUC 1967 Third Arab-Israeli war (Six Day War) PZ, W 1967-70 Civil war in Nigeria with secessionist Biafra A 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslavakia E 1968 Martin Luther King assassinated USA 1968 Olympic Games MEXICO CITY, MEXICO 1969-98 IRA terrorism campaign in UK W 1969 First concorde flight; ARPANET (precursors to the Internet) starts COM 1970 Front de Libération du Quebéc hostage taking crisis in Canada CAN 1970 Coup overthrows Sihanouk in Cambodia SEA 1970 US Clean Air Act GLO 1971 The Canadian government issues the Multiculturalism Proclamation CAN 1971 War between India and Pakistan leads to the creation of Bangladesh SA 1972 Olympic Games MUNICH, GERMANY 1972 Nixon visits China; China begins to open up to the West CUC 1972 Publication of 'The Limits To Growth' GLO 1973 Fourth Arab-Israeli war (Yom Kippur War); oil crisis PZ, ME 1973 Britain, Denmark and Ireland join EEC E 1973 Oil price rise prompts worldwide crisis GLO 1973 Oil crisis; Japan recovers rapidly JEA 1973 Overthrow of Allende regime in Chile SAM 1973 US withdrawal from Vietnam USA 1974 Al Jihad founded, Egypt W 1974 ”White Australia” policy finally dismantled AU 1974 Military coup in Lisbon begins end of Portuguese colonial rule in Africa A 1974 Nixon resigns after Watergate scandal USA 1974 Salazar dies; democracy restored to Portugal E 1975 Waitangi Tribunal established NZ 1975 Communist governments in Laos and Cambodia SEA 1975 Portuguese rule in Africa ends RE 1975 Death of Chiang Kai-shek JEA 1975 Franco dies; democracy restored to Spain E 1975-92 Lebanese civil war ME 1975-92 Guerrilla war in El Salvador CA 1976 Vietnam united under communist rule SEA 1976 Olympic Games MONTREAL, CANADA 1976 Death of Mao; overthrow of ”Gang of Four” CUC 1976 Overthrow of ”Isabel” Martinez de Péron in Argentina SAM 1977 Military coup ends civilian rule in Pakistan (restored 1988) SA 1977 Geneva protocols signed W 1978 Cambodia invaded by Vietnam SEA 1978 Egyptian-Israeli peace talks (Camp David) PZ 1978 Red Brigades in Italy kill Prime Minister Aldo Moro W 1978 China declares ”Open Door” policy GE 1978-89 Contra terrorist campaign in Nicaragua W 1979 Soviet Union invades Afghanistan CW, IA 1979 Islamic Republic established in Iran ME 1979-89 USSR occupies Afghanistan SA 1980 Olympic Games MOSCOW, USSR 1980 African majority rule in Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe A 1980 Ronald Reagan elected president USA 1980 USA launches ”strategic defence initiative” W 1980-81 Solidarity campaign begins in Poland E 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War ME 1982 Israel invades Lebanon; withdraws from Sinai PZ 1982 Falklands War SAM, W 1982-89 Return to civilian rule in Argentina (1983), Bolivia (1985), Uruguay (1985), Chile (1989) SAM 1983 Tamil revolt in Sri Lanka SA 1984 Olympic Games LOS ANGELES, USA 1984 Sikhs assassinate Indira Gandhi SA 1984-86 Widespread resistance in South Africa against apartheid, and government declares a State of Emergency A 1984-87 Severe famine in Ethiopia A 1985 Gorbachev becomes Soviet leader; EEC agrees to create single market E 1985 Gorbachev begins programme of reforms SU 1985 Visits by nuclear warships banned NZ 1985 Israel withdraws from Lebanon PZ 1985 'Al Qaeda' (The Database) is the term given to Islamic Extremists in order to group seperate groups as one identifiable body W 1985 Fax machines commercially available COM 1986 Ferdinand Marcos in Phillipines overthrown SEA 1986 Pro-democracy agitation in China CUC 1986 Multi-party democracy introduced in Taiwan JEA 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident GLO 1987 INF treaty: phased elimination of inter-mediate range nuclear weapons CW 1987 Stock Market Crash - USA 1987 Single European Act for full economic union GE 1987 Montreal Protocol on CFC emissions GLO 1988 Olympic Games SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA 1988 PLO recognizes the State of Israel PZ 1989 Student pro-democracy demonstration crushed in Beijing CUC 1989 Vietnam withdraws from Cambodia SEA 1989 Civil war in Liberia which spreads into neighbouring Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Ivory Coast A 1989 Collapse of communism in eastern Europe: Soviet influence in eastern Europe ended E, SU 1989 Milosevic elected Serbian president E 1989 Soviet forces leave Afghanistan IA 1990 Free elections in Burma; results annulled by military dictatorship SA 1990 Iraq invades Kuwait ME, IA 1990 Germany reunified E 1990 Slovenia declares independence E 1990-91 Collapse of USSR; Cold War ends CW 1990-91 End of Cold War results in change in Africa's strategic significance, as well as speeding the end of apartheid in South Africa. Namibia gains independence A 1991 World Wide Web (WWW) launched COM 1991 Soviet Union dissolved, Russian Federation established SU 1991 Russia begins programme for economic reform GE 1991 First use of ”electronic battlefield” W 1991 UN coalition forces defeat Iraq ME, IA 1991 Maastricht Treaty created E 1991 Croatia and Macedonia break away from Yugoslavia E 1991 Chechnya declares independence from Russian Federation E 1992 February: Maastricht Treaty signed GE 1992 Algerian civil war ME 1992 Olympic Games BARCELONA, SPAIN 1992 ”Black May” uprising in Thailand against military rule SEA 1992 Hindu zealots demolish Babur's mosque at Ayodhya SA 1992 Serbia declares new Yugoslavia E 1992 Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit GLO 1992-95 Civil war in Bosnia E 1993 Mixed Member Proportional voting introduced NZ 1993 Eritrea gains independence from Ethiopia A 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and PLO PZ 1994 Death of Kim II Sung JEA 1994 African National Congress, led by Nelson Mandela, wins the first ever nonracial parliamentary elections in South Africa. Genocide in Rwanda leaves 800,000 dead; the West paid little attention, and the resulting violence spilled west into the Democratic Republic of Congo A 1994 Limited Palestinian autonomy in Gaza Strip PZ 1994 NAFTA established USA 1994 First Russian invasion of Chechnya SU 1994 Mexico joins North American Free Trade Area GE 1994-96 First civil war between Russia and Chechnya E 1995 Referendum proposing Quebéc sovereignty from Canada is narrowly defeated CAN 1995 Kobe earthquake JEA 1995 Israel and PLO sign agreement on limited West Bank autonomy PZ 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement in former Yugoslavia, Bosnian State formed E 1995 EEC becomes European Union; Austria, Sweden and Finland join EU E, GE 1996 Olympic Games ATLANTA, USA 1996 Taliban capture Kabul, declare Islamic state IA 1997 Hong Kong returned to China RE, CUC 1997 Death of Deng Xiaoping CUC 1997 Collapse of Thai baht leads to major financial crisis in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia SEA 1997 Khatami elected president of Iran ME 1997 End of Mobutu's long rule in Zaire which now became the Democratic Republic of Congo A 1997 Amsterdam Treaty signed E 1997 Luxor massacre by Al Gamaat terrorists W 1997 Smog from forest fires envelops Indonesia GLO 1997 Kyoto Protocol on global warming GLO 1997-98 Economic turmoil in east Asia JEA, GE 1998 Buenos Aires global warming conference GLO 1998 Indonesia's President Suharto steps down SEA 1998 India and Pakistan test nuclear devices SA 1998 Russian financial crisis GE 1999 Australian republic rejected at referendum AU 1999 Macao returned to China CUC 1999 Second Russian invasion of Chechnya SU 1999 NATO intervention in Kosovo civil war crisis E 1999 Single European currency launched: The Euro E, GE 1999-2000 Second Chechen Wars E 2000 Olympic Games, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA 2000 World Climate Conference in Tokyo 2001 New Partnership in African Development (NEPAD) established by leading African states to promote a changed economic development programme for the Continent A 2001 Hardliner Ariel Sharon elected Israeli prime minister PZ 2001 Nice Treaty signed E 2001 Taliban regime overthrown in Afghanistan W 2001 Worlds First Gigantic Conscious Explosion manifests in the most extaordinary event in World History – infamous 9/11. The first mainstream asking one to question Reality and who was responsible, and what exactly happened W 2001 USA abandons Kyoto Protocol 2001-16 The world splits between awakened to the act of discernment and unawakened to anything other than what it is told to them. W 2002 East Timor gains independence SEA 2002 Organization of African Unity (OAU) renamed as the African Union (AU) with 54 member states A 2002 Bali nightclub bombings W 2002 India – Pakistan Kashmir crisis SA 2003 US-UK coalition forces invade Iraq – Second Gulf War ME, IA 2003 Saddam Hussein toppled from power by US-led coalition IA 2004 Hamas leader Sheikh Yassin murdered PZ 2004 Huge increase in Islamic terrorism in Middle East IA 2004 Olympic Games, ATHENS, GREECE 2004 The New Zealand made film 'Lord of the Rings – The Return of the King' wins a record number of Oscars and boosts the national economy NZ 2004 EU expands to include 25 members E 2004 Madrid Train Bombings W 2008 Olympic Games BEIJING, CHINA 2012 21 december. The end of Mayan Long Count Calendar; Number 20 of 0 2012 Olympic Games LONDON, GB 2012-2015 Evolution of Homo Sapien to Homo Telepathicus begins in isolated pockets of the globe, thanks to the light speed knowledge sharing and rise in conscious awareness of self, due to the infomation age GLOBAL 2015-2016 Exponential rise in global spiritual awakenings. The Scriptures' revelations of the hidden conscious dimensions that were previously hidden from public perception are first revealed publically with the release of a common man's book 'ONE Upon a Time' GLOBAL 2016 Olympic Games RIO, BRAZIL 2016-∞ The rise in conscious awareness to the true nature of man spreads and becomes a massive spiritual phenomenon or 'meme'. GLOBAL