World History
General Knowledge

Important Dates



Important Dates

776 First Olympiad in Greece
753 Rome founded
490 Battle of Marathon; the Greeks defeated the Iranians/Persians
327-26 Invasion of India by Alexander, Battle of Hydaspes
221 Chin-Hung Ti 'Univesral Emperor' in China, Great Wall of China completed
55 Invasion of Britain by Julius Caesar, the Great Roman General
44 Assassination of Julius Caesarby Brutus
4 Birth of Jesus Christ
AD
29 Crucifixion of Jesus Christ
43 Roman conquest of Britain
570 Birth of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) at Mecca
622 Migration of Muhammad (PBUH) from Mecca to Medina (Hijira), Beginning of Hijira Era (Muhammadan calender) on July 15
800 Charlemagne crowned Roman Emperor at St. Peter's
871 Accession of Alfred the Great the throne of Britain
901 Death of king Alfred the Great
1066 Battle of Hastings; Norman invasion of England. William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, defeated the English king Harold at Hastings
1215 Magna Carta or the Great Charter signed by king John at Runnymede in England on June 15
1280 Gunpowder invented by Roger Bacon
1338 The Hundred Years War broke out; it lasted upto 1453
1431 Joan of Arc, a brave French peasant girl, obtained victory over the English at Orleans. She was burnt alive at the stakes
1443 The Black death i.e., plague broke out in England
1453 The capture of Constantinople (the home of classical learning) by the Ottoman Turk compelled the Greek scholars to flee to Italy and other West European countries, where they spread the knowledge of Greek philosophy and literature. This was the beginning of Renaissance in Europe
1486 Bartholomew Diaz rounded the cape of Good Hope
1492 Columbus sailed on his first expedition to the West Indies Which later led to the discovery of America (the New World)
1498 Vassco da Gama, a Portuguese, discovered the seat-route to India via the Cape of Good Hope
1517 Beginning of Reformation
1529-36 Reformation in England under Henry VIII
1564 Birth of Shakespeare
1616 Shakespeare passes away
1649 Trial and execution of Charles I beginning of Commonwealth
1649-60 The Commonwealth and the Protectorate in England
1660 Restoration of Monarchy in England
1665 The Great Plague in London
1679 Habeas Corpus Act
1688 The Glorious or Bloodless Revolution in England. Despotic rule of the Stuarts ended, and the Parliamentary rule began. Establishment of parliamentary supremacy and abolition of the Divine Rights of Kings
1704 Battle of Blenheim; Marlborough and Eugene inflicted a crushing defeat on the French army
1707 Union of England and Scotland
1763 Treaty of Paris; It ended the Seven Years' War (1756-63); weakened France, made England a great colonial power
1776 Declaration of American Independence and formation of a Federal Republic of 13 states called the United States of America (July 4)
1783 Treaty of Versailles; England recognised the independence of the United States of America
1789 George Washington elected First President of USA. Beginning of French Revolution : Fall of the Bastille Fort (July 14)
1798 Battle of the Nile; The English under Nelson gained victory over the French
1805 Battle of Trafalgar; Death of Nelson
Battle of Austerliz— Napolean Bonaparte routed a combined army of the Russians and the Austrians
1815 Battle of Waterloo — Napolean was defeated and exiled to St. Helena
Congress of Vienna, it aimed at rearranging the map of Europe; The Vienna settlement proved unsatisfactory, because it disregarded national claims
1821 Death of Napolean at St. Helena (May 5)
1827 Battle of Navatino; the allied fleets of England, Russia ond France destroyed the Turkish fleet; This victory practically secured the Independence of Greece
1832 Reforms Bill passed; French captured Antwerp
1833 Emancipation Act of 1833; It abolished slavery In the British dominions
1837 Accession of Queen Victoria to the throne of England
1839 Introduction of Penny Postage system in England by Sir Rowland Hill; Aden annexed by England
1854 The Crimean War began; Russia attacked Turkey; England and France came to the rescue of Turkey
1861 American Civil War started. Abraham Lincon elected 16th President of USA
1863 Slavery abolished in America
1869 Suez Canal opened for traffic
1885 General Gordon captured and slain at Khartoum
1899 Beginning of the Boer War
1904 Outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War
1905 Battle of the sea of Japan; Japan inflicted a crushing naval defeat on Russia; a wave of nationalism spread in Asia
1911 Chinese Republican Revolution; Amundsen reached South Pole (Dec. 14)
1914 Outbreak of World War I (July 28)
1916 Battle of Jutland (Naval Battle). The British Grand Fleet under Admiral Jellico defeated the German Fleet under Admiral Scheer
1917 March / Feb. Revolution in Russia : the Czar abdicated and later assassinated; reformist Mensheviks came into power (Prince Lvov, Kerensky)
Nov./Oct. Revolution in Russia: Revolutionary Bolsheviks came into power (Lenin)
1918 End of World War I (Nov. 11)
1919 The Paris Conference; the Treaty of Versailles
1920 Foundation of the League of Nations (Jan. 10)
1921 The Irish Free State established with the status of a Dominion like Canada (Dec. 6)
1923 Turkish Republic proclaimed with Kemal Atatutk as its First President
1924 Lenin died, and power passed into the hands of Stalin in Russia
1925 Treaty of Locarno (between Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Belgium)
1928 Kellogg Pact (signed in Paris by the principal powers of the world for the prevention of war; it had no effect)
1933 Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany
1935 War between Italy and Abyssinia (Ethiopia); Italy annexed Abyssinia (Ethrapia); Plebiscite in Saar
1939 Germany invaded Poland : Outbreak of World War II (Sep. 1)
1940 Fall of France after German invasion (June 5); Italy entered World War II
1941 Hitler invades Russia (June 22); II (Dec)