The 540s BC
40 sourced entries across 8 years, inside the 6th century BC. Each year below opens its own page; the lines under it are that year’s highest-ranked entries.
549 BCE4 entries
- King Cyrus II (the Great) captures the Median capital of Ecbatana, conquering the nation of Media.
- Emperor Suizei dies after a 32-year reign and is succeeded by his son Annei as emperor of Japan.
548 BCE5 entries
- The Temple of Apollo at Delphi, Greece is damaged in a fire. The Alcmaeonids rebuild the structure.
- Diognetus of Croton wins the stadion race at the Olympic Games.
547 BCE4 entries
- Croesus seizes the Persian city of Pteria and enslaves its inhabitants. Meanwhile, Cyrus invites the Ionians to join him in battle.
- The Battles of Thymbra and Pteria are fought between Croesus of Lydia and Cyrus the Great.
- Cyrus besieges and captures Sardis.
546 BCE7 entries
- Peisistratus takes power in Athens.
- A coup takes place in the state of Qi.
- Cyrus makes Pasargadae the capital of Persia.
545 BCE3 entries
544 BCE3 entries
543 BCE4 entries
- North Indian Prince Vijaya invades Ceylon and establishes a Sinhalese dynasty after he was banished from his father's kingdom
- Pisistratus, tyrant of Athens, purifies the island of Delos. (approximate)
- Guided by Chinese statesman Zi Chan, the State of Zheng institutes a formal code of law.
540 BCE10 entries
- Comet Hale–Bopp appears in the evening sky, making its closest approach to Earth. Its next appearance occurs in 1997.
- Amasis Painter makes Dionysos with maenads, black-figure decoration on an amphora.
- Exekias makes The Suicide of Ajax, black-figure decoration on an amphora.