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1500 BCE- Mayan civilization begins in central Mexico and flourishes until 900 CE. They specialized in astronomy, and written language like hieroglyphics, calendar systems, and pyramids.

1600 BCE- Olmec lasted until 350 BCE in the tropical Gulf of Mexico. The Olmecs are most known for their famous large stone-head sculptures and their creation of the Mesoamerican ball game.

1200 AD- The Inca Empire lasted until the mid-1500s in modern Peru. They are famous for their system of roads and bridges built on the roughest terrain in the Andes mountains of Peru.

1300 AD- The Aztec Empire lasted until the early 1500s in Northern Mexico. One of their greatest achievements was the construction of their capital city, Tenochtitlan, and the development of their Chinampas, floating islands that would be used for farming.

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1492- Columbus arrives in the modern Bahamas, this landing in the Americas led to the Columbian Exchange, one of the biggest trading systems in human history. The exchange brought a wide variety of benefits such as new foods, animals, resources, and items between the Americas and Europe, but also led to to the transfer of diseases and slaves.

1519- Hernan Cortes arrives in Mexico and pillages through Meso America, turning it more into Modern America

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13th Century -->: The string of ubanized East African trading ports are formed, such as Kilwa, Malindi, Gedi, Pate, Comoros, and Zanzibar. These trading states would grow to become interconnected, form a variety of diverse cultures, and experience great trade with each other but most importantly with regions across the Indian Ocean.

1231 CE: Mosque at Mogadishu was begun. Example of the many mosques and other varying architecture that characterized the Swahili region.

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300 CE: Christian Kingdoms in regions such as Ethiopia and Nubia originate. The king of Ethiopia even declared that is was a Christian society. Empires, such as Axum, thrived off the internal development of Christianity. Close contact with Byzantium helped them achieve a rich tradition and religious culture. Although Islam was very strong and dominant, many Christians, such as the Copts, remained for many centuries.

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500 CE-1240 CE: Empire of Ghana reigned as a dynasty in West Africa and was ended by the arival of the Mali empire. It flourished as a center of trade in the Trans-Saharan trade routes, and was a main source of gold and ivory allowing it to mass great wealth.

1000 CE: Ghana's height of power. Great success in their role in the trade systems and became the most wealthy and powerful state in Africa.

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Beginning in the 9th century: Stone Houses, called Zimbabwe, began being constructed by a Bantu confederation. The largest and most impressive collection of these would become Great Zimbabwe, a society of Shona-speaking peoples who formed a centralized state and thrived. It served as the center of the large kingdom, having religious importance and becoming an extremely remarkable infrastructure. Under the king, called Mwene Mutapa, it would grow to control a large portion of Southeast Africa, all the way to the Indian Ocean.

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1204: Crusaders loot and destroy Constantinople. It marked the peak of the 4th Crusade.

1215: The Magna Carta was written. Magna Carta is a royal charter of rights agreed to by King John of England. It's important because it symbolizes the idea that people can exercise their rights against a ruler and the power of the government can't contradict these rights.

1237-1241: The Mongols capture Russia. The Mongols had been on a journey of conquering and they reached Russia. They invaded and conquered Kievan Rus' and destroyed numerous different cities. This led to the beginning of the Tatar's rule in Russia. Under the Tatars, Russia began to decline.

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1338-1453: Hundred Year Wars was a war between France and England that originated because of English claims to the French throne. This war had a significant person in history, Joan of Arc, who led the French armies against England.

1347-1351: First wave of the bubonic plague. The bubonic plague was a deadly disease, thought to have originated from Asia and spread by the Mongol's conquers. The bubonic plague is the most deadly pandemic in history and has killed at least 75-200 million people.

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1420: Approximate beginning of the Italian Renaissance. The Italian Renaissance was a period where people focused less on religion and instead on humanism concepts. Art, philosophy, and sciences flourished during this period. The Church also faced challenges because people were starting to become less reliant on them and even question them.

1430: The North Renaissance is when the Renaissance movement started to spread throughout Europe and started to move North. The North Renaissance was very similar to the Italian Renaissance, however in the North, they were more religious and dependent on the church compared to the other parts of Europe.

1440: Gutenberg invents the printing press. After inventing it he went on to mass produce copies of the bible. The printing press was important because it allowed people to be able to copy literature works faster and easier. This meant that more people could have access to literature and education. This fueled the Renaissance as it encouraged people's passions of education and literature.

1453: Sultan Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire successfully conquers Constantinople which leads to the end of the Byzantine Empire. The Ottomans were able to defeat the infamously high and protective walls of Constantinople by using bronze canons. The Ottomans were one of three empires regarded as the gunpowder empires.

1473-1542: Nicolaus Copernicus was a Renaissance astronomer and mathematician who hypothesized that the world was heliocentric and that Earth revolved around the Sun.

1480: Expulsion of Tatars from Russia. The Mongols lost control of Russia by allowing local leaders to continue their rule and gave too much power to the Orthodox Church. Ivan III united Russia and defied the khanate, finally overthrowing the Mongol's rule on Russia.

1492: Christopher Colombus is a Spanish voyager who attempted to find a new passage to India and instead landed in America. His discovery of the Americas marked the beginning of the Colombian Exchange.

1498: Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese explorer and was the first European to reach India by sea voyage. He did this by rounding the Cape of Good Hope and along his way he established trade routes to South Africa and India.

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Absolute Monarchy starts to appear

Nation states start to form

The second Wave of the bubonic plague, and it lasts for the next 300 years

The slave trade began and the Portuguese, British, Spanish, Dutch, and French led the way in the slave trade.

1517: Martin Luther posts his 95 theses and starts the Reformation. His followers began another religion that branches from the Catholic church, Protestantism.

1519: Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer who set sail in the hopes of finding a westward passage to India. Magellan is most famously known for being the first person to circumnavigate the globe.

1536-1538: John Calvin wrote Institutes of the Christian Religion, an influential book that talked about his interpretation of Christian teachings. His ideas soon became another religion branched off from Protestantism called Calvinism.

1543-1687: Rough approximate of when the Scientific Revolution started. The Scientific Revolution was a period of drastic change in the way people understood science. The scientific way of thinking shifted from the Greek idea of science to include more. During this period many influential people existed and many of their ideas are the foundation for our modern-day ideas and inventions.

1545-1648: The Catholic Reformation was a movement devoted to opposing the Protestant Reformation and to reforming the Catholic Church after Martin Luther and the Reformation movement damaged the Catholic Church's power and influence.

1561-1626: Francis Bacon was an English philosopher and statesman during the Renaissance movement. He encouraged the new age of human understanding and worked on his philosophical ideas of scientific nature.

1564-1642: Galileo Galilei was an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer. He's most famous for his astronomical work on observations of the planets. He was able to observe the moons of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, and the phases of Venus.

1598: The Edict of Nantes was signed by King Henry IV. The Edict of Nantes put an end to religious intolerance. He was raised Protestant and believed that Protestantism should gain religious tolerance.

1598-1613: The Time of Troubles refers to a period in Russia after Ivan IV died. He left no heirs and Russia was thrust into a time of political crisis. It wasn't ended until Michael Romanov was elected to be tsar and established the Romanov dynasty.

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1613-1645: Michael Romanov is appointed tsar and he begins Romanov's rule over Russia.

1618-1648: The 30-Year War was a religious war fought between many nations of Europe. 3 religions, Lutheranism, Calvinism, and Roman Catholicism, fought for dominance.

1632-1704: John Locke was one of the most influential people of the Enlightenment. He believed that humans were born with natural rights, rulers should protect those rights and not contradict them, and he believed that religion should not be spread by force.

1642-1651: The English Civil War was fought between the Royalists and Parliamentarians of England. The first war was fought between Prince Charles I and Parliament.

1643-1727: Sir Isaac Newton was an English mathematician, philosopher, astronomer, and many others. He was an influential figure during the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment. He's most known for his 3 laws of motion and gravitation.

1682-1725: Peter the Great

1685-1815: Approximate start of the Enlightenment

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1713-1784: Denis Diderot was a French writer and philosopher during the Enlightenment period. He was most well known for creating the encyclopedia.

1762-1796: Catherine the Great ruled Russia after overthrowing her husband. She was known for her focus on westernization. Under her rule Russia expanded, experienced political and cultural changes, and she was influenced by Enlightenment ideals.

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939: Vietnam wins independence from the Chinese Tang dynasty.

960-1279: the Song dynasty ruled over China and accomplished unparalleled architecture, technology, and government administration during the time, introducing scholar-gentry officials. China during this time reached many other lands such as Vietnam, Korea, and Japan, and heavily influenced their cultures.

1050: Tangut tribes establish Xi Xia kingdom

1150: Jurchen people establish the Jin dynasty in China

1180-1185: Gempei Wars waged between the Taira and Minamoto families in Japan resulting in the destruction of the Taira.

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1206-1368: The Mongol empire and it's large span over Europe and Asia was the most important development between the continents over the 13th to 15th centuries. Because of the vastness of the empire, the Mongols reshaped and opened opportunities for contact between distant lands as long-distance trade spread. With trade came the ability to learn from other cultures to acquire new techniques and ideas. The famous ruler who created the empire was the khagan Chinggis Khan, who conquered vast land through his courage in battle and compelling leadership.

1225: Tran dynasty came to power in Vietnam and continued to rule until 1400.

1227: Death of Chinggis Khan and splintering of Mongol Empire--following Chinggis Khan's death, the empire split between his 3 sons including his successor, Ogedai, as well as Batu, his grandson who came to rule the Golden Horde.

1250: Shrivijaya trading empire falls and opens Muslim conversion in Southeast Asia.

1271-1368: Yuan dynasty--Kubilai Khan was the grandson of Chinggis Khan and commander of the Mongol forces responsible for the conquest of China. Kubilai Khan established the Yuan dynasty in China after becoming khagan in 1260. He was married to Chabi, who was influential in Chinese society. Both city and sedentary lifestyles flourished in the Yuan dynasty.

1274-1288: Failed Mongol invasions of Japan and Vietnam

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1288-1336: Japan was not ruled by any particular power, and instead power was held by militant clans and warlords. These forces formed small kingdoms on the island and the heads of these clans were known as bushi. A warrior class emerged through the samurai, who were mounted troops of bushi and were loyal to local lords.

1336-1573: Ashikaga shogunate in Japan--Ashikaga Takuaji was a member of the Minamoto family and overthrew the Kamakura regime, establishing the Ashikaga shogunate. The emperor was dried from Kyoto to the mountain town of Yoshino.

1368-1644: Ming dynasty comes to power in China--Zhu Yuanzhang, a peasant, emerged and founded the Ming dynasty which ruled China for the next 3 centuries. Zhu Yuanzhang took the name the Hongwu emperor as the first Ming emperor. He was mindful and cut down factionalism as well as introducing measures to help the common people.

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1400: Merchants from many societies were competing for roles in transregional trade. A big issue involved the aftermath of the Mongol era, where the large Mongol empire established large overland trade networks.

1405: A first fleet of the Ming dynasty sailed to India, carrying 28,000 men on 62 ships.

1405-1433: expeditions were commanded by admiral Zheng He, a Muslim from Western China. He used improved compasses, maps and ships. The expeditions were halted in 1433 because Chinese bureaucrats opposed the trade policy due to cost and cultural beliefs about the importance of internal trade. Still, China's wealth through manufacturing remained high and internal economic development continued.

1483-1530: Life of Babur--Babur was the founder of the Mughal dynasty in India. He was descended from the Turkic warrior Timur from the Mongol khans.

1497: Vasco da Gama sailed for India and established early Portuguese dominance of Indian Ocean.

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1500-1600 CE: Costal Trading and Mughal Empire

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1500-1600 CE: Costal Trading and Mughal Empire

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1514: Portuguese expedition to Indonesia

1526: First led invasion of India by the Mughal empire. This was brought about by Babur who raided fertile lands in North India to gain wealth to support his campaigns to win back his lost kingdom, Ferghana.

1540: Humayan, the son and successor of Babur is expelled from India but soon restores Mughal rule by 1556 and dies shortly after.

1542: First Portuguese explorers reach Japan

1542-1605: Life of Akbar--The son and successor of Humayan, he oversaw the building of both military and administrative systems that came to dominate Mughal rule of India. He pursued a policy of cooperation with Hindu princes and tried to bridge the gap between the Hindu and Muslim populations of India. He did this by creating the religion called Din-i Ilahi.

1597: Japan begins isolation policy

1605-1627: Rule of Jahangir, successor of Akbar

1627-1658: Rule of Shah Jahan, successor of Jahangir. During the rule of both Jahangir and Shah Jahan, Mughal India peaked and it became one of the major overseas destinations for European travelers. This caused an increase in the Indian textile trade in the West.

1618-1707: Life of Aurangzeb--Mughal emperor who succeeded Shah Jahan. Aurangzeb was known for his religious zealotry as well as other accomplishments such as architecture.

1631-1648: Construction of the Taj Mahal, one of the most famous architectural achievements of Mughal India. It was originally built as a mausoleum for the wife of Shah Jahan, Mumtaz Mahal.

1641: Dutch begin conquests of Java (Indonesia)

1690: Establishment of Calcutta as headquarters for the British East India Company in Bengal, which was later captured in 1756 during the Seven Years War.

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4 BC: Jesus is born in Bethlehem in a modern day Palestinian territory, setting up the events leading to the beginning of Christianity

570 CE: Birth of Muhammad. Marks the creation of Islam. Muhammad was a prophet who wanted to preach the teachings of Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus.

632 CE: Death of Muhammad. Led to a division between Islamic followers over who was the legitimate heir of Muhammad. This division led to the formation of two different religious sub groups, Sunnis and Shiites. Resulted in the selection of Abu Bakr as the first Islamic Caliph.

786–861 CE: Peak of the Abbasid Dynasty. During this period the Abbasids promoted commerce, industry, arts, and science and increased their power and reputation.

800-900s CE: Islam begins to spread across North Africa due to increased trade from the Middle East to Africa, encouragement in the spread of intellectual ideas and beliefs, and also by military conquest which led to the integration of faith and cultures.

934-1062 CE: Buyids

977-1010 CE:Shah-Nama(epic poem)

1000 CE: Start of Sufism. Sufism was a liberal reform movement in Islam. Sufis were mystics who were deeply devoted to their faith and disliked the over display of money with the establishment of the Islamic empire.

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1258 CE: The Fall of the Abbasid Caliphate. The Abbasid Caliphate is one of two of the greatest dynasties of the Muslim empire of the caliphate. The Abbasids declined for many different reasons, first they were threatened by Mongol attacks, they were increasing in wealth and size and it was becoming harder to control.

1299 CE: The Ottoman Empire is formed, becoming the first of the three gunpowder empires and lasting centuries. They thrived off of Sunni Islam which created a rich culture and society.

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1450: Changes in the culture. Politics, religious ideas, philosophy, society, economy, and literature are all shifting. Theres more focus on enjoying life and the joys of feasting and hunting.

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1240 CE: The Mali Empire was founded by the legendary Sundiata after conquering Ghana territory. They were the successors of Ghana, amassing great successes as an Islamic empire, great wealth in the trade of gold, and large territory including the great port cities of Timbuktu and Djenne that had huge importance to the empire's success. The government was led by a king who used Islam to reinforce his traditional kingship rule.

1260 CE: The death of Sundiata. Fortunately, his successors were able to expand the borders of Mali to the point where they controlled most of the Niger Valley, almost to the Atlantic Ocean. They continued to grow wealthy from trade, and a court was established to host traders.

1300 CE: Mali at its height. Leading empire in the region.

1324 CE: Pilgrimage of Mali ruler Mansa Musa. His voyage spread great wealth across African societies in the form of gold, affecting local economies greatly. It depicts the great success of African Islamic states and shows this to the rest of the world.

1468 CE: King Sunni Ali of the Songhay Empire conquered most of the Mali empire, marking its decline.

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1400 CE: The Kongo and Other Forest Societies

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1400 CE: The Kongo and Other Forest Societies

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Late 15th century: The kingdom of the Kongo formed in the lower Congo river. This state and many others, like the previously listed Great Zimbabwe society, were created as a result of the long-lasting Bantu Migrations. They had distinct lifestyles attributed to their location in the forest and plains of Central and Southern Africa. This includes firm agricultural-centered societies that thrived in artisan work and crafts. They had a sharp division of labor between men and women, and society was very kin-based and in villages.

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1460-1591: Songhay Empire begins and eventually breaks free from Mali, becoming its successor. The capital was located at Gao, and the empire would thrive as an independent kingdom with combined traits from previously established African societies.

1464-1492: Sunni Ali, a tactical commander and ruthless leader of the Songhay, led them to seize important cities such as Timbuktu and Djenne.

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Historical interpretation of what Jamestown could have looked like

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1500- Portuguese explorers land in modern Brazil accidentally and profited greatly off of sugar plantations and slave labor

1520s to mid 1800s- The Transatlantic Slave Trade is formed, transporting slaves to primarily British-American plantations making money off cash crops like Tobacco and Cotton

1604- French explorers arrive in Present day Maine and then Nova Scotia (Canada) and later set trading posts specializing in furs

1607- The first English colony in America, Jamestown is founded in efforts to make money from cash crops like Tobacco

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1415 CE: The Portuguese captured Morocco, marking the beginning of European expansion into African territories.

1434 CE: The Portuguese established the first trading outposts along the West African coast. This marked the arrival of direct European contact with African empires and would result in a system of trade, diffusion, and conflict between the two very different peoples.

1488 CE: Bartholomew Dias is the first European navigator to round the southern tip of Africa. Marks the complete European discovery and contact with the African region.

1507 CE: Portuguese missionary efforts to convert the Africans begin to take full effect, as the King of the Kongo, Nzinga Mvemba, converts to Christianity, becomes Alfonso I, and tries to Christianize all of his kingdom. This provides a great example of the various missionary attempts that resident Europeans would have against the Africans in the future.

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1500-1600 CE: Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

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1500-1600 CE: Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

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1441 CE: The first shipment of African slaves was brought directly from Africa to Portugal. Marks a long cycle where thousands of slaves would be traded for and transported to different regions, but most of all the Americas.

1481 CE: The Portuguese fort of El Mina was created in the forest zone in Africa. It was one of the most important of the early trading factories, producing gold and other valuable goods. This location would allow them to begin exercising some political control and power over the resident African societies without creating any dangerous conflicts.

1488 CE: The Portuguese first circumnavigated the Cape of Good Hope in search of India.

1517 CE: The terrible Middle Passage begins being used to transport slaves to the Americas. By 1867, around 12.5 million Africans were forced into inhumane ships and sent to work in the Americas, hundreds of miles away from their homes.

1550 CE: Slaves officially overpassed gold as the principal traded good between Europe and Africa, marking the slave trade's huge growth.

1570 CE: The Portuguese established a colony at Angola, another location where contact and connection would arise.

1619 CE: The first African slaves arrived in Jamestown, Virginia, marking the emergence of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade as a worldwide one.

1660s: To monopolize the slave trade among British merchants, the Royal African Company was created and used to supply African slaves to colonies in Barbados, Jaimaca, and Virginia.

1652 CE: The Dutch established their colonies on the Cape of Good Hope. As it had in earlier centuries, it would serve as a vital location for European manufacturing and trade presence in Africa for a long period. The people there would become known as Boers and would be a large ethnic group in the region.

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1701 CE: The Asante Empire unified on the Gold Coast under Osei Tutu, a member of the Oyoko clan.

1720s CE: The Dahomey Kingdom is developed. Under King Agaja, they expanded their control to the coastline.

These two main states, among many others, serve as an example of the effect that the slave trade would have on state orientation and motivations. Both the Asante and Dahomey had similar structures as earlier African empires but were enabled to great military expansion and power due to the firearms and European goods that they received from the trade of their own Africans as slaves.

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1501-1736 CE: Safavid Empires reign. The Safavid Empire was one of three empires nicknamed the gunpowder empire. They were known for their rich arts and literature. Unlike the other two Islamic empires, the Safavid were of the Shi'a branch, leading to conflct with the other Sunni empires.

1526 CE: The Mughal Empire is created, the third of the three gunpowder empires. They thrived like the other two, but not off of religious fervor and focused more on culture and societal developments.

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625-510 BC: Period of Kings in the Roman Empire. During this period Rome followed a monarchy rule. They advanced economically by increasing trade and also expanded their boundaries.

510-31 BC: Republican Rome. Rome existed as a city state with a republican government. They were one of the earliest documented civilization with a representative democracy.

31 BC-476 AD: Imperial Rome was state of ancient Rome post Republican. It was ruled after Octavian gained sole rule under the Principate.

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1700s-1800s CE: Coastal Trading and Mughal Empire

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1700s-1800s CE: Coastal Trading and Mughal Empire

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1744: French-British wars in India

1756–1763: Seven Years' War--British and French powers fought in the Philippines and India, disrupting trades and peaceful lands

1756: Indian ruler of Bengal attacked and captured the British base at Calcutta

1858: End of the Mughal empire and replacement by the British Raj.