2800-2400 BC: Mesopotamia: The city-states of Sumer are at their most important, with Sumer known at the world's richest market.
2750 BC: Sumer: Gilgamesh, legendary king of Uruk rules.
2700 BC: England: Construction of the first stage of Stonehenge begins on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire
2575 BC: Egypt: Beginning of the Old Kingdom from the 4th to the 8th dynasties (to 212). Zoser becomes pharaoh: his physician Imhotep designs the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, the first pyramid: it is based on a series of brick platforms built one above the other.
2551 BC: Egypt: Khufu (Greek name Cheops) becomes pharaoh and builds the Great Pyramid at Giza. Two other pyramids are built by his successors, Khafre (Chephren) and Menkaure (Mycerinus). The Sphinx at Giza is also built.
2500 BC: Egypt: The first mummies are embalmed. Europe: Metalworking spreads through the continent. Norway: THe first picture of skiing is made- a rock carving is southern Norway. Scotland: Village of Skara Brae, in Orkney, is destroyed by a sandstorm.
2360 BC: Sumer: Sargon the Great of Akkad begins the conquest of Sumer, and founds the Akkadian empire, the largest to date (lasts until 2180).
2200 BC: Crete: Greek speakers arrive on the island: they use a Minoan script known as Linear A (which is still undeciphered) and Linear B, an early form of Greek writing (deciphered in 1952). Japan: The Jomon culture flourishes.
2150 BC: Indus Valley: First invasion by Aryans from the North.
c.2100 BC: Mesopotamia: The Hebrew patriarch Abraham migrates north and west from Ur
2040 BC: Egypt: Start of the Middle Kingdom.
2000 BC: Indo-Europeans (Early Greeks) invade and settle mainland Greece. Minoan Crete dominates the Aegean Sea
2000 BC: Egypt: Locks and latches come into use
1925 BC: The Hittites conquer Babylon
1830 BC: Babylon: Founding of the first dynasty. Its armies conquer the city-states of northern and southern Mesopotamia
1792 BC: Babylon: Accession of Hammurabi the Great, who produces a code of laws (reign lasts until 1750)
1760 BC: China: Shang dynasty founded
1550 BC: Egypt: Beginnin of the New Kingdom
1504-1450 BC: Egypt: Period of expansion under Thutmosis I, who soon controls Palestine, Syria, and Kush
1500 BC: India: Mohenjo-Daro in the Indus Valley is destroyed
1500 BC: China: The first historical period begins under the Shang dynasty
1500- 1000 BC: India: Early civilization spreads along the Ganges River Valley
1479 BC: Egypt: Pharoah Thutmosis II is succeeded by the young child Thutmosis III by his aunt/wife/daughter Hatshepsut rules for 22 years
1420 BC: Egypt: Amenhotep III begins the golden age of Egypt
1400 BC: Crete: Knossos, the Minoan capital, is destroyed by fire. Mycenaeans occupy the island.
1400 BC: Egypt: Temples at Luxor are under construction.
1400 BC: India and western Asia: Iron Age under way.
1333 BC: Egypt: The boy-king Tutankhamun succeeds Akhenaten; his advisers restore the worship of the traditional Egyptian gods; Tutankhamun lives only a few years, but his tomb survives almost intact until A.D. 1922.
1300 BC: Egypt: Construction of great rock temples of Abu Simbel begins
1290 BC: Egypt: Accession of Ramesses II, the Great; Commandment carved on the base of a giant statue of the pharaoh refers to "the Royal Mother, the Mistress of the World."
1285 BC: Battle of Kadesh between Egypt and hte Hittites: both sides claim victory.
1270 BC: The Exodus: the Israelites under Moses leave Egypt; they move into Canaan (Palestine) and adopt the worship of the one god, Yahweh.
1250 BC: Anatolia: City of Troy besieged by Greek army.
1193 BC: Greece: City of Troy falls
1170 BC: Phoenician grows in power
1140 BC: Phoneicias found colony called Utica, now modern day Tunisia
1122 BC: China: Emperor Wu Wang founds the Zhou dynasty and establishes a feudal system.
1100-1050 BC: Greece is invaded by Dorian and Ionian tribes from the north, bringing with them the use of iron swords and destroying the Mycenaean citadels.
1070 BC: Egypt: The New Kingdom ends with the death of Rameses XI; Smendes, a rich merchant, becomes pharaoh and founds the 21st dynasty; for a time Egypt splits into two kingdoms. Israel is conquered by the Philistines, who settle in Palestine.
1070 BC: Greece: The Dorians and Ionians invade Peloponnesus.
1065 BC: Egypt: New Kingdom ends with the death of Ramesis XI.
1050 BC: Philistines conquer Israel
1000-774 BC: Phoenicia: Great period of Tyre.
1000-950 BC: China: The Western Zhou dynasty establishes its capital at Hao in the Wei Valley.
1000 BC: India: The Rig Veda, a Hindu religious text containing sacred hymns, is complied about this time; iron tools are made in the Ganges Valley.
1000 BC: Phoenicia: The people of Tyre employ a full alphabet. Greeks established colonies in the Aegean islands.
994 BC: Israel: David captures Jerusalem and makes it his capital.
994 BC: Central Europe: Teutonic tribes move westward to the River Rhine.
961 BC: Israel: Death of David who is succeeded by his son Solomon; development of trade, laws, and taxes.
900-700 BC: Italy: The Etruscans flourish in upper Italy, a race with a unique language and religion
814 BC: North Africa: The Phoenicians establish the city of Carthage(literally "new town") neir their colony of Utica; other Phoenicians colonies are set up in Sicily and Spain
800 BC: Greece: Traditional date for the composition of Homer's epic poems the Illiad and the Odyssey (Historians now date them at 700). Mexico: The Olmecs build the earliest American pyramid at LA Venta
776 BC: Greece: First definitely dated holding of the Olympic games
770-256 BC: China: Eastern Zhoa dynasty
753 BC: Italy: Traditional date of the foundation of Rome by Romulus and Remus; Romulus establishes the first Roman calendar: 10 months with a 60-day break in winter
743 BC: Greece: Sparta begins the First Messenian War
732 BC: Assyrian armies overthrow city-state of Damascus
650-500 BC: Greece: Period of rule by tyrants(selfmade dictators) in the city-states.
621 BC: Greece: Dracon introducess Athen's first written laws, very severe laws.
609 BC: End of the Assyrian empire.
600 BC: Persia (Iran): Windmills are used to grind corn. India: Early cities are set up in the Ganges river valley.
563 BC: India: Birth of Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who later becomes the Buddha(the Enlightened One).
559 BC: Persia: Cyrus II, the Great, becomes king(reigns to 529)
539 BC: Greece: Greeks defeat the Carthaginians
539 BC: Mesopotamia: Cyprus conquers Babylonia
551 BC: Chiana: Birth of the philosopher K'ung Fu-tzu(Great Master Kung, or Confucius).
538 BC: End of Babylonian Captivity: AN edict of Cyrus the Great allows some Jewish exiles to return to Judah.
534 BC: Rome: Tarquinius Superbus(Tarquin the Proud), becomes its last king.
521 BC: Persia: Reign of Darius I(to 486); Persian empire is divided into 20 satrapies(provinces).
509 Bc: Rome: Traditional date for the foundation of the Republic.
508 BC: Greece: Statesman Cleisthenes introduce democracy in Athens. Traety between Rome and Carthage gives Latium to Rome and Africa to Carthage.