Dynasties and Royalty
by Derek Gerlach
3100 BC
First dynasty in Egypt
Upper and Lower Egypt are unified into a single kingdom, inaugurating the first Egyptian dynasty
2580 BC
Old Kingdom in Egypt
Egypt enters the period known as the Old Kingdom, its first era of monumental architecture
2350 BC
Sargon rules
Sargon conquers the other Mesopotamian states and establishes a dynasty with a new capital at Akkad, close to modern Baghdad
2000 BC
Middle Kingdom in Egypt
Mentuhotep II wins control of all Egypt, establishing the period known as the Middle Kingdom
2000 BC
Thebes becomes Egyptian capital
The centre of power in Egypt moves to the interior, with the capital at Thebes rather than Memphis
1700 BC
Hittites in Anatolia
The Hittites build an empire based on their stronghold at Hattusa (now Bogazkale) in Anatolia
1630 BC
Hyksos in Egypt
The Hyksos, arriving from the middle east, win control of Egypt and rule for a century
1540 BC
New Kingdom in Egypt
The New Kingdom begins in Egypt, bringing the most spectacular of all the dynasties
1490 BC
Female pharaoh in Egypt
Hatshepsut takes power in Egypt, and is unusual in being a female pharaoh
1400 BC
Shang dynasty
The Great City Shang, on a site later known as An-yang, develops as the capital of China's first dynasty
1350 BC
Akhenaten builds new city
The pharaoh Akhenaten creates a new capital city on the Nile at Tell el Amarna
1324 BC
Tutankhamun is buried
The young Egyptian pharaoh, Tutankhamun, dies and is buried in a suitable tomb
1279 BC
Ramses II begins long reign
Ramses II, perhaps the greatest of Egypt's pharaohs, begins a reign of sixty-six years
1050 BC
Zhou dynasty
The Zhou defeat the Shang, and establish a new dynasty with a capital at Ch'ang-an (now Xi'an)
1020 BC
Saul king of Israel
Saul, anointed king of Israel by Samuel, establishes himself at Gibeah, just north of Jerusalem
990 BC
David king of Israel
David, already king of Judah and now anointed king of Israel, brings into one realm the twelve tribes of the Israelites
990 BC
David captures Jerusalem
David captures Jerusalem, which he makes his capital - bringing here the ark of the covenant
965 BC
Solomon king of Israel
Solomon becomes king of Israel and presides over a period of peace and prosperity
950 BC
Queen of Sheba linked with Solomon
The Queen of Sheba, who visits Solomon in Jerusalem, is legendary - but her kingdom of Saba is a historical reality
950 BC
Libyan dynasty in Egypt
Libyans in the Egyptian army take control of the nation and rule as pharaohs
910 BC
Ten tribes of Israel break away
Solomon's son Rehoboam is unable to prevent the ten northern tribes going their own way, under the leadership of Jeroboam
870 BC
Ashurnasirpal at Nimrud
Ashurnasirpal II creates a spectacular new capital at Nimrud (and claims to have had 69,574 guests at his palace-warming party)
771 BC
Eastern Zhou
The Zhou rulers, driven east from Xi'an, create a new capital at Loyang and establish the Eastern Zhou dynasty
719 BC
Cushite dynasty in Egypt
The king of Cush, or Nubia, conquers down the Nile to the sea, establishing the Cushite dynasty
700 BC
Two surviving tribes merge as Judah
Judah and Benjamin, together forming the kingdom of Judah, are the only two surviving tribes of Israel
700 BC
Assyrians build Nineveh
Sennacherib moves the Assyrian capital to a new site at Nineveh
605 BC
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar comes to the throne of Babylon, beginning a prosperous reign of more than forty years
550 BC
Cyrus creates Persian empire
Cyrus, king of the Persians, takes Ecbatana, capital city of the Medes, and establishes the first Persian empire
550 BC
Etruscans in Rome
An Etruscan dynasty rules in Rome and Etruscan influence is now dominant throughout central Italy
522 BC
Darius wins Persian throne
Darius I wins the Persian throne and ushers in the heyday of the Achaemenid empire
500 BC
First Ethiopian kingdom
The rulers of Aksum, the first Ethiopian kingdom, claim descent from Solomon and the Queen of Sheba
400 BC
Magadha dominant in India
The kingdom of Magadha, with its capital at Rajgir (near modern Patna), emerges as the dominant power in north India
356 BC
Philip rules Macedonia
Philip II sets about making Macedon the most powerful state in Greece
356 BC
Alexander is born in Pella
Alexander the Great is born in Pella, the capital of his father Philip II, at the heart of the expanding Macedonian kingdom
323 BC
Alexander dies in Babylon
Alexander, still only 33, dies in Babylon following a banquet
from 323 BC
Alexander's legacy - the Hellenistic age
The spread of Greek rule by Alexander introduces the Hellenistic age, which will last for three centuries
323 BC
Ptolemy rules in Egypt
In the carve up of Alexander the Great's empire, Ptolemy wins Egypt and founds the Ptolemaic dynasty – with himself as the pharaoh Ptolemy I
322 BC
Alexander's corpse in Alexandria
Alexander's corpse, hijacked by Ptolemy, becomes a sacred relic in Alexandria
321 BC
Chandragupta Maurya rules
Chandragupta Maurya seizes the throne of Magadha, in India, and establishes the Mauryan dynasty
312 BC
Seleucia founded on Tigris
Seleucia is founded as a new capital on the Tigris, eclipsing Babylon and recycling much of the older city as building material
299 BC
New city at Antioch
Seleucus founds Antioch as a Greek city on the trade route between Mesopotamia and Europe
272 BC
Asoka creates first Indian empire
Asoka, a devotee of Buddhism, wins the Mauryan throne and establishes India's first empire
221 BC
Zhou dynasty ends
After 800 years the Zhou dynasty is brought to an end by the ruler of the Qin kingdom
221 BC
Short-lived Qin dynasty
The ruthless Qin dynasty establishes control over the whole of central China
213 BC
Books burnt in China
In the Qin dictatorship, all Confucian books are burnt (except those of any practical use) and 460 Confucian scholars are executed
207 BC
Nam-Viet gets Chinese king
A delegate from imperial China establishes the kingdom of Nam-Viet with himself as king
206 BC
Emperor buried with terracotta army
The Qin emperor, Shi Huangdi, is buried at Xi'an with a vast army of terracotta soldiers
206 BC
Han dynasty
The Han, the first of the great Chinese dynasties, is established
100 BC
Parthians build Ctesiphon
The Parthians develop the site of Ctesiphon, on the east bank of the Tigris opposite Seleucia
57 BC
Three kingdoms in Korea
Silla becomes the first of the three kingdoms of Korea, followed by Koguryo in 37 BC and Paekche in 18 BC
51 BC
Cleopatra rules
In the Ptolemaic tradition, Cleopatra marries her brother Ptolemy XIII and at the age of eighteen is joint ruler of Egypt
49 BC
Caesar crosses Rubicon
Julius Caesar crosses the river Rubicon (the southern boundary of Gaul) with his army – and in doing so launches a civil war
48 BC
Caesar defeats Pompey
Julius Caesar defeats his rival Pompey at Pharsalus, in Greece, and makes himself master of the Roman world
48 BC
Caesar dallies with Cleopatra
Julius Caesar, now fifty-two, meets the 21-year-old Cleopatra in Alexandria and they become lovers
47 BC
Cleopatra says her child is Caesar's
Cleopatra gives birth to a son and calls him Ptolemy XV Caesar (later known by the nickname Caesarion)
44 BC
Octavian is Caesar's heir
Octavian, an 18-year-old student in Apollonia, hears that he has been named by his uncle, Julius Caesar, as his successor and heir
37 BC
Herod rules Palestine
Herod, appointed king of Judaea by the senate in Rome, establishes his rule over Palestine
30 BC
Asp in Cleopatra's bosom
Cleopatra commits suicide, applying a poisonous asp to her breast,
27 BC
Octavian becomes Augustus Caesar
Octavian is given the life-long title of Augustus by the senate in Rome, becoming in effect the first Roman emperor
4
Augustus adopts Tiberius as successor
After the death of two of his grandsons, the emperor Augustus formally adopts his stepson Tiberius as his successor
4
Germanicus to be heir to Tiberius
Augustus Caesar insists on Tiberius adopting as his successor Germanicus, a talented young member of the imperial family
5
Germanicus marries granddaughter of Augustus
Germanicus, designated eventual heir to the throne, marries Agrippina, granddaughter of the ruling emperor
10
Pax Romana
The period of stability achieved during the reign of Augustus Caesar has been given the name Pax Romana ('Roman peace')
14
Life rough after Augustus
The death of Augustus introduces half a century of chaos, as the members of his family compete ruthlessly for power
14
Tiberius becomes emperor
Tiberius succeeds his stepfather Augustus Caesar as the Roman emperor
19
Germanicus dies campaigning in Syria
Germanicus, nephew and heir of the emperor Tiberius, dies when far away with the army in Syria
23
Eastern Han
The Han dynasty recovers control, after a 15-year interlude, and moves the capital to Loyang - starting the Eastern Han period
37
Caligula is emperor
Within the tangled and tormented web of the Roman imperial family, Gaius Caesar - nicknamed Caligula - inherits the throne
41
Claudius is emperor
Claudius, after the assassination of his nephew Caligula, is selected as emperor by the praetorian guards
41
Herod Agrippa in Palestine
Herod Agrippa, a grandson of Herod the Great, restores a brief calm to Palestine
54
Nero is emperor
The 16-year-old Nero is proclaimed emperor by the praetorian guards after the death of Claudius, supposedly poisoned by toadstools
64
Fire and fiddling in Rome
A great fire in Rome is popularly believed to have been started by Nero, whom legend also accuses of fiddling while the city burns
69
Year of the four emperors
A rebellion in Spain prompts such chaos that Rome has four emperors within a year, after the suicide of Nero in 68
69
Vespasian proclaimed emperor
Vespasian, proclaimed emperor by his troops in Alexandria, is the survivor among this year's four emperors
79
Titus is emperor
Titus becomes emperor on the death of his father, Vespasian, and begins a brief two-year reign of lavish public generosity
81
Domitian becomes emperor
Dying after a reign of only two years, Titus is succeeded on the imperial throne by his brother, Domitian
98
Trajan is emperor
Trajan, succeeding to the imperial throne in AD 98, is sufficiently confident to spend a year in Germany before returning to Rome
117
Hadrian is emperor
Hadrian, governing Syria when he is declared emperor, is confident enough to delay almost a year before returning to Rome
120
Kanishka rules in Peshawar
Kanishka rules the Kushan empire of Afghanistan and northern India from his capital at Peshawar
138
Hadrian selects Antoninus Pius
The emperor Hadrian, with no children of his own, appoints a respected senator, Antoninus Pius, to succeed him
161
Marcus Aurelius is emperor
Marcus Aurelius, for long the designated heir, becomes emperor on the death of Antoninus Pius
208
Ardashir is Persian king
Ardashir is crowned king of Fars - a first step towards his founding of the Sassanian dynasty in Persia
221
Han dynasty ends
The Han dynasty is brought to an end, after more than four centuries, by decades of peasant unrest
284
Diocletian is emperor
Diocletian, commanding an army near the Bosphorus in Thracia, is proclaimed emperor by his troops
305
Diocletian retires
Diocletian resigns from his position as Augustus because of ill health, and retires to Dalmatia
306
Constantine proclaimed emperor in York
Constantine's father, recently appoinnted Augustus in the west, dies at York and the young man is proclaimed Augustus in his place by the legions in Britain
312
Constantine wins with Christian emblem
Constantine, preparing for battle against a rival at the Milvian Bridge, orders his men to wear a Christian symbol, the Chi-Rho, on their shields
313
Constantine favours Christians
Constantine meets his co-emperor Licinius in Milan, and persuades him to follow a policy of encouraging the Christians
314
Constantine summons council at Arles
Warming to his new Christian role, Constantine summons more than 300 bishops to Arles to discuss the controversial issue of Donatus
320
Chandra Gupta extends realm
The territory of the Gupta dynasty is extended by Chandra Gupta, to include most of the great plain of the Ganges
325
Constantine's council at Nicaea
Constantine convenes a council of 200 bishops at Nicaea to discuss the beliefs of Arius, which are deemed to be heresy
330
Constantine's new Christian city
Constantine's new Christian city on the site of Byzantium is inaugurated, as Constantinople
337
Constantine baptized - just in time
Constantine is at last baptized a Christian in Nicomedia, just a few days before his death
350
Cushite dynasty fades in Nubia
The Cushite dynasty fades away in Nubia, after lasting for 1000 years or more
350
Yamato clan rules
The clan ruling the Yamato plain becomes so powerful that its chieftain is seen as the emperor of Japan
361
The emperor Julian goes pagan
Julian, the new emperor in Constantinople, plans to reinstate the pagan cult of the ancient Roman empire
363
Julian said to see error of ways
An apocryphal story states that Julian the Apostate, dying at Tarsus, acknowledges the victory of the Galilean, Jesus Christ
379
Theodosius is emperor
Theodosius becomes the Roman emperor and revives Constantine's close link between church and state
390
Emperor rebuked by bishop
St Ambrose asserts the authority of the church, refusing communion to the emperor Theodosius in Milan until he does penance for a massacre
400
First king of Ireland
Niall of the Nine Hostages is the first man to be called king of Ireland, though his direct control does not extend beyond Ulster
400
Yamato adapt Shinto
The Yamato clan adapt Shinto to their own purposes, and claim imperial descent from the sun
445
Huns press south across Danube
Attila murders his brother and becomes the sole ruler of the Huns, who are now pressing through Dacia and across the Danube
476
Odoacer ends western empire?
The tribal leader and mercenary Odoacer becomes king of Italy - an event often taken as defining the end of the Roman empire in the west
481
Clovis leads Franks
The 15-year-old Clovis inherits the Merovingian crown and becomes leader of the Franks - with his first capital at Tournai
487
Theodoric invades Italy
Theodoric the Ostrogoth, threatening Constantinople, is cunningly diverted by the emperor into invading Italy
493
Theodoric captures Ravenna
Theodoric wins Ravenna from Odoacer - by inviting Odoacer to a banquet and murdering him during the meal
500
Anglo-Saxon kingdom in west Sussex
According to Bede, the first widely accepted Anglo-Saxon ruler in southern Britain is Aelli, founder of the West Sussex kingdom
500
Clovis baptized at Reims
Clovis and some 3000 of his soldiers are baptized in a massive ceremony at Reims
526
Theodoric achieves greatness
By the end of his long reign Theodoric amply justifies his title 'the Great' and his place in legend as Dietrich von Bern
527
Justinian is emperor
Justinian becomes emperor in Constantinople, beginning a reign which will restore the empire to much of its former glory
540
Khosrau I builds at Ctesiphon
Khosrau I builds himself a superb new palace, of which the great vaulted Taq-e Kisra remains today at Ctesiphon
589
Sui dynasty established
After three centuries of chaos and disunion in China, a stable dynasty - the Sui - is established by Wen Ti (the Cultured Emperor)
618
T'ang dynasty
A high official of the Sui empire seizes power and establishes one of China's greatest dynasties, the T'ang
627
Byzantines recover True Cross
The Byzantine emperor Heraclius recovers the True Cross from Ctesiphon
632
Muhammad is succeeded by Abu Bakr
The death of Muhammad at Medina is followed by the election of the first caliph, Abu Bakr, a father-in-law of the prophet
634
Omar elected second caliph
Omar, another father-in-law of Muhammad, is elected as the second Muslim caliph (the word means 'sucessor to the Messenger of God')
644
Othman elected third caliph
After the assassination of Omar, Othman is elected as the third Muslim caliph
656
Ali defeats Aisha
Othman is assassinated, and Ali wins power as the fourth Muslim caliph - defeating Muhammad's widow Aisha at the 'battle of the camel' near Basra
661
Umayyad dynasty
Ali is assassinated and Mu'awiya becomes the fifth Muslim caliph, establishing the Umayyad dynasty
664
Northumbria chooses England's Christianity
The king of Northumbria summons a synod at Whitby to hear the arguments of Roman and Celtic Christians, then opts for Rome
670
Arabs rule from Damascus
With the entire middle east under their control, the Arabs make Damascus the capital of the Umayyad caliphate
687
Pepin unites Frankish kingdoms
With a victory at Tertry, Pepin II wins effective control over all three Frankish kingdoms
700
Turks and Khazars
The earliest two Turkish states are the confederation of Gök Türk and the empire of the Khazars
714
Civil war among Franks
The death of the Frankish 'mayor of the palace' Pepin II is followed by civil war between members of his family
724
Charles Martel wins control
The civil war among the Franks ends with complete victory for Charles Martel, an illegitimate grandson of Pepin II
741
Charles Martel dies
Charles Martel dies and leaves the Frankish kingdoms to his two sons, Carloman and Pepin III
747
Pepin III in full control
The elder son of Charles Martel retires to a monastery, leaving Pepin III in control of the entire Frankish empire
750
Pepin III is king of the Franks
With papal support Pepin III is elected king of the Franks, beginning the Carolingian dynasty (named from his father, Charles Martel)
750
Umayyads massacred by Abbasids
The Abbasids massacre the Umayyads in Damascus and establish a new caliphate
753
Pepin and Charlemagne anointed by pope
Pope Stephen II anoints Pepin III and his two sons (one of them Charlemagne) in the abbey church of St Denis
756
Umayyad dynasty in Cordoba
Abd-ar-Rahman, escaping from the massacre of his family in Syria, establishes a new Umayyad dynasty at Cordoba
762
Baghdad and the caliphs
The Abbasid caliphs create Baghdad as a new capital city on the Tigris
768
Pepin III dies
On the death of Pepin III, the empire of the Franks is divided between his two sons - Charlemagne and his younger brother, Carloman
771
Charlemagne rules all Franks
On the death of his brother, Charlemagne inherits the entire kingdom of the Franks
800
Christmas surprise for Charlemagne
In St Peter's in Rome, on Christmas Day, pope Leo III crowns Charlemagne emperor - supposedly to Charlemagne's surprise
813
Charlemagne's son is co-emperor
Charlemage has his only surviving legitimate son, Louis the Pious, crowned as his co-emperor
814
Charlemagne dies
Charlemagne dies and his son Louis the Pious inherits the whole, now greatly extended, Frankish empire
843
King of Scots accepted by Picts
Kenneth king of the Scots is accepted also as king of the Picts, providing the traditional founding event of the kingdom of Scotland
850
Mamelukes employed in Baghdad
The caliphs in Baghdad begin to employ Turkish slaves, or Mamelukes, in their armies
865
Bulgarians become Orthodox
The Bulgarian king Boris I is baptized in the Greek Orthodox faith, bringing his people within the Byzantine fold
866
Saffarids in Persia
The eastern part of the Persian empire comes under the control of the Saffarid dynasty
870
Mameluke seizes power in Egypt
Ahmad ibn Tulun, a Mameluke, seizes power in Egypt - establishing his own Tulunid dynasty
871
Alfred defeats Danes in Wessex
The young Alfred leads the English in their first significant victory over the Danes, at Ashdown
877
Imperial chancellor Fujiwara
The Fujiwara family creates for itself a new hereditary office, that of imperial chancellor, through which it effectively rules Japan
878
Rhodri rules in Wales
Rhodri Mawr, or Rhodri the Great, is widely accepted as king of almost the whole of Wales
900
Cholas in southern India
A Tamil kingdom, established by the Cholas, controls the whole of south India and will last for two centuries
900
Samanids in Bukhara
The Samanids, replacing the Saffarids, transform their capital at Bukhara into a centre of Persian culture
903
T'ang dynasty ends
The leader of a peasant uprising captures and kills the Chinese emperor, bringing to an end the T'ang dynasty
919
Henry I elected in east Frankish kingdom
Henry I is elected king of the east Frankish kingdom, consisting of four great feudal duchies - Bavaria, Swabia, Saxony and Franconia
929
Wenceslas murdered
Wenceslas, a prince of the Premsylid family, is murdered on his way into church - and becomes Bohemia's patron saint
935
Wank Kon rules Koryo
Wank Kon changes the name of his kingdom to Koryo, meaning 'high and beautiful', thus providing the rest of the world with the name Korea
950
Slavs become Orthodox
The Byzantine empire enjoys a revival, bringing the Slavs within the Greek Orthodox fold and winning victories against the Muslims
960
Song dynasty
A warlord, Zhao Kuangyin, establishes a new Chinese dynasty - the Song
960
Harald Bluetooth unites Denmark
Harald Bluetooth is baptized a Christian and unites the whole of Denmark as a single kingdom.
962
Otto I crowned in Rome
The imperial coronation of Otto I by Pope John XII in St Peter's puts in place the formal role of a Holy Roman emperor
965
Poles become Catholic
Mieszko, pagan chieftain of the Poles, marries a Christian Czech princess and brings all his people into the Roman Catholic fold
975
Hungarians become Catholic
The Hungarian king Gezá and his family are baptized as Roman Catholics, beginning a long link between Hungary and Rome
976
Brian Boru
Brian Boru becomes king of Munster and leader of the Irish campaign against the Vikings
976
Leopold is margrave of Austria
Leopold, of the Babenberg family, becomes margrave of Austria and founds a dynasty which lasts for three centuries
987
Western Frankish dynasty evolves into France
Hugh Capet, a Frankish noble elected king of west Francia, establishes the royal dynasty of France.
987
Capetian dynasty
Hugh Capet is the first in an unbroken line of twelve generations on the throne of France
987
Russians become Orthodox
Vladimir, the prince of Kiev, decides that Greek Orthodoxy is the most suitable religion for the Russian people
1000
Mapungubwe on the Limpopo
A trading centre at Mapungubwe, on the Limpopo, evolves into a state ruled by a king in a zimbabwe
1001
Pope sends crown to Hungary
Pope Sylvester II, according to tradition, sends a sacred crown for the coronation of Hungary's first king, St Stephen
1014
Brian Boru beats Vikings
Brian Boru, aged 73, achieves a major victory over the Vikings at Clontarf but is killed in his tent after the battle
1017
Canute king of England
Canute, joint king of Denmark, is accepted also as king of England after subduing the country and marrying Ethelred's widow
1020
Hawk's Castle for Habsburgs
Count Radbot builds himself a 'hawk's castle' or Habichstburg, near Zurich, from which the Habsburg dynasty takes its name
1024
Conrad II begins new line on German throne
Conrad II is elected as the German king, begining the dynasty variously known as Franconian or Salian
1030
Yaroslav puts Kiev on map
Yaroslav builds up his Russian kingdom and turns his capital, Kiev, into a spectacular Christian city
1042
Edward the Confessor king of England
Edward the Confessor, the rightful heir in the Anglo-Saxon royal line, becomes king of England
1050
Kingdom of Ife
Ife emerges as a powerful kingdom in the equatorial forest of the lower Niger
1055
Togrul Beg enters Baghdad
Togrul Beg enters Baghdad and is granted by the caliph the title of sultan, which becomes hereditary in his Seljuk dynasty
1057
Duncan's son slays Macbeth
Duncan's son, Malcolm, kills Macbeth in battle at Lumphanan - and in the following year is himself crowned at Scone
1066
Harold is promised English throne
On his death bed in Westminster, Edward the Confessor designates Harold - foremost among England's barons - as his successor
1066
Edward buried at Westminster
Edward the Confessor is buried in his new abbey church at Westminster, consecrated only the previous week
1066
Harold crowned king
On the day of Edward's burial, Harold is crowned king - almost certainly in the same abbey church at Westminster
1066
Harold loses at Hastings
Harold, hurrying south to confront the Normans after his victory at Stamford Bridge, is defeated and killed at Hastings
1066
William crowned in Westminster Abbey
William the Conqueror (William I) is crowned on Christmas Day at Westminster - giving the new abbey church two coronations and a royal funeral in its first year
1071
Turks take much of Anatolia
The campaigns of Alp Arslan, culminating in 1071, give the Seljuk Turks a lasting presence in Anatolia
1077
Penitence at Canossa
The emperor Henry IV stands as a penitent outside the pope's castle at Canossa, so as to be released from excommunication.
1085
Toledo captured by Christians
Toledo is captured from the Muslims by Alfonso VI of Castile, who continues the city's traditions of religious tolerance
1087
William II is king of England
On the death of his father, William the Conqueror, William II becomes king of England
1091
Sicily captured by Christians
Roger I, the first Norman count of Sicily, completes the conquest of the island from the Muslims
1099
Sultans of Rum
Konya, in central Turkey, becomes the capital of the Seljuk Turks, who call themselves sultans of Rum
1100
Henry I is king of England
On the death of his brother, William II, Henry I becomes king of England
1120
White Ship founders
The White Ship strikes a rock off the Cherbourg peninsula drowning William the Aetheling, heir to the English throne
1135
Stephen challenges Matilda
On the death of Henry I, his nephew Stephen moves quickly to keep Henry's daughter Matilda off the English throne
1136
Walter the steward becomes a Stewart
Walter FitzAlan takes a post as steward with the Scottish king, thus establishing the Stewart family and later dynasty
1138
Hohenstaufen dynasty
Conrad III, of the Hohenstaufen family, is elected German king - a title which remains in the family for more than a century, bringing with it that of Holy Roman emperor
1150
Khmer dynasty and Angkor Wat
The city of Angkor and the great temple of Angkor Wat are created by the Khmer dynasty in Cambodia
1152
Frederick Barbarossa king of Germany
Frederick Barbarossa becomes king of Germany and Holy Roman emperor, greatly extending the power of the empire during a long reign
1154
Henry II rules from Tweed to Pyrenees
Henry II, coming to the throne of England, is king or feudal overlord of an unbroken swathe of territory from the Tweed to the Pyrenees
1156
Vienna capital of Austria
Vienna is adopted by the Babenberg rulers as the capital city of Austria
1171
Saladin rules in Egypt
Saladin deposes the Fatimid caliph and brings Egypt back to orthodoxy, acknowledging the rule of the Sunni caliph in Baghdad
1171
Rhys is lord of south Wales
The English king, Henry II, acknowledges Rhys ap Gruffydd as the lord of south Wales
1174
William the Lion humiliated
The Scottish king, William the Lion, is captured raiding into Northumberland and is taken south with his feet tied beneath his horse
1185
Minamoto clan triumphant
The triumph of the Minamoto clan in Japan in 1185 leads to an uneasy relationship between the brothers Yoritomo and Yoshitsune
1189
Henry II succeeded by Richard I
The English king Henry II is succeeded by his third son as Richard I
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
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
1197
Three-year-old inherits Sicily and Germany
The three-year old Frederick II has a claim to the thrones of both Sicily and Germany on the death of his father, the emperor Henry VI
1199
John is king of England
On the death of his brother, Richard I, John becomes king of England
1206
Temujin becomes Genghis Khan
Temujin, elected chief of all the Mongol tribes, takes the name Genghis Khan
1216
Henry III is king of England
On the death of his father, King John, Henry III becomes king of England
1220
Frederick II is Holy Roman emperor
Frederick II is crowned Holy Roman emperor by a somewhat reluctant pope, Honorius III
1220
Llewellyn is called prince of Wales
Llewellyn ap Iorwerth acquires such authority over other Welsh chieftains that he is informally referred to as the prince of Wales
1222
Golden Bull in Hungary
Andrew II accepts the Golden Bull, a charter of liberties demanded by the nobles of Hungary
1225
Henry III reissues Magna Carta
Magna Carta is reissued slightly modified when Henry III comes of age; in the version which becomes enshrined in English law
1230
Ogedai Khan
Ogadai, son of Genghis Khan, turns his father's headquarters at Karakorum into a capital city
1232
Berber kingdom of Granada
The kingdom of Granada is established with a Berber noble, Muhammad I, as the first king
1240
Kingdom of Mali
A warlord, Sundiata, conquers Ghana and establishes the kingdom of Mali
1240
Haakon IV rules Norway
Haakon IV is the first ruler to build up a strong Norway, some two centuries after the region becomes a single kingdom
1240
Alexander wins on the ice
Alexander, a Russian prince, defeats a Swedish army on the frozen river Neva, thus winning his name Alexander Nevksy
1248
Sweden united by Birger Jarl
Birger Jarl establishes a dynasty which brings all Sweden under a single rule
1250
Mamelukes rule again in Egypt
The last sultan of Saladin's dynasty is murdered by slaves in the palace guard, and Mameluke rule is reintroduced in Egypt
1252
Alexander Nevsky grand prince of Vladimir
Alexander Nevsky, appointed grand prince of Vladimir in 1252, thrives by collaborating with the Mongols of the Golden Horde
1254
Hohenstaufen dynasty ends
The death of the last Hohenstaufen ruler, Conrad IV, leaves a vacancy on the German throne which is not filled for nineteen years
1258
Provisions of Oxford
Henry III accepts severe curtailment of his powers in the Provisions of Oxford, but then asks the pope to absolve him from his oath
1260
Otakar wins at Kressenbrunn
The Bohemian prince Otakar II, ruler also of Austria, extends his territories after defeating the Hungarians at Kressenbrunn
1260
Baybars wins at Ayn Jalut
At Ayn Jalut, near Nazareth, the Egyptian Mamelukes defeat the Mongol army of Hulagu - the first military setback for the Mongols
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
1263
Pope offers Sicily to French prince
Pope Urban IV offers Sicily to a French prince, Charles of Anjou, who marches south in 1266 to fight for the kingdom
1264
Kublai becomes great khan
Kublai defeats his brother Ariq Böge and thus establishes his position as Great Khan of the Mongols
1267
English acknowledge prince of Wales
In a treaty agreed at Shrewsbury, the English king Henry III acknowledges Llewellyn ap Gruffydd as the prince of Wales
1270
Assassins destroyed by Mamelukes
The Assassins are systematically destroyed by Baybars, the Mameluke sultan of Egypt
1271
Yuan dynasty
The Mongol leader Kublai Khan chooses a name for his new dynasty in China, calling it Ta Yuan ('Great Origin')
1272
Edward I is king of England
Edward I is in Sicily when he becomes king of England, on the death of his father, Henry III
1273
A Habsburg is elected German king
The period without a German king, known as the Great Interregnum, ends with the election of a Habsburg prince, Rudolf I
1278
Habsburgs gain Austria
At Dürnkrut Rudolf I defeats and kills Otakar II, his rival for Austria - thus bringing the Austrian territories into the Habsburg domain
1279
Hangzhou falls to Kublai Khan
With the fall of Hangzhou, the Song imperial capital, Kublai Khan's new Yüan dynasty is secure
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
1285
Osman leads Ottoman Turks
Osman inherits the leadership of the tribal group later known by a version of his name, as the Ottoman Turks
1289
7-year-old Margaret betrothed to 5-year-old Edward
Edward I of England arranges for his 5-year-old heir to marry Margaret the Maid of Norway, the 7-year-old heiress to the kingdom of Scotland
1290
8-year-old Margaret dies in Orkneys
The death of Margaret, child heiress to the Scottish throne, results in John de Balliol being chosen as king
1296
English remove Stone of Scone
Edward I invades Scotland, massacres the people of Berwick, captures John de Balliol and brings to Westminster the Stone of Scone
1297
William Wallace shows a brave heart
William Wallace's victory over the English at Stirling Bridge enables him to rule Scotland on behalf of John de Balliol
1301
English prince of Wales
Edward I, conqueror of Wales, bestows the cherished title 'prince of Wales' on his own heir, the future Edward II
1301
Arpad dynasty ends
Andrew III of Hungary dies without an heir, bringing to an end four centuries of rule by the descendants of Arpad
1306
Robert de Bruce is king of Scots
After the murder of his rival, in a church in Dumfries, Robert de Bruce is crowned king of Scots at Scone
1307
Edward I dies campaigning
The English king Edward I dies campaigning near Carlisle, on an expedition north against his Scottish rival Robert the Bruce
1307
Edward II is king of England
On the death of his father, Edward I, Edward II becomes king of England
1309
Pope moves to Avignon
Clement V moves the papacy to Avignon, in a move which is expected to be temporary but which lasts for nearly seventy years
1309
Angevin dynasty in Hungary
The hiatus on the Hungarian throne ends when the Angevin contender is crowned as Charles I
1314
Victory for Bruce at Bannockburn
After years of guerilla warfare, Robert de Bruce defeats the English conclusively at Bannockburn - and becomes at last secure in his kingdom
1316
Edward Bruce crowned king of Ireland
Edward Bruce is crowned king of Ireland at Dundalk, but his uprising ends two years later when he is killed in battle with the English
1320
Cracow is capital
Wladyslaw I is crowned king of Poland in Cracow, which he makes his capital city
1326
Edward II imprisoned
Edward II is captured and imprisoned by his queen, Isabella, and her lover, Mortimer
1327
Edward III replaces his father
Isabella forces Edward II to renounce the English throne in favour of their 15-year-old son, Edward III
1327
Edward II murdered in Berkeley castle
Edward II, imprisoned by his wife and her lover, dies in Berkeley castle - almost certainly the victim of murder
1328
Capetian dynasty ends
When Charles IV dies, for the first time in more than 400 years of the Capetian dynasty there is no son or brother to inherit the French crown
1328
English accept independent Scottish kingdom
The English finally accept a treaty, in Edinburgh, declaring that Robert de Bruce is king of a Scotland 'free and divided from the kingdom of England'
1328
Valois dynasty begins
A French cousin, Philip of Valois, is selected to succeed Charles IV - in preference to an English cousin, Edward III
1329
David II is king of Scots
On the death of his father, Robert the Bruce, David II becomes king of Scotland
1333
Casimir is Great
The long reign of Casimir III, known as the Great, is a time of prosperity and achievement in Poland
1337
Property dispute launches Hundred Years' War
Philip VI of France confiscates Guienne, a fief belonging to Edward III of England - whose response begins the Hundred Years' War
1338
Ashikaga shogun moves to Kyoto
A new dynasty, the Ashikaga shogunate, comes into power after a member of the family, Takauji, wins a civil war
1340
English king claims France
Edward III, in Ghent, publicly assumes the title and the arms of the king of France
1346
Heyday of Prague under Charles IV
Charles IV, king of Bohemia, German king and Holy Roman emperor, makes Prague a glittering centre of learning and architecture
1356
Seven permanent electors
Charles IV establishes a permanent group of seven electors - four hereditary German rulers and the archbishops of Mainz, Cologne and Trier
1356
Three-day battle at Poitiers
The battle of Poitiers ends, on the third day, with victory for the English and the capture of the French king, John II
1360
Ransom of 3 million gold crowns
After four years of captivity in Bordeaux and London, the French king John II is released for a promised ransom of 3 million gold crowns
1368
Ming dynasty replaces Yüan
Chu Yüan-chang drives the Mongols out of Beijing and declares a new dynasty - the Ming (meaning 'brilliant')
1368
Tibet secedes from Chinese empire
On the fall of the Yuan dynasty, replaced by the Ming, Tibet declares its independence from China
1369
Burgundy marries Flanders
The marriage of the duke of Burgundy to the heiress of Flanders lays the foundation for the great territorial expansion of Burgundy
1371
Stewart dynasty on Scottish throne
On the death of his uncle, David II, Robert Stewart becomes king of Scotland as Robert II
1377
Richard II succeeds Edward III
10-year-old Richard II follows his grandfather, Edward III, on the English throne
1377
Pope returns to Rome
The papal curia returns to Rome in what would seem a conclusive move if there were not, two years later, two popes - one of them elected back in Avignon
1377
Jogaila inherits Lithuania
Jogaila inherits a pagan Lithuanian kingdom which has been extended as far south as Kiev
1379
Great Schism in papacy
The French cardinals, objecting to the new Italian pope, elect their own man as Clement VII - and thus inaugurate the Great Schism of the papacy
1380
Dimitri defeats the Mongols
Dimitri, grand prince of Moscow, leads other Russian princes in a crushing victory over the Mongols on the Kulikovo plain
1384
Visconti enlarges Milan
Gian Galeazzo Visconti, the signore of Milan, sets about enlarging his territory - seizing Vicenza, Verona and Padua between 1384 and 1388
1385
Portuguese victory at Aljubarrota
The victory at Aljubarrota, securing the Portuguese throne for John I, is commemorated in the Dominican abbey called Batalha
1386
Poland and Lithuania marry
Jadwiga, 12-year-old queen of Poland, marries Jogaila, her 34-year-old pagan neighbour - uniting the crowns of Poland and Lithuania
1389
Margaret rules Scandinavia
With a victory near Falköping, Margaret becomes regent of Sweden as well as Denmark and Norway
1390
Robert III is king of Scots
On the death of his father, Robert II, Robert III becomes king of Scotland
1392
French king goes mad
Charles VI, king of France, suffers the first of many violent fits of madness
1392
Yi dynasty in Korea
Yi Song-gye founds the Yi dynasty, which rules in Korea until the twentieth century
1393
Ottoman Turks occupy Bulgaria
The Ottoman sultan Bayazid I brings the Slav kingdom of Bulgaria under his control
1397
Golden Pavilion in Kyoto
The Golden Pavilion in Kyoto is built by the shogun Yoshimitsu as his own villa
1397
Scandinavian kingdoms united
With the coronation of the 16-year-old Eric of Pomerania, the crowns of Denmark, Norway and Sweden are formally united for the first time
1398
Timur sacks Delhi
Timur devastates Delhi and loots treasure to take back to Samarkand on 120 elephants
1399
Henry IV wins Richard's crown
Richard II cedes his crown to Bolingbroke, as Henry IV, and a few months later dies in Pontefract castle - probably starved to death
1400
Welsh prince of Wales again
The Welsh rise against the English and proclaim Owain Glyn Dwr as their own prince of Wales
1402
Timur captures Turkish sultan
The Ottoman sultan Bayazid is defeated and captured near Ankara by Timur, who keeps the sultan in captivity until his death the following year
1404
Owain Glyn Dwr victorious
Owain Glyn Dwr captures Aberystwyth and Harlech from the English and sets up an independent Welsh administration
1405
Timur buried in Samarkand
Timur is buried in a mausoleum (the Gur Amir) in Samarkand, a city which becomes an inspiration to his descendants
1406
James I is king of Scots
On the death of his father, Robert III, James I becomes king of Scotland
1407
Brother of king murdered in Paris street
Rivalry between factions of the French royal family results in the murder in Paris of the king's brother, Louis duke of Orléans, and the onset of civil war
1408
Owain Glyn Dwr loses support
Driven from Aberystwyth and Harlech, Owain Glyn Dwr loses support - and the last Welsh rebellion fades away
1409
Two popes too many
The Council at Pisa elects a new pope, Alexander V, without persuading the other two to resign - bringing the total to an unprecedented three
1410
Timur's son rebuilds Herat
Shah Rukh, son of Timur, begins rebuilding the city of Herat
1413
Henry V is king
Henry V succeeds his father, Henry IV, as king of England
1417
Three popes reduced to one
The Council of Constance, having done its best to dispose of the three existing popes, elects a new one - Martin V
1419
Duke of Burgundy murdered by Armagnacs
John the Fearless, duke of Burgundy, is murdered by the Armagnac faction in the presence of the dauphin - escalating France's civil war
1420
English king heir to French crown
The treaty of Troyes, between the English and the Burgundian faction, grants Henry V the status of heir to the French throne
1420
Henry V marries Catherine
Henry V marries Catherine, daughter of the French king and sister of the rightful heir to the kingdom, the dauphin, who is on the opposing side
1421
Ming emperor moves capital
The third Ming emperor moves the capital from Nanjing to Beijing and begins laying out the Forbidden City
1422
Charles VII is king of Bourges
The dauphin proclaims himself Charles VII of France, but with Paris in the hands of his enemies he is known as the king of Bourges
1422
Infant king of England and France
Henry VI, son of Henry V and Catherine of France, is king of England and theoretically king of France before his first birthday
1425
Temple of Heaven in Beijing
The Temple of Heaven in Beijing is built for the third emperor of the Ming dynasty
1428
Peasant girl hears voices
A peasant girl, Joan of Arc, hears the voices of saints urging her to relieve the siege of Orléans
1429
Joan face to face with Charles
Joan of Arc wins her way into the presence of Charles VII at Chinon and persuades him, eventually, to trust her
1429
Orléans falls to Joan and the French
Joan of Arc leads French forces in the successful relief of Orléans
1429
Anointing of king at Reims
Joan of Arc stands nearby while Charles VII is anointed at Reims, then kneels before him and for the first time calls him her king
1430
Joan captured in skirmish
Joan of Arc is captured in a skirmish with the Burgundians, who subsequently hand her over to the English
1431
Joan burned as a heretic
Joan of Arc, tried by the Inquisition on behalf of the English in Rouen, is burned at the stake as a relapsed heretic
1433
Cosimo arrested
Cosimo de' Medici, arrested by a rival faction, escapes with his life thanks to bribes and well-placed friends
1437
French king back in Paris
Charles VII enters Paris, marking conclusively the end of the French civil war
1437
James II is king of Scots
On the death of his father, James I, James II becomes king of Scotland
1438
Holy Roman empire reserved for Habsburgs
The office of Holy Roman emperor becomes a hereditary title within the Habsburg dynasty
1438
Inca prince seizes throne
After a decisive victory over the Chanca people, a young Inca prince seizes the throne in Peru and takes the name Pachacuti
1440
Pachacuti in Cuzco
Cuzco, city of the Incas, grows rapidly in power after Pachacuti ('transformer of the earth') becomes emperor
1442
Naples captured for Aragon
Naples is captured by Alfonso V, breaking the link with France and uniting Sicily and Naples as an Aragonese kingdom
1450
Christian slaves for sultan's bodyguard
Christian boys, trained as slaves in the personal service of the Turkish sultan, acquire considerable power as the elite corps of janissaries
1450
Sforza rules Milan
Francesco Sforza, a soldier of fortune, wins power in Milan
1453
Constantinople falls to Turks
Constantinople falls to a 21-year-old Muslim conqueror, Mehmed II, bringing the Ottoman Turks their capital city
1453
Turkish victory establishes Ottoman empire
The Christian emperor Constantine XI dies in the fighting in Constantinople, as the Greek Byzantine empire yields to that of the Ottoman Turks
1455
Clash between white and red roses
An engagement at St Albans is the first battle in the 30-year struggle between the white and red roses of York and Lancaster
1458
Matthias Corvinus king of Hungary
Matthias Corvinus begins a long reign which brings Moravia, Silesia and much of Austria within the Hungarian kingdom
1460
James III is king of Scots
On the death of his father, James II, James III becomes king of Scotland
1461
Edward IV triumphant
The first success in the Wars of the Roses goes to the white rose, with the Yorkist prince crowned as Edward IV
1461
Henry VI flees
Henry VI flees to Scotland, abandoning the kingdom to the usurping Edward IV
1462
Conqueror begins Topkapi Sarayi
Mehmed II, conqueror of Constantinople, begins to build Topkapi Sarayi as his palace
1463
Incas conquer Chimu
The Chimu empire in Peru is conquered by the Incas under the leadership of Pachacuti's son Topa
1464
Cosimo is father of fatherland
After his death in 1464, Cosimo de' Medici acquires the posthumous title pater patriae – father of the fatherland
1464
Turks conquer Bosnia
Mehmed II and the Ottoman Turks conquer Bosnia, where a large number of noble families convert to Islam
1469
Orkneys and Shetlands are a royal dowry
The Orkneys and Shetlands come into the possession of James III of Scotland with the dowry of Margaret of Denmark
1469
Aragon and Castile marry
The marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella unites the crowns of Aragon and Castile, creating virtually a unified Spain
1471
Topa is Inca emperor
Topa succeeds his father, Pachacuti, as emperor of the Incas
1477
Maximilian I wins Burgundy by marriage
Maximilian, heir to Austria, weds Mary, heiress to Burgundy, in the first of the great marriage alliances which form the Habsburg empire
1480
Ivan III withholds Mongol tax
Ivan III, grand prince of Russia, becomes the first to deny the Mongols of the Golden Horde their annual tribute of tax
1483
Edward IV dies
The English king Edward IV dies and his succeeded by his 12-year-old son as Edward V
1483
Princes in the Tower
The two royal princes, Edward V and his younger brother, are confined in the Tower of London by their uncle - soon to be Richard III
1483
Richard III proclaimed
Richard III has himself proclaimed king by a parliament held at Westminster, and begins a short reign of only two years
1485
King of Hungary holds court in Vienna
Matthias Corvinus, king of Hungary, captures Vienna and makes the city his capital
1485
Henry VII wins at Bosworth Field
Henry Tudor kills Richard III at Bosworth Field and takes the crown as Henry VII
1486
Roses united in Tudor version
Henry VII, whose mother is Lancastrian, marries the Yorkist heiress Elizabeth and thus unites the roses - in the Tudor rose
1488
James IV is king of Scots
On the death of his father, James III, James IV becomes king of Scotland
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
1492
Muslim Istanbul welcomes Jews
Bayazid II, the Turkish sultan, makes a special point of welcoming in Istanbul the Jews expelled from Spain
1493
Huayna Capac is emperor
On Topa's death his son Huayna Capac succeeds to the throne as Inca emperor
1494
King of France claims Naples
Charles VIII, king of France, marches through the Alps with an army of 30,000, to claim the throne of Naples
1494
Piero de' Medici flees from Florence
Piero de' Medici and his brothers flee from Florence, after a mob ransacks the Medici palace
1495
King of France crowned in Naples
Charles VIII captures Naples in February and is crowned there in May, but is forced back across the Alps before the end of the year
1496
Austria marries Spain
Philip, heir to Austria, marries Joanna, a daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, in the second of the great Habsburg marital alliances
1501
Safavid dynasty in Persia
The 14-year-old Ismail I is enthroned as shah of a new Persian dynasty, the Safavids
1503
Stewart and Tudor wedding
The marriage of James IV, king of Scotland, to Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII, leads a century later to the Union of the Crowns
1504
Babur captures Kabul
Babur captures Kabul, making it and eastern Afghanistan the first possession of the Mughal empire
1509
Henry VIII is king of England
On the death of his father, and as the result of the death of his elder brother Arthur, Henry VIII becomes king of England
1513
Scots defeated at Flodden
James IV of Scotland dies at Flodden, in the disastrous defeat of his army by the English
1513
James V is king of Scots
On the death of his father at Flodden, the one-year-old James V becomes king of Scotland
1515
Francis I is king of France
Louis XII is succeeded on the French throne by his cousin and son-in-law, Francis I
1516
Spain has Habsburg king
The death of Ferdinand II results in Spain becoming part of the Habsburg empire, under the rule of Charles V (as Charles I of Spain)
1516
Catherine of Aragon has a daughter
Catherine of Aragon gives birth to a daughter, Mary, who becomes the only one of her six children to live beyond infancy
1517
Ottomans end Mameluke rule
The Ottoman sultan, Selim I, captures Cairo and ends Mameluke rule in the middle east
1517
Caliph removed to Istanbul
The last Abbasid caliph, captured by the Ottoman Turks, is taken as a prisoner to Istanbul - ending the authentic line of 'successors' to Muhammad
from 1517
Ottomans achieve new empire for Islam
From Bosnia to Egypt and Arabia, the Ottoman Turks now rule the largest Muslim empire since the early caliphate - and will frequently use the title of caliph to assert their authority within Sunni Islam
1521
Turks take Belgrade
The Turkish sultan, Suleiman I, marches into the kingdom of Hungary and captures Belgrade
1523
Gustavus begins Vasa dynasty
The Vasa dynasty in Sweden begins with the seizing of the throne by Gustavus I
1525
Huayna Capac dies of smallpox
The Inca emperor, Huayna Capac, dies in an epidemic of a western disease, smallpox
1525
Atahualpa and Huáscar are rivals
Ruling respectively from Cuzco and Quito, Huáscar and Atahualpa compete for the empire of their father, Huayna Capac
1526
Babur wins at Panipat
In a battle at Panipat Babur defeats the sultan of Delhi, launching the Mughal empire in India
1526
Turks crush Hungarians at Mohacs
The Hungarian king, Louis II, is killed in battle at Mohacs, where the Turks win a crushing victory
1527
Francis I at Fontainebleau
Francis I begins to transform Fontainebleau into a palace, employing artists who establish the mannerist school of Fontainebleau
1527
Babur wins at Khanua
Victory at Khanua, over a Hindu confederation of Rajput rulers, brings Babur a tenuous control over most of northwest India
1527
Swedish king plunders monasteries
Gustavus I of Sweden fills his coffers by appropriating the property of Catholic churches and monasteries
1528
Bible studies affect divorce
Discussion of Henry VIII's proposed divorce hinges on rival verses from the Old Testament, in Deuteronomy and Leviticus
1530
Atahualpa kills Huáscar
Atahualpa defeats and kills his half-brother Huáscar, thus winning control of the entire Inca empire
1530
Humayun succeeds Babur
The first Mughal emperor, Babur, dies in India and is succeeded by his son, Humayun
1533
Henry VIII marries Anne Boleyn
In a secret ceremony Henry VIII marries Anne Boleyn, though he has not yet succeeded in divorcing Catherine of Aragon
1533
Henry VIII divorces Catherine
Thomas Cranmer, the archbishop of Canterbury, declares Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine of Aragon null and void
1533
Henry VIII disappointed by another daughter
Anne Boleyn has a child (the future Elizabeth I) but not of the sex her husband wants
1534
Henry VIII head of English church
Henry VIII's Act of Supremacy forces prominent figures in English public life to accept him on oath as head of the Church of England
1536
English king plunders monasteries
Henry VIII begins the process of gathering in the wealth of England's monasteries
1536
Danish king plunders monasteries
Christian III seizes the wealth of Danish churches and monasteries, before turning his attention to those of Norway
1536
Anne Boleyn executed
Henry VIII's queen, Anne Boleyn, is beheaded in the Tower of London on unsubstantiated charges of adultery
1536
Henry VIII marries Jane Seymour
Henry VIII marries Jane Seymour, eleven days after the execution of Anne Boleyn
1537
Jane Seymour has a son
Jane Seymour gives birth to Henry VIII's long-awaited male heir (the future Edward VI)
1537
Jane Seymour dies
Jane Seymour dies twelve days after giving birth to Henry VIII's heir, the future Edward VI
1541
Turks take Buda
Suleiman I takes Buda (now Budapest), and by 1547 the Turks occupy almost the whole of Hungary
1542
Mary is Queen of Scots
A one-week-old Scottish infant, daughter of James V, inherits the throne as Mary Queen of Scots
1543
Humayun driven from India
Humayun, driven west into Afghanistan by Sher Shah, loses his family's new inheritance in India
1547
Henry VIII succeeded by Edward VI
On the death of Henry VIII his 10-year-old son becomes king of England as Edward VI
1547
Ivan is terrible
Ivan IV is crowned tsar of Russia and becomes known as Ivan the Terrible
1550
Mongols submit to Manchuria
The Mongols, increasingly dominated by their neighbours in Manchuria, submit to them and are accepted by the Manchus as vassals
1553
Mary I tries to restore Catholic England
Mary I succeeds to the English throne, and devotes her energies to the restoration of the Catholic faith
1554
Mary I marries Catholic heir to Spain
Mary I causes grave offence in England by her marriage to the Catholic heir to the king of Spain
1555
Religious compromise at Augsburg
The Peace of Augsburg achieves a compromise which for a while solves the religious tensions deriving from the Reformation
1555
Humayun wins at Sirhind
Civil war within India enables Humayun to win a battle at Sirhind and recover the Mughal throne
1556
Charles V abdicates
Charles V abdicates, handing the Netherlands and Spain to his son Philip and the title of Holy Roman emperor to his brother Ferdinand
1556
Akbar emperor of India
Humayun dies and Akbar, the greatest of the Mughal emperors, inherits the throne at the age of thirteen
1556
Two Habsburg empires
The division by Charles V of his territories means that there are now two Habsburg empires, Austrian and Spanish
1558
Mary I succeeded by sister, Elizabeth
Elizabeth I succeeds peacefully to the throne of England, after the turmoil of Mary's Catholic reign
1558
Mary Queen of Scots marries heir to French throne
Mary Queen of Scots marries the heir to the French throne, who a year later succeeds as Francis II
1558
Stewart become Stuart
With its strong French connection, the Scottish royal name of Stewart begins to be spelt Stuart (there being no 'w' in native French words)
1560
Mary Queen of Scots widowed at seventeen
A year after Mary has become queen of France, her husband Francis II dies
1561
Knox and Mary disagree
Mary Queen of Scots returns from France to Edinburgh, and to an inevitable clash with John Knox
1565
Mary marries her cousin Darnley
Mary Queen of Scots marries her Catholic cousin, Henry Darnley
1566
Rizzio assassinated
Mary Queen of Scots' secretary, David Rizzio, is dragged from her presence and stabbed to death
1566
Darnley involved in murder of Rizzio
Mary Queen of Scots' husband Darnley is treacherously involved in the murder of her secretary, Rizzio
1567
Darnley murdered, Mary marries suspect
Darnley is murdered, almost certainly at the instigation of Mary Queen of Scots' lover, Bothwell, whom she marries just three months later
1567
Letters implicate Mary Queen of Scots
A casket of letters seems to incriminate Mary Queen of Scots herself in the murder of her husband, Darnley
1567
Mary Queen of Scots is deposed
The events of this year give the Protestant nobility the occasion and opportunity of deposing Mary Queen of Scots
1567
James VI is king of Scots
On the removal of Mary from the Scottish throne, her one-year-old son succeeds her as James VI
1568
Mary Queen of Scots at Elizabeth's mercy
Mary Queen of Scots flees across the border to seek the help of her English cousin, Elizabeth, but finds herself kept under close guard
1569
English rebels support Mary
A rebellion in the north of England aims to put Mary Queen of Scots on the English throne
1570
Pope excommunicates English queen
Pope Pius V excommunicates the English queen, Elizabeth I, causing a severe crisis of loyalty for her Catholic subjects
1571
Ridolfi in plot for Mary
Roberto di Ridolfi, a Florentine banker, coordinates a scheme to win the English throne for Mary Queen of Scots
1573
William of Orange goes Calvinist
William of Orange declares himself a Calvinist and assumes the leadership of the united provinces of the Netherlands
1573
Oda Nobunaga top warlord
Oda Nobunaga takes power into his own hands, after ruling for a while through the Ashikaga shogun
1575
Polish crown for Stephen Báthory
Stefan Báthory, prince of Transylvania, is elected king of Poland
1580
Spain annexes Portugal
A Spanish army marches into Portugal to claim the crown for the king of Spain, Philip II
1586
Babington plots for Mary
Anthony Babington is involved in a plot to assassinate Elizabeth and place Mary Queen of Scots on the English throne
1587
Mary Queen of Scots beheaded
Mary Queen of Scots, implicated in the Babington plot, is beheaded in Fotheringay castle
1587
Abbas I is shah
16-year-old Abbas I, subsequently one of the greatest of shahs, inherits the throne of Persia
1588
Dutch republic goes Orange
The House of Orange becomes the leading family of the new Dutch republic
1593
French king converts to secure throne
Henry IV becomes a Catholic so as to secure Paris and the throne of France
1598
James VI claims divine right
James VI of Scotland argues in an anonymous book that kings, appointed by God, are above human law
1603
Tokugawa Ieyasu is shogun
The warlord Tokugawa Ieyasu is awarded the title of shogun, beginning nearly three centuries of the Tokugawa shogunate
1603
James VI is James I
James VI of Scotland inherits peacefully the crown of his English cousin Elizabeth, and becomes James I of England
1603
Union of the Crowns
The accession of James I and VI to the throne of England brings the union of the crowns of England and Scotland
1605
Jahangir on Mughal throne
On the death of Akbar, his son Jahangir succeeds to the Mughal throne
1610
French king murdered in Paris street
Henry IV is assassinated in a Paris street by a Roman Catholic, François Ravaillac
1610
Marie de Médicis is French regent
After the assassination of Henry IV, his wife Marie de Médicis becomes regent for the 9-year-old Louis XIII
1613
First tsar of Romanov dynasty
Michael Romanov is elected tsar, beginning a new dynasty on the Russian throne
1619
Protestant elected king in Bohemia
The Protestant Frederick V (elector palatine of the Rhine) is elected king by the rebellious Bohemian nobles
1620
Battle at White Mountain
The battle of the White Mountain, to the west of Prague, ends the brief reign of Frederick V in Bohemia
1625
Dahomey kingdom founded
Three brothers among the Dahomey people establish a long-lasting kingdom in the Bight of Benin
1625
Charles I is king of England
On the death of his father, James VI and I, Charles I becomes king of England and Scotland
1632
Swedish king dies in cavalry charge
The Swedish army wins another convincing victory at Lützen, but Gustavus II dies leading a cavalry charge
1642
Five Members evade royal arrest
Charles I comes in person to the House of Commons, but fails in his attempt to arrest the Five Members whom he accuses of treason
1642
King leaves London
Charles I leaves London and heads for the north of England, where his support is the strongest
1642
Queen leaves England
Henrietta Maria, the wife of Charles I, travels to Holland, taking with her the English crown jewels
1642
Dalai Lama rules
The Mongols depose the ruling dynasty of Tibet and offer the country to the Dalai Lama, to be ruled by him with Mongol military support
1642
King withdraws to Oxford
Charles I withdraws to Oxford, where he establishes his court for the rest of the war
1643
4-year-old is king of France
Louis XIV inherits the throne of France at the age of four
1644
Ming becomes Qing
The last Ming emperor hangs himself, and China acquires a new and final dynasty - the Qing
1646
Shivaji makes first conquest
A young Hindu prince, Shivaji, captures Bijapur in a campaign against Muslim rulers, enabling him to establish the large and long-lasting Maratha empire
1647
King a prisoner at Hampton Court
Charles I is held at his palace of Hampton Court, as a prisoner of Cromwell and parliament
1649
Charles I brought to trial
Charles I, brought to trial before 135 commissioners in Westminster Hall, refuses to recognise the court's validity
1649
Charles I convicted of treason
After a trial lasting a week in Westminster Hall, Charles I is convicted of treason for fighting a war against parliament
1649
Charles I beheaded
Charles I is beheaded on a scaffold erected in the street in London's Whitehall
1649
Charles II inherits English throne
Charles II, in the Hague, inherits the English and Scottish thrones of his executed father, Charles I
1649
Parliament abolishes monarchy
Parliament in London abolishes the monarchy in England, as 'unnecessary, burdensome, and dangerous'
1651
Charles II crowned at Scone
Charles II returns to Scotland and is crowned king of Scots in the traditional manner at Scone
1654
Christina abandons Sweden for Rome
Queen Christina, a secret convert to Catholicism, abdicates in Sweden and travels to Rome
1658
Mughal emperor a prisoner in Agra
For the final years of his life the emperor Shah Jahan is held a prisoner, by his son Aurangzeb, in Agra's Red Fort
1660
Declaration of Breda
Monck persuades Charles II to sign, at Breda in Holland, a declaration of policies to heal the wounds of the Civil War
1660
Charles II invited to return
The new Convention Parliament in Westminster invites Charles II to return as king
1660
Monarchy restored in England
Charles II lands at Dover and is given a warm welcome in London four days later
1660
Act of Indemnity
The Act of Indemnity, pardoning all offences since 1637 except those of the regicides, is given the royal assent
1661
Cromwell posthumously executed
The body of Oliver Cromwell is hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn
1665
Danish king granted absolute power
A new Danish constitution (the Kongeloven or King's Law) makes the monarchy hereditary and grants the king absolute power
1669
Heir to British throne turns Catholic
The duke of York, heir to the English and Scottish thrones, is secretly received into the Roman Catholic church
1685
Catholic king in Britain
James II succeeds to the throne in Britain and immediately introduces pro-Catholic policies
1687
Habsburg rule accepted by Hungarians
The Hungarian diet grants the Habsburg dynasty in Austria a hereditary right to the crown of St Stephen
1688
Catholic heir to British throne
A son (the future 'Old Pretender') is born to James II, giving Britain a Catholic heir to the throne
1688
Dutch prince offered British throne
English grandees invite William III of Orange and his wife Mary, daughter of James II, to claim the British throne
1688
Willliam III marches on London
William III of Orange lands with an army at Torbay and marches to London with almost no opposition from supporters of James II
1689
Bill of Rights to restrict British monarchs
Parliament in Westminster makes the restrictive Bill of Rights the condition on which William III and Mary II are crowned
1689
James II welcomed in Catholic Ireland
James II, landing in Ireland, is acclaimed as king in Dublin by enthusiastic Irish Catholics
1689
Peter the Great is tsar
The 17-year-old Peter the Great becomes co-tsar of Russia with his half-brother Ivan V
1690
Presbyterian Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland finally wins recognition as an independent Presbyterian body
1694
Mary II dies
The joint monarch of England, Mary II, dies - leaving her husband, William III, to reign alone
1700
French prince inherits Spain
Charles II, the childless king of Spain. leaves all his territories to Philip of Anjou, a grandson of the French king, Louis XIV
1700
Tsar promotes education and enterprise
Peter the Great sets up numerous schools and commercial enterprises to enable Russia to compete in Europe
1701
Act of Settlement vetoes Catholic monarch
The Act of Settlement declares that no Catholic may inherit the English crown
1702
Anne is queen of England
On the death of her brother-in-law, William III, Anne becomes queen of England and Scotland
1703
Tsar finds love of his life
Peter the Great falls for a Lithuanian serf, Catherine, who becomes his life-long companion
1707
Last Great Mughal dies
The death of Aurangzeb introduces the long period of decline of the Mughal empire
1712
Peter the Great marries Catherine
The tsar formally marries Catherine, his mistress for nearly ten years (though they may have married secretly five years earlier)
1713
Pragmatic Sanction for Habsburg inheritance
The emperor Charles VI issues a Pragmatic Sanction, declaring that the remaining Habsburg empire can be inherited through the female line
1714
Hanoverian elector becomes George I
On the death of Queen Anne, the Act of Settlement delivers the British crown to the elector of Hanover, as George I
1715
Louis XIV dies
Louis XIV dies after seventy-two years on the throne
1716
Male heir to Habsburg empire dies
The Habsburg emperor Charles VI has a son, but the child dies within the year
1718
Peter's son Alexis dies in prison
The tsarevitch Alexis, heir to Peter the Great, dies from violence inflicted on him in prison
1721
Peter acclaimed as more than plain tsar
In a ceremony in St Petersburg's cathedral Peter the Great has himself proclaimed 'emperor of all Russia'
1725
Peter the Great dies
The Russian tsar Peter the Great dies and is succeeded by his wife as the empress Catherine I
1727
George II is the British king
On the death of his father, George I, George II becomes king of Great Britain
1727
Zadok the Priest
Handel composes Zadok the Priest for the crowning of George II, and it has been sung at every subsequent British coronation
1733
France and Spain in family compact
An alliance between the French and Spanish Bourbons is the first of what become known as the Family Compacts
1736
Brigand on throne of Persia
The leader of a gang of tribal brigands seizes the Persian throne and takes the name Nadir Shah
1737
Last Medici duke
Florence loses her independence when the last Medici duke of Tuscany dies
1738
France accepts Pragmatic Sanction
In the Treaty of Vienna, France accepts the Pragmatic Sanction of Charles VI – the last of the European powers to do so
1740
Cultured Frederick on Prussian throne
Frederick II, inheriting the throne in Prussia, establishes a cultured and musical court
1740
Maria Theresa inherits in Austria
The Habsburg emperor Charles VI dies and is succeeded by his elder daughter, the 23-year-old Maria Theresa
1744
Rise of Muhammad ibn Saud
Muhammad ibn Saud begins the expansion of power that will lead eventually to the establishment of Saudi Arabia
1744
Wahhabi link with Saudis
The Muslim reformer Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab makes an alliance with Muhammad ibn Saud, of significance to the later Saudi dynasty
1747
A king for the Afghans
A tribal leader, Ahmad Shah Abdali, is elected king of the Afghans in an event seen as the foundation of the Aghan nation
1760
George III is the British king
On the death of his grandfather, George II, George III becomes king of Great Britain
1764
Stanislaw II is Polish king
The Russian empress Catherine the Great secures the throne of Poland for one of her lovers, as Stanislaw II
1772
Swedish coup d'état
Gustavus III achieves a coup d'état which brings executive power in Sweden back into royal hands
1781
Habsburgs now tolerate Protestants
Joseph II passes an Edict of Toleration, for the first time allowing Protestant worship in Habsburg territories
1785
Queen in diamond necklace scandal
The French queen Marie Antoinette is wrongly implicated in a scandal involving a diamond necklace
1791
French king captured in flight
Louis XVI and his family attempt to flee from Paris to the border but are captured at Varennes
1793
French king to the guillotine
Louis XVI is guillotined after a majority of just one in the national Convention has voted for death without delay
1799
Ranjit Singh captures Lahore
A Sikh maharajah, Ranjit Singh, captures Lahore and makes it his capital in his campaign to unify the Punjab
1799
John VI is prince regent
A Portuguese prince regent, the future John VI, rules on behalf of his deranged mother, Queen Maria
1799
Napoleon sees his chance
Napoleon abandons his army in Egypt and returns hastily to Paris at a time of great political opportunity
1799
Napoleon is first consul
Napoleon contrives a military coup that ends the Directory and gives him sweeping powers as First Consul
1804
Napoleon proclaimed emperor
Napoleon has himself proclaimed emperor of France by the Senate
1804
Napoleon crowns himself emperor
Napoleon crowns himself emperor of the French in a magnificent ceremony in Notre Dame
1805
Napoleon is king of Italy
Napoleon has himself crowned king of Italy in the cathedral in Milan
1806
Holy Roman Empire abolished
Francis II formally brings to an end the 1000-year-old Holy Roman Empire, to keep it from the clutches of Napoleon
1806
Napoleon puts brother on Dutch throne
Napoleon announces that Holland is to be a kingdom, with his 28-year-old brother Louis Bonaparte on the throne
1807
Portuguese king to Brazil
The Portuguese royal family flees to Brazil on the approach of a French army led by Jean-Andoche Junot
1808
Napoleon turns on Spain
A French army under Joachim Murat advances on Madrid, causing the Spanish royal family to flee
1808
Joseph Bonaparte on Spanish throne
Napoleon transfers his brother Joseph Bonaparte from the throne of Naples to that of Spain
1808
Murat on throne of Naples
Napoleon gives the throne of Naples, vacated by his brother Joseph, to Joachim Murat
1808
Portuguese court arrives in Rio
The Portuguese royal family and their entourage arrive in Rio de Janeiro
1809
Another pope imprisoned by Napoleon
Napoleon, in response to his excommunication, has pope Pius VII arrested and kept in captivity in northern Italy and then France
1809
Napoleon divorces Josephine
Napoleon arranges to have his marriage to Josephine annulled so that he can marry the daughter of an emperor
1810
Napoleon marries Marie Louise
Napoleon marries the Austrian archduchess Marie Louise, daughter of the emperor Francis I
1810
French marshal becomes Swedish prince
A French marshal, Jean Bernadotte, is offered the position of crown prince and heir to the Swedish throne
1811
Regency in Britain
The British king George III, suffering from porphyria, is deemed unfit to govern and his eldest son becomes Prince Regent
1813
Orange prince for Netherlands
The head of the house of Orange becomes, for the first time, the sovereign prince of the Netherlands
1814
Napoleon abdicates, king recalled
Napoleon abdicates at Fontainebleau and the French senate invites Louis XVIII to return to reclaim his throne
1814
Ferdinand VII leads backlash in Spain
Ferdinand VII, restored to Spain, imposes a reactionary regime and persecutes his liberal opponents
1814
Napoleon in exile on Elba
Napoleon goes into exile on the island of Elba, which he immediately treats as a miniature state in need of improvement
1815
Napoleon escapes from Elba
Napoleon slips away from Elba with a fleet of small vessels and lands on the coast of France
1815
Napoleon sent to St Helena
Napoleon is sent to a more secure place of exile, the rocky Atlantic island of St Helena
1816
Shaka leads the Zulu
Shaka wins control of the Zulu and begins to build them into a formidable military machine
1817
Prince Regent's only child dies
On the death of Princess Charlotte, not one of seven princes has an heir to succeed to the British throne in the next generation
1818
First Aga Khan
A leader of the Ismaili sect is granted, by the shah of Persia, the hereditary title of Aga Khan
1820
George III dies
The British king George III dies after 59 years on the throne – a longer reign than any of his predecessors
1820
Prince Regent becomes George IV
On the death of his father, George III, the Prince Regent succeeds to the British throne as George IV
1821
Dom Pedro is regent of Brazil
The 22-year-old Portuguese prince, Dom Pedro, is made regent of Brazil
1821
Napoleon dies
Napoleon dies on St Helena, after six years of captivity
1821
British queen banned from coronation
During his coronation George IV has the doors of Westminster Abbey closed against his queen, Caroline
1822
Dom Pedro proclaims Brazilian independence
The Portuguese regent, Dom Pedro, proclaims the independence of Brazil and three months later is crowned emperor, as Pedro I
1823
Ferdinand VII restored to throne
With the help of an army from France, the Spanish king Ferdinand VII is freed from confinement and restored to his throne
1824
Dom Miguel has designs on father's throne
The Portuguese prince Dom Miguel briefly topples his father, John VI, from the throne
1824
Reactionary monarch on French throne
The reactionary Charles X succeeds to the throne of France on the death of his brother Louis XVIII
1826
Emperor of Brazil becomes king of Portugal
Pedro I, emperor of Brazil, inherits the throne of Portugal (as Pedro IV) but continues to rule from Brazil
1828
Miguel is regent in Portugal
Dom Miguel swears allegiance to his brother, the Portuguese king Pedro IV, and becomes regent
1828
Shaka murdered by half-brother Dingaan
Shaka is murdered by his half-brother Dingaan, who becomes leader of the Zulu in his place
1828
Dom Miguel seizes brother's throne
Dom Miguel betrays his allegiance to his brother Pedro IV and usurps the Portuguese throne in a bloodless coup
1830
William IV is king
William IV succeeds his brother George IV as the British king
1830
Victoria is heir to the throne
The death of the last infant cousin senior to her in the royal succession makes Victoria heir to the British throne
1830
Citizen King on French throne
Louis-Philippe, the Citizen King, is welcomed in Paris in a new role – as 'king of the French, by the will of the people'
1830
Serbia wins self-rule
Milosh Obrenovich wins recognition for an autonomous Serbia, with himself as prince
1831
Pedro I abdicates in Brazil
Pedro I abdicates in Brazil and returns to Europe to recover his Portuguese throne (as Pedro IV)
1832
Greece independent
Greece wins independence, with the 17-year-old Otto of Bavaria as king
1833
Carlist war in Spain
Civil war breaks out in Spain between supporters of Ferdinand VII's three-year-old daughter, Isabella II, and of his brother Don Carlos
1834
Dom Miguel defeated and deposed
Pedro IV removes his usurping brother Dom Miguel from the Portuguese throne and restores it to his daughter, Maria II
1837
18-year-old girl on British throne
The 18-year-old Victoria comes to the throne in Britain, beginning the long Victorian era
1837
Omani empire ruled from Zanzibar
Zanzibar becomes the main place of residence of the sultan of Oman
1839
Bedchamber Crisis
In the Bedchamber Crisis, Queen Victoria shows steely determination in refusing to dismiss politically committed ladies of her bedchamber
1840
Dingaan replaced on throne
With Boer help, Mpande removes his brother Dingaan from the Zulu throne and takes his place
1840
Napoleon's remains brought to Paris
Napoleon's remains are brought to Paris for burial in Les Invalides, as the Napoleonic legend grows
1840
Kew Gardens given to the nation
Queen Victoria gives Kew Gardens to the nation, as a botanic garden of scientific importance
1840
Mohammed Ali rules
Muhammad Ali, officially viceroy for the Turkish sultan, establishes his own ruling dynasty on the throne of Egypt
1840
Victoria marries Albert
Victoria marries Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and soon, with nine children, they provide the very image of the ideal Victorian family
1840
Second Pedro is emperor of Brazil
The 14-year-old Dom Pedro, son of Pedro I, becomes emperor of Brazil as Pedro II
1848
Revolution brings second French republic
A revolution in Paris in February removes Louis-Philippe and introduces France's second republic
1848
Francis Joseph is emperor
18-year-old Francis Joseph becomes emperor of Austria when his uncle, Ferdinand I, abdicates at the end of a year of unrest
1849
Prussian king declines German crown
Delegates of the German states offer the imperial crown of a united Germany to Frederick William IV, the king of Prussia, who rejects it
1849
Habsburgs back in power
The Habsburgs recover power in both Austria and Hungary
1851
Napoleonic coup d'état
The president of France, Louis Napoleon, stages a coup d'état, rounding up his political opponents during a long December night
1852
Louis Napoleon becomes Napoleon III
Louis Napoleon, asking the French people to approve his elevation to emperor as Napoleon III, receives a resounding yes in the plebiscite
1855
Theodore II in Ethiopia
An Ethiopian baron usurps the throne and proclaims himself emperor, as Theodore II
1858
Last Mughal emperor deposed
The last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah II, is deposed by the British and exiled to Rangoon, in Burma
1861
Victor Emmanuel king of Italy
Victor Emmanuel II is proclaimed king of a united Italy, with only Rome and Venetia remaining outside his realm
1861
Albert dies of typhoid
Prince Albert dies of typhoid, plunging Victoria into forty years of widowhood and deep mourning
1864
Archduke is emperor of Mexico
The French arrange for the coronation of the Austrian archduke Maximilian as emperor of Mexico
1867
Compromise creates Austria-Hungary
Francis Joseph, emperor of Austria, is also crowned king of Hungary – to become ruler of the 'dual monarchy' of Austria-Hungary
1870
French emperor captured at Sedan
Napoleon III is among 83,000 French prisoners captured by the Germans at Sedan in the Franco-Prussian war
1870
French depose Napoleon III
A French government of national defence deposes Napoleon III and proclaims the third French republic
1871
German emperor proclaimed in France
The Prussian king, William I, is proclaimed emperor of a united Germany in the palace at Versailles
1872
Cetshwayo is king
Cetshwayo becomes king of Zululand, on the death of his father Mpande
1875
Alfonso XII solves long Spanish feud
The return to Spain of Isabella's son, as Alfonso XII, offers an end to forty years of royal feuding
1887
Victoria celebrates jubilee
Queen Victoria's golden jubilee brings her back into the public's affection
1889
Menelik II is emperor
Menelik II is crowned emperor in Ethiopia, bringing the crown back to the Solomon dynasty
1889
Military coup ends imperial Brazil
A coup removes emperor Pedro II from his throne in Brazil, putting in his place a military dictatorship
1897
Victoria's second jubilee
Diamond Jubilee bonfires and fireworks all round Briain celebrate Victoria's sixty years on the throne
1900
King of Italy assassinated
Humbert I, the king of Italy, is assassinated by an Italian-American anarchist, Gaetano Bresci
1901
Victoria dies
Queen Victoria dies at Osborne House, on the Isle of Wight, after 63 years on the throne
1901
Edward VII inherits British throne
Edward VII is already 59 when he succeeds his mother, Victoria, as Britain's monarch
1901
Three Sisters
Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters has its premiere at the Moscow Art Theatre, directed by Stanislavsky
1903
King and queen of Serbia assassinated
King Alexander and Queen Draga of Serbia are murdered in their palace by army officers
1905
Rasputin mesmerizes empress
The monk Grigory Rasputin exercises a powerful influence over the Russian empress Alexandra
1906
Tsar emphasizes his power
Tsar Nicholas II issues a Fundamental Law emphasizing his own autocratic power
1906
Duma in shock dismissal
Tsar Nicholas II summarily dismisses Russia's new duma when it has been sitting for only three months
1907
Cullinan diamond moves to Britain
The Transvaal government presents to Edward VII the Cullinan diamond, now part of the British crown jewels
1908
Portuguese king and son assassinated
The king of Portugal, Carlos I, and his heir, Luis Filipe, are shot as they ride in an open carriage in Lisbon
1908
Bulgaria declares independence
Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria declares his country's independence from Ottoman rule and calls himself Tsar Ferdinand I
1908
Two-year-old emperor in China
The last Manchu emperor, Puyi, is placed on the throne at the age of two on the death of his uncle, the Guanxu emperor
1908
China's dowager empress dies
The Empress Dowager Cixi dies the day after selecting the infant Puyi for the Chinese throne
1910 May 6
Edward VII is succeeded by George V
George V succeeds his father, Edward VII, on the British throne
1910
Manuel II deposed in Portugal
A republican revolution in Portugal deposes Manuel II, bringing to an end the Braganza dynasty and the Portuguese monarchy
1911
George V holds durbar in Delhi
The British monarch George V holds a great durbar in Delhi to celebrate his coronation as emperor of India
1912
Qing dynasty ends
The abdication of the child emperor Puyi brings to an end the Qing dynasty
1914 June 28
Archduke assassinated in Sarajevo
Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is assassinated in Sarajevo by a Serbian nationalist, Gavrilo Princip
1915
Rasputin rumours shock Petrograd
Petrograd buzzes with rumours about Rasputin's dissolute life, including salacious hints that he is the lover of the empress Alexandra
1916
Ras Tafari in palace coup
Ras Tafari, a member of the Ethiopian imperial family, deposes his distant relation the emperor and puts on the throne his aunt, Zauditu
1916
Rasputin murdered
Three members of the Russian imperial family assassinate the influential charlatan Grigory Rasputin
1916 November 21
Francis Joseph dies
The emperor Francis Joseph dies after 66 years on the thrones of Austria and Hungary, to be succeeded by his great-nephew Charles I
1917 March 11
Another Bloody Sunday in Russia
Crowds demonstrating in Petrograd are fired on after tsar Nicholas II sanctions the use of force
1917 March 15
Tsar abdicates
With his capital city in the hands of rebels, tsar Nicholas II abdicates
1918 July 17
Tsar and family killed
Tsar Nicholas II and his wife and children are murdered by the Bolsheviks at Ekaterinburg
1918 October 4
Kaiser appoints chancellor to end war
The Kaiser appoints a new chancellor, Prince Max von Baden, to negotiate an end to the war
1918 November 10
Kaiser abdicates
Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates and goes into exile in the Netherlands
1918 November 13
Empire of Austria-Hungary ends
The deposition of the emperor Charles I by the Austrian government brings to a formal end the empire of Austria-Hungary and more than six centuries of Habsburg rule
1920
Faisal proclaimed king in Syria
A national congress in Damascus proclaims Faisal king of an independent Syria
1920
French depose Faisal
French intervention in Syria forces Faisal off the throne and out of the country
1921
Abdullah is emir of Transjordan
Abdullah ibn Hussein, of the Hashemite family, becomes emir of the new province of Transjordan
1921
Faisal becomes king of Iraq
Faisal, having lost Syria, is given the throne in the British mandated territory of Iraq
1926
Hirohito is emperor
25-year-old Hirohito succeeds to the imperial throne of Japan after five years as prince regent
1930
Haile Selassie
The regent Ras Tafari becomes emperor of Ethiopia and takes the name Haile Selassie
1932
George V broadcasts at Christmas
George V reads on radio a Christmas address (written by Rudyard Kipling), beginning an annual royal tradition
1932
Saudi Arabia named
After gaining control of most of the Arabian peninsula, Ibn Saud gives his kingdom a new name, Saudi Arabia
1933
Batista takes power in Cuba
Fulgencio Batista, as army chief of staff, begins a long career running the affairs of Cuba
1936
Edward VIII is British king
George V dies and is succeeded on the British throne by his eldest son Edward VIII
1936
Farouk is king of Egypt
On the death of his father, Fuad I, the 16-year-old Farouk becomes king of Egypt
1936
Wallis Simpson is free to marry
Wallis Simpson wins a decree nisi against her second husband and is therefore free to marry Edward VIII
1936
Edward VIII plans to wed
Edward VIII informs Baldwin, the UK prime minister, that he intends to marry the American divorcée Wallis Simpson
1936
Edward gives up crown for love
Edward VIII, forced to choose between the British throne and Wallis Simpson, opts for the path of love and abdicates
1936
George VI inherits brother's throne
Edward VIII is succeeded on the British throne by his brother, as George VI
1941 August
Reza Shah deposed
British and USSR troops invade Iran to depose the oil-rich Reza Shah, fearing that he may take the side of the Germans
1941 September 16
Shah's son succeeds in Iran
With British and Russian support, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi succeeds his deposed father as shah of Iran
1945 August 14
Hirohito speaks to his people
The emperor Hirohito, on the first occasion that his people have heard his voce, declares on radio that defeat must be accepted
1946
King of Italy abdicates
Victor Emmanuel III abdicates in favour of his son a month before a referendum on the Italian monarchy
1946 January I
Japanese emperor is mortal
The Japanese emperor Hirohito renounces his traditional divine status and declares that he is mortal
1950
Seretse Khama suffers racial ban
The British government bans hereditary ruler Seretse Khama from Bechuanaland because he has married a white woman
1952
Elizabeth II succeeds to British throne
George VI dies and is succeeded by his elder daughter as Elizabeth II
1952
Farouk deposed
A group of officers led by Gamal Abdel Nasser depose Egypt's king, Farouk, and send him into exile
1952
Hussein is king of Jordan
King Adbullah's grandson Hussein (who was with him when he was assassinated in 1951) becomes king of Jordan
1953
Coronation of Elizabeth II
The new queen of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth II, is crowned like all her predecessors since 1066 in Westminster Abbey
1955
Sihanouk is Cambodian prime minister
Norodom Sihanouk abdicates as king of Cambodia and becomes the country's prime minister
1961
Hassan II is king of Morocco
Hassan II begins a 38-year reign as the king of Morocco
1969
Gaddafi seizes power
Idris I, king of Libya, is deposed in a bloodless coup led by Muammar al-Gaddafi
1970
Sultan's son seizes Omani throne
Qaboos bin Sa'id seizes the throne from his father, Sultan Sa'id, in a palace coup in Oman
1973
Coup ends Afghan monarchy
A military coup deposes Zahir Shah and brings to an end the hereditary monarchy in Afghanistan
1974
Dergue takes power
An uprising organized in Ethiopia by the Dergue results in the arrest of Haile Selassie and his murder a year later
1975
Juan Carlos king of Spain
Franco dies and is succeeded as Spanish head of state by Juan Carlos, heir to the Bourbon throne
1981
Charles and Diana marry in St Paul's
Prince Charles marries Diana Spencer in St Paul's Cathedral in London
1992
Charles and Diana separate
Charles and Diana, the Prince and Princess of Wales, announce that they have agreed to separate
1996
Charles and Diana divorce
The divorce is finalized of Charles and Diana, the Prince and Princess of Wales
1997
Princess Diana dies
Diana, the Princess of Wales, and her friend Dodi Fayed die after a car crash in Paris
1999
Hussein of Jordan dies
King Hussein of Jordan dies and is succeeded by his son as Abdullah II
2001
Royal massacre in Nepal
Crown Prince Dipendra kills nine members of his own royal family at the court of Nepal
2002
Britain's Queen Mother dies
Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, widow of the British king George VI, dies at the age of 102
2002
Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee
Fifty years after her accession to the throne, the British queen Elizabeth II celebrates her Golden Jubilee
2005
Charles marries Camilla
The Prince of Wales marries Camilla Parker Bowles, subsequently to be known as the Duchess of Cornwall
2005
Pope Benedict XVI
Joseph Ratzinger is elected pope and takes the name Benedict XVI
2015 September 11
Queen Elizabeth II becomes longest-reigning British monarch
Queen Elizabeth II, having been on the throne for 63 years, 217 days, becomes the longest-reigning British monarch, surpassing the reign of Queen Victoria
2018 May 19
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle marry
The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was held at St George's Chapel, England, with an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion