Middle Ages
Copan's King 18 Rabbit Captured by Quirigua (738)
Quirigua won its independence and became a major city, while Copan suffered a political shock but recovered under later kings.
All Articles
Every Chronicle article on world history, newest first: battles, empires, disasters, discoveries and revolutions.
Middle Ages
Kilwa Kisiwani: Medieval Swahili Sultanate and Gold Port
Kilwa dominated the East African gold trade in the 13th-14th centuries before Portuguese attack in 1505 and changing trade led to its decline.
Middle Ages
Ly Thai To Moves the Capital to Thang Long (Hanoi), 1010
Thang Long became the capital of the Ly dynasty and, under later names, the long-term political centre of Vietnam.
Middle Ages
Japanese Missions to Tang China (630–894): The Kentōshi
The missions transferred Tang law, Buddhism, learning and art to Japan until they were abandoned in 894.
Middle Ages
Uthmanic Codex: How the Quran Was Compiled as a Single Text
A standard written text of the Quran was distributed to the main centres of the caliphate and other versions were suppressed.
Middle Ages
Abelard and Heloise: Love and Scandal in 12th-Century Paris
The affair ended in Abelard's castration and both lovers entering religious life; their later letters made them Europe's most famous medieval couple.
Middle Ages
Augustine's Mission to Kent (597): Christianity Returns
King Æthelberht accepted Christianity and Canterbury became the seat of the first archbishop of the English church.
Middle Ages
Greek Fire: The Byzantine Empire's Secret Incendiary Weapon
A closely guarded naval weapon that helped Byzantium defeat Arab and Rus fleets; its exact formula was eventually lost.
Early Modern
Restoration of Charles II (1660): The Monarchy Returns
The monarchy was restored without bloodshed; Charles II entered London on 29 May 1660 and most of the republican era was legally erased.
Early Modern
Duyfken Voyage (1606): First European Landing in Australia
The Duyfken charted about 300 km of the Cape York coast, making the first recorded European landfall in Australia, but the Dutch judged the land of no commercial value.
Early Modern
New Amsterdam (1625–1664): Dutch Manhattan Before New York
The Dutch surrendered New Amsterdam to an English fleet in 1664, and it was renamed New York.
Early Modern
Azuchi Castle (1576): Oda Nobunaga's Lost Fortress Palace
Azuchi Castle became the model for the great Japanese castle towers, but its main buildings burned in June 1582, days after Nobunaga's death.