When It Happened #1 - Years: 1-500

Learning history can be a daunting task. With thousands of years and countless stories, one could easily spend a lifetime and only scratch the surface. Personally, I’ve found one of the best ways to start is to find a handful of topics that interest you and deep-dive into them.

This article is an attempt to do just that. In it, you’ll find a high-level overview of some of the most important moments from our world’s rich history. Each one only scratches the surface, and even saying that is probably giving the following paragraphs far more credit than they deserve. Hopefully, as you read, you’ll find a few that interest you.

Of course, a list like this is always going to leave something out; there are definitely events that could have made the list but didn’t. I also certainly have a Eurocentric slant, so I’m likely leaving out important events that happened elsewhere. Perhaps one day I’ll come back and fix these.

This is the first part in a planned multipart series. This article covers years 0-500. As the other articles are published, which will cover other years, I’ll link them here for easy navigation.

1-100

The Birth and Death Of Jesus Christ

While most scholars put Jesus’ birth at 6-4 BC[^1], his main teachings and the birth of Christianity do occur in the 1st century. This marks the introduction of one of the world’s largest religions that still maintains that distinction to this day. It’s impossible to talk about the history of Europe, and many other places for that matter, without mentioning the role Christianity played in it.

We also see during this time the crucifixion and death of Jesus, which traditionally took place in 33 AD[^2]. This marks one of the most important times in the beginning of Christianity, which would go on to become a major influence in world events for the next two millennia.

Birth of The Roman Empire

The first century also sees some major changes in the Roman world with its transition from Republic to Empire[^3]. Under Augustus, Rome would be forever changed, and the popular concept of the Roman Emperor would be born.

This change would have massive ramifications for those who lived in and around the empire. With power largely concentrated in a single individual, this gave Rome far more ability to project its power and conquer new lands. It also ushered in an era of relative stability and peace, a boon for those currently living in the empire. This era has come to be known as Pax Romana[^4].

Buddhism Reaches China

While the exact dates that Buddhism reached China are unknown, most scholars say that sometime in the 1st century is likely.[^5] They certainly came sometime during the Han Dynasty, which was at the peak of its power in the 1st century AD. (Check this fact)

Buddhism would come to be an important religion in China in the following centuries, and that stems from its introduction during this time. China would be a major power in the Far East, marking this as an important event in its development as well as the wider area.

101-200

Antonine Plague

One of the first recorded pandemics, the Antonine plague, was likely caused by smallpox and hit the Roman Empire roughly between 165 AD and 180 AD. Estimates say that up to 10% of the 75 million people living in empire at the die died from the disease. [^6]

While historians are split on the overall impact, it’s generally accepted that the plague had a role in the ultimate undoing of the Empire a few hundred years later. The plague led to diminished trade and social unrest, both of which were major setbacks for the empire.

Yellow Turban Rebellion Starts

While not completed until the start of the 3rd century, the Yellow Turban Rebellion saw its start in this century. The rebellion was a key factor in the weakening and eventual fall of the ruling Han Dynasty. This led to a time of rival factions in China known as the Three Kingdoms period. The fall of the Han is a pivotal moment in Chinese history, and marks the last time china would be unified for hundreds of years[^7].

Paper-Making

Not necessarily the first paper ever invented, but the first instance of a documented paper-making method happened in the 2nd century[^8]. This is another event from China, which would be a key source of inventions for the remainder of our time.

201-300

Third Century Crisis

The Roman Empire was nearly destroyed during what we now call the Third Century Crisis[^9]. This was a variety of different challenges that started with the assassination of the Emperor and led to a fractured empire. During this time, the empire nearly collapsed. It ultimately led to a variety of societal and military changes that helped the empire survive for nearly 200 more years in the West.

Establishment of the Sassanian Empire

This century also sees the rival of a Persian Empire in the form of the Sassanians[^10]. They would play a key role in the area, and notable had several wars with the nearby Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire. The Sassanians would thrive for several centuries before being defeated by the growing Rashidun Caliphate.

301-400

The Edict of Milan & The Edict of Thessalonica

This century sees Christianity taking on a far more important role at two distinct times. First, in 313 CE, the Edict of Milan effectively legalized Christianity and ended official persecution of Christians. Then, in 380 CE, the Edict of Thessalonica made it the official state religion of the Roman Empire.

This was important in the development and spread of Christianity as it resulted in it being the state-sponsored religion of the largest empire of the time. That sort of backing eventually led to the massive power that the Catholic Church would wield during the Middle Ages and beyond.

Founding of Constantinople

In 320 CE, the city of Constantinople was founded; in modern times we call it Istanbul. Constantinople would grow to become the capital of the Western Roman Empire, but also one of the most important cities in the Christian world. It would stand as such for over 1,000 years, until it was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1453.

Division of the Roman Empire

Near the end of the century, in 395 CE and hinted at above, the Roman Empire saw its final split into Eastern and Western halves. This ultimately ended up weakening the Western Empire, which would fall within the next century. The Eastern Empire, however, evolved into what we call the Byzantine Empire and would thrive for over 1000 years.

401-500

Attila the Hun’s Invasions of Europe

This century sees Europe beset by horse-riding invaders from the east, we’re talking about the Huns here, the Mongols are much later. These invasions, especially the one under the Huns’ most famous king Attila[^11], would greatly weaken the Eastern Roman Empire. This came both in the sense that Attila would end up sacking several Roman cities, but also that the movement of the Huns pushed other “barbarians” deeper into Roman lands, compounding the military problems the Huns posed.

Fall of the Western Roman Empire

As hinted at above, this century also sees the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The traditional date given is 476, when the Germanic king Odoacer deposed the last Roman Emperor. This is also the date that is given to separate antiquity from the Middle Ages.

The effects of this are innumerable. The immediate power vacuum led to the establishment of a handful of competing groups and kingdoms. Long term, though, it sets the stage for the entire Middle Ages; it would be difficult to imagine a world today in which the Roman Empire didn’t fall.

Rise of The Germanic Kingdoms

In the power vacuum left by the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, several distinct groups would come to power. This includes the Vandals, the Anglo-Saxons, and the Franks. The Franks would go on to unify much of what was called Gaul, setting the stage for a future unified France and Germany, and becoming an important ally for the Pope [^12]. The other groups would go on to each leave their own unique mark on history.

[^1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Date_of_the_birth_of_Jesus

[^2]: https://penelope.uchicago.edu/encyclopaedia_romana/calendar/jesus.html

[^3]: https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/romes-transition-republic-empire/

[^4]: https://www.britannica.com/event/Pax-Romana

[^5]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Buddhism

[^6]: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/what-rome-learned-deadly-antonine-plague-165-d-180974758/

[^7]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sui_dynasty

[^8]: https://www.britannica.com/technology/papermaking

[^9]: https://www.worldhistory.org/Crisis_of_the_Third_Century/

[^10]: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sasanian-dynasty

[^11]: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Attila-king-of-the-Huns

[^12]: http://www.vlib.us/medieval/lectures/franks_rise.html