TIMELINE OF THE MIDDLE AGES

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312

Roman emperor Constantine converts to Christianity. As a result, the empire that once persecuted Christians will embrace their religion and eventually will begin to persecute other religions

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325

Constantine calls the Council of Nicaea, first of many ecumenical councils at which gatherings of bishops determine official church policy

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330

Constantine establishes Byzantium as eastern capital of the Roman Empire

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395

After the death of Emperor Theodosius, the Roman Empire is permanently divided in half. As time passes, the Eastern Roman Empire (later known as the Byzantine Empire) distances itself from the declining Western Roman Empire

5TH-6TH CENTURY

Period: 401 to 600

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410

Led by Alaric, the Visigoths sack Rome, dealing the Western Roman Empire a blow from which it will never recover.

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Period: 413 to 425

Deeply affected, as are most Roman citizens, by the Visigoths' attack on Rome, Augustine writes City of God, one of the most important books of the Middle Ages

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455

The Vandals sack Rome

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459

Death of St. Patrick, missionary who converted Ireland to Christianity

Western Roman Empire ends

476

The Roman Emperor Romulus Augustus defeated by the leader of German Scirii and Heruli tribes, Odoacer

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476

The German leader Odoacer removes Emperor Romulus Augustulus and crowns himself "king of Italy." This incident marks the end of the Western Roman Empire

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481

The Frankish tribes are united by Clovis after he became the king of Franks by defeating the Visigoths in the Battle of Vouille

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496

Clovis converts to Christianity. By establishing strong ties with the pope, he forges a strong church-state relationship that will continue throughout the medieval period

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500

Date commonly cited as beginning of Middle Ages

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Period: 500 to 1000

Era in European history often referred to as the Dark Ages, or Early Middle Ages

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524

The philosopher Boethius, from the last generation of classically educated Romans, dies in jail, probably at the orders of the Ostrogoth chieftain Theodoric

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529

The Code of Civil Law published by Justinian 1. This body of law containing three parts compiled the centuries of imperial pronouncements and legal writings

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532

Thanks in large part to the counsel of his wife Theodora, Justinian (greatest of Byzantine emperors) takes a strong stand in the Nika Revolt, ensuring his continued power

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Period: 534 to 563

Belisarius and other generals under orders from Justinian recapture much of the Western Roman Empire, including parts of Italy, Spain, and North Africa. The victories are costly, however, and soon after Justinian's death these lands will fall back into the hands of barbarian tribes such as the Vandals and Lombards

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535

Justinian establishes his legal code, a model for the laws in many Western nations today

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540

The Huns, or Hunas, destroy India's Gupta Empire, plunging much of the subcontinent into a state of anarchy

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542

The bubonic plague spreads to all urban establishments in the Mediterranean Basin

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550

Death of Indian mathematician Aryabhata, one of the first mathematicians to use the numeral zero

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552

Byzantines completely conquer Italy

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570

Prophet Mahoma, the preacher of Islam was born in this year. Islam later became a major religion of the Middle Ages

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589

The ruthless Wen Ti places all of China under the rule of his Sui dynasty, ending more than three centuries of upheaval

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590

Christianity receives a new Pope in the form of Gregory the Great under whose command the missionary works reach new heights

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597

Augustine, the Roman missionary to Britain sent by Gregory the Great, arrives in Kent

7TH CENTURY

Period: 601 to 700

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604

Prince Shotoku Taishi of Japan issues his "Seventeen-Article Constitution"

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610

An Arab merchant named Mahoma receives the first of some 650 revelations that form the basis of the Koran, Islam's holy book

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618

In China, T'ai Tsung and his father Kao Tsu over-throw the cruel Sui dynasty, establishing the highly powerful and efficient T'ang dynasty

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622

Prophet Mohammad and his followers start their journey from Mecca to Medina called Hijra. This marks the beginning of the Islamic Calendar

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631

The death of Prophet Mahoma

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Period: 632 to 661

Following the death of Muhammad, the Arab Muslims are led by a series of four caliphs who greatly expand Muslim territories to include most of the Middle East

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641

Muslims conquer Persia in the Battle of Nehawand

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645

A conspiracy to murder the Japanese emperor places the reform-minded Emperor Tenchi on the throne and puts the Fujiwara clan, destined to remain influential for centuries, in a position of power

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661

The fifth caliph, Mu'awiya, founds the Umayyad caliphate, which will rule the Muslim world from Damascus, Syria, until 750

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Period: 674 to 678

First Islamic attacks on Constantinople fails

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690

Wu Ze-tian becomes sole empress of China. She will reign until 705, the only female ruler in four thousand years of Chinese history

8TH CENTURY

Period: 701 to 800

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711

Muslims invade Spain and it marks the beginning of Muslim rule in Iberian Peninsula

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718

Second Muslim attack on Constantinople failed

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727

In Greece, the Iconoclasts begin a sixty-year war on icons, or images of saints and other religious figures, which they consider idols. Though the Greek Orthodox Church ultimately rejects iconoclasm, the controversy helps widen a growing division between Eastern and Western Christianity

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731

The Venerable Bede publishes his Ecclesiastical History of the English People, his most important work

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732

Franks defeat Muslims in the Battle of Tours and check their advance in Europe

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750

Marks the start of the longest Caliphate named as Abbasid Caliphate

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751

The Carolingian Age begins when Charles Martel's son Pepin III, with the support of the pope, removes the last Merovingian king from power. Defeated by Arab armies at Talas, China's T'ang dynasty begins to decline. A revolt led by An Lu-shan in 755 adds to its troubles

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768

Charlemagne’s reign begins as the King of Franks

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782

English scholar Alcuin goes to France, on the invitation of Charlemagne, to organize a school for future officials in the Carolingian empire

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787

Irene of Athens convenes the Seventh Council of Nicaea, which restores the use of icons in worship

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793

Viking raiders destroy the church at Lindisfarne off the coast of England. Lindisfarne was one of the places where civilized learning had weathered the darkest years of the Middle Ages

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797

Having murdered her son, Irene of Athens, who actually ruled from 780 onward, officially becomes Byzantine empress, the only woman ruler in the empire's eleven-hundred-year history.

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Period: 800 to 814

Charlemagne is crowned the Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III

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801

Death of Rabia al-Adawiyya, a woman and former slave who founded the mystic Sufi sect of Islam

9TH CENTURY

Period: 801 to 900

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820

A group of Vikings settles in northwestern France, where they will become known as Normans

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835

Marks the beginning of invasion of Northern Europe by the Vikings from Scandinavian Islands

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843

Treaty of Verdun is signed between the three grandchildren of Charlemagne separating Holy Roman Empire and France

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850

Death of Arab mathematician al-Khwarizmi, who coined the term "algebra" and who is often considered the greatest mathematician of the Middle Ages

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860

Vikings discover Iceland

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863

St. Cyril and St. Methodius, two Greek priests, become missionaries to the Slavs of Central and Eastern Europe. As a result, the Greek Orthodox version of Christianity spreads throughout the region, along with the Cyrillic alphabet.

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Period: 871 to 899

Alfred the Great becomes the first king of united England. New laws are formed and religion as well as education experience revival.

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886

King Alfred the Great captures London from the Danes, and for the first time in British history unites all Anglo-Saxons

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896

Alfred the Great defeats and sends back Vikings from England

10TH CENTURY

Period: 901 to 1000

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907

China's T'ang dynasty comes to an end after almost three centuries of rule, and the empire enters a period of instability known as "Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms"

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911

The last of the Carolingian line in the East Frankish Empire dies. Seven years later, Henry the Fowler of Saxony, father of Otto the Great, takes leadership of the German states

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919

Henry 1 assumes the throne becoming the founder of the medieval German State

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930

Arab physician al-Razi writes his most important work, The Comprehensive Book, which sums up the medical knowledge of the era

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955

Otto the Great, son of Henry 1, defeats Magyars in the Battle of Lechfeld

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957

Death of al-Mas'udi, perhaps the greatest historian of the Arab world

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960

In China, troops loyal to Chao K'uang-yin declare him emperor, initiating the Sung dynasty

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962

Otto the Great crowned the Holy Roman Emperor in 40 years

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962

Having conquered most of Central Europe, Otto the Great is crowned emperor in Rome, reviving Charlemagne's title. From this point on, most German kings are also crowned ruler of the Holy Roman Empire

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982

Vikings discover Greenland. Four years later, Erik the Red founds a permanent settlement there

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987

Russia converts to Greek Orthodox Christianity and gradually begins adopting Byzantine culture after Vladimir the Great marries Anne, sister of Emperor Basil II

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989

Formation of Peace and Truce movement by the Catholic Church. The first of its kind movement in the Medieval Europe for the control of society using non-violet means

Era in European history often referred to as the High Middle Ages

Period: 1000 to 1300

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1001

Vikings led by Leif Eriksson sail westward to North America, and during the next two decades conduct a number of raids on the coast of what is now Canada. A second Muslim invasion of the Indian subcontinent, this time by Turks, takes place as the Ghaznavids subdue a large region in what is now Afghanistan, Pakistan, and western India

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1001

Vikings led by Leif Eriksson sail westward to North America, and during the next two decades conduct a number of raids on the coast of what is now Canada

11TH CENTURY

Period: 1001 to 1100

HIGH MIDDLE AGES

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1002

In Japan, Murasaki Shikibu begins writing the Tale of Genji, the world's first novel. Holy Roman Emperor Otto III dies at the age of twenty-two, and with him die his grand dreams of a revived Roman Empire

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1014

After years of conflict with the Bulgarians, Byzantine Emperor Basil II defeats them. He orders that ninetynine of every one hundred men be blinded and the last man allowed to keep just one eye so he can lead the others home. Bulgaria's Czar Samuel dies of a heart attack when he sees his men, and Basil earns the nickname "Bulgar-Slayer."

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1016

England receives Danish King in the form of Canute the Great

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1025

Basil II dies, having taken the Byzantine Empire to its greatest height since Justinian five centuries earlier; however, it begins a rapid decline soon afterward

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1039

Death of Arab mathematician and physicist Alhazen, the first scientist to form an accurate theory of optics, or the mechanics of vision

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1049

Papal throne is ascended by Pope Leo IX. This marks the beginning of the Great Schism

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1054

East-West Schism divides the church into Eastern Orthodoxy and Western Catholicism

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1060

Five years after Turks seize control of Baghdad from the declining Abbasid caliphate, their leader, Toghril Beg, declares himself sultan and thus establishes the Seljuk dynasty.

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1066

French Duke, William the Conqueror conquers England after the Battle of Hastings

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1067

Period of church reform begins under the Pope Gregory VII

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1071

The Seljuk Turks defeat Byzantine forces at the Battle of Manzikert in Armenia. As a result, the Turks gain a foothold in Asia Minor (today known as Turkey), and the Byzantine Empire begins a long, slow decline

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1071

A Norman warlord named Robert Guiscard drives the last Byzantine forces out of Italy. Byzantium had controlled parts of the peninsula since the time of Justinian.

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1072

Robert Guiscard's brother Roger expels the Arabs from Sicily, and takes control of the island.

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1077

Construction of Tower of London commences

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1084

Reversing the results of an earlier round in the Investiture Controversy, Henry IV takes Rome and forcibly removes Gregory VII from power. The pope dies soon afterward, broken and humiliated.

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1084

Ssu-ma Kuang, an official in the Sung dynasty, completes his monumental history of China, Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government.

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1086

Doomsday Book is compiled

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1094

Norman warrior Bohemond, son of Robert Guiscard, takes control of Rome from Henry IV and hands the city over to Pope Urban II. Fearing the Normans' power and aware that he owes them a great debt, Urban looks for something to divert their attention.

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1095

Byzantine Emperor Alexis Comnenus asks Urban II for military assistance against the Turks. Urban preaches a sermon to raise support at the Council of Clermont in France, and in the resulting fervor the First Crusade begins. Among its leaders are Bohemond and his nephew Tancred.

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Period: 1096 to 1097

A pathetic sideshow called the Peasants' Crusade plays out before the real First Crusade gets underway. The peasants begin by robbing and killing thousands of Jews in Germany;

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1099

First crusades begin. Muslims are defeated on orders from Pope Urban II and Jerusalem is retaken

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1100

This was the peak of Medieval Warm Period

12TH CENTURY

Period: 1101 to 1200

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1105

King Henry I of England and St. Anselm of Canterbury , head of the English church, sign an agreement settling their differences. This is an important milestone in church-state relations and serves as the model for the Concordat of Worms seventeen years later.

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1117

University of Oxford, the oldest university in United Kingdom founded

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1118

After being banished because of her part in a conspiracy against her brother, the Byzantine emperor, Anna Comnena begins writing the Alexiad, a history of Byzantium in the period 1069–1118.

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1119

Order of Knights formed Knights Templar founded

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1130

Antipope Anacletus II Crowns Roger II as King of Sicily. Kingdom of Sicily if formed that later defeats the Holy Roman Empire, the Papacy and Byzantine Empire later

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1135

England is submerged in The Anarchy

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1140

After a career in which he infuriated many with his unconventional views on God, French philosopher Peter Abelard is charged with heresy by Bernard of Clairvaux and forced to publicly refute his beliefs.

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1140

In Cambodia, Khmer emperor Suryavarman II develops the splendid temple complex of Angkor Wat.

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1146

After the Muslims' capture of Edessa in 1144, Pope Eugenius III calls on the help of his former teacher, Bernard of Clairvaux, who makes a speech that leads to the launching of the Second Crusade.

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1147

The Second Crusades start

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1154

After the death of England's King Stephen, Henry II takes the throne, beginning the long Plantaganet dynasty. With Henry is his new bride, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Now queen of England, she had been queen of France two years earlier, before the annulment of her marriage to King Louis VII.

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1158

Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa establishes Europe's first university at Bologna, Italy.

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1159

Frederick I Barbarossa begins a quarter-century of fruitless, costly wars in which the Ghibellines and Guelphs, factions representing pro-imperial and prochurch forces, respectively, fight for control of northern Italy

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1162

Moses Maimonides, greatest Jewish philosopher of the Middle Ages, publishes his Letter Concerning Apostasy, the first of many important works by him that will appear over the next four decades

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1170

Knights loyal to Henry II murder the archbishop Thomas à Becket in his cathedral at Canterbury.

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1171

Synod of Cashel acknowledges King Henry II’s supremacy in Ireland

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1185

First windmills are recorded

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1187

Saladin recaptures Jerusalem

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1189

Third Crusades commence

13TH CENTURY

Period: 1201 to 1300

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1202

Era of Forth Crusade

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1206

Genghis Khan elected as Khagan. Establishment of Mongol Empire

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1215

Fourth Lantern Council established

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1272

The period of Ninth Crusade

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1299

Ottoman Empire formed

14TH CENTURY

Period: 1301 to 1400

LATE MIDDLE AGES

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1337

England and France begin the Hundred Year’s War for supremacy over Europe

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1347

Black Death spreads in all Europe killing nearly 40-50 % of population

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1399

Richard II becomes the new King of England

15TH CENTURY

Period: 1401 to 1500

Battle of Ankara

1402

Bayezid I is captured by Tamerlane's forces, causing the interregnum of the Ottoman Empire.

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1405

Chinese Naval Expeditions of Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean (to Eastern Africa) begins, under the leadership of Zheng He.
This will be the first of seven of the Ming Dynasty-sponsored expeditions, lasting until 1433.

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1409

Ladislaus of Naples sells his "rights" on Dalmatia to the Venetian Republic for 100,000 ducats Dalmatia would with some interruptions remain under Venetian rule for nearly four centuries, until 1797

Kingdom of Portugal conquers Ceuta.

1415

Beginning of the Portuguese Empire.

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1415

The turning point in the Hundred Years' War for 15th Century England that lead to the signing of the Treaty of Troyes signed 5 years later, making Henry V heir of France.

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1415

Henry V defeats French army in the Battle of Agincourt becoming the heir of France

The Council of Constance ends.

1417

The Western Schism comes to a close, and elects Pope Martin V as the sole pope.

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1419

Hussite Wars begins after 4 years after the death of Jan Hus in central Europe, dealing with the followers of Jan Hus and those against them Although the war was a stalemate, it was another factor that between the Catholics and Protestants before the Protestant Reformation.

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Period: 1429 to 1431

Period of Joan of Arc

The Medici family rises to prominence in Florence.

1434

This ushers in a period of significance of the Medici's, such as bankers, popes, queens and dukes, throughout Europe, over the next three centuries

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1439

Johannes Gutenberg invents Printing Press

Battle of Szeben

1442

Third significant victory for the Hungarian forces led by Janos Hunyadi over the Ottoman forces.

Battle of Varna

1444

Final battle of the Crusade of Varna; Ottomans are victorious over the Hungarian-Polish armies, and Władysław III of Poland dies

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1453

Ottoman Turks take over Constantinople

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1453

Hundred Years War ends

Siege of Belgrade

1456

Major Ottoman advances are halted for 7 decades, last major victory for Hunyadi.

Smederevo falls under the Turks

1459

Marks the end of the Medieval Serbian Empire

The Empire of Trebizond falls to the Ottoman Turks.

1461

Last Roman outpost to be conquered by the Ottomans.

Ōnin War takes place in Japan

Period: 1467 to 1477

First of many significant civil wars between shogunates that would continue for another century during the Muromachi period.

Battle of Bosworth Field

1485

Richard III dies in battle, and Henry Tudor becomes king of England; last shift of Houses/kingship during the War of the Roses.

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1485

Battle of Bosworth Field

Battle of Stoke

1487

Marks end of the War of the Roses.

Christopher Columbus reaches the New World.

1492

Age of Discovery into the New World begins

Reconquista ends.

1492

Marks end of Moorish/Muslim rule within Iberian Peninsula; Unification of Spain and Portugal, respectively.

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1492

Christopher Columbus lands in Americas

1492–1499

Period: 1492 to 1499

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1494

Spain and Portugal sign the Treaty of Tordesillas and agree to divide the World outside of Europe between them

The Italian Wars

Period: 1494 to 1559

Italian Wars will eventually lead to the downfall of the Italian city-states

Vasco da Gama begins his first voyage from Europe to India and back

1497

Vasco da Gama was the first European to sail directly to Eastern Asia from Europe.

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1497

Vasco da Gama becomes the first European to travel to India through sea route.

Ottoman fleet defeats Venetians at the Battle of Zonchio.

1499

The first naval battle that used cannons in ships