History timeline

YearJapanChinaOther regions

c. 21–23.5k years ago

Japan

No entry

China

No entry

Other regions

Dordogne, FranceApproximate

People using the cave at Lascaux

Occupation roughly 21,000–23,500 years ago

Research dates paintings and associated finds; the images cannot all be assigned to one year.

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10500 BCE

Period begins

Japan

JapanPeriod

Jōmon culture and pottery

c. 10500–300 BCE · source periodisation

A long period known through pottery and figurines, with regional and chronological variation.

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China

No entry

Other regions

No entry

3900 BCE

Period begins

Japan

Sannai-Maruyama, AomoriPeriod

Life at Sannai-Maruyama

c. 3900–2200 BCE · Jōmon period

Homes, storage pits and imported stone reveal life in a large Jōmon settlement.

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Period at this timeJōmon culture and potteryc. 10500–300 BCE · source periodisation

China

No entry

Other regions

No entry

3000 BCE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeLife at Sannai-Maruyamac. 3900–2200 BCE · Jōmon periodJōmon culture and potteryc. 10500–300 BCE · source periodisation

China

No entry

Other regions

Mohenjo-daro / DholaviraPeriod

Cities and water in the Indus civilization

Around 3000–1500 BCE; dates differ by city

Wells, drains and reservoirs reveal how early South Asian cities supported everyday life.

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Around 1750 BCE

Japan

Period at this timeJōmon culture and potteryc. 10500–300 BCE · source periodisation

China

No entry

Other regions

BabylonApproximate

Hammurabi’s stele

Around 1750 BCE

A stele recording disputes over trade, family and work invites comparison with modern law.

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Period at this timeCities and water in the Indus civilizationAround 3000–1500 BCE; dates differ by city

1473 BCE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeJōmon culture and potteryc. 10500–300 BCE · source periodisation

China

No entry

Other regions

Deir el-BahriPeriod

How Hatshepsut represented kingship

Around 1473–1458 BCE

Study a female ruler through sculpture, temples and exchange.

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500 BCE

Period begins

Japan

Yoshinogari, SagaPeriod

Yoshinogari and emerging political centres

c. fifth century BCE–third century CE · Yayoi period

Changing ditches, storehouses and graves show a settlement becoming a regional centre.

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Period at this timeJōmon culture and potteryc. 10500–300 BCE · source periodisation

China

No entry

Other regions

AthensPeriod

Democracy and the Agora in Athens

Fifth–fourth centuries BCE

A city where politics and commerce met: who could participate, and who could not?

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305 BCE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeYoshinogari and emerging political centresc. fifth century BCE–third century CE · Yayoi periodJōmon culture and potteryc. 10500–300 BCE · source periodisation

China

No entry

Other regions

EgyptPeriod

Ptolemaic Egypt

305–30 BCE

The dynasty centred on Alexandria brought Mediterranean and Egyptian artistic traditions together.

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Period at this timeDemocracy and the Agora in AthensFifth–fourth centuries BCE

Mid-third century BCE

Japan

Period at this timeYoshinogari and emerging political centresc. fifth century BCE–third century CE · Yayoi period

China

No entry

Other regions

Mauryan realmApproximate

Ashoka’s inscriptions

Mid-third century BCE

A ruler’s inscriptions express remorse over war and ideals of government.

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Period at this timePtolemaic Egypt305–30 BCE

221 BCE

Japan

Period at this timeYoshinogari and emerging political centresc. fifth century BCE–third century CE · Yayoi period

China

China

Qin unifies the rival states

221 BCE

The Qin ruler adopted the imperial title and pursued standardisation of writing, currency and measures.

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Other regions

Period at this timePtolemaic Egypt305–30 BCE

206 BCE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeYoshinogari and emerging political centresc. fifth century BCE–third century CE · Yayoi period

China

ChinaPeriod

The Han period

206 BCE–220 CE

Imperial institutions, exchange and funerary art developed, with an interruption between Western and Eastern Han.

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Other regions

Period at this timePtolemaic Egypt305–30 BCE

200 BCE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeYoshinogari and emerging political centresc. fifth century BCE–third century CE · Yayoi period

China

Eurasian and Indian Ocean trade networksPeriod

The Silk Roads were a network

From the second century BCE through the medieval period

Goods, languages and skills moved through connected land and sea routes.

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Period at this timeThe Han period206 BCE–220 CE

Other regions

Period at this timePtolemaic Egypt305–30 BCE

49 BCE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeYoshinogari and emerging political centresc. fifth century BCE–third century CE · Yayoi period

China

Period at this timeThe Han period206 BCE–220 CEThe Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

RomePeriod

Did Caesar’s assassination restore the republic?

49–27 BCE

Follow the crisis through the Senate, armies and coinage.

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Period at this timePtolemaic Egypt305–30 BCE

30 BCE

Japan

Period at this timeYoshinogari and emerging political centresc. fifth century BCE–third century CE · Yayoi period

China

Period at this timeThe Han period206 BCE–220 CEThe Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

Alexandria, Egypt

Cleopatra’s death and the end of the dynasty

30 BCE

The Ptolemaic dynasty ended and Egypt came under Roman rule.

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Period at this timeDid Caesar’s assassination restore the republic?49–27 BCEPtolemaic Egypt305–30 BCE

27 BCE

Japan

Period at this timeYoshinogari and emerging political centresc. fifth century BCE–third century CE · Yayoi period

China

Period at this timeThe Han period206 BCE–220 CEThe Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

Rome

Augustus and the beginning of imperial rule

27 BCE

Octavian received the title Augustus, a milestone in Roman imperial government.

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Period at this timeDid Caesar’s assassination restore the republic?49–27 BCE

79 CE

Japan

Period at this timeYoshinogari and emerging political centresc. fifth century BCE–third century CE · Yayoi period

China

Period at this timeThe Han period206 BCE–220 CEThe Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

Pompeii, Roman Empire

Vesuvius erupts over Pompeii

79 CE · month and day debated

Volcanic deposits buried the city; excavated traces illuminate life before the disaster.

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c. fifth century · Kofun period

Japan

Sakai, OsakaApproximate

The society that built giant burial mounds

c. fifth century · Kofun period

Daisen Kofun in Sakai links monumental tombs with emerging royal power.

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China

Period at this timeThe Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

No entry

581 CE

Period begins

Japan

No entry

China

ChinaPeriod

Reunification under the Sui

581–618

After prolonged division following Han, Sui reunited China before Tang.

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Period at this timeThe Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

No entry

588 CE

Period begins

Japan

Asuka, NaraPeriod

Temples rise in Asuka

588–694 · Palaces and temples in Asuka

Palaces, tiles and a water clock reveal a changing political and cultural centre.

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China

Period at this timeReunification under the Sui581–618The Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

No entry

600 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeTemples rise in Asuka588–694 · Palaces and temples in Asuka

China

Period at this timeReunification under the Sui581–618The Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

GyeongjuPeriod

Gyeongju, capital of Silla

Mainly seventh–tenth centuries

Temples and Buddhist sculpture in an ancient Korean capital open a wider East Asian view.

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618 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeTemples rise in Asuka588–694 · Palaces and temples in Asuka

China

ChinaPeriod

Tang cities and international culture

618–907 · period includes an interruption

Exchange and art developed around Chang’an, overlapping Nara and early Heian Japan.

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Period at this timeReunification under the Sui581–618The Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

Period at this timeGyeongju, capital of SillaMainly seventh–tenth centuries

645 CE

Period begins

Japan

Asuka, Nara / Naniwa, OsakaPeriod

The Taika reforms were not a single-day change

645–701 · From coup to legal codes

Separate the assassination of Soga no Iruka from the later formation of state institutions.

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Period at this timeTemples rise in Asuka588–694 · Palaces and temples in Asuka

China

Period at this timeTang cities and international culture618–907 · period includes an interruptionThe Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

Period at this timeGyeongju, capital of SillaMainly seventh–tenth centuries

690 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeThe Taika reforms were not a single-day change645–701 · From coup to legal codesTemples rise in Asuka588–694 · Palaces and temples in Asuka

China

LuoyangPeriod

Wu Zetian and Buddhist art at Luoyang

690–705

An emperor in her own right and Buddhist imagery in political life.

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Period at this timeTang cities and international culture618–907 · period includes an interruptionThe Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

Period at this timeGyeongju, capital of SillaMainly seventh–tenth centuries

700 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeThe Taika reforms were not a single-day change645–701 · From coup to legal codes

China

Period at this timeWu Zetian and Buddhist art at Luoyang690–705Tang cities and international culture618–907 · period includes an interruption

Other regions

BorobudurPeriod

Walking Borobudur

Eighth–ninth centuries

Terraces and stone reliefs connect a Buddhist monument in Java with its conservation.

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Period at this timeGyeongju, capital of SillaMainly seventh–tenth centuries

710 CE

Japan

Japan

The capital moves to Heijō-kyō

710

The capital was established in present-day Nara; palace remains and temples preserve evidence of political and cultural life.

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Heijō-kyō, NaraPeriod

The work that sustained Heijō-kyō

710–784 · Interrupted by temporary capital moves

Avenues and offices reveal how the Nara capital functioned.

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China

Period at this timeTang cities and international culture618–907 · period includes an interruptionThe Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

Period at this timeWalking BorobudurEighth–ninth centuriesGyeongju, capital of SillaMainly seventh–tenth centuries

750 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeThe work that sustained Heijō-kyō710–784 · Interrupted by temporary capital moves

China

Period at this timeTang cities and international culture618–907 · period includes an interruptionThe Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

West Asia, Abbasid caliphatePeriod

Learning and art under the Abbasids

750–1258

Learning and art flourished around centres including Baghdad, while political reach changed over time.

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Period at this timeWalking BorobudurEighth–ninth centuriesGyeongju, capital of SillaMainly seventh–tenth centuries

756 CE

Japan

Shōsōin, Nara

Objects preserved at Shōsōin

756 · Empress Kōmyō’s donation

Imperial belongings and a surviving storehouse connect Nara culture with preservation.

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Period at this timeThe work that sustained Heijō-kyō710–784 · Interrupted by temporary capital moves

China

Period at this timeTang cities and international culture618–907 · period includes an interruptionThe Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

Period at this timeWalking BorobudurEighth–ninth centuriesGyeongju, capital of SillaMainly seventh–tenth centuries

762 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeThe work that sustained Heijō-kyō710–784 · Interrupted by temporary capital moves

China

Period at this timeTang cities and international culture618–907 · period includes an interruptionThe Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

BaghdadPeriod

Baghdad and an age of translation

762–tenth century

Books and skills converged in a new capital, where translation met observation.

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Period at this timeWalking BorobudurEighth–ninth centuriesGyeongju, capital of SillaMainly seventh–tenth centuries

794 CE

Period begins

Japan

JapanPeriod

Heian-kyō and court culture

794–1185 · source periodisation

Court art and literature developed at Heian-kyō alongside different lives outside the capital.

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China

Period at this timeTang cities and international culture618–907 · period includes an interruptionThe Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

Period at this timeWalking BorobudurEighth–ninth centuriesBaghdad and an age of translation762–tenth century

800 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeHeian-kyō and court culture794–1185 · source periodisation

China

Period at this timeTang cities and international culture618–907 · period includes an interruptionThe Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

AngkorPeriod

Water and the cities of Angkor

Ninth–fifteenth centuries

Beyond the temples lay a vast urban landscape of reservoirs and canals.

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Period at this timeWalking BorobudurEighth–ninth centuriesBaghdad and an age of translation762–tenth century

868 CE

Japan

Period at this timeHeian-kyō and court culture794–1185 · source periodisation

China

China

A dated printed Diamond Sutra

868

A woodblock-printed scroll later found at Dunhuang preserves a colophon dating its production to 868.

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Period at this timeTang cities and international culture618–907 · period includes an interruptionThe Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

Period at this timeWalking BorobudurEighth–ninth centuriesBaghdad and an age of translation762–tenth century

907 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeHeian-kyō and court culture794–1185 · source periodisation

China

ChinaPeriod

Khitan Liao in the north

907–1125 · northern China

Liao coexisted with Song; northern and Song territories should not be collapsed into one dynasty.

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Period at this timeTang cities and international culture618–907 · period includes an interruptionThe Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

Period at this timeBaghdad and an age of translation762–tenth centuryGyeongju, capital of SillaMainly seventh–tenth centuries

960 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeHeian-kyō and court culture794–1185 · source periodisation

China

ChinaPeriod

Song cities and painting

960–1279 · Northern and Southern Song

Cities and art developed; after 1127 Southern Song coexisted with northern regimes including Jin.

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Period at this timeKhitan Liao in the north907–1125 · northern ChinaThe Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

Period at this timeBaghdad and an age of translation762–tenth centuryLearning and art under the Abbasids750–1258

995 CE

Period begins

Japan

Heian-kyō, KyotoPeriod

Family and office behind Michinaga’s power

c. 995–1021 · The age of Fujiwara no Michinaga

Imperial marriages, family connections and diaries reveal the workings of regency politics.

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Period at this timeHeian-kyō and court culture794–1185 · source periodisation

China

Period at this timeKhitan Liao in the north907–1125 · northern ChinaSong cities and painting960–1279 · Northern and Southern Song

Other regions

Period at this timeBaghdad and an age of translation762–tenth centuryLearning and art under the Abbasids750–1258

Early 11th century

Japan

JapanApproximate

A court that talked about Genji

Inspired by records from 1008 · invented day

A 1008 diary reference is evidence that Genji was known at court, opening a view onto literary life.

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Period at this timeFamily and office behind Michinaga’s powerc. 995–1021 · The age of Fujiwara no MichinagaHeian-kyō and court culture794–1185 · source periodisation

China

Period at this timeKhitan Liao in the north907–1125 · northern ChinaSong cities and painting960–1279 · Northern and Southern Song

Other regions

Period at this timeLearning and art under the Abbasids750–1258Water and the cities of AngkorNinth–fifteenth centuries

1100 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeHeian-kyō and court culture794–1185 · source periodisation

China

Period at this timeKhitan Liao in the north907–1125 · northern ChinaSong cities and painting960–1279 · Northern and Southern Song

Other regions

Great ZimbabwePeriod

The stone city of Great Zimbabwe

Mainly the eleventh–fifteenth-century growth and prosperity

Local stone-building skills and long-distance trade reveal a southern African city.

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Period at this timeLearning and art under the Abbasids750–1258Water and the cities of AngkorNinth–fifteenth centuries

1105 CE

Period begins

Japan

Hiraizumi, IwatePeriod

Hiraizumi, a centre of Buddhist devotion

1105–1189 · Hiraizumi under the Northern Fujiwara

Follow the family that built major Buddhist temples in northeastern Japan.

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Period at this timeHeian-kyō and court culture794–1185 · source periodisation

China

Period at this timeKhitan Liao in the north907–1125 · northern ChinaSong cities and painting960–1279 · Northern and Southern Song

Other regions

Period at this timeThe stone city of Great ZimbabweMainly the eleventh–fifteenth-century growth and prosperityLearning and art under the Abbasids750–1258

1127 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeHiraizumi, a centre of Buddhist devotion1105–1189 · Hiraizumi under the Northern FujiwaraHeian-kyō and court culture794–1185 · source periodisation

China

ChinaPeriod

Song rule shifts south

1127–1279

The Song imperial family ruled the south from Hangzhou while the Jurchen Jin controlled the north.

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Period at this timeSong cities and painting960–1279 · Northern and Southern SongThe Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

Period at this timeThe stone city of Great ZimbabweMainly the eleventh–fifteenth-century growth and prosperityLearning and art under the Abbasids750–1258

1180 CE

Period begins

Japan

Kamakura, KanagawaPeriod

When did the Kamakura shogunate begin?

1180–1333 · Warrior government in Kamakura

Follow the formation of a government and a city beyond a single founding date.

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Kamakura, KanagawaPeriod

A government built around protecting land rights

1180–1232 · Vassals and land

Service, estate management and legal disputes mattered alongside battlefield victories.

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Period at this timeHiraizumi, a centre of Buddhist devotion1105–1189 · Hiraizumi under the Northern FujiwaraHeian-kyō and court culture794–1185 · source periodisation

China

Period at this timeSong rule shifts south1127–1279Song cities and painting960–1279 · Northern and Southern Song

Other regions

Period at this timeThe stone city of Great ZimbabweMainly the eleventh–fifteenth-century growth and prosperityLearning and art under the Abbasids750–1258

1185 CE

Period begins

Japan

JapanPeriod

Warrior government and new art

1185–1392 · Kamakura and Nanbokuchō

Warrior government rose as sculpture and painted scrolls reflected a changing society.

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Period at this timeA government built around protecting land rights1180–1232 · Vassals and landHiraizumi, a centre of Buddhist devotion1105–1189 · Hiraizumi under the Northern Fujiwara

China

Period at this timeSong rule shifts south1127–1279Song cities and painting960–1279 · Northern and Southern Song

Other regions

Period at this timeThe stone city of Great ZimbabweMainly the eleventh–fifteenth-century growth and prosperityLearning and art under the Abbasids750–1258

1200 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeA government built around protecting land rights1180–1232 · Vassals and landWhen did the Kamakura shogunate begin?1180–1333 · Warrior government in Kamakura

China

Period at this timeSong rule shifts south1127–1279Song cities and painting960–1279 · Northern and Southern Song

Other regions

Kilwa KisiwaniPeriod

Kilwa and the Indian Ocean

Mainly thirteenth–fourteenth-century prosperity

A Swahili port connected eastern Africa’s interior with Indian Ocean trade.

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Period at this timeThe stone city of Great ZimbabweMainly the eleventh–fifteenth-century growth and prosperityLearning and art under the Abbasids750–1258

1206 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeA government built around protecting land rights1180–1232 · Vassals and landWhen did the Kamakura shogunate begin?1180–1333 · Warrior government in Kamakura

China

Period at this timeSong rule shifts south1127–1279Song cities and painting960–1279 · Northern and Southern Song

Other regions

KarakorumPeriod

Routes and people in the Mongol Empire

Mainly 1206–1368

Read the violence of conquest alongside exchanges across imperial space.

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Period at this timeKilwa and the Indian OceanMainly thirteenth–fourteenth-century prosperityThe stone city of Great ZimbabweMainly the eleventh–fifteenth-century growth and prosperity

1215 CE

Japan

Period at this timeA government built around protecting land rights1180–1232 · Vassals and landWhen did the Kamakura shogunate begin?1180–1333 · Warrior government in Kamakura

China

Period at this timeSong rule shifts south1127–1279Song cities and painting960–1279 · Northern and Southern Song

Other regions

England

Magna Carta is issued

1215

Conflict between King John and rebel barons produced a charter limiting royal power.

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Period at this timeRoutes and people in the Mongol EmpireMainly 1206–1368Kilwa and the Indian OceanMainly thirteenth–fourteenth-century prosperity

1250 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeWhen did the Kamakura shogunate begin?1180–1333 · Warrior government in KamakuraWarrior government and new art1185–1392 · Kamakura and Nanbokuchō

China

Period at this timeSong rule shifts south1127–1279Song cities and painting960–1279 · Northern and Southern Song

Other regions

AotearoaPeriod

Voyaging to Aotearoa

Around 1250–1300

Navigation by stars, winds and currents brought settlers from East Polynesia to a new environment.

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Period at this timeRoutes and people in the Mongol EmpireMainly 1206–1368Kilwa and the Indian OceanMainly thirteenth–fourteenth-century prosperity

1271 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeWhen did the Kamakura shogunate begin?1180–1333 · Warrior government in KamakuraWarrior government and new art1185–1392 · Kamakura and Nanbokuchō

China

ChinaPeriod

The Mongol Yuan period

1271–1368

The Yuan dynastic name preceded the conquest of Southern Song, within a period of far-reaching exchange.

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Period at this timeSong rule shifts south1127–1279Song cities and painting960–1279 · Northern and Southern Song

Other regions

Period at this timeVoyaging to AotearoaAround 1250–1300Routes and people in the Mongol EmpireMainly 1206–1368

1274 CE

Period begins

Japan

Hakata Bay, FukuokaPeriod

Building a stone barrier at Hakata Bay

1274 and 1281 · Two Mongol invasions

A barrier built between two invasions reveals defence and maritime exchange.

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Period at this timeWhen did the Kamakura shogunate begin?1180–1333 · Warrior government in KamakuraWarrior government and new art1185–1392 · Kamakura and Nanbokuchō

China

Period at this timeThe Mongol Yuan period1271–1368Song rule shifts south1127–1279

Other regions

Period at this timeVoyaging to AotearoaAround 1250–1300Routes and people in the Mongol EmpireMainly 1206–1368

1324 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeWhen did the Kamakura shogunate begin?1180–1333 · Warrior government in KamakuraWarrior government and new art1185–1392 · Kamakura and Nanbokuchō

China

Period at this timeThe Mongol Yuan period1271–1368The Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

TimbuktuPeriod

Mali and learning in Timbuktu

1324–sixteenth century

Gold and salt trade supported a West African city of mosques, manuscripts and learning.

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Period at this timeRoutes and people in the Mongol EmpireMainly 1206–1368Kilwa and the Indian OceanMainly thirteenth–fourteenth-century prosperity

1325 CE

Japan

Period at this timeWhen did the Kamakura shogunate begin?1180–1333 · Warrior government in KamakuraWarrior government and new art1185–1392 · Kamakura and Nanbokuchō

China

Period at this timeThe Mongol Yuan period1271–1368The Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

Tangier / DelhiPeriod

How to read Ibn Battuta’s travels

1325–1355

A pilgrimage became a long journey recorded afterward.

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TenochtitlanApproximate

Tenochtitlan, a city on a lake

From the conventional founding date around 1325

Temples, causeways and waterways reveal the Mexica capital beneath modern Mexico City.

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Period at this timeRoutes and people in the Mongol EmpireMainly 1206–1368Kilwa and the Indian OceanMainly thirteenth–fourteenth-century prosperity

1368 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeWarrior government and new art1185–1392 · Kamakura and Nanbokuchō

China

ChinaPeriod

Ming court and craft

1368–1644

Ming followed Yuan, supporting court art and regional production including porcelain.

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Period at this timeThe Mongol Yuan period1271–1368The Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

Period at this timeRoutes and people in the Mongol EmpireMainly 1206–1368Kilwa and the Indian OceanMainly thirteenth–fourteenth-century prosperity

1377 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeWarrior government and new art1185–1392 · Kamakura and Nanbokuchō

China

Period at this timeMing court and craft1368–1644The Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

Mainz / CheongjuPeriod

Gutenberg and the work of movable type

Comparing 1377 and the 1450s

Type, printing and hand decoration reveal workshop processes.

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Period at this timeKilwa and the Indian OceanMainly thirteenth–fourteenth-century prosperityMali and learning in Timbuktu1324–sixteenth century

1378 CE

Japan

Upper Kyoto

Kyoto around the shogun’s residence

1378 · Yoshimitsu moves to his Muromachi residence

Government residences and commercial neighbourhoods gave upper Kyoto different functions.

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Period at this timeWarrior government and new art1185–1392 · Kamakura and Nanbokuchō

China

Period at this timeMing court and craft1368–1644The Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

Period at this timeGutenberg and the work of movable typeComparing 1377 and the 1450sKilwa and the Indian OceanMainly thirteenth–fourteenth-century prosperity

1392 CE

Period begins

Japan

JapanPeriod

Tea, Noh and ink painting in Muromachi

1392–1573 · art-historical periodisation

Tea, Noh and ink painting developed under the Ashikaga alongside changing commerce and cities.

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Period at this timeWarrior government and new art1185–1392 · Kamakura and Nanbokuchō

China

Period at this timeMing court and craft1368–1644The Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

Period at this timeGutenberg and the work of movable typeComparing 1377 and the 1450sKilwa and the Indian OceanMainly thirteenth–fourteenth-century prosperity

1400 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeTea, Noh and ink painting in Muromachi1392–1573 · art-historical periodisation

China

Period at this timeMing court and craft1368–1644The Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

Andean Inka road networkPeriod

Inka roads and messengers

Fifteenth–early sixteenth centuries

Runners and records supported roads linking an extensive Andean state.

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Period at this timeGutenberg and the work of movable typeComparing 1377 and the 1450sKilwa and the Indian OceanMainly thirteenth–fourteenth-century prosperity

1401 CE

Period begins

Japan

Hakata, Fukuoka / KyotoPeriod

The tally checked at the port

1401–mid-sixteenth century · Trade with Ming China

A tally identified authorised missions: follow the links between diplomacy and commerce.

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Period at this timeTea, Noh and ink painting in Muromachi1392–1573 · art-historical periodisation

China

Period at this timeMing court and craft1368–1644The Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

Period at this timeGutenberg and the work of movable typeComparing 1377 and the 1450sInka roads and messengersFifteenth–early sixteenth centuries

1405 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeThe tally checked at the port1401–mid-sixteenth century · Trade with Ming ChinaTea, Noh and ink painting in Muromachi1392–1573 · art-historical periodisation

China

Nanjing / Calicut (Kozhikode)Period

Zheng He’s fleets and Indian Ocean ports

1405–1433

Read Ming expeditions through charts, winds and port labor.

Read more

ChinaPeriod

Zheng He’s fleets cross the seas

1405–1433

Ming fleets undertook repeated expeditions into the Indian Ocean, displayed as a series over time.

Read more

Period at this timeMing court and craft1368–1644The Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

Period at this timeGutenberg and the work of movable typeComparing 1377 and the 1450sInka roads and messengersFifteenth–early sixteenth centuries

1420 CE

Japan

Period at this timeThe tally checked at the port1401–mid-sixteenth century · Trade with Ming ChinaTea, Noh and ink painting in Muromachi1392–1573 · art-historical periodisation

China

China

The Yongle emperor begins using the Forbidden City

1420

The Beijing palace became an imperial centre, linking politics and skilled production.

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Period at this timeZheng He’s fleets and Indian Ocean ports1405–1433Zheng He’s fleets cross the seas1405–1433

Other regions

Period at this timeGutenberg and the work of movable typeComparing 1377 and the 1450sInka roads and messengersFifteenth–early sixteenth centuries

1428 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeThe tally checked at the port1401–mid-sixteenth century · Trade with Ming ChinaTea, Noh and ink painting in Muromachi1392–1573 · art-historical periodisation

China

Period at this timeZheng He’s fleets and Indian Ocean ports1405–1433Zheng He’s fleets cross the seas1405–1433

Other regions

OrléansPeriod

Joan of Arc and the siege of Orléans

1428–1453

Read siege, coronation and trial within the Hundred Years War.

Read more

Period at this timeGutenberg and the work of movable typeComparing 1377 and the 1450sInka roads and messengersFifteenth–early sixteenth centuries

1453 CE

Japan

Period at this timeThe tally checked at the port1401–mid-sixteenth century · Trade with Ming ChinaTea, Noh and ink painting in Muromachi1392–1573 · art-historical periodisation

China

Period at this timeMing court and craft1368–1644The Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

Constantinople

Ottoman forces capture Constantinople

1453

Mehmed II’s forces captured the city, which was rebuilt as an Ottoman capital.

Read more

Constantinople, now Istanbul

A change of rulers in 1453

1453

The fall of Constantinople began its transformation into an Ottoman imperial capital.

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Period at this timeJoan of Arc and the siege of Orléans1428–1453Gutenberg and the work of movable typeComparing 1377 and the 1450s

1467 CE

Period begins

Japan

JapanPeriod

Kyoto becomes a battlefield in the Ōnin War

1467–1477

Rivalries became a prolonged war that devastated Kyoto and transformed Muromachi politics.

Read more

Period at this timeThe tally checked at the port1401–mid-sixteenth century · Trade with Ming ChinaTea, Noh and ink painting in Muromachi1392–1573 · art-historical periodisation

China

Period at this timeMing court and craft1368–1644The Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

Period at this timeInka roads and messengersFifteenth–early sixteenth centuriesMali and learning in Timbuktu1324–sixteenth century

1487 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeThe tally checked at the port1401–mid-sixteenth century · Trade with Ming ChinaTea, Noh and ink painting in Muromachi1392–1573 · art-historical periodisation

China

Period at this timeMing court and craft1368–1644The Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

Milan / FlorencePeriod

Reading Leonardo’s notebooks

Notebooks from around 1487–1505

Water, weights and anatomy reveal observation and design.

Read more

Period at this timeInka roads and messengersFifteenth–early sixteenth centuriesMali and learning in Timbuktu1324–sixteenth century

1488 CE

Period begins

Japan

Kanazawa, IshikawaPeriod

Faith and power in Kaga

1488–1580 · The Kaga Ikkō movement

From a governor’s defeat to the fall of Kanazawa Midō, trace faith and political power.

Read more

Period at this timeThe tally checked at the port1401–mid-sixteenth century · Trade with Ming ChinaTea, Noh and ink painting in Muromachi1392–1573 · art-historical periodisation

China

Period at this timeMing court and craft1368–1644The Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

Period at this timeReading Leonardo’s notebooksNotebooks from around 1487–1505Inka roads and messengersFifteenth–early sixteenth centuries

1500 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeFaith and power in Kaga1488–1580 · The Kaga Ikkō movementThe tally checked at the port1401–mid-sixteenth century · Trade with Ming China

China

Period at this timeMing court and craft1368–1644The Silk Roads were a networkFrom the second century BCE through the medieval period

Other regions

Benin CityPeriod

The Benin court and its casters

From the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

Royal memory, skilled casting and the looting of 1897.

Read more

Period at this timeReading Leonardo’s notebooksNotebooks from around 1487–1505Inka roads and messengersFifteenth–early sixteenth centuries

1553 CE

Period begins

Japan

Kawanakajima, NaganoPeriod

Why was Kawanakajima fought over repeatedly?

1553–1564 · Struggles over Kawanakajima

Look beyond the famous duel to local lords, rivers and castles in Shinano.

Read more

Period at this timeFaith and power in Kaga1488–1580 · The Kaga Ikkō movementTea, Noh and ink painting in Muromachi1392–1573 · art-historical periodisation

China

Period at this timeMing court and craft1368–1644

Other regions

Period at this timeMali and learning in Timbuktu1324–sixteenth centuryThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1573 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeFaith and power in Kaga1488–1580 · The Kaga Ikkō movementTea, Noh and ink painting in Muromachi1392–1573 · art-historical periodisation

China

ChinaPeriod

Wanli-era Ming porcelain crosses the seas

1573–1620 · Ming Wanli era

Jingdezhen porcelain travelled overseas; the Wanli era overlaps both Honnōji and Sekigahara.

Read more

Period at this timeMing court and craft1368–1644

Other regions

Period at this timeMali and learning in Timbuktu1324–sixteenth centuryThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1582 CE

Japan

Japan

Nobunaga dies in the Honnōji Incident

1582 · lunar Tenshō 10, 6/2

Akechi Mitsuhide’s forces attacked Nobunaga in Kyoto, the same year as Europe’s calendar reform.

Read more

China

Period at this timeWanli-era Ming porcelain crosses the seas1573–1620 · Ming Wanli eraMing court and craft1368–1644

Other regions

Catholic Europe

The Gregorian calendar reform

1582

Pope Gregory XIII revised the leap-year rule, shaping the calendar used widely today.

Read more

Period at this timeMali and learning in Timbuktu1324–sixteenth centuryThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1600 CE

Japan

Japan

Ieyasu’s forces win at Sekigahara

1600

Victory shifted political power; appointment as shogun was a separate milestone three years later.

Read more

China

Period at this timeWanli-era Ming porcelain crosses the seas1573–1620 · Ming Wanli eraMing court and craft1368–1644

Other regions

Period at this timeMali and learning in Timbuktu1324–sixteenth centuryThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1601 CE

Japan

Sendai, Miyagi

The town Date Masamune built at Sendai

1601 · Sendai Castle and its town

From warlord to domain ruler: castle and town reveal Masamune’s changing role.

Read more

China

Period at this timeWanli-era Ming porcelain crosses the seas1573–1620 · Ming Wanli eraMing court and craft1368–1644

Other regions

Period at this timeThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1603 CE

Japan

Japan

Tokugawa Ieyasu becomes shogun

1603

The conventional political beginning of the shogunate preceded the city’s long development.

Read more

China

Period at this timeWanli-era Ming porcelain crosses the seas1573–1620 · Ming Wanli eraMing court and craft1368–1644

Other regions

Period at this timeThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1609 CE

Japan

Himeji, Hyōgo

Dating the buildings of Himeji Castle

1609 · Completion of the present great keep

The great keep and western enclosure belong to different stages of construction.

Read more

China

Period at this timeWanli-era Ming porcelain crosses the seas1573–1620 · Ming Wanli eraMing court and craft1368–1644

Other regions

Period at this timeThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1641 CE

Period begins

Japan

Dejima, NagasakiPeriod

Overseas connections through Dejima

1641–1859 · The Dutch trading post at Dejima

Trade and information exchange on an artificial island, interpreted through its reconstruction.

Read more

China

Period at this timeMing court and craft1368–1644

Other regions

Period at this timeThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1644 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeOverseas connections through Dejima1641–1859 · The Dutch trading post at Dejima

China

ChinaPeriod

Qing rule and a changing empire

1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Manchu Qing rule centred on Beijing; wars and reform preceded the emperor’s abdication in 1912.

Read more

Period at this timeMing court and craft1368–1644

Other regions

Period at this timeThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1730 CE

Period begins

Japan

Dōjima, OsakaPeriod

Setting prices in a city receiving rice

1730–1869 · Dōjima rice market

Domain warehouses, rice receipts and contracts connected rice to money in Osaka.

Read more

Period at this timeOverseas connections through Dejima1641–1859 · The Dutch trading post at Dejima

China

Period at this timeQing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

Period at this timeThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1750 CE

Period begins

Japan

Hashitate, Ishikawa / Ishikari, Hokkaidō / OsakaPeriod

Trading at each port aboard a kitamae ship

Eighteenth century–mid-Meiji · Sea of Japan routes

Rice, kelp, herring and used clothes: voyages profited from trading, not only freight.

Read more

Period at this timeSetting prices in a city receiving rice1730–1869 · Dōjima rice marketOverseas connections through Dejima1641–1859 · The Dutch trading post at Dejima

China

Period at this timeQing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

Period at this timeThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1765 CE

Japan

Japan

Full-colour nishiki-e printing develops

1765

Full-colour single-sheet printing developed in Edo through designers, carvers, printers and publishers.

Read more

Edo, TokyoPeriod

Four professions behind a woodblock print

1765–early nineteenth century · Colour woodblock printing

Publisher, designer, carver and printer: a celebrated artist’s print depended on a team.

Read more

Period at this timeSetting prices in a city receiving rice1730–1869 · Dōjima rice marketTrading at each port aboard a kitamae shipEighteenth century–mid-Meiji · Sea of Japan routes

China

Period at this timeQing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

Period at this timeThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1770 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeFour professions behind a woodblock print1765–early nineteenth century · Colour woodblock printingSetting prices in a city receiving rice1730–1869 · Dōjima rice market

China

Period at this timeQing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

Industrial BritainPeriod

Steam engines and working lives

Late eighteenth–early nineteenth centuries

Powering factories also changed working hours and children’s lives.

Read more

Period at this timeThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1776 CE

Japan

Period at this timeFour professions behind a woodblock print1765–early nineteenth century · Colour woodblock printingSetting prices in a city receiving rice1730–1869 · Dōjima rice market

China

Period at this timeQing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

North America, thirteen colonies

The Declaration of Independence is adopted

4 July 1776

Congress adopted the declaration’s text; voting for independence and signing were separate stages.

Read more

Period at this timeSteam engines and working livesLate eighteenth–early nineteenth centuriesThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1789 CE

Japan

Period at this timeFour professions behind a woodblock print1765–early nineteenth century · Colour woodblock printingSetting prices in a city receiving rice1730–1869 · Dōjima rice market

China

Period at this timeQing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

Versailles, France

The Estates General opens in a revolutionary year

5 May 1789

Louis XVI summoned the Estates General amid crisis, a milestone at the start of the French Revolution.

Read more

Period at this timeSteam engines and working livesLate eighteenth–early nineteenth centuriesThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1791 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeFour professions behind a woodblock print1765–early nineteenth century · Colour woodblock printingSetting prices in a city receiving rice1730–1869 · Dōjima rice market

China

Period at this timeQing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

Saint-Domingue, now HaitiPeriod

The Haitian Revolution and independence

1791–1804

A rebellion in a slave colony developed into independence from France.

Read more

Period at this timeSteam engines and working livesLate eighteenth–early nineteenth centuriesThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1800 CE

Period begins

Japan

Sawara, Chiba / Fukagawa, TokyoPeriod

How were the Inō maps measured and made?

1800–1821 · Surveying and completing maps

Measured routes, recorded bearings and observed stars lay behind a team’s mapping work.

Read more

Uchiko, EhimePeriod

Uchiko’s streets and wax production

Nineteenth century · Uchiko from late Edo into Meiji

Look behind merchant-house façades to the workplaces of wax production.

Read more

Period at this timeFour professions behind a woodblock print1765–early nineteenth century · Colour woodblock printingSetting prices in a city receiving rice1730–1869 · Dōjima rice market

China

Period at this timeQing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

Period at this timeThe Haitian Revolution and independence1791–1804Steam engines and working livesLate eighteenth–early nineteenth centuries

1804 CE

Japan

Period at this timeHow were the Inō maps measured and made?1800–1821 · Surveying and completing mapsFour professions behind a woodblock print1765–early nineteenth century · Colour woodblock printing

China

Period at this timeQing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

France

Napoleon becomes emperor

1804

The Empire was established and Napoleon crowned, linking legal and governmental change with war.

Read more

Period at this timeThe Haitian Revolution and independence1791–1804Steam engines and working livesLate eighteenth–early nineteenth centuries

1815 CE

Japan

Period at this timeHow were the Inō maps measured and made?1800–1821 · Surveying and completing mapsFour professions behind a woodblock print1765–early nineteenth century · Colour woodblock printing

China

Period at this timeQing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

Waterloo, present-day Belgium

Napoleon is defeated at Waterloo

1815

Defeat was followed by abdication and later confinement on a distant island.

Read more

Period at this timeSteam engines and working livesLate eighteenth–early nineteenth centuriesThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1819 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeHow were the Inō maps measured and made?1800–1821 · Surveying and completing mapsFour professions behind a woodblock print1765–early nineteenth century · Colour woodblock printing

China

Period at this timeQing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

Bogotá / CaracasPeriod

Bolívar and building states after independence

1819–1830

From military victory to constitutions, finance and division.

Read more

Period at this timeSteam engines and working livesLate eighteenth–early nineteenth centuriesThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

Early 19th century

Japan

JapanApproximate

A day of paper, water and trade in Edo

Early nineteenth-century Edo · invented day

Walk through tenements, water points and print shops, exploring the people behind publishing and commerce.

Read more

Period at this timeFour professions behind a woodblock print1765–early nineteenth century · Colour woodblock printingUchiko’s streets and wax productionNineteenth century · Uchiko from late Edo into Meiji

China

Period at this timeQing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

Period at this timeBolívar and building states after independence1819–1830Steam engines and working livesLate eighteenth–early nineteenth centuries

1838 CE

Period begins

Japan

Kitahama, OsakaPeriod

Reading medicine at Tekijuku and treating the town

1838–1862 · Ogata Kōan and Tekijuku

Students reading Dutch texts and doctors addressing disease connected learning to public life.

Read more

Period at this timeFour professions behind a woodblock print1765–early nineteenth century · Colour woodblock printingUchiko’s streets and wax productionNineteenth century · Uchiko from late Edo into Meiji

China

Period at this timeQing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

Period at this timeSteam engines and working livesLate eighteenth–early nineteenth centuriesThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1839 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeReading medicine at Tekijuku and treating the town1838–1862 · Ogata Kōan and TekijukuFour professions behind a woodblock print1765–early nineteenth century · Colour woodblock printing

China

ChinaPeriod

The First Opium War

1839–1842

War between Qing and Britain changed trade and diplomacy, prompting debates about response.

Read more

Period at this timeQing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

Period at this timeSteam engines and working livesLate eighteenth–early nineteenth centuriesThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1840 CE

Japan

Period at this timeReading medicine at Tekijuku and treating the town1838–1862 · Ogata Kōan and TekijukuFour professions behind a woodblock print1765–early nineteenth century · Colour woodblock printing

China

Period at this timeThe First Opium War1839–1842Qing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

Waitangi

The Treaty of Waitangi in two languages

1840

An agreement in two languages carried different meanings of governance and sovereignty.

Read more

Period at this timeSteam engines and working livesLate eighteenth–early nineteenth centuriesThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1842 CE

Japan

Period at this timeReading medicine at Tekijuku and treating the town1838–1862 · Ogata Kōan and TekijukuFour professions behind a woodblock print1765–early nineteenth century · Colour woodblock printing

China

China

Wei Yuan argues for learning foreign military techniques

1842

After defeat, learning shipbuilding and weapons technology was proposed, followed by wider reform debates.

Read more

Period at this timeThe First Opium War1839–1842Qing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

Period at this timeThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1857 CE

Period begins

Japan

Hagi, YamaguchiPeriod

The small classroom of Shōka Sonjuku

1857–1858 · Shōin’s teaching in the surviving school building

A room and its extension reveal a brief period of teaching in the late shogunate.

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Period at this timeReading medicine at Tekijuku and treating the town1838–1862 · Ogata Kōan and TekijukuUchiko’s streets and wax productionNineteenth century · Uchiko from late Edo into Meiji

China

Period at this timeQing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

Period at this timeThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1864 CE

Period begins

Japan

Hakodate, HokkaidōPeriod

Why was Goryōkaku built?

1864–1869 · From magistrate’s office to the Hakodate War

A star-shaped fort connected a treaty port’s administration with a later war.

Read more

Period at this timeUchiko’s streets and wax productionNineteenth century · Uchiko from late Edo into MeijiSetting prices in a city receiving rice1730–1869 · Dōjima rice market

China

Period at this timeQing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

Period at this timeThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1867 CE

Japan

Japan

Ryōma’s Kaientai takes shape

1867

Kameyama Shachū was reorganised as Kaientai, linking navigation, study, commerce and late-shogunate politics.

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Japan

Tokugawa Yoshinobu offers to return government

1867 · lunar Keiō 3, 10/14

The last shogun offered to return governing authority to the court; the new political settlement remained contested.

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Period at this timeWhy was Goryōkaku built?1864–1869 · From magistrate’s office to the Hakodate WarUchiko’s streets and wax productionNineteenth century · Uchiko from late Edo into Meiji

China

Period at this timeQing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

Alaska, Russia / United States

Russia and the United States agree the Alaska purchase

30 March 1867 · treaty signed

A treaty agreed the territorial transfer; archival records distinguish it from payment in 1868.

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Canada

Canadian Confederation

1 July 1867

Confederation began with Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

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Period at this timeThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1868 CE

Japan

Japan

Emperor Meiji visits Tokyo

1868

Emperor Meiji travelled from Kyoto to Tokyo; Edo Castle became his residence and was renamed Tokyo Castle, within a transition unfolding in stages.

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Period at this timeWhy was Goryōkaku built?1864–1869 · From magistrate’s office to the Hakodate WarUchiko’s streets and wax productionNineteenth century · Uchiko from late Edo into Meiji

China

Period at this timeQing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

Period at this timeThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1869 CE

Period begins

Japan

Sapporo, HokkaidōPeriod

How Sapporo’s street grid took shape

1869–1875 · Building modern Sapporo

The Sōsei River and Ōdōri reveal the layout of a Meiji-era city.

Read more

Period at this timeWhy was Goryōkaku built?1864–1869 · From magistrate’s office to the Hakodate WarUchiko’s streets and wax productionNineteenth century · Uchiko from late Edo into Meiji

China

Period at this timeQing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

Period at this timeThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1872 CE

Japan

Tomioka, Gunma

Reeling silk and sharing skills at Tomioka

1872 · Tomioka Silk Mill starts operating

Women at a government mill helped spread mechanised silk-reeling skills.

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Period at this timeHow Sapporo’s street grid took shape1869–1875 · Building modern SapporoUchiko’s streets and wax productionNineteenth century · Uchiko from late Edo into Meiji

China

China

Li Hongzhang argues for industry and transport

1872

Proposals widened beyond arms to industrial and transport ventures intended to increase wealth and power.

Read more

Period at this timeQing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

Period at this timeThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1889 CE

Japan

Tokyo

What the Meiji Constitution established

1889 · Promulgation of the Meiji Constitution

Original documents explain the emperor, parliament and subjects’ rights.

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Period at this timeUchiko’s streets and wax productionNineteenth century · Uchiko from late Edo into MeijiTrading at each port aboard a kitamae shipEighteenth century–mid-Meiji · Sea of Japan routes

China

Period at this timeQing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

Period at this timeThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1896 CE

Period begins

Japan

Period at this timeUchiko’s streets and wax productionNineteenth century · Uchiko from late Edo into Meiji

China

Period at this timeQing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

ParisPeriod

How the Curies established new elements

1896–1911

From measuring radiation to separation and testing a hypothesis.

Read more

Period at this timeThe Benin court and its castersFrom the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

1898 CE

Japan

Period at this timeUchiko’s streets and wax productionNineteenth century · Uchiko from late Edo into Meiji

China

China

The Hundred Days’ Reform is attempted

1898

Reforms associated with Kang Youwei and others had a brief trial, revealing limits between proposals and implementation.

Read more

Period at this timeQing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

Period at this timeHow the Curies established new elements1896–1911

1900 CE

Japan

Kōjimachi, Tokyo

The school Tsuda Umeko began with ten students

1900 · Opening Joshi Eigaku Juku

After overseas study, creating opportunities at home connected higher education to work.

Read more

Period at this timeUchiko’s streets and wax productionNineteenth century · Uchiko from late Edo into Meiji

China

Period at this timeQing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

Period at this timeHow the Curies established new elements1896–1911

1911 CE

Japan

No entry

China

Wuchang, now Wuhan / NanjingPeriod

From the Xinhai Revolution to the Republic

1911–1912

An uprising, Qing abdication and a new republic ended a dynasty without resolving every conflict.

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China

The Xinhai Revolution begins

1911

The Wuchang uprising spread and weakened Qing rule; revolution and the next year’s abdication are separate dates.

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Period at this timeQing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

Period at this timeHow the Curies established new elements1896–1911

1912 CE

Japan

Japan

Japan enters the Taishō era

1912

The era name changed from Meiji to Taishō, a different institutional milestone in the year China’s imperial rule ended.

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China

China

The Qing emperor abdicates

12 February 1912

Abdication marked the end of imperial rule, while republican institutions and power continued to change.

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Period at this timeFrom the Xinhai Revolution to the Republic1911–1912Qing rule and a changing empire1644–1912 · Beijing entry to abdication

Other regions

North Atlantic

Titanic sinks

15 April 1912 · shipboard date

The liner sank after striking an iceberg; lifeboat, rescue and inquiry records reveal different experiences.

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1923 CE

Japan

Tokyo / Yokohama, Kanagawa

What happened in the Great Kantō Earthquake?

1923 · The Great Kantō Earthquake of 1 September

Distinguish earthquake damage, fire, disrupted communications and violence driven by rumours.

Read more

China

No entry

Other regions

No entry

1925 CE

Japan

Tokyo

Who could vote under universal male suffrage?

1925 · Universal male suffrage legislation

Removing the tax requirement did not give everyone the vote.

Read more

China

No entry

Other regions

No entry

1945 CE

Japan

Hiroshima

Hiroshima through records of those affected

1945 · Hiroshima on 6 August

Read documented damage alongside individual accounts of destroyed lives.

Read more

Okinawa

Life after the Battle of Okinawa

1945 · The Battle of Okinawa and its aftermath

Follow the ground battle, civilian displacement, camps and the return home.

Read more

China

No entry

Other regions

No entry

1946 CE

Period begins

Japan

TokyoPeriod

The postwar constitution and institutional reform

1946–1947 · From promulgation to enforcement

Read the constitutional text alongside laws and institutions prepared for its enforcement.

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China

No entry

Other regions

No entry

1947 CE

Japan

Period at this timeThe postwar constitution and institutional reform1946–1947 · From promulgation to enforcement

China

No entry

Other regions

Regions partitioned from British India

Independence and Partition in South Asia

August 1947

Independence and displacement unfolded together; borders and personal memories reveal different sides.

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1949 CE

Japan

No entry

China

China

The People’s Republic of China is established

1 October 1949

The People’s Republic was proclaimed in Beijing, a milestone in twentieth-century Chinese politics.

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Other regions

No entry

1955 CE

Japan

No entry

China

No entry

Other regions

Bandung

Bandung and decolonization

April 1955

Asian and African delegations asserted international roles beyond the superpowers.

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1964 CE

Japan

Tokyo

Tokyo 1964 beyond the stadium

1964 · Tokyo’s Games and a changing city

Games, Paralympics and transport changes appear together in contemporary photographs.

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China

No entry

Other regions

No entry

1969 CE

Japan

No entry

China

No entry

Other regions

United States / Moon

Apollo 11 lands on the Moon

20 July 1969 · lunar landing

Armstrong and Aldrin reached the lunar surface while Collins remained in lunar orbit.

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Launch site in Florida / Moon: Sea of Tranquility

Apollo 11: reaching the Moon and returning

July 1969

Two astronauts on the surface and one in orbit: landing was only part of the mission.

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1989 CE

Japan

Japan

The Heisei era begins

8 January 1989

The new era was decided on 7 January and began on 8 January, within a year of different changes elsewhere.

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China

China

The military suppresses protests in Beijing

3–4 June 1989

After spring protests, troops opened fire in Beijing, causing deaths and injuries; the square was cleared early the next morning.

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Other regions

East and West Berlin

Berlin’s border opens

9 November 1989 into the following morning

People gathered at checkpoints after an announcement and the border opened; distinguish this from reunification the next year.

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Selected events are shown. Historical periods appear at their start year and include their date range.