Ethiopian Empire

• 1137
  Mara Takla Haymanot overthrows the last ruler of Axumite dynasty, founded by Jewish queen Gudit 40 years before, and starts the Zagwe dynasty, the first dynasty in Empire of Ethiopia
• 1150 ± 50
  The Kebra Negast, an Ethiopian text claiming that the Queen of Sheba came from Ethiopia to see Solomon and that he tricked her into sleeping with him and bearing him a son, appears
• 1197
  Lalibela Cross, a large and elaborately decorated processional cross, is made from one piece of metal in Ethiopia
• 1270
  Solomonic dynasty, whose members claimed patrilineal descent from King Solomon of Israel, is founded in Ethiopia by Yekuno Amlak, a member of the Habesha people, from whom Abyssinia gets its name
• April 9, 1520
  The first European diplomatic mission to Ethiopia, sent by the Portuguese, arrives at Massawa, followed by their arrival at the imperial encampment of Emperor Dawit II in Shewa on 9 October
• March 9, 1529
  Imam Ahmad Gragn defeats the Ethiopian Emperor Dawit II in the Battle of Shimbra Kure, the opening clash of the Ethiopian–Adal War
• 1557
  The Ottomans capture Massawa, a city on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea, isolating Ethiopia from the rest of the world
• 1636
  Emperor Fasilides founds the city of Gondar, which becomes the capital of Ethiopia for the next two centuries
• May 7, 1769
  Zemene Mesafint, or Princes era, a period in Ethiopia, when the empire was divided into several regions with no effective central control, begins since the overthrow of Emperor Iyoas
• April 13, 1868
  Tewodros II, Emperor of Ethiopia, commits suicide with a pistol presented him by Queen Victoria at Magdala as the British troops storm the citadel
• January 26, 1887
  Abyssinian Emperor Yohannes IV defeats Italians in the Battle of Dogali
• March 10, 1889
  In Ethiopia Emperor Yohannes IV is killed in a war against the dervishes during the Battle of Gallabat
• March 25, 1895
  Italian troops invade Abyssinia, starting First Italo-Ethiopian War
• December 8, 1895
  Ethiopian emperor Menelik II drives Italian General Baratieri out in Battle of Amba Alagi during the First Italo–Ethiopian War
• March 1, 1896
  Ethiopia defeats Italy at the Battle of Adwa during the First Italo-Ethiopian War and ensures the first victory of an African state over a European colonial power
• November 2, 1930
  Haile Selassie, a defining figure in both Ethiopian and African history and the messiah in the Rastafari movement, is crowned Haile Selassie I, the 225th emperor of Solmonic Dynasty in Abyssinia
• October 2, 1935
  Italy invades Abyssinia, today Ethiopia, beginning Second Italo-Abyssinian War, which concluded with the exile of Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie and the conquest of Abyssinia by Benito Mussolini
• May 9, 1936
  Italy takes Addis Ababa, annexing Abyssinia and incorporates it with Italian Somaliland and Italian Eritrea into the new colony of Italian East Africa
• August 27, 1942
  Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia ends slavery imposing severe penalties, including death, for slave trading
• June 26, 1945
  United Nations Charter, the foundational treaty of the United Nations, is signed by 50 nations in San Francisco, California, United States
• September 12, 1974
  A Soviet-backed Marxist-Leninist military junta, the "Derg" led by Mengistu Haile Mariam, depose Emperor Haile Selassie and establish communist state known as People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

Today in History

• This Day in History
  Hello, everyone! We are glad to introduce to you our new project. It is wonderful timeline for this very day. Every day you can read about the best evets that happened in the past. Enjoy reading!/div>

Minoan Civilization

• 2700 BC
  One of the earliest known civilizations in the Aegean world, the Minoan civilization, rise on the island of Crete beginning the period of flourishing
• 2000 BC
  The first palace of Phaistos is built in south central Crete by Minoan civilization
• 1900 BC
  The potter's wheel is introduced in Minoan civilization, making designs of ceramic more free and graceful
• 1900 BC
  The first palace in the ancient city of Knossos, which considered as Europe's oldest city, is built by Minoan civilization on Crete
• 1700 BC
  Naturalistic forms such as fish, squid, birds, and lilies in Minoan pottery decoration becomes common
• 1627 BC
  An eruption of the volcano Thera in the Aegean Sea devastates the island of Thera including the Minoan settlement at Akrotiri and generates 150 m high tsunami that devastates the Minoan coastal settlements on the island of Crete
• 1600 BC
  Bull-Leaping Fresco, a stucco panel on east wall of the palace at Knossos in Crete, a striking example of Minoan Civilization art, is created
• 1600 BC
  The Phaistos Disc, a disk of terracotta 16 cm in diameter covered on both sides with a spiral of stamped symbols, is made for the Minoan palace of Phaistos on the Greek island of Crete
• 1550 BC
  Rise of Mycenaean Civilization in mainland Greece begins under influences from Minoan Crete
• 1450 BC
  Mycenaean Greeks conquer and replace Minoan Civilization on Crete
• 1899
  Sir Arthur Evans discovers the center of Minoan civilization on the island of Crete
• March 16, 1900
  English archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans finds old city of Knossus

Anatomically Modern Human

• 200 Thousand Years Ago
  Anatomically modern human, who has more gracile frames, reduced brow ridges and vertical forehead, evolve from archaic Homo sapiens in East Africa
• 70 Thousand Years Ago
  Anatomically modern humans leave Africa and start colonising the other continents, replacing the Neanderthals in Europe and other hominins in Asia
• 50 Thousand Years Ago
  Homo sapiens start colonising South Asia, replacing other hominins there
• 40 Thousand Years Ago
  Homo sapiens migrate to Australia and Europe, replacing the Neanderthals
• 32 Thousand Years Ago
  Neanderthals extinct in Europe as a result of competition with modern humans, who moves into their habitat

Rashidun Caliphate

• June 8, 632
  Mohammed, the founder of Islam and unifier of Arabia, dies, and Abu Bakr, his father-in-law, becomes first Caliph during Rashidun Caliphate, the term comprising the first four caliphs in Islam's history
• August 22, 634
  Abu Bakr, successor of Mohammed and first Caliph, dies; Umar, a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, becomes the second Caliph
• 634
  Byzantium city of Damascus is captured by the Muslims
• August 15, 636
  At the Battle at Yarmuk Islamic forces under Khalid ibn al-Walid beat a Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius and gain control of Syria and Palestine
• 638
  Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab gives an assurance of safety to the people of Jerusalem
• 639
  Islamic armies invade Egypt
• 641
  Founding of Fustat near Cairo, the first capital of Egypt under muslim rule
• November 8, 641
  After a fourteen month siege Muslims take Alexandria from Byzantine Empire completing the conquests of Egypt
• 642
  Muslim Arabs invade Armenia and capture Dvin, its principal town, slaughtered 12,000 of its inhabitants
• 642
  Islamic forces decisively defeat Persians at the battle of Nihawand completing the conquest of the Sassanid Empire
• 642
  The library at Alexandria, Egypt, disappears completely
• November 7, 644
  Caliph Umar, one of the most powerful caliphs of the Rashidun Caliphate, dies after being stabbed by Pirouz Nahavandi while the morning prayer three days before
• December 14, 644
  Uthman ibn Affan, one of the companions of Islamic prophet Muhammad, is appointed the third Caliph by council
• 650
  Zayd ibn Thabit, the personal scribe of Muhammad, with a group of some scribes complete the compilation of Muhammad's revelations into one work called the Koran
• 650
  Babylonian Talmud, a compilation of documents compiled over the period of Late Antiquity, is finalized in Mesopotamia
• 651
  Sassanid king Yazdegerd III is assassinated by local miller while his attempt to flee from Merv, marking end of Sassanid Dynasty in Persia
• June 20, 656
  Caliph Uthman ibn Affan is assassinated, thus Ali becomes caliph
• November 7, 656
  Rashidun Caliphate beats rebel forces at the Battle of the Camel, the first battle of First Islamic Civil War
• July 26, 657
  Battle of Siffin occurs between Governor of Syria Muawiyah I and Rashidun Caliphate during the first Muslim civil war
• January 31, 661
  Muawiyah I, the governor of Levant, founds Umayyad Dynasty in Damascus, after Ali, the last Caliph of Rashidun Caliphate dies, wounded by poison-coated sword while praying in mosque in Iraq three days before, which marks the split of Islam into Sunni and Shi'a branches

Seleucus I Nicator

• 358 BC
  Seleucus I Nicator, one of the Diadochi and the founder of the Seleucid Empire, is born in family of Philip II of Macedon's generals in Europos, the northern part of Macedonia
• May, 326 BC
  Macedonian army under Alexander the Great defeats Indian king Porus at the battle of The Hydaspes River in Punjab, modern-day Pakistan, expanding Alexandrian Empire to its maximum extent
• 324 BC, February
  Seleucus marries Apama, the Persian princess Apama, at the great marriage ceremony at Susa, arranged by Alexander of Macedon
• June 13, 323 BC
  Alexander the Great dies of fever after a feast in Babylon, which causes wars of the Diadochoi, his generals and friends, in the Empire
• 321 BC
  After assassination of Perdiccas, the regent of Alexander's empire, during The First War of the Diadochi, and partition of the empire between Perdiccas' opponents, Seleucus is appointed Satrap of Babylon under the new regent Antipater
• 312 BC
  Being forced to flee Babylon by Antigonus, Seleucus I Nicator returns to Babylon with the support of Ptolemy I Soter and formally establishes Seleucid Empire in Mesopotamia
• 305 BC
  Seleucus I Nicator, the Basileus of the Seleucid Empire, founds the city of Seleucia on the Tigris and makes it new capital of the empire, which eventually depopulates Babylon
• 305 BC
  Chandragupta Maurya, the first emperor of Mauryan Empire, seizes the satrapies of Paropanisadai, Aria, Arachosia and Gedrosia from Seleucus I Nicator, the Macedonian satrap of Babylonia, in return for 500 elephants
• 301 BC
  Antigonus I Monophthalmus, a Macedonian general and satrap under Alexander the Great, is defeated and killed by the united forces of Seleucus and Lysimachus at battle of Ipsus, ending the Fourth War of the Diadochi and confirming dissolution of Alexander's empire
• 281 BC
  Seleucus I Nicator invades Asia Minor and defeats Lysimachus, the King of Macedon and his last rival, in the Battle of Corupedium in Lydia, which leaves him the only living contemporary of Alexander the Great
• 281 BC
  Seleucus I Nicator, the founder of the Seleucid Empire, is assassinated by the King of Macedon Ptolemy Ceraunus, and is succeeded by his son Antiochus I as ruler of the Seleucid empire

Jean-Jacques Dessalines

• September 20, 1758
  Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the first ruler of an independent Haiti, is born and named after his owner Jean-Jacques Duclos, in Guinea
• August 22, 1791
  Haitian Revolution, the only slave revolt which led to the founding of a state, begins in the French colony of Saint-Domingue
• May 6, 1794
  After the French declared an end to slavery, Toussaint Louverture, Haitian rebel leader, ends his alliance with the Iberian monarchy and embraces the French Republicans
• 1801
  Dessalines cruelly supresses an insurrection in the north led by Toussaint Louverture's nephew, General Moyse
• March 22, 1802
  After a 20-day siege Dessalines and his 1,300 men are forced to abandon strategically important Crete-a-Pierrot fort and go into the Cahos Mountains through the enemy lines being largely intact
• 1802, October
  After the betrayal and capture of Toussaint Louverture and re-establishment slavery in Guadeloupe by France, Dessalines becomes the leader of the revolution
• November 18, 1803
  Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Haitian rebel leader, leads his army to decisive victory over the French at the Battle of Vertieres, the last major battle of the the Haitian Revolution
• January 1, 1804
  Jean-Jacques Dessalines declares independence from France and proclaims the Republic of Haiti, making it the only nation in the world established as a result of a successful slave revolt
• April 20, 1804
  Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Haitian rebel leader, commands 1804 Haiti Massacre of the French at town of Cape Francois, during which the white Haitians were practically eradicated
• October 8, 1804
  Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Governor-General of Haiti, crowns himself James I, Emperor of Haiti with the right to name his successor, in the city of Le Cap
• May 20, 1805
  The Imperial Constitution of Haiti, which names Dessalines emperor for life with the right to name his successor, is released
• October 17, 1806
  Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the Emperor of Haiti, is assassinated by members of his administration after a meeting to negotiate the future of the young nation