Key Events in Ancient History: A Comprehensive Timeline

Ancient History is a fascinating subject. Here is a timeline of many of the major events that happened in History. An approximate date is also given next to the event. With the list of events will be links to articles giving more information about the event. Some of the resources are from secular sources such as The Story of Mankind.

Table of Contents


1. Creation & Early Humanity (c. 4000–2300 BC)

Creation & the Fall

Early Generations

Noah & the Flood


2. Early Civilizations (c. 2300–1800 BC)

Mesopotamia

Canaanites

The Phoenicians c. 1000 BC (Rome)

Stonehenge (Europe)

Minoan Civilization (Greece)

Egypt: Early Dynasties


3. The Patriarchs (c. 2000–1700 BC)

Job: Approximate Date: ~2100–1700

Abraham

Ishmael

Isaac & Rebekah

Jacob & Esau

Joseph


4. Egypt, Slavery & Exodus (c. 1700–1400 BC)

Israel in Slavery

Moses

Law & Covenant

Wilderness Years c. 1491-1451 BC


5. Conquest & Judges (c. 1450–1100 BC)

Joshua

Jordan Crossing

Jericho

Other Important Events

Cities of Refuge

Judges & important people


6. Early Kingdom of Israel (c. 1100–900 BC)

Eli

Samuel

The Kings of Israel

Saul — First King c. 1095 BC (Israel)

David

Solomon


7. Divided Kingdom & Prophets (c. 975–586 BC)

Division of Israel c. 975 BC (Israel)

Key People and Events

Elijah c. 896 BC

Elisha c. 895 BC

Obadiah c. 840s BC

Joel 835-805 B.C.

Jonah c. 760 BC

Amos c. 808 BC

Isaiah c. 740 BC

Hezekiah Born c. 739–741 BC Reigned c. 715–686 BC (dates vary slightly by scholar)

Micah c. 735 BC

Fall of Israel to Assyria c. 721 BC

Hosea c. 721 BC

Manasseh c. 677 BC

King Josiah c. 630 BC (Israel)

Nahum c. 630 BC Prophet of Josiah’s Reign (Israel)

Zephaniah c. 629 BC Prophet of Josiah’s Reign (Israel)

Jeremiah c. 629 BC

Habakkuk c. 609 BC

Fall of Nineveh (Fall of Assyria) c. 612 BC

Babylonian Captivity of Judah c. 605, 599, and 588 BC (Mesopotamia and Israel)

Nebuchadnezzar II and the Hanging Gardens c. 605-615 BC

Daniel and His Friends c. 607-534 BC

Belshazzar & Cyrus the Great 539-538 BC

Darius I and the Persian Empire 522 BC (Mesopotamia)

Ezekiel c. 595 BC

Huldah c. 7th century BC (Israel)


8. World Civilizations (Parallel Timeline)

Greece

  • Homer c. 800-725 BC
  • Olympic Games c. 776BC-AD393
  • Athens & Sparta c. 700-500 BC
  • Aesop’s Fables c. 600 BC (Greece)
  • Pythagoras/Temple of Diana 547 BC and 550 BC
  • Battle of Marathon 490 BC
  • Herodotus 484 BC
  • The Golden Age of Athens 478-399 BC
  • Socrates 469-399 BC
  • Hippocrates 377BC (Greece)
  • Statue of Zeus 456 BC (Greece)
  • Pericles 443-429 BC
  • Peloponnesian War 431-404 BC
  • Plato 427-348 BC
  • Aristotle 384-322 BC
  • Alexander the Great (and the Division of his Empire)356-323 BC
  • Philip II of Macedonia 359-336 BC
  • Mausoleum of Halicarnassus 353 BC
  • Archimedes 287-212 BC
  • Eratosthenes 276-194 BC
  • Colossus of Rhodes 290 BC

Rome

  • Founding of Rome c. 748 BC
  • Roman Republic 510 BC
  • Hannibal and the Punic Wars 218-146 BC
  • Spartacus unknown-71BC (Rome)
  • 1st Triumvirate 60BC (Rome)
  • Julius Caesar 49 BC (Rome)
  • 2nd Triumvirate 43 BC
  • Cleopatra 69-30 BC (Rome)
  • Augustus Caesar – First Emperor of Rome 27 BC

Egypt

  • Amenhotep IV & Nefertiti c. late 900s
  • King Tut c. late 900s
  • Ramses II c. 800s BC/date unknown
  • Lighthouse at Alexandria 280 BC
  • The Septuagint 297 BC

China

  • Xia Dynasty
  • Shang Dynasty
  • Zhou Dynasty
  • Confucius 551-479 BC
  • Qin Dynasty (Ch’in) 221-206 BC
  • Han Dynasty 206 BC-220 AD

India

  • Hinduism
  • Buddhism c. 563 BC
  • Emperor Asoka 273-232 BC

Americas


9. Return from Exile (c. 538–400 BC)


10. Between the Testaments (c. 400–5 BC)


11. Birth of Christ & Early Christianity (5 BC–AD 100)



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