Middle Ages
Battle of Hastings (1066): The Norman Conquest of England
Norman victory; Harold II was killed and William was crowned King of England on Christmas Day 1066.
All Articles
Every Chronicle article on world history, newest first: battles, empires, disasters, discoveries and revolutions.
Ancient World
Eruption of Vesuvius (AD 79): How Pompeii Was Buried
Pompeii, Herculaneum and nearby settlements were buried by volcanic ash and pyroclastic flows, preserving them for later excavation.
Ancient World
Assassination of Julius Caesar (44 BC): The Ides of March
Caesar was killed by a group of senators, triggering a new round of civil wars that ended the Roman Republic.
Ancient World
Battle of Marathon (490 BC): How Athens Stopped Persia
Athenian victory; the first Persian invasion of Greece was repelled.
Ancient World
Great Pyramid of Giza: Khufu's Tomb and Ancient Wonder
The largest of the Egyptian pyramids, it remained the tallest human-made structure for over 3,800 years and is the only surviving Wonder of the Ancient World.
Prehistory
Stonehenge: The Prehistoric Stone Circle on Salisbury Plain
A monumental stone circle aligned on the solstices, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world's best-known prehistoric monuments.
Prehistory
Lascaux Cave Paintings: Ice Age Art in the Dordogne, France
Rediscovered in 1940, the cave became the best-known example of Palaeolithic art; it was closed to the public in 1963 to protect the paintings.
Prehistory
Chicxulub Asteroid Impact: How the Dinosaurs Were Wiped Out
A global mass extinction wiped out the non-avian dinosaurs and around three-quarters of plant and animal species, ending the Cretaceous Period.
Ancient World
Fall of the Western Roman Empire (476): Romulus Augustulus
Odoacer deposed the last emperor in Italy and ruled as king; no new Western emperor was appointed, and the Eastern emperor in Constantinople became the only Roman emperor.
Ancient World
Vandal Sack of Rome (455): Gaiseric Plunders the City
The Vandals plundered Rome for about two weeks and carried off its treasures and thousands of captives, including the empress Eudoxia and her daughters, to Carthage.
Ancient World
End of Roman Britain (c. 410): Rome Leaves the Province
Britain ceased to be part of the Roman Empire; Roman towns, villas and the money economy declined, and Anglo-Saxon settlement followed in the 5th century.
Ancient World
Sack of Rome (410): Alaric and the Visigoths Take the City
The Goths plundered Rome for three days and left with great wealth and hostages; the event shocked the Roman world but did not end the Western Empire.