Conquest and Colonisation
by Derek Gerlach
1520 BC
Pharaoh pushes far up Nile
Thutmose I extends Egyptian control as far up the Nile as Abu Hamad
1345 BC
Amarna tablets reveal links between Egypt and Phoenicia
The Amarna tablets contain extensive correspondence between the Akhenaten government in Egypt and subject princes in Phoenicia
1300 BC
Mycenae dominant
Mycenae prevails as the dominant power throughout the Peloponnese and the entire Aegean
850 BC
Phoenician colony in Cyprus
Citium, in Cyprus, is the first of many Phoenician colonies in the Mediterranean
814 BC
Carthage founded
The traditional date of the founding of Carthage (supposedly by the mythical queen Dido, but in practice by Phoenicians)
722 BC
Ten tribes lost
The Assyrians overwhelm the north of Israel and the ten northern tribes vanish from history - the majority of them probably dispersed or sold into slavery
700 BC
Phoenician and Greek Sicily
The island of Sicily is colonized from the eastern Mediterranean by both Phoenicians and Greeks
689 BC
Assyrians destroy Babylon
The Assyrian king, Sennacherib, destroys with great brutality the city of Babylon
667 BC
Byzantium founded
Byzantium (the future Constantinople) is founded as a colony of Megara, a Greek city-state
663 BC
Assyrians invade Egypt
The Egyptian city of Memphis falls to an Assyrian army, soon to be followed by Thebes
612 BC
Babylonians destroy Nineveh
The Medes and the Babylonians destroy Nineveh and bring to an end the power of Assyria
586 BC
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem
After a long siege Jerusalem is taken by Nebuchadnezzar and the city, including Solomon's Temple, is destroyed
550 BC
Carthaginian colony on Atlantic coast
Larache is founded as a Carthaginian colony on the Atlantic coast of Africa
546 BC
Sardis taken by Persians
Sardis, the capital city of the Lydian ruler Croesus, is taken by the Persians
539 BC
Persia absorbs Babylon
A Persian army captures Babylon and brings it into the empire of Cyrus the Great
525 BC
Persians invade Egypt
The Persians defeat an Egyptian army at Pelusium and then capture Memphis
416 BC
Athenians kill the men of Melos
The Athenians, capturing Melos, kill all the males of the island and sell the women and children into slavery
409 BC
Carthaginians invade Sicily
A Carthaginian army lands near Marsala to begin the long involvement of Carthage in Sicily
396 BC
Rome takes first step towards empire
The Romans capture the nearby Etruscan town of Veii, beginning a long process of territorial expansion
335 BC
Alexander destroys Thebes
Before departing for the east, Alexander destroys Thebes and enslaves the Thebans for rebelling against the League of Corinth
332 BC
Alexander founds Alexandria
While in Egypt, Alexander founds Alexandria – the best known of the many towns he establishes to spread Greek culture
331 BC
Alexander defeats Darius at Gaugamela
Moving northeast into Mesopotamia, Alexander again defeats Darius III (at Gaugamela), leaving Persia open to his advances
327 BC
Alexander invades India
Alexander takes a major new step, leaving Persian territory and moving through the mountain passes into India
320 BC
Ptolemy founds museum
Ptolemy begins to transform Alexandria into a centre of Greek culture, founding his famous 'museum' and library
301 BC
Ptolemy wins control of Jerusalem
Some 20 years after the death of Alexander the Great one of his generals, Ptolemy, extends his rule from Egypt to include Jerusalem
281 BC
Pyrrhus lands in Italy
Pyrrhus lands in Italy, with 25,000 men and 20 elephants, to fight for the Greek colony of Tarentum against the Romans
241 BC
Sicily is Rome's first province
At the end of the First Punic War, Sicily becomes Rome's first overseas province
240 BC
Spanish metals worth fighting for
Spain, with its mines of gold, silver and copper, is a hotly disputed region between Carthage and Rome
227 BC
Sardinia and Corsica form a province
Sardinia and Corsica are annexed by Rome, becoming the second Roman overseas province
201 BC
Spain ceded to Rome
Carthaginian Spain is handed over to Rome to become two new provinces, at the end of the Second Punic War
196 BC
Rome 'liberates' Greece
The Romans, after defeating Macedon, announce at the Isthmian Games that all Greek states are now free under Roman protection
121 BC
Romans in Provence
The Romans establish a province in the south of France, still acknowledged in the name Provence
86 BC
Athens looted by Romans
Sulla, campaigning to the east, besieges Athens and then allows his army to loot the city
80 BC
Pompey is Great
The 26-year-old Pompey conducts such a successful campaign in Africa that his soldiers hail him as Pompey the Great
64 BC
Pompey annexes Syria
Pompey takes Antioch and brings Syria under control as a Roman province
63 BC
Pompey takes Jerusalem
Pompey captures Jerusalem, bringing Judaea under Roman control
58 BC
Caesar in Gaul
At the end of his year as consul, Caesar travels north to become governor of northern Italy and southern France
55 BC
Britain invaded by Caesar
Julius Caesar makes the first of his two invasions of Celtic Britain
54 BC
Caesar invades Britain again
Julius Caesar returns to Britain for a second visit, this time reaching north of the Thames into the kingdom of Cassivellaunus
52 BC
Vercingetorix defeats Caesar
The Celtic leader Vercingetorix inflicts an unaccustomed defeat on Julius Caesar, at Gergovia, but is captured later in the year
52 BC
Caesar writes Gallic War
In his winter quarters Julius Caesar writes The Gallic War, an account of his own achievements in suppressing the Gauls
47 BC
Veni, vidi, vici
Julius Caesar concludes a campaign in Asia Minor so speedily that he declares, succinctly, Veni, vidi, vici ('I came, I saw, I conquered')
46 BC
Caesar founds town at Carthage
A town is founded by Julius Caesar on the ruined site of Carthage, and eventually flourishes as Colonia Julia Carthago
30 BC
Rome controls Mediterranean
With the annexation of Egypt, the entire Mediterranean falls under Roman control
20 BC
Roman province of Germania Inferior
The Netherlands, or 'low countries' around the Rhine delta, enter history as the Roman province of Germania Inferior
9
Arminius defeats Romans
The defeat of three Roman legions in the Teutoberg Forest by Arminius, establishes the Rhine as a natural boundary of the Roman empire
40
Cymbeline dies
The death of Cymbeline is a prelude to the renewed Roman invasion of Celtic Britain
43
Romans invade Britain and stay
The Romans invade Britain and the tribal leader Caractacus fails to hold them in an encounter near the Medway
43
Claudius arrives in London
The emperor Claudius catches up with the Roman army, waiting at the Thames for him to lead the final victory over the English tribes
60
Boudicca attacks Romans
Boudicca launches a devastating attack on Roman soldiers and settlers, destroying their headquarters at Colchester
66
Zealots rise against Rome
The Zealots play a prominent part in the uprising which expels the Romans from Jerusalem
70
Titus takes Jerusalem
Titus recovers Jerusalem for Rome, after four years of Jewish rule
70
Temple in Jerusalem destroyed
The complete destruction of the Jewish Temple follows the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans
77
Agricola subdues Wales
Agricola, appointed Roman governor of Britain in AD 77, establishes Chester as a stronghold from which to control the Welsh tribes
83
Agricola defeats the Scottish tribes
Agricola defeats the tribes of Scotland at an unidentified place called Mons Graupius, probably almost as far north as Aberdeen
106
Dacia within Roman empire
After two campaigns by Trajan the rich region of Dacia (today's Romania) is brought under Rome's control
122
Hadrian's Wall
The emperor Hadrian, visiting Britain, orders the construction of a great wall from coast to coast to keep out the Caledonian tribes
135
Romans expel Jews from Jerusalem
After the Roman recovery of Jerusalem from Simon Bar-Cochba, all Jews are expelled from the city
142
Antonine Wall
The emperor Antoninus Pius gives orders for the construction of a defensive earthwork, to the north of Hadrian's Wall
165
Doura-Europus a frontier town
The Romans annexe Doura-Europus, giving it its most prosperious period as a frontier town between the Roman and Persian empires
380
Roman presence in Britain reduced
Roman legions begin to be withdrawn from Britain, leaving the Celtic population increasingly vulnerable
406
Vandals move through Gaul into Spain
The Vandals cross the Rhine into Gaul and move into Spain, from which the Visigoths soon push them on into Africa
450
Angles and Saxons enter England
Angles, Saxons and other Germanic groups invade southern England and steadily push the Celts westwards
500
Tiwanaku powerful in Andes
The city of Tiwanaku develops to the south of Lake Titicaca, and soon dominates the surrounding region
533
Belisarius wins back Carthage
The Byzantine general Belisarius recovers Carthage from the Vandals
535
Belisarius lands in Sicily
Belisarius lands in Sicily at the start of a five-year campaign to recover Ravenna for the Byzantine emperor
550
Visigoths rule in Spain
Most of Spain is by now in the hands of the Visigoths, though for a while the Byzantines win back territories in the south
614
Jerusalem falls to Persians
Jerusalem falls to the Persian emperor Khosrau II after a siege of a month, and it is said that 60,000 Christians are massacred
637
Muslims capture Ctesiphon
The Arabs defeat a Persian army at Kadisiya and then sack the city of Ctesiphon, effectively bringing to an end the Sassanian dynasty
638
Muslims capture Jerusalem
The Arab capture of Jerusalem brings Palestine and Syria under Muslim control
642
Muslims capture Alexandria
The unopposed capture of Alexandria by the Arabs completes the Muslim conquest of Egypt
643
Coptic Christians isolated
The Coptic Christians of Egypt become isolated after the Muslim conquest
650
Vikings maraud in longships
The Vikings develop the fast and narrow longships with which they raid across the North Sea
670
Muslim garrison at Kairouan
The Arabs establish a garrison town at Kairouan, as a base for the conquest of northwest Africa
698
Carthage destroyed by Muslims
Carthage is captured from the Byzantines by the Arabs and is finally destroyed, though Tunis will later rise nearby
700
Non-Arabs may be Muslims
Shortage of manpower in the Muslim armies causes a change of policy, with non-Arabs now allowed to convert to Islam
711
Muslims cross into Spain
Muslim Arabs cross from north Africa into Spain and drive the Visigoths from Toledo
712
Muslims win foothold in India
Muslims, arriving from Persia through Baluchistan, occupy the region of Sind in western India
718
Visigoths cling on in Asturias
Retreating from the Arab onslaught, the Visigoths establish a kingdom of last resort in the extreme north of Spain, in Asturias
732
Charles Martel stops Muslim advance
The Muslim advance into France is halted when Charles Martel defeats the Arabs between Poitiers and Tours
751
Arab victory at Talas river
A battle at the Talas river, between the Chinese and the Arabs, is a decisive victory for the Arabs
756
Pepin helps Rome
Pepin III, after recovering Byzantine territories in Italy from the Lombards, hands control of the region to the pope in Rome
772
Charlemagne demolishes Saxon shrine
Charlemagne destroys a great Saxon shrine, the Irminsul - the start of a 30-year campaign against his pagan neighbours in what is now Germany
774
Charlemagne rules Lombardy
After two campaigns in Lombardy, Charlemagne establishes himself as king of the Lombards in northern Italy
793
Vikings raid Lindisfarne
The monks of Lindisfarne become the first known overseas victims of a Viking raid
827
Muslims in Sicily
The Arabs get a foothold in Sicily and begin a slow process, not complete till AD 965, of squeezing the Byzantines out of the island
838
Vikings capture Dublin
Vikings from Norway capture Dublin and establish a Norse kingdom in Ireland
850
Vikings have northern Scotland
Vikings are by now securely established in the Orkneys, Shetlands and Hebrides, and in much of the Scottish mainlaid down to Loch Ness
866
Danes capture York
A great army of Danes captures York - the first step in the establishment of Danelaw in eastern England
874
Vikings reach Iceland
Vikings arrive in Iceland and form a settlement on the site of modern Rejkjavik
886
Alfred drives Danes from London
Alfred captures London from the Danes, pressing them back into the region of Danelaw where their rule is, for the moment, tolerated
895
Magyars in Hungary
The Magyars, under the leadership of Arpad, establish themselves in Hungary
920
Vikings capture Limerick
After years of raiding up the Shannon, the Vikings capture Limerick
950
Toltecs at Tula
Toltecs move into the valley of Mexico from the north and establish a capital city at Tula
987
Chichén Itzá taken by Toltecs
The Mayan city of Chichén Itzá is captured by the Toltecs
1000
Islam reaches Niger
A Muslim dynasty is established at Gao, on the Niger
1000
Muslim Turks raid India
Turks from Ghazni, raiding into northwest India, renew the pressure of Islam on the subcontinent
1050
Islam reaches Lake Chad
Islam reaches Kanem-Bornu, a joint kingdom encompassing the eastern and western shores of Lake Chad
1050
Islam reaches Kilwa
A Muslim dynasty is established at Kilwa, on the east African coast
1062
Almoravids in Marrakech
Berber tribesmen, the Almoravids, establish a base at Marrakech from which they conquer northwest Africa and move into Spain
1066
Normans invade England in longships
The Normans, as seen in the Bayeux tapestry, invade England in Viking longships with fortified platforms for archers
1080
Marcher lords threaten the Welsh
Norman earls are given territories on the marches of Wales, with the specific task of raiding their neighbours
1094
El Cid wins a kingdom
Rodrigo Diaz, known as El Cid, drives out the Muslims and wins Valencia
1095
Pope preaches first crusade
Pope Urban II preaches the first crusade, urging the Christians of Europe to march east to recover Jerusalem from the Muslims
1096
Peter the Hermit
Peter the Hermit, an old monk on a donkey, leads the largest of the popular groups from Germany on the first crusade
1099
Crusaders capture Jerusalem
Crusaders capture the holy city of Jerusalem and massacre the Muslim and Jewish inhabitants
1100
Assassins in Persia
The Assassins, a sect of Nizari Ismailis, begin to acquire strongholds in Persia
1109
Latin kingdom of Jerusalem
The crusaders now rule the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem, the principality of Antioch and the counties of Tripoli and Edessa
1144
Crusaders lose Edessa
The city of Edessa is captured by Zangi, a Mameluke general, in the first setback for the crusaders in the Middle East
1147
Almohads capture Marrakech
Rival Berber tribesmen, the Almohads, evict the Almoravids from Marrakech and soon conquer the whole north African coast
1147
Portuguese capture Lisbon
Alfonso I takes Lisbon from the Muslims, with the unexpected help of some passing English crusaders
1147
Second crusade
The second crusade is led east by two kings, Louis VII of France and Conrad III of Germany
1147
Almohads capture Seville
Seville falls to the Almohads, from north Africa, who make it their Spanish capital
1148
Two bedraggled kings reach Holy Land
By the time Louis VII and Conrad III reach the Holy Land they have lost more than half their joint armies to Muslim attacks
1148
Disastrous attack on Damascus
Louis VII and Conrad III do grave harm to the Latin Kingdom by a feeble attack that merely alienates the previously friendly city of Damascus
1150
Tamils in Sri Lanka
After centuries of raiding the northern part of Sri Lanka, the Tamils establish a settled Hindu presence in the island
1154
Damascus surrenders to Nur ed-Din
The inhabitants of Damascus surrender their city to Nur ed-Din, helping him greatly in his campaign against the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem
1169
Normans invade Ireland
Normans land in Ireland, seize Wexford, and in the following year capture Waterford and Dublin
1171
English king holds court in Dublin
Henry II, the king of England, summons the Irish and Norman lords to do homage to him in Dublin
1187
Saladin wins at Horns of Hattin
Saladin destroys the Christian army of the Latin kingdom in a battle below the Horns of Hattin
1187
Saladin captures Acre
Saladin captures various Crusader fortresses and walled cities, including Acre
1187
Saladin takes Jerusalem
Saladin takes Jerusalem and treats the Christian inhabitants with a consideration unusual for the time
1190
Richard I goes on crusade
A year after succeeding to the throne of England, Richard I sets off east as one of the leaders of the third crusade
1190
Frederick Barbarossa dies on crusade
The third crusade suffers an early disaster when its first leader, the emperor Frederick Barbarossa, is drowned crossing the Calycadnus river
1191
Richard I takes Acre
The Muslim garrison of Acre surrenders to Richard I, who orders the massacre of 2700 of its members
1192
Richard I recognized in Austrian inn
Richard I, returning from the Holy Land in disguise, is recognized in an inn near Vienna and is imprisoned until England pays a massive ransom
1202
Fourth crusade sails from Venice
The fleet of the fourth crusade departs from Venice - only to be diverted from its purposes by Venetian guile
1202
German knights of the sword
A German order, the Knights of the Sword, begins the forcible conversion of Latvia and Estonia to Christianity
1204
Normandy taken by French king
The French king, Philip II, takes Normandy from the English, and follows this success by taking Anjou a year later
1204
Crusaders destroy Constantinople
The crusaders of the fourth crusade besiege, take and destroy the Christian city of Constantinople
1204
Venice takes Corfu and Crete
Venice takes the useful islands of Corfu and Crete as part of the spoils of the fourth crusade
1205
Loot for Venice
Many of the treasures adorning the church of San Marco in Venice are loot taken from Constantinople during the fourth crusade
1220
Mongols cut a swathe through Asia
Within a span of less than ten years, from 1215, Genghis Khan and the Mongols plunder from China to eastern Europe
1225
Teutonic knights tackle Prussians
The Teutonic knights undertake a new form of crusade, attempting to subdue the pagan Prussians who occupy part of the Baltic coast
1228
Frederick II bargains for Jerusalem
Frederick II, leader of the sixth crusade, briefly recovers Jerusalem for the Christians by negotiating with the Muslims
1231
Mongols in Korea
The Mongols conquer the Korean peninsula, subsequently using it as a base for two expeditions against Japan
1237
Golden Horde in Russia
Batu Khan and his Mongols sweep into Russia, where they and their descendants become known as the Golden Horde
1241
Mongols ravage Cracow
Mongols of the Golden Horde defeat the Poles at Legnica and ravage the city of Cracow
1241
Golden Horde in Hungary
Mongols of the Golden Horde reach Hungary, where they graze their horses for the summer before withdrawing to the Volga
1256
Mongols invade Persia
Hulagu and his horde of Mongols cross the Amu Darya river and move against Muslim Persia
1258
Mongols sack Baghdad
When Hulagu and his Mongol army reach Baghdad, in 1258, it is said that 800,000 of the inhabitants are killed - and the caliph is kicked to death
1262
Norway annexes Iceland
The Norwegian king, Haakon IV, annexes Iceland as his personal fief, bringing to an end the commonwealth established in AD 930
1269
Marinids take Marrakech
The Marinids, a Berber tribe, take Marrakech and bring to an end Almohad rule in Morocco
1282
Uprising by prince of Wales
An uprising by Llewellyn ap Gruffydd, the prince of Wales, ends with his own death and the subjugation of Wales by the king of England, Edward I
1283
New castles to subdue the Welsh
Edward I begins a series of powerful castles - Harlech, Caernarfon and Conwy in this year alone - to subdue the Welsh
1303
Templars last to leave Palestine
The Knights Templars withdraw from the island of Arwad, the last foothold of the crusaders in the Middle East
1308
Teutonic knights seize Gdansk
The Teutonic knights seize the coastal area round Gdansk, cutting off Poland's access to the sea
1354
Turks make their way into Europe
Gallipoli is taken by the Ottoman Turks, giving them their first foothold in Europe
1377
Jogaila inherits Lithuania
Jogaila inherits a pagan Lithuanian kingdom which has been extended as far south as Kiev
1383
Timur destroys Herat
Timur begins twenty years of almost continuous conquest with the capture and destruction of Herat
1389
Turks win at Kosovo
Victory at Kosovo gives the Ottoman Turks control over Serbia, which becomes a vassal state
1393
Ottoman Turks occupy Bulgaria
The Ottoman sultan Bayazid I brings the Slav kingdom of Bulgaria under his control
1406
Pisa taken by Florence
Pisa is captured by Florence, to be followed a few years later by the purchase of the seaport of Livorno
1410
Poles crush Teutonic knights
The Poles defeat the Teutonic knights between Tannenberg and Grunwald, bringing the coastal strip around Gdansk into the Polish kingdom
1410
Last ship leaves Greenland
The Viking settlement in Greenland ends, after 400 years, when the last ship leaves the colony and sails for Norway
1420
Portuguese colony on Madeira
The Portuguese, discovering the lush and uninhabited island of Madeira, send colonists to settle it
1443
Skanderbeg defies Turks in Albania
Skanderbeg, Albania's national hero, begins his long campaign of successes against the Turks
1443
Hunyadi liberates Balkans from Turks
The Hungarian general Janos Hunyadi takes Sofia from the Turks and in the next few months liberates most of Bulgaria, Serbia and Albania
1444
Turks begin comeback at Varna
A Turkish army routs the Hungarians at Varna on the Black Sea, beginning a process which brings the Turks to the gates of Belgrade by 1456
1445
Muslim dynasty in Malay archipelago
A Muslim ruler is established in Malacca, forming the first of many Muslim dynasties in the Malay archipelago
1446
Portugal claims Guinea
Portugal claims ownership of the region of Guinea, subsequently the centre of their slave trade on the west African coast
1456
Peasant army defeats Turks at Belgrade
The Turks, besieging Belgrade, are dispersed by a peasant army inspired by the preaching of a Franciscan friar, St John of Capistrano
1460
Turks occupy Greece
The Turks complete the occupation of Greece, which remains within the Ottoman empire until the nineteenth century
1463
Incas conquer Chimu
The Chimu empire in Peru is conquered by the Incas under the leadership of Pachacuti's son Topa
1464
Turks conquer Bosnia
Mehmed II and the Ottoman Turks conquer Bosnia, where a large number of noble families convert to Islam
1468
Albania falls to Turks
Skanderbeg dies and Albania becomes fully absorbed into the Ottoman empire
1478
Novgorod subdued by Russia
Ivan III subdues proudly independent Novgorod, removing the city's famous bell
1483
Portuguese in Angola
The Portuguese establish a further presence on the west coast of Africa, at the mouth of the Congo river
1487
Second Inca capital at Quito
The Inca empire is extended to the north and a second capital is established at Quito
1489
Venice acquires Cyprus
Venice's annexation of Cyprus completes a useful chain of islands stretching to the eastern Mediterranean
1490
Habsburgs recover Vienna
On the death of Matthias Corvinus, in 1490, the Habsburgs recover Vienna from the Hungarians
1492
Christians take Granada
The army of Ferdinand and Isabella besieges and takes the city of Granada, completing the long reconquest of Spain from the Muslims
1496
Santo Domingo first Spanish colony
Diego Columbus, brother of the explorer, establishes the first secure Spanish colony at Santo Domingo
1500
Portuguese in Mozambique
The Portuguese establish trading posts in east Africa, on the coast of Mozambique
1500
New diseases ravage America
European diseases bring death on a massive scale to an American population that has no immunity
1502
Da Gama imposes trade agreement
Vasco da Gama wins a trading treaty for Portuguese merchants after bombarding the Indian port of Calicut into submission
1503
Portuguese trade from Zanzibar
The Portuguese set up a trading post on the east African island of Zanzibar
1505
Portuguese in Sri Lanka
The Portuguese establish a presence in Sri Lanka, trading in the island's crop of cinammon
1510
Portuguese in Goa
The Portuguese seize Goa and make it their colonial capital in India
1511
Portuguese seize Malacca
The Portuguese take control of Malacca, in the Malay peninsula, as a base for trade further east
1512
Portuguese in Moluccas
The Portuguese make treaties in the Moluccas (or Spice Islands), to trade in cloves and nutmeg
1513
Balboa sees Pacific
Vasco Núñez de Balboa reaches the Pacific coast and claims the ocean for the king of Spain
1514
Portuguese garrison on Hormuz
The Portuguese capture Hormuz and establish a garrison to control the Gulf of Oman
1515
Spaniards conquer Cuba
The Spanish complete the conquest of Cuba and establish the town of Havana
1519
Cortes seeks fortune in Mexico
The Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortes lands on the coast of Mexico with 600 men, 16 horses and about 20 guns
1519
Cortes captures Aztec emperor
Cortes and his tiny force capture Montezuma, ruler of the mighty Aztec empire, in his palace at Tenochtitlan
1520
Cortes loses Tenochtitlan
Cortes loses control of Tenochtitlan and has to escape in haste with his men during 'the Sorrowful Night'
1521
Turks take Belgrade
The Turkish sultan, Suleiman I, marches into the kingdom of Hungary and captures Belgrade
1521
Cortes recaptures Tenochtitlan
After a little more than a year Cortes recaptures Tenochtitlan and finally establishes Spanish control over Mexico
1525
Conquistadors first European Americans
The conquistadors, settling on land granted to them after the conquest, begin the long process of European emigration to America
1530
Muslim holy war against Ethiopia
Ahmad ibn Ibrahim leads Muslim Somalis in a holy war against Christian Ethiopia, destroying churches and shrines
1530
Pizarro sails to conquer Peru
Francisco Pizarro sails from Panama to attempt the conquest of Peru
1531
Aztec Virgin seen at Guadalupe
The Aztec Virgin of Guadalupe appears to an Indian near Mexico City and tells him she is 'one of his kind'
1531
Pizarro invades Inca territory
Francisco Pizarro leads 168 men, with about 30 horses, into the territory of the Inca empire
1532
Pizarro captures Inca
Pizarro and his tiny force ambush and massacre the Inca court in Cajamarca, capturing Atahualpa himself alive
1532
Room full of gold
Atahualpa agrees to buy his freedom from the Spaniards with a room full of gold and another of silver
1533
Ransom paid but Inca executed
Although the ransom has been paid, Atahualpa is executed by the Spaniards — who ensure that he dies a Christian
1533
Spaniards sack Cuzco
The Spanish conquistadors capture and sack the Inca capital of Cuzco, high in the Andes
1534
Portuguese acquire Bombay
The Portuguese force the local ruler to cede to them the island of Bombay
1536
Manco Inca besieges Cuzco
Manco Inca begins a siege of the Spaniards in Cuzco that lasts for a year
1537
Siege of Cuzco ends
With the end of the siege of Cuzco, and the flight of Manco Inca, the Spanish have full control of Peru
1541
Turks take Buda
Suleiman I takes Buda (now Budapest), and by 1547 the Turks occupy almost the whole of Hungary
1542
Spanish laws to protect Indians
New Laws are passed in Spain, in an attempt to protect the Indians on the encomiendas of Spanish America
1545
Silver found in Bolivia
Rich seams of silver are discovered at Potosi, in modern Bolivia
1548
La Paz on silver route
La Paz is founded on the trade route between Lima and the newly discovered silver mines at Potosi
1549
Bahia is capital of Brazil
The first Portuguese governor general of Brazil selects Bahia (now Salvador) as his capital
1557
Portuguese trade from Macao
The Portuguese establish a trading post on Macao, a small peninsula off the south coast of China
1571
Philippines a Spanish colony
The Spanish governor general, Legazpi, makes his capital at Manila,and names the surrounding islands the Philippines after Philip II
1573
Venice cedes Cyprus to Turks
Venice cedes the island of Cyprus to the Turks, in spite of the Christian victory at Lepanto two years earlier
1583
Newfoundland for England
Humphrey Gilbert claims Newfoundland on behalf of England's queen Elizabeth
1585
Settlers on Roanoke Island
Roanoke Island, off the coast of North Carolina, is settled by the first English colonists in America – with disastrous results
1585
White depicts American Indians
The English artist John White paints the everyday life of the Secotan Indians of America
1587
Raleigh sends settlers to Virginia
A new group of English settlers arrives at Roanoke Island and makes a second attempt at a settlement
1587
English girl born in America
Virginia Dare becomes the first English child to be born in America, on Roanoke Island
1607
Flight of the Earls
The earls of Tyrone and Tyrconnel sail from Ireland with their families, in the event known as the Flight of the Earls
1607
British settlers in Jamestown
Colonists establish the first lasting British settlement in the new world, at Jamestown
1608
Smith saved by Pocahontas?
John Smith claims (many years later) that when captured by Indians he was saved from execution by Pocahontas, daughter of the chief
1609
British castaways on Bermuda
Castaways from an English vessel reach Bermuda, which becomes the first British island in the new world
1613
Pocahontas seized by Jamestown colonists
The American Indian princess Pocahontas is taken hostage by Jamestown colonists in the first Anglo-Powhatan war
1614
Pocahontas marries
Pocahontas is baptized a Christian and marries John Rolfe, one of the Jamestown colonists
1616
John Smith describes New England
John Smith publishes A Description of New England, an account of his exploration of the region in 1614
1619
Dutch establish Batavia
Jan Pieterszoon Coen destroys the town of Jakarta, on the coast of Java, and rebuilds it as a Dutch trading centre under the name Batavia
1620 September 16
Pilgrims sail west
The Pilgrims (or Pilgrim Fathers), a group of 102 English settlers, sail in the Mayflower to the new world
1620 November 11
Pilgrims sign Mayflower Compact
Ten days after their first landfall, at Cape Cod, the adult males on the Mayflower agree a form of government for their new colony
1620 December 26
Settlers found a new Plymouth
The Pilgrims on the Mayflower select a place for their settlement, and give it the name of Plymouth, their port of departure in England
1620
History of Plimmoth Plantation
William Bradford begins a journal of the Pilgrims' experience in New England, subsequently published (in 1856) as History of Plymouth Plantation
1621 autumn
Turkeys in Mayflower thanksgiving
The Mayflower settlers in Plymouth offer thanksgiving for their first harvest, eating turkeys in a celebration shared by local Indians
1621
Bradford is governor of Plymouth
William Bradford, one of the Pilgrims from the Mayflower, is elected governor of the new Plymouth Colony
1621
Dutch promote transatlantic colonization
The Dutch West India Company is chartered to trade and found colonies anywhere along the entire American coast
1622
Jamestown at war with Indians
A sudden attack by Powhatan Indians, led by their chieftain Opechancanough against the English colony at Jamestown, results in the death of more than 300 settlers
1625
Dutch control Spice Islands trade
The Dutch gradually exclude the Portuguese from the immensely lucrative trade in cloves from the Spice Islands (or Moluccas)
1626
New Amsterdam on Manhattan
Peter Minuit purchases the island of Manhattan from local Indians and calls the place New Amsterdam
1627
Barbados early British colony
A British colony is founded in Barbados and within fifteen years has 18,000 settlers
1630
Colonies on Guiana coast
Rival Dutch, English and French colonies are established in Guiana, the northeast coast of south America
1630
Puritans set sail for Massachusetts
John Winthrop, appointed governor of the new Massachusetts Bay Company, sails from England with 700 settlers
1630
Settlers choose Boston
John Winthrop selects the site of Boston for the first Massachusetts settlement
1630
Winthrop begins a journal
John Winthrop, arriving in Massachusetts, begins the journal that is eventually published as The History Of New England
1632
Maryland haven for Catholics
Maryland is granted to Lord Baltimore as a haven for English Roman Catholics
1633
Williamsburg founded in Virginia
Williamsburg, first known as Middle Plantation, is founded in Virginia
1636
Religious freedom in Rhode Island
Rhode Island is founded by Roger Williams as a colony based on the principle of religious tolerance
1637
Pequot War
War between English colonists and Pequot Indians brings disaster to the Pequots but safeguards the settlement of Connecticut
1638
French trading station in Senegal
The French build a trading station on the estuary of the Senegal river in west Africa
1641
Dutch control Malacca trade
The Dutch expel the Portuguese from their trading posts in Malacca
1644
British build fort at Madras
The British East India Company completes the construction of Fort St George in Madras
1647
Stuyvesant rules Dutch colony
Peter Stuyvesant begins a 17-year spell as director-general of the Dutch colony of New Netherland in North America
1649
Russian empire expands to Pacific
The Russian empire, expanding eastwards through Siberia, reaches the Pacific coast
1649
Massacre by Cromwell in Drogheda
Cromwell captures the royalist stronghold of Drogheda and massacres some 2800 people
1650
Dutch destroy Spice Island cloves
To protect their market, the Dutch destroy all clove trees in the Moluccas except on two islands, Amboina and Ternate
1652
Dutch in South Africa
Jan van Riebeeck establishes a Dutch settlement at the Cape of Good Hope
1655
British in Jamaica
The British, settling in Jamaica, soon turn the island into the major slave market of the West Indies
1656
Dutch take over in Sri Lanka
After a six-month siege, the Dutch capture Colombo from the Portuguese in Sri Lanka
1657
Dutch in South Africa purchase slaves
The Dutch in South Africa purchase slaves to do domestic and agricultural work
1658
English and Scots own most of Ireland
Parliamentary reprisals against the rebellious Irish result in two thirds of Ireland's land being owned by the English or the Scots
1658
Dutch control Sri Lanka trade
The Dutch expel the Portuguese from the last of their trading posts in Sri Lanka
1660
New France a royal province
Louis XIV grants New France the status of a royal province and greatly increases the flow of colonists to north America
1661
British fort on the Gambia
The British establish Fort James on an island in the Gambia river
1664
Dutch yield New Amsterdam to British
Peter Stuyvesant accepts the reality of the military situation and yields New Amsterdam to the British without a shot being fired
1666
New Amsterdam becomes New York
New Amsterdam is renamed New York by the recently established English regime
1667
Treaty of Breda
In the treaty of Breda, England keeps New Amsterdam and New Netherland, and Holland keeps the English-held territory of Surinam
1668
French press south from Great Lakes
The Jesuits establish a mission at Sault Sainte Marie which becomes the starting point for French exploration south of the Great Lakes
1668
East India Company acquires Bombay
England's East India Company is granted a lease on Bombay by Charles II, who has received it from his Portuguese bride
1669
French have designs on Ohio valley
Robert de La Salle makes his first exploration of the Ohio valley, providing the basis for France's later claim to the area
1674
Sewall begins his diary
Samuel Sewall begins a diary of daily life in Boston, Massachusetts, that will span a period of more than fifty years
1675
Indian uprising in New England
A sudden uprising by the Wampanoag Indians against the new England settlements begins the conflict known as King Philip's War
1681
Penn gets Pennsylvania
Charles II grants William Penn the charter for the region that becomes Pennsylvania, in settlement of a debt to Penn's father
1682
French claim whole length of Mississippi
Robert de la Salle travels down the Mississippi to its mouth and claims the entire region for France, naming it Louisiana
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_de_Br%C3%A9hant_de_Galin%C3%A9e
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Prudhomme
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_colonization_of_Texas
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_(New_France)
1682
Liberal Pennsylvania
William Penn approves the Great Law, allowing complete freedom of religious belief in Pennsylvania
1682
Penn in agreement with Indians
William Penn achieves peace for Pennsylvania by negotiating a treaty with the local Lenape (or Delaware) tribes
1683
Mennonites settle in Pennsylvania
Mennonites and other from Germany (later known as the Pennsylvania Dutch) begin to settle in Penn's liberal colony
1690
French garrison in Pondicherry
France by now has six fortified trading settlements around the coast of India, of which Pondicherry is the most important
1690
Falkland Islands named
John Strong, landing on some remote Atlantic islands, names them after Viscount Falkland, treasurer of the British navy
1696
Peter the Great swoops on Azov
Peter the Great makes an unexpected raid down the river Don and captures Azov from the Crimean Tatars
1696
East India Company establishes Calcutta
Fort St William is built by the East India Company in the Ganges delta, and subsequently develops into Calcutta
1697
France acquires Saint-Domingue
In the Treaty of Rijswijk, Spain cedes the western half of Hispaniola to France, which names its new colony Saint-Domingue
1698
Omanis take Zanzibar
A fleet from Oman evicts the Portuguese from Mombasa and Zanzibar
1698
Scottish colony in Panama
Scotland makes a disastrous attempt to establish a colony in Darien, on the isthmus of Panama
1700
Catholic land in Ireland reduced to 14%
In the years after the battle of the Boyne, Catholic ownership of land in Ireland is reduced to just 14% of the total
1720
Dalai Lama welcomes Chinese protection
The Dalai Lama in Lhasa accepts Chinese imperial protection, which lasts until 1911
1732
Georgia haven for debtors
Georgia is granted to a group of British philanthropists, to give a new start in life to debtors
1749
French claim Ohio valley
A French official travels down the Ohio valley, placing markers to claim it for France
1756
Black Hole of Calcutta
122 people die after being locked overnight in a small room in Calcutta, in an incident that becomes known as the Black Hole of Calcutta
1757
Clive interferes in Bengal
Robert Clive defeats the nawab of Bengal at the battle of Plassey, and places his own man on the throne
1764
French rename Falklands
A French expedition from St Malo, founding a colony on East Falkland, name the islands Les Îsles Malouines
1772
First slices of Poland
Russia, Prussia and Austria agree a treaty enabling them to divide the spoils in the first partition of Poland
1772
Russia begins to absorb Lithuania
The first partition of Poland begins the process of Lithuania being progressively absorbed into Russia
1774
Spanish rename Falklands
The Spanish, now in sole occupation of the Falkland Islands, call them Las Islas Malvinas
1775
Boone blazes Wilderness Road
Pioneer Daniel Boone and other backwoodsmen cut the road west that will bring settlers to Kentucky
1779
Convicts to go down under
Joseph Banks tells a committee of the House of Commons that the east coast of Australia is suitable for the transportation of convicted felons
1783
Russia takes Crimea
The empress Catherine the Great annexes the Crimean peninsula, giving Russia a presence in the Black Sea
1787
Northwest Ordinance
The Continental Congress passes the Northwest Ordinance, a plan for the establishment of new states north and west of the Ohio river
1787
Fleet carries convicts to Australia
The First Fleet (eleven ships carrying about 750 convicts) leaves Portsmouth for Australia
1788
First Fleet reaches Australia
After a journey of eight months from England the First Fleet reaches Australia, anchoring in Botany Bay
1788
Convicts settled in Sydney Cove
Arthur Phillip, selecting a suitable coastal site for the first penal colony in Australia, names the place Sydney Cove
1790
Second fleet reaches Sydney
A second fleet arrives in Sydney, bringing more convicts and a regiment, the New South Wales Corps, to keep order
1791
US army disaster at Maumee river
An Indian raid on an American military camp beside the Maumee river leaves more than 600 US soldiers dead
1793
Second slices of Poland
Russia and Prussia agree on a second partition of Poland
1795
British seize Cape Town
With the Dutch entering the war on the side of the French, Britain seizes their valuable Cape colony in South Africa
1795
Final slices of Poland
Poland's neighbours – Russia, Prussia and Austria – are all on hand for the final partition of the kingdom
1796
Cherokee Indians to be 'civilized'
George Washington selects the Cherokee Indians for an experiment in adaptation to 'civilization'
1797
Austria cedes territories to France
Napoleon achieves the peace of Campo Formio, by which Austria cedes the Austrian Netherlands and northern Italy to France
1797
Venice no longer free
By the Treaty of Campo Formio the free republic of Venice, created by Napoleon, is handed over to Austrian rule
1798
Napoleon heads for Egypt
Napoleon, with distinguished scientists in his fleet, sails to invade Egypt
1798
Oman a British protectorate
The British acquire a foothold in the Persian Gulf by making Oman a protectorate
1799
Tipu Sultan killed
Tipu Sultan, ruler of Mysore, is killed fighting the British at Seringapatam
1800
Toussaint l'Ouverture rules Saint-Domingue
Toussaint L'Ouverture emerges as the leader of Saint-Domingue, ruling without French colonial control
1801
Toussaint L'Ouverture rules Santo Domingo
Toussaint L'Ouverture invades the neighbouring Spanish colony of Santo Domingo, and becomes ruler of of the whole island of Hispaniola
1801
France recovers Saint-Domingue
A powerful French force arrives in Saint-Domingue and recovers control of the colony, offering generous terms to the native leaders
1802
Cape reverts to Dutch rule
The Treaty of Amiens restores the Cape of Good Hope to the Netherlands
1804
Hobart founded
The city of Hobart is founded on the southern coast of Tasmania
1806
British recapture Cape from Dutch
The British recapture the Cape of Good Hope from the Dutch
1806
Creoles drive British from Buenos Aires
The Creole militia of Buenos Aires drive out an English force which has captured the city
1807
Two emperors on a raft
Napoleon and the Russian tsar Alexander I meet on a raft at Tilsit and set about carving up Europe
1809
Hottentot Code at the Cape
The British impose the so-called Hottentot Code, protecting Africans at the Cape but also tying them to employers' farms
1809
Treaty of Fort Wayne
The Treaty of Fort Wayne is the climax of seven years in which William Henry Harrison has acquired millions of acres from the American Indians
1809
Ranjit Singh signs treaty with British
Ranjit Singh, maharaja of the Punjab, agrees an eastern boundary between himself and the British in the Treaty of Amritsar
1809
Napoleon takes Papal States
Napoleon annexes the Papal States and is excommunicated by the pope, Pius VII
1809
Russia acquires Finland
In the Treaty of Hamina (or Fredrikshamn), Sweden cedes Finland to Russia as an autonomous grand duchy
1809
Fulani capital at Sokoto
The Fulani establish a capital at Sokoto, from which they dominate the Hausa kingdoms of northern Nigeria
1811
Prophetstown destroyed
An American army attacks and destroys Tecumseh's base at Prophetstown
1813
Turks enslave Belgrade Serbs
The Turks recapture Belgrade and sell thousands of Serb women and children into slavery
1814
Denmark cedes Norway to Sweden
Denmark cedes Norway to Sweden, in the Treaty of Kiel, following Bernadotte's successful Danish campaign
1815
Cape is British
The congress of Vienna leaves the Cape of Good Hope in British hands
1819
Sikhs conquer Kashmir
The Sikh maharajah of the Punjab, Ranjit Singh, conquers Kashmir, beginning a century and a half of Sikh dominance in the region
1820
Argentina has Falklands
The newly independent republic of Argentina takes possession of Las Islas Malvinas (the Falklands)
1820
British settlers shipped to Cape
The first big influx of British settlers, numbering some 5000, arrives at Cape Town in South Africa
1821
Egyptian base at Khartoum
An Egyptian army makes its camp at Khartoum, subsequently the capital of an Egyptian province in the Sudan
1821
Santa Fe Trail
The Sante Fe Trail, from Missouri to New Mexico, is opened up by the US trader William Becknell
1821
First American settlers in Texas
Stephen Austin begins the process of American settlement in the Mexican province of Texas
1827
Fly whisk ends French-Algerian harmony
The Turkish governor of Algiers, flicking at the French consul with his fly whisk, finds that he has provoked a French blockade and eventually invasion
1828
Cherokee adopt American-style constitution
The Cherokees adopt an American-style constitution and publish the first American-Indian newspaper
1829
Settlement established at Perth
James Stirling explores up the Swan River in western Australia to find a site for the settlement which he names Perth
1830
French army invades Algeria
A French army invades Algeria, beginning the process which brings the region within the French empire
1830
Indian Removal Act passed by congress
Congress passes the Indian Removal Act, to push the American Indian tribes west of the Mississippi
1831
Aborigines cleared from Tasmania
The last surviving Aborigines of Tasmania are moved by the British to a small island where they soon die out
1833
Britain takes Falklands from Argentina
Britain ejects the Argentinians from the Falklands and begins the process of settlement with British farmers
1835
Melbourne thrives on sheep
Melbourne, founded by settlers from Tasmania, develops as the centre of a sheep-rearing community
1836
Davy Crockett holds out briefly in Alamo
200 Texans, among them Davy Crockett, hold out for twelve days in San Antonio before being killed in the Alamo by a Mexican army
1836
Boers on Great Trek
Hendrik Potgieter sets off with some 200 Boers and their cattle at the start of the Great Trek to the north
1836
Site selected for Adelaide
A site is selected for Adelaide and emigration begins from Britain to south Australia
1836
Boer victory at Vegkop
Hendrik Potgieter and the Boers, protected by a laager at Vegkop, hold off an attack by a large force of Ndebele tribesmen
1837
Boers massacre Ndebele
After a victory at Vegkop, Boers massacre the inhabitants of a dozen Ndebele villages in secret dawn raids
1837
Retief leads Great Trek
Piet Retief emerges as the new leader of the Great Trek, replacing Potgieter
1837
Boers drive Ndebele north of Limpopo
Potgieter defeats the Ndebele at the Marico river and drives them north of the Limpopo
1837
Retief strikes bargain with Dingaan
Piet Retief reaches a provisional agreement with Dingaan, the Zulu leader, for a Boer settlement in southern Natal
1838
Retief killed by Dingaan
During a ceremony to celebrate their treaty with Dingaan, Piet Retief and his Boer companions are overpowered and killed
1838
Boer families massacred
Dingaan's warriors massacre Boer families in a series of dawn raids near the Bloukrans river
1838
Indian tribes displaced in Great Removal
Five American Indian tribes are forcibly escorted to a new Indian Territory west of the Mississippi in the process that becomes known as the Great Removal
1838
Zulu die in thousands at Blood river
The river Ncome becomes known as the Blood River after thousands of Zulu die attacking Andries Pretorius and the Boers
1839
Britain seizes Aden
The British seize the strategic port of Aden and administer it as a province annexed to India
1839
First Anglo-Afghan war
A British army invades Afghanistan and instals a puppet ruler, Shuja Shah, as the Afghan amir
1839
Holy war proclaimed against French in Algeria
Abd-el-Kader proclaims a holy war against the French in Algeria and begins a military campaign that will last for eight years
1839
Pretorius establishes Natalia
Andries Pretorius sets up the Boer republic of Natalia, with its capital at Pietermaritzburg
1839
First Opium War
British troops invade China after the Chinese authorities seize and destroy the opium stocks of British merchants in Canton
1842
British abandon Afghanistan
The British abandon Kabul, losing most of the garrison force in the withdrawal to India and bringing to an end the first Anglo-Afghan war
1843
Natal declared British protectorate
The British take control of the existing Boer republic and proclaim Natal a British protectorate
1844
Plans in US to annexe Texas
James Polk pledges in his presidential campaign to include the self-proclaimed republic of Texas in the USA
1845
Manifest Destiny for USA
The expansionist slogan 'Manifest Destiny' is coined by journalist John L. O'Sullivan to emphasize the right of the USA to extend west to the Pacific
1847
Pretorius leads Boers out of Natal
Pretorius leads the last Boer families out of Natal and over the Drakensberg to the high veld
1848
Orange River Sovereignty claimed for Britain
Harry Smith annexes for Britain the land between the Orange and Vaal rivers, calling it the Orange River Sovereignty
1849
British annexe Punjab
A British victory at the Battle of Gujarat effectively ends the second Anglo-Sikh war, and is followed by annexation of the Punjab
1849
Vancouver Island is crown colony
Vancouver Island is given the status of a British crown colony, to be followed by British Columbia in 1858
1850
British buy out Danes on Gold Coast
The British government buys the Danish fortresses on the Gold Coast, including Christiansborg castle in Accra
1853
Russia occupies Danube principalities
Russia occupies two Ottoman principalities, Moldavia and Wallachia, on the west coast of the Black Sea
1854
Orange Free State
The Boers establish the Orange Free State as an independent republic, with its own custom-built constitution
1858
Napoleon III and Cavour in Italian plot
Napoleon III and Cavour hatch a secret plan at Plombièes to tempt Austria into war in north Italy, and agree how to divide up the spoils
1858
East India Company deprived of powers
The India Act places India under the direct control of the British government, ending the rule of the East India Company
1858
Russia gains naval base in Pacific
Under the Treaty of Aigun, Russia wins from China the valuable Pacific coastline down to Vladivostok
1858
French involvement in Vietnam
Napoleon III sends forces to capture the port of Da Nang, beginning the French colonization of Vietnam
1859
Austrians evicted from Milan
A French and Piedmontese army liberates Milan from Austrian rule
1860
Cavour cedes Savoy and Nice to France
The treaty of Turin brings much of north Italy under the control of Cavour (for the kingdom of Sardinia), who in return cedes Savoy and Nice to France
1861
Lagos a British colony
Lagos, on the coast of Nigeria, is annexed as a British colony when the royal family prove unable or unwilling to end the slave trade
1862
European army comes debt-collecting in Mexico
A joint French, Spanish and British force lands in Mexico and captures Veracruz, ostensibly to collect the interest on European debts
1862
Homestead Act
The Homestead Act grants 160 acres in the west of the USA to any family farming them for five years
1863
French capture Mexico City
The French capture Mexico City and President Juarez flees to the north
1863
Cambodia a French protectorate
France establishes a protectorate over Cambodia
1865
Plains Indians increasingly under threat
The Plains Indians are threatened by settlers pressing west, building railways and slaughtering buffalo
1866
French abandon emperor Maximilian
Napoleon III withdraws French troops from Mexico, leaving the emperor Maximilian in a dangerous situation
1867
Dominion status for Canada
The Canadian nation is called the Dominion of Canada – the first example of 'dominion status'
1868
Britain annexes Basutoland
Britain annexes Basutoland (now Lesotho), the kingdom of the Sotho leader Moshoeshoe
1868
Custer leads massacre of sleeping Indians
George Custer leads federal troops in the massacre of more than 100 American Indians, on an official reservation beside the Washita river
1869
European powers control Tunisian finances
Britain, France and Italy take joint control of the finances of a bankrupt Tunisia
1869
Southern Sudan made Egyptian province
British explorer Samuel Baker annexes the southern Sudan, or Equatoria, on behalf of the khedive of Egypt
1871
Cecil Rhodes in Kimberley
18-year-old English entrepreneur Cecil Rhodes, on a temporary visit to South Africa, arrives in the new diamond town of Kimberley
1872
Boomers in Indian territory
The Missouri, Kansas and Texas railroad cuts through the territory reserved for American Indians, bringing hordes of 'boomers'
1874
Gold Coast a British colony
The southern region of present-day Ghana becomes a British colony, to be known as the Gold Coast
1875
Measles in Fiji
An outbreak of measles in Fiji, brought to the islands by British visitors, kills a quarter of the population
1876
France and Britain run Egypt's finances
The chaotic government finances of Egypt are placed under joint French and British control
1876
Victoria proclaimed Empress of India
India becomes the 'jewel in the crown' of Queen Victoria when Benjamin Disraeli secures for her the title Empress of India
1876
Brussels conference on Africa
Leopold II hosts a conference in Brussels on the subject of opening up the African continent
1877
Britain annexes Transvaal
Britain annexes the Boer republic in the Transvaal
1878
Stanley hired to open up Congo
Stanley agrees to work for Leopold II in opening up the Congo river to commerce
1878
British launch new Afghan war
Three British armies invade Afghanistan, beginning the second Anglo-Afghan War
1879
British launch Zulu War
The British find a pretext to march into the territory ruled by Cetshwayo, thus launching the Zulu War
1879
British disaster at Isandhlwana
Zulu tribesmen surprise and annihilate a British army encamped near Isandhlwana
1879
British survive at Rorke's Drift
Immediately after Isandhlwana a tiny British garrison at Rorke's Drift fights off an overwhelming Zulu attack
1879
Cetshwayo defeated
The British destruction of Cetshwayo's kraal at Ulundi ends the Zulu War
1880
Brazza ahead of Stanley
French explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza forestalls Stanley in opening up the Congo, reaching Stanley Pool ahead of him
1881
French coup in Tunisia
France invades Tunisia from Algeria, and in the Treaty of Bardo forces the bey of Tunis to accept the status of a French protectorate
1881
Britain gives up Afghanistan for second time
The British withdraw from Afghanistan, having achieved nothing in the Second Anglo-Afghan War
1881
Brazza has north bank of Congo
Stanley finds Brazza's French tricolor already flying on the north bank of the Congo, on the site of what later becomes Brazzaville
1882
Stanley has south bank of Congo
Stanley establishes a foothold for Leopold II on the southern bank of the Congo, at a site which he names Leopoldville (now Kinshasa)
1882
British invade Egypt
Anti-western riots in Alexandria result in many deaths and provoke a British invasion
1883
French marines in Madagascar
French marines land at Tamatave in Madagascar to protect French interests and assert French control
1883
Mahdi victorious in Sudan
Mohammed Ahmed, proclaiming himself the Mahdi, defeats three Egyptian armies in the Sudan
1884
British 'Commonwealth of Nations'
The British empire is first described as a 'Commonwealth of Nations', by Lord Rosebery speaking in Australia
1884
Gordon marches to protect Khartoum
General Gordon marches south to protect Khartoum from the advancing forces of the Mahdi
1884
Bismarck launches scramble for Africa
Bismarck launches the colonial scramble for Africa by suddenly annexing three territories for Germany (Togo, Cameroon and Angria Pequena)
1884
Transvaal republic independent again
The Boer republic in the Transvaal regains its independence from Britain
1884
Togo claimed as German colony
Gustav Nachtigal arrives in Togo and persuades local chiefs to accept the protection of the German emperor
1884
Cameroon claimed as German colony
Gustav Nachtigal, moving on to Cameroon, annexes this region too for the new German empire
1884
Peters in east Africa for German empire
Karl Peters hurries round east Africa persuading chiefs to accept the German emperor as their protector
1884
Wolseley heads south to relieve Khartoum
British general Garnet Wolseley sails from London on a mission to rescue Gordon, trapped by the Mahdi in Khartoum
1884
Bismarck hosts conference on Africa
Bismarck invites the European powers to a West Africa Conference in Berlin
1884
Spain colonizes Western Sahara
Spain begins to colonize the Western Sahara, subsequently known as the Spanish Sahara
1885
Peters granted east African charter
Bismarck grants Karl Peters a charter to rule a German protectorate in east Africa
1885
Britain annexes Bechuanaland
Britain annexes Bechuanaland as a protectorate, to secure the route north from the Cape into central Africa
1885
Italians occupy Eritrea
Italian troops occupy Eritrea, a province of Ethiopia
1885
German warships threaten Zanzibar
German warships arrive in Zanzibar harbour to persuade the sultan to cede territory to the Kaiser, William I
1886
Carve up in east Africa
Germany and Britain define neighbouring spheres of interest in east Africa
1886
Border fixed between Tanzania and Kenya
The German and British agreement in east Africa creates the present-day boundary between Tanzania and Kenya
1887
China acknowledges Portuguese Macao
The imperial government in China formally acknowledges Portuguese territorial rights in Macao
1887
Colonial leaders in London conference
A gathering of leaders from the British empire holds a colonial conference in London to coincide with Queen Victoria's jubilee
1887
French Indochina
France brings Cambodia and Vietnam into a federation of protectorates under the title French Indochina
1887
Dawes Act attempts to settle Indians
The Dawes Severalty Act deprives American Indians of their tribal lands, giving each instead an allotment of up to 160 acres
1888
Rhodes wins mining rights
The Ndebele chieftain, Lobengula, grants Rhodes mining rights in what is now Zimbabwe
1888
Kenya assigned to British company
The Imperial British East Africa Company is given a charter to adminster Kenya and Uganda
1889
Rhodes forms British South Africa Company
Cecil Rhodes forms the British South Africa Company to push British commerce and imperial control further north
1889
First run by settlers into Oklahoma
The first Land Run into Oklahoma has settlers galloping in from noon to claim territory previously reserved for American Indians
1889
Boundaries agreed for Senegal and Gambia
France and Britain agree colonial boundaries for Senegal and Gambia in west Africa
1889
Ethiopia cedes Eritrea to Italy
In the treaty of Uccialli, Menelik II cedes the Ethiopian province of Eritrea to Italy
1890
Colonists for Rhodesia
Cecil Rhodes sends colonists to settle the newly won colony of Rhodesia
1890
Zanzibar a British protectorate
Zanzibar, under its Arab sultan, is declared a British protectorate
1890
Wounded Knee Creek
Hundreds of Sioux Indians are killed by US troops in a massacre at Wounded Knee Creek
1891
German East Africa is protectorate
Germany takes direct control of German East Africa as a protectorate
1891
Rhodes wins control north of Zambezi
Rhodes wins the right to adminster the region from the Zambezi up to Lake Tanganyika, forming present-day Zambia
1891
Heligoland in African trade-off
Britain cedes the tiny island of Heligoland to Germany in return for vast areas of Africa
1892
Protestant-Catholic warfare in Kampala
Frederick Lugard's Maxim machine gun settles a Protestant-Catholic clash in Kampala, the capital of Buganda
1892
French protectorate in Dahomey
The French establish a protectorate in part of the ancient kingdom of Dahomey in west Africa
1892
Falklands made British colony
The Falkland Islands, by now occupied by some 2000 settlers, become a British colony
1893
Ivory Coast is French colony
France claims the Ivory Coast (or Côte d'Ivoire) in west Africa as a French colony
1893
Jameson goes to war in Rhodesia
Leander Jameson, finding a pretext for war, drives Lobengula out of his kingdom in Rhodesia
1893
British Protectorate includes Malawi
The British Central African Protectorate is set up in the region of present-day Malawi
1893
Laos brought within French Indochina
France incorporates Laos within French Indochina
1895
Rhodesia honours Rhodes
The territory south of the Zambezi is given the name Rhodesia, in honour of the man who has colonized it
1895
China cedes Taiwan to Japan
At the end of the Sino-Japanese war China cedes to Japan the island of Taiwan, together with Port Arthur and the Liadong peninsula
1895
Bechuanaland seeks British protection
Khama III, the king of Bechuanaland, travels to London to demand the continuing protection of the British crown
1895
Kenya is British protectorate
The British government takes responsibility for Kenya, as the East Africa Protectorate
1895
Jameson raid
Leander Jameson leads a disastrous raid into the Transvaal, in an attempt to topple Paul Kruger's government
1896
Ethiopians defeat Italians at Aduwa
The Ethiopian emperor, Menelik II, inflicts a shattering defeat on Italian forces at Aduwa
1896
Uganda Protectorate formed by Britain
Britain unites Buganda and three other kingdoms into the single Uganda Protectorate
1896
Ogaden goes to Ethiopia
Italy, one of the local colonial powers, accepts Ethiopia's claim to the Ogaden region of the Somali territory
1897
Concentration camps in Cuba
The Spanish governor in Cuba is recalled to Spain, for pioneering the concept of the concentration camp
1897
Zululand merged with Natal
Zululand, annexed by Britain in 1887, is now merged with the colony of Natal
1897
Milner appointed to South Africa
The UK colonial secretary, Joseph Chamberlain, appoints enthusiastic imperialist Alfred Milner as high commissioner in South Africa
1897
Germany claims Ruanda-Urundi
Germany claims Ruanda and Urundi as a joint colony adjacent to German East Africa
1897
Madagascar becomes French colony
The French exile the queen of Madagascar and claim the island as a French colony
1897
British burn Benin City
The British burn Benin City in a punitive expedition after members of a British delegation are murdered
1898
US annexes Hawaii
The Hawaiian islands are made a US territory, five years after American involvement in the overthrow of the ruling dynasty
1898
Fashoda incident in Sudan
French and British forces meet at Fashoda, in a potentially explosive incident in the scramble for Africa
1898
Omdurman ends Mahdist rule in Sudan
Kitchener's victory at Omdurman brings to an end thirteen years of rule in Sudan by followers of the Mahdi
1899
Britain and Egypt share rule in Sudan
The Sudan begins half a century of supposedly joint rule by Britain and Egypt
1899
Mad Mullah troubles British
Mohammed ibn Abdullah (the Mad Mullah in British eyes) leads an uprising in British Somaliland
1900
British annexe Boer republics
Paul Kruger flees after the British take Pretoria and annexe both the Boer republics
1900
New rights for Puerto Ricans
Puerto Ricans are granted limited democracy in a bill of rigfhts introduced after two years of US military occupation
1900
Boxer Rebellion
Hostility to foreign intrusion erupts in China with the Boxer Rising
1900
Nigeria becomes British crown colony
The British government assumes direct responsibility for the entire region of Nigeria, previously entrusted to a commercial company
1901
British concentration camps
Thousands of women and children die in the concentration camps used by the British army for displaced Boer families
1902
Cuba is independent
Cuba becomes independent after three years of US military rule, with certain restrictions imposed by the Platt Amendment of 1901
1902
Boer War ends
A treaty at Vereeniging ends the Boer War and brings the Boer republics under British control
1902
Swaziland comes under British control
After the defeat of neighbouring Transvaal in the Boer War, the British take sole control of Swaziland
1903
US naval base in Cuba
Cuba is forced to accept a permanent US military presence in Guantanamo Bay
1903
Coronation durbar in Delhi
Edward VII, the first British monarch to travel to India, holds a great coronation durbar in Delhi
1903
Belgian atrocities revealed in Congo
Roger Casement, British consul in the Congo Free State, discovers appalling abuses by Belgian companies
1903
US warship aids Panamanian independence
A US warship appears off the coast of Panama in support of rebels declaring an independent republic
1903
Colombia rejects canal deal with USA
The Colombian government rejects the Hay-Herrán treaty with the US on the Panama canal, thus prompting the break-away of Panama
1903
US to control Panama canal zone
The USA is granted exclusive control in perpetuity of a ten-mile corridor across Panama, suitable for a canal
1904
Herrero massacre Germans
A violent uprising by Herrero warriors in South West Africa targets male Germans of military age
1904
German atrocity in South West Africa
The German general Lothar von Trotha drives 8000 Herrero people to slow death in the Kalahari desert
1904
British march into Lhasa
British troops under Francis Younghusband enter Tibet's holy city of Lhasa
1905
Controversial visit by Kaiser to Morocco
Kaiser Wilhelm II visits Tangier in support of Moroccan independence, causing a diplomatic crisis with the colonial powers France and Britain
1905
Maji-Maji rising
The Maji-Maji rising results in alarming outbreaks of violence in German East Africa
1905
Germans use famine against Maji-Maji rebels
The German commander in east Africa uses famine as a means of ending the Maji-Maji rising
1905
Japan wins Port Arthur
The Treaty of Portsmouth gives Japan control of Port Arthur and much of the Liaotung Peninsula
1906
France wins rights over Morocco
An international conference at Algeciras effectively gives France informal control of Morocco
1906
Sinai Peninsula to be part of Egypt
Istanbul cedes the Sinai Peninsula to British-controlled Egypt
1906
Transvaal becomes self-governing colony
Transvaal is given the self-governing status promised in the treaty ending the Boer War
1908
Austria seizes Bosnia
Austria annexes Bosnia-Herzegovina, in response to the policy of the Young Turks in Istanbul
1908
Belgium annexes Congo Free State
International outrage at Congo atrocities forces Belgium to annexe King Leopold's private colony
1909
South African blueprint for union
National delegates from the four provincial parliaments draw up a draft constitution for a South African union
1910
French Equatorial Africa
Three French colonies south of the Sahara are consolidated as French Equatorial Africa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:1910_establishments_in_French_Equatorial_Africa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors-general_of_French_Equatorial_Africa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postage_stamps_and_postal_history_of_Ubangi-Shari
1910
Japan colonizes Korea
Japan annexes Korea as a colony, to be controlled by a Japanese governor-general
1911
Italy invades Libya
Italy finds a reason to invade Libya, a province of the Turkish empire.
1911
US marines sent to Honduras
President Taft sends US marines to Honduras to protect American banana interests during a spell of political turmoil
1912
Albanians rise against Turks
A national uprising against Turkish rule in Albania launches a full-scale Balkan war
1912
Turkey cedes Libya to Italy
Turkey, beset by troubles elsewhere, cedes to Italy her north African province of Libya
1912
Tibet achieves independence
Tibet declares its independence after the fall of the Qing dynasty and the end of imperial China
1912
Morocco becomes French protectorate
By the treaty of Fès a French protectorate is formally established in Morocco
1912
US marines in Nicaragua
President Taft sends US marines into Nicaragua during a period of disorder
1912
France and Spain share Morocco
France and Spain agree that Spain shall become the colonial power in the north of Morocco and France in the south
1912
Albanian uprising
An Albanian uprising against the Ottoman empire is so successful that the Albanians are able to capture Skopje in Macedonia
1914
Nigeria united as British colony
British rule is consolidated in Nigeria by the merging of north and south as a single colony
1914
Egypt made British protectorate
The British government changes the status of Egypt from a Turkish province to a British protectorate
1915
US takes over in Haiti
Woodrow Wilson sends US marines to take control in Haiti after a spate of political assassinations
1919
Massacre at Amritsar
More than 300 die when British troops fire on a peaceful demonstration in Amritsar
1920 May
British mandates in Middle East
League of Nations mandates give Britain responsibility for Iraq, Transjordan and Palestine
1920 May
French mandates in Middle East
League of Nations mandates give France responsibility for Syria and Lebanon
1926
Balfour Report
The Balfour Report, by former UK prime minister A.J. Balfour, suggests the way forward for the British Commonwealth of Nations
1927
Italy acquires influence in Albania
Mussolini's treaty with Ahmed Zogu gives Fascist Italy a dominant position in Albania
1928
Kenyatta edits Kikuyu newspaper
Jomo Kenyatta becomes the editor of Muigwithania, the newspaper of the Kikuyu Central Association
1931
Japan occupies Manchuria
The Japanese occupy the Chinese state of Manchuria
1932
Manchuria becomes Manchukuo
Japan renames the Chinese province of Manchuria, calling it Manchukuo – supposedly independent but in fact a puppet state
1934
US pulls out of Haiti
The US military government is finally withdrawn from Haiti after nineteen years
1934
Bouirguiba leads young Tunisian nationalists
Neo-Destour, a party demanding Tunisian independence, has Habib Bourguiba as its secretary general
1935
Kim Il Sung leads guerrilla war
Kim Il Sung leads a Communist guerrilla campaign against the Japanese occupation of Korea
1939 September 27
Germany and Russia share Poland
Warsaw falls, after a brave resistance, whereupon Germany and Russia carve up Poland
1940 July
Germany in control of Romania
Germany takes control of Romania, to secure the country's rich oil fields
1940 October 4
Mussolini dreams of imperial glory
Mussolini plans a new Roman empire, reaching like the first one round the entire Mediterranean
1941 May 19
Vietminh founded
The Vietminh is founded as a guerrilla force to liberate Vietnam from the Japanese, and Ho Chi Minh soon emerges as the leader
1942
Gandhi launches Quit India movement
Mahatma Gandhi launches the Quit India Movement, calling on a large crowd in Bombay to 'do or die' in the struggle to expel the British
1942
Gandhi imprisoned
Mahatma Gandhi and nearly all the leaders of India's Congress party are arrested and will remain in prison until the end of the war
1945
Nasser leads Free Officers
Gamal Abdel Nasser and army colleagues form a secret party, the Free Officers, to fight for an independent Egyptian republic
1945
Sukarno claims independence for Indonesia
Achmed Sukarno makes a unilateral declaration of Indonesian independence, and leads the subsequent struggle against the Dutch
1945 August 19
Vietminh take Hanoi
With the surrender of the Japanese, Vietminh guerrillas seize the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi
1945 September 2
Ho Chi Minh declares independence from France
Ho Chi Minh proclaims the democratic republic of Vietnam, independent of the colonial power, France
1946
Colonial war in Vietnam
The Indochina War breaks out in Vietnam between the French colonial forces and the Vietminh
1946 March 5
Iron curtain across Europe
Winston Churchill, in a speech in Fulton, Missouri, expresses the harsh truth that an iron curtain has descended across Europe
1949
Batavia becomes Jakarta
Batavia reverts to its original name of Jakarta and becomes the capital of Indonesia
1954
CIA helps junta to power in Guatemala
An invasion of Guatemala from Honduras, with CIA support, brings to power a right-wing military junta
1954
Independence for Indochina
In an armistice ending the Indochina War, France acknowledges the independence of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam
1955
Uprising in Morocco
An armed uprising in Morocco persuades France to accept the principle of independence for the colony
1956
Independence for Morocco
French Morocco and Spanish Morocco win independence from the two colonial powers
1956
Hungarian uprising crushed by Soviet tanks
Russian and Warsaw Pact troops invade Hungary to end the uprising and arrest Imre Nagy
1956
Kádár is Hungarian prime minister
The Kremlin imposes János Kádár on Hungary as head of a new government
1957
Nkrumah leads independent Ghana
Kwame Nkrumah leads the Gold Coast into independence under a name of historic resonance, Ghana
1958
De Gaulle visits Algiers
On his second day in power, de Gaulle visits Algiers to confront the settlers with an unwelcome message
1958
French Guinea becomes republic
The colony of French Guinea opts for immediate independence as the republic of Guinea, breaking its links with France
1958
Sekou Touré rules in Guinea
Sekou Touré, the first president of Guinea, settles in for twenty-six years of dictatorial rule
1959
Lee Kuan Yew is prime minister
Lee Kuan Yew becomes the first prime minister of the newly independent state of Singapore
1960
French Cameroun wins independence
French Cameroun becomes independent as the republic of Cameroun, with Ahmadou Ahidjo as the first president
1960
Togo independent
French Togo becomes independent as the republic of Togo, with Sylvanus Olympio as president
1960
Cyprus wins independence
Cyprus becomes an independent nation, free of British colonial rule, with Archbishop Makarios as president
1960
Mali is independent
French Sudan becomes independent as the republic of Mali, with Modibo Keita as president
1960
Malagasy is independent
Madagascar becomes independent (under the name Malagasy republic from till 1975), with Philibert Tsiranana as president
1960
Lumumba prime minister of Congo
Patrice Lumumba becomes prime minister of the newly independent Democratic Republic of the Congo, previously the Belgian Congo
1960
Independence for Somalia
British and Italian colonies merge as the independent Somali republic, also known as Somalia, with Aden Abdullah Osman as president
1960
Dahomey begins turbulent independence
The French colony of Dahomey (known from 1975 as Benin) becomes independent but suffers six military coups in its first twelve years
1960
Independence for Niger
Niger becomes independent, with Hamani Diori as the new nation's first president
1960
Independence for Burkina Faso
The French colony of Upper Volta becomes independent as Burkina Faso, with Maurice Yaméogo as president
1960
Ivory Coast wins independence
Félix Houphouët-Boigny, first president of the newly independent Ivory Coast, begins thirty-three years of relatively peaceful rule
1960
Chad is independent
The French colony of Chad becomes independent with François Tombalbaye as president
1960
Independence for Gabon
The French colony of Gabon becomes independent with Léon M'ba as president
1960
Independence for Central African Republic
The French colony of Ubangi-Shari becomes independent and takes the name Central African Republic
1960
Senegal independent
The French colony of Senegal becomes independent, with Léopold Senghor as the new nation's first president
1960
Unstable Nigeria wins independence
Nigeria wins independence, with Abubakar Tafawa Balewa as prime minister, but its stability is threatened by tribal and regional factions
1960
Mauritania wins independence
The French colony of Mauritania becomes independent, with Moktar Ould Daddah as president
1961
Sierra Leone independent
Former British colony Sierra Leone becomes an independent state within the Commonwealth
1962
Uganda wins independence
The former British colony of Uganda becomes an independent republic, with Milton Obote as prime minister
1963
Zanzibar independent
Zanzibar becomes an independent nation and a member of the Commonwealth
1963
Kenyatta leads independent Kenya
Kenya becomes independent, with Jomo Kenyatta as prime minister
1964
Hastings Banda leads independent Malawi
Hastings Banda is prime minister of the newly independent nation of Malawi, formerly Nyasaland
1964
Kaunda leads independent Zambia
Kenneth Kaunda becomes president of the independent republic of Zambia, previously Northern Rhodesia
1965
Gambia is independent
The Gambia becomes an independent member of the Commonwealth, with Dawda Jawara as prime minister
1965
US marines in Dominican Republic
US marines intervene in civil war in the Dominican Republic to prevent a communist takeover
1966
Seretse Khama leads independent Botswana
Former chief Seretse Khama becomes the first president of an independent Botswana
1968
Equatorial Guinea wins independence
Spanish Guinea becomes an independent republic as Equatorial Guinea, with Francisco Macias Nguema as president
1974
Independence for Guinea-Bissau
Portuguese Guinea becomes independent as Guinea-Bissau, with Luís Cabral as president
1975
Mozambique independent
Portuguese East Africa becomes independent as Mozambique, with Frelimo as the only political party
1975
Cape Verde goes it alone
The Cape Verde islands, off the west coast of Africa, become independent as the republic of Cape Verde
1975
Papua New Guinea is independent
The island of Papua New Guinea wins independence from Australia
1975
Surinam independent
Surinam wins independence from the Dutch, with Johan Ferrier as the first president
1977
Independence for Djibouti
The French Territory of Afars and Issas becomes independent as Djibouti, with Hassan Gouled Aptidon as president
1980
Mugabe leads independent Zimbabwe
Rhodesia becomes independent, taking the name Zimbabwe, with Robert Mugabe as prime minister
1980
USA funds Contras
The USA ends all aid to Nicaragua and provides funds to train and equip the Contras in neighbouring Honduras
1983
US marines sent to Grenada
President Reagan sends US marines to Grenada after the execution of the island's prime minister, Maurice Bishop
1984
CIA mines Nicaragua's harbours
The CIA covertly arranges for mines to be laid in Nicaragua's harbours
1989
Bush goes for Noriega
President Bush sends 24,000 US troops to occupy Panama City and seize Manuel Noriega
1990
Independence for Namibia
Namibia becomes independent with Sam Nujoma as president
1990
Saddam annexes Kuwait
Saddam Hussein announces the annexation of Kuwait, claiming it to have been historically part of Iraq
1999
Russians back in Chechnya
The Russian army returns to Chechnya after Islamic militants commit acts of terrorism
1999
Panama Canal reverts to Panama
The US relinquishes sovereignty over the canal zone to Panama on the last day of the century, as agreed in the 1977 treaty
2005
Syria wthdraws from Lebanon
Following local and international pressure after the death of Rafik Hariri, Syria withdraws the last of its troops from Lebanon
2005
Israel removes settlers from Gaza
Israel uses force to remove settlers who refuse to leave Gaza in accordance with Sharon's unilateral disengagement plan