slug: japan

label: Japan

description: island country in East Asia

year_label: 632 BCE

section: Births

text: Suizei, emperor of Japan (d. 549 BC)

title: 632 BC

year_label: 553 BCE

text: Itoku, emperor of Japan (d. 477 BC)

title: 553 BC

year_label: 549 BCE

text: Emperor Suizei dies after a 32-year reign and is succeeded by his son Annei as emperor of Japan.

title: 549 BC

section: Events › By place › Asia

text: Suizei, emperor of Japan (b. 632 BC)

title: 549 BC

year_label: 510 BCE

text: Annei, emperor of Japan (b. 577 BC)

title: 510 BC

year_label: 506 BCE

text: Kōshō, emperor of Japan (d. 393 BC)

title: 506 BC

year_label: 273 BCE

text: Kōgen, emperor of Japan (d. 158 BC)

title: 273 BC

year_label: 98 BCE

text: Emperor Kaika of Japan, according to legend.

title: 98 BC

year_label: 97 BCE

section: Conflict & Security

text: Sujin becomes emperor of Japan (approximate date).

title: 97 BC

year_label: 57 CE

section: Exploration & Expansion

text: Emperor Guang Wu grants Nakoku (located around modern-day Fukuoka City) a golden seal, being the oldest evidence of writing in Japan. In return King Na sends an envoy to China.

title: 50s

section: Events › 57 AD › China

text: Queen Himiko (or Shingi Waō) begins her reign in Japan (until 248).

title: AD 188

text: Himiko of Yamataikoku, in Japan, begins a war against King Himikoku of Kunukoku.

title: 247

section: Technology & Infrastructure

text: Japanese shipwrights build a 100-foot oar-powered vessel for Emperor Ōjin. The Japanese will not use sails for another seven centuries.

title: 274

section: Events › By topic › Transportation

text: The manufacture of cultured silk becomes popular from Korea to Japan.

title: 298

section: Events › By place › Korea

text: Emperor Ōjin of Japan, according to legend.

title: 310

section: Geopolitics & Diplomacy

text: Nintoku, the fourth son of Ōjin, becomes the 16th emperor of Japan. The historical profile of Nintoku is generally accepted as fact without attributing all of the things he allegedly accomplished.

title: 313

text: Richū, emperor of Japan (approximate date)

title: 336

text: The first Korean envoy arrives in Japan, emissary of the government of Kudara.

title: 367

section: Religion & Belief

text: The Japanese court officially adopts the Chinese writing system (approximate date).

title: 405

section: Events › By topic › Arts and Sciences

text: Richu, emperor of Japan (approximate date)

title: 405

text: Hanzei succeeds his brother Richu, and becomes the 18th emperor of Japan in the traditional order of succession.

title: 406

text: Yuryaku, emperor of Japan (approximate date)

title: 418

text: Ankō obtains the throne of his father Ingyō after the traditional order of succession and becomes the 20th emperor of Japan. His eldest brother Prince Kinashi no Karu commits suicide after being accused of an incestuous relationship with his sister Karu no Ōiratsume (according to the Nihon Shoki).

title: 453

text: The Kibi Clan Rebellion against the Yamato state (Japan) in the Korean Peninsula begins.

title: 463

text: The first Shinto shrines are built in Japan.

title: 478

text: Prince Seinei succeeds his father Yūryaku and becomes the 22nd emperor of Japan.

title: 480

text: Kenzō, emperor of Japan (approximate date)

title: 487

text: Emperor Kenzō of Japan, age 38, dies after a reign of only three years.

title: 487

text: Ninken, adopted heir of Seinei, succeeds his brother Kenzō and becomes new emperor of Japan.

title: 488

text: Kinmei, emperor of Japan (d. 571)

title: 509

text: Keitai, emperor of Japan (b. 450)

title: 531

text: The Kofun period ends and the Asuka period, the second part of the Yamato period in Japan, begins.

title: 538

text: Emperor Bidatsu of Japan (d. 585)

title: 538

text: Kinmei succeeds his brother Senka, and ascends as 29th emperor to the throne of Japan.

title: 539

date: October 12

text: October 12 – Yōmei, emperor of Japan (d. 587)

title: 540

text: Suiko, empress of Japan (d. 628)

title: 554

date: April 15

text: April 15 – Kinmei, emperor of Japan (b. 509)

title: 571

section: Culture & Society

text: Bidatsu succeeds his father Kinmei and ascends to the throne of Japan as the 30th emperor.

title: 572

date: February 7

text: February 7 – Shōtoku, prince and regent of Japan (d. 622)

title: 574

text: Kongō Gumi, the world's oldest construction company (578–2006), is founded in Osaka (Japan).

title: 578

date: September 14

text: September 14 – Bidatsu, emperor of Japan (b. 538)

title: 585

date: September 15

text: September 15 – Emperor Bidatsu, age 47, dies of smallpox after a 13-year reign, and is succeeded by his brother Yōmei as the 31st emperor of Japan.

title: 585

text: Soga no Emishi, statesman of Japan (d. 645)

title: 587

text: December 8 – Emperor Sushun of Japan is murdered after 5 years on the throne by agents of his rival Umako Soga, who is jealous of the emperor's power. He is succeeded by Suiko, widow of the late emperor Bidatsu.

title: 592

text: The Shitennō-ji monastery is founded at Osaka (Japan) by Shōtoku.

title: 593

text: Jomei, emperor of Japan (d. 641)

title: 593

text: Kōgyoku, empress of Japan (d. 661)

title: 594

text: Kōtoku, emperor of Japan (d. 654)

title: 596

text: Prince Shōtoku of Japan establishes a twelve level cap and rank system, and is said to have authored a seventeen-article constitution.

title: 603

text: Prince Shotoku, imperial regent of Empress Suiko, issues a Seventeen-article constitution, based on both Confucian and Buddhist principles in Japan.

title: 604

text: August 1 – Empress Suiko appoints Ono no Imoko as official envoy to the Sui Court (Japanese missions to Imperial China). She sends him to pay tribute to Emperor Yángdi, and let him deliver the famous letter from prince-regent Shōtoku which begins: "The Son of Heaven where the sun rises (Japan), to the Son of Heaven where the sun sets (China), may good health be with you." (Traditional Japanese date: July 3, 607).

title: 607

text: April 15 – Suiko, empress of Japan

title: 628

text: Temmu, emperor of Japan (approximate date)

title: 631

text: November 17 – Emperor Jomei of Japan, age 48, dies after a 12-year reign.

title: 641

text: November 17 – Emperor Jomei of Japan (b. 593)

title: 641

text: Empress Kōgyoku is forced to abdicate the throne in favor of her younger brother Kōtoku, age 49, who becomes the 36th emperor of Japan.

title: 645

text: Jitō, empress of Japan (d. 703)

title: 645

text: A Great Reform edict changes Japan's political order. It will lead to the establishment of a centralized government with Kōtoku ruling from his palace, Naniwa Nagara-Toyosaki Palace, in Osaka.

title: 646

text: Soga no Kurayamada, Japanese udaijin

title: 649

text: The registers of population are prepared in Japan. Fifty houses are made a township, and for each township there is appointed an elder. The houses are all associated in groups of five for mutual protection, with one elder to supervise them one with another. This system prevails until the era of World War II.

title: 652

text: Prince Tenji of Japan changes his residence to Asuka (Nara Prefecture), with other imperial family members and ministers. Only Emperor Kōtoku stays in the Naniwa Palace (approximate date).

title: 653

text: Nakatomi no Kamatari, the inner minister (naidaijin) of Japan, is granted the Shikwan (the Purple Cap). [Ambiguous; Significance of this is unclear]

title: 654

text: November 24 – Kōtoku, emperor of Japan (b. 596)

title: 654

text: Empress Saimei of Japan builds a new palace at Asuka (Nara Prefecture), because her former residence caught fire. This construction is called the "Mad Canal" by the people of that day, wasting the labor of tens of thousand workers and a large amount of money.

title: 656

text: A Japanese embassy is sent to the Chinese Empire, and received in an audience by Emperor Gao Zong. The Tang dynasty is determined in the next year to take administrative measures in regard to Japan. The envoys are detained.

title: 659

text: Prince Naka no Ōe no Ōji of Japan makes a Japanese clock for the first time at Asuka, by which he causes the people to know the hours.

title: 660

text: Genmei, empress of Japan (d. 721)

title: 660

text: Battle of Baekgang: Korean Baekje forces and their Japanese allies are defeated in a naval battle, by a joint Silla–Tang coalition.

title: 663

text: Emperor Tenji of Japan officially accedes to the throne, and hunts on the Moor of Ōmi-Gamōno. The letters exchanged between prince Ōama and princess Nukata are recorded in Man'yōshū.

title: 668

text: A family register, Kogo-nenjaku, is prepared in Japan (approximate date) [Significance of this event is unclear] .

title: 670

text: June 10 – Emperor Tenji introduces a water clock (clepsydra) called Rokoku. The instrument, which measures time and indicates hours, is placed in the capital of Ōtsu in Japan.

title: 671

text: March 20 – Emperor Tenmu assumes the Chrysanthemum Throne of Japan at the Palace of Kiyomihara, in Asuka.

title: 673

text: In Japan, Princess Ōku proceeds to the Ise Jingu.

title: 674

text: January 5 – In Japan, a platform to observe the stars for astrologers is erected for the first time.

title: 675

text: Emperor Tenmu of Japan promulgates a decree about taxes from fiefs, and the employment of persons for the service from the outer provinces. Men of distinguished ability are allowed to enter the service, even though they are of the common people, regardless of their ranks.

title: 676

text: In Japan, Princess Uno Sarara is unwell, and Emperor Tenmu begins the erection of the Temple of Yakushi-ji (Nara Prefecture). He makes 100 people enter religion as priests, wishing her to recover her health.

title: 680

text: Genshō, empress of Japan (d. 748)

title: 680

text: In Japan the Asuka Kiyomihara Code is commenced under Emperor Tenmu.

title: 681

text: Emperor Tenmu decrees a reform in Japan; copper coins must be used instead of silver coins. Three days later he issues a decree to allow the continued use of silver.

title: 683

text: Empress Wu Zetian sends a pair of giant pandas to the Japanese court of Emperor Tenmu, as a diplomatic gift (approximate date).

title: 685

text: October 1 – Tenmu, emperor of Japan

title: 686

text: October 1 – Emperor Tenmu of Japan dies after a 13-year reign, and is succeeded by his widow (and niece), Empress Jitō. She will reign until 697.

title: 686

text: The Asuka Kiyomihara Code, a collection of governing rules commenced in 681 under Emperor Tenmu, is promulgated in Japan.

title: 689

text: A festival, for the opening of the eyes of Buddhist images, is held in Yakushi-ji Temple in Japan (approximate date).

title: 697

text: The festival of first-fruits (Daijo-sai) is held in Japan.

title: 698

text: September 22 – Shōmu, emperor of Japan (d. 756)

title: 701

text: January 13 – Jitō, empress of Japan (b. 645)

title: 703

text: July 18 – Emperor Monmu dies after a 10-year reign. He is succeeded by his aunt Genmei, who becomes the 43rd empress of Japan. She is the sister of former empress Jitō, and the niece and wife of late emperor Tenmu.

title: AD 707

text: August 29 – Copper coins are minted in Japan for the first time (Traditional Japanese date: August 10, 708).

title: 708

text: November 18 – Kōnin, emperor of Japan (d. 782)

title: 709

text: The Asuka period, the second and last part of the Yamato period, ends, and the Nara period begins; Heijō-kyō (Nara) becomes the capital of Japan.

title: 710

text: Reconstruction of the Hōryū-ji Temple in Japan is completed (approximate date).

title: AD 711

text: The Kojiki (Record of Ancient Times), a history of Japan, is completed.

title: 712

text: Empress Genmei abdicates the throne after an 8-year reign, in which she has built a replica of the Chinese imperial palace at Japan's new capital, Nara. Genmei is succeeded by her daughter Genshō.

title: 715

text: Hoshi Ryokan, the world's second-longest surviving hotel, is established in Japan (approximate date).

title: 717

text: The Nihon Shoki (日本書紀), one of the oldest history books in Japan, is completed under the editorial supervision of Prince Toneri, and with the assistance of Ō no Yasumaro.

title: 720

text: December 29 – Genmei, empress of Japan (b. 660)

title: 721

text: The first annual Sumo tournament in Japan is held by Emperor Shōmu (approximate date).

title: 726

text: Chinese eating sticks are introduced in the next 20 years in Japan, where people heretofore have used one-piece pincers. The Japanese call them hashi.

title: 729

text: Junnin, emperor of Japan (d. 765)

title: 733

text: A major smallpox epidemic starts in Japan, which reduces the population by 30%.

title: 735

text: Rōben, scholar-Buddhist monk, invites Shinshō to give lectures on the Avatamsaka Sutra at Kinshōsen-ji (later Tōdai-ji); this event is considered to be the roots of the Kegon school of Buddhism founded in Japan.

title: 736

text: Fujiwara no Hirotsugu Rebellion: The Fujiwara clan led by Fujiwara no Hirotsugu, dissatisfied with the political powers in Japan, raise an army in Dazaifa (Kyushu) but are defeated by government forces.

title: 740

text: Japanese authorities decree that Buddhist temples should be established throughout the country (approximate date).

title: 741

text: The Hida-Kokubunji Temple in Japan is built to pray for peace and prosperity (approximate date).

title: 746

text: Empress Kōmyō founds the Shin-Yakushi-ji Buddhist temple in Nara (Japan).

title: AD 747

text: May 22 – Genshō, empress of Japan (b. 683)

title: 748

text: The Great Buddha at Tōdai-ji in Nara (Japan) is completed.

title: 751

text: Emperor Shōmu (retired since 749) takes part in the dedication ceremony of the Great Buddha, (15 metres) at Tōdai-ji in Nara (Japan), and declares himself a Buddhist.

title: 752

text: Empress Kōken introduces the Tanabata festival to Japan.

title: 755

text: June 4 – Shōmu, emperor of Japan (b. 701)

title: 756

text: Empress Kōken abdicates the throne, after a 9-year reign. She is succeeded by her adopted son Junnin, grandson of the late emperor Tenmu. He becomes the 47th emperor (tennō) of Japan.

title: 758

text: The Tōshōdai-ji Buddhist Temple is founded in Nara, Japan.

title: 759

text: Kōmyō, empress of Japan (b. 701)

title: 760

text: October 14–21 – Fujiwara no Nakamaro Rebellion: A short-lived revolt led by Fujiwara no Nakamaro is suppressed. Emperor Junnin is deposed after a 6-year reign, and forced into exile. Former empress Kōken reassumes the imperial throne of Japan, and takes the name Shōtoku. She appoints her close associate, the priest Dōkyō, prime minister (taishi), running the government with him. Nakamaro is captured and killed with his wife and children.

title: 764

text: Junnin, emperor of Japan (b. 733)

title: 765

text: The Kasuga Shrine is erected at Nara (Japan), by the Fujiwara family. The interior is famous for its many bronze lanterns, as well as the stone lanterns that lead up to the Shinto shrine

title: 768

text: August 28 – Kōken, empress of Japan (b. 718)

title: 770

text: August 28 – Empress Kōken (also Shōtoku) of Japan dies.

title: 770

text: Heizei, emperor of Japan (d. 824)

title: 773

text: In Japan, the Kiyomizu-dera Buddhist temple is founded in Kyoto. Its main hall (Hondo) is built in 1633 without a single nail.

title: 778

text: April 30 – Emperor Kōnin of Japan abdicates the throne after an 11-year reign, in favour of his half-Korean son, Kanmu.

title: 781

text: January 11 – Kōnin, emperor of Japan (b. 709)

title: 782

text: The Japanese begin a war against the Ainu, in the north, on the main island of Honshu. Emperor Kanmu wishes to be free from the influence of the Buddhist monasteries around Nara (then called Heijō), and moves the capital to Nagaoka, ending the Nara period.

title: 784

text: Junna, emperor of Japan (approximate date)

title: 785

text: The Enryaku-ji temple complex is founded by Saichō, a Buddhist monk, on Mount Hiei in Ōtsu (Japan).

title: 788

text: An uprising in Japan leads to a major defeat for Emperor Kanmu, along with a severe drought and famine; the streets of the capital Nagaoka-kyō are clogged with the sick.

title: 789

text: Tō-ji, a Buddhist temple of the Shingon sect, is established in Kyoto, Japan.

title: 796

text: Priest Saichō, patriarch of Tendai Buddhism, visits China and introduces tea to Japan on his return (or 804).

title: 805

text: February 5 – Kanmu, emperor of Japan (b. 737)

title: 806

text: February 5 – Emperor Kanmu dies after a 25-year reign, that has seen Korean culture and technology introduced to Japan. He is succeeded by his son Heizei, as the 51st emperor of Japan.

title: 806

text: The Temple of Motoyama-ji in Mitoyo (Japan), of the Kōyasan Shingon-shū sect, is constructed by the orders of Emperor Heizei.

title: 807

text: September 27 – Ninmyō, emperor of Japan (d. 850)

title: AD 808

text: Seishi, empress of Japan (d. 879)

title: 810

text: Emperor Saga of Japan is the first sovereign to drink tea (according to legend), imported from China by monks. The upper classes adopt this beverage for medicinal use.

title: 815

text: August 5 – Heizei, emperor of Japan (b. 773)

title: 824

text: January 22 – Montuku, emperor of Japan (d. 858)

title: 826

text: Kōkō, emperor of Japan (d. 887)

title: 830

text: June 11 – Emperor Junna, ruler of Japan (b. 785)

title: 840

text: August 24 – Saga, emperor of Japan (b. 786)

title: 842

text: Jōgan eruption (Japan): Mount Fuji, located on Honshu Island, erupts for 10 days.

title: 864

text: June 10 – Uda, emperor of Japan (d. 931)

title: 866

text: January 2 – Yōzei, emperor of Japan (d. 949)

title: 869

text: April 18 – Seishi, empress of Japan (b. 810)

title: 879

text: February 6 – Daigo, emperor of Japan (d. 930)

title: 885

text: August 26 – Kōkō, emperor of Japan (b. 830)

title: 887

text: Emperor Daigo of Japan orders the selection of four court poets, led by Ki no Tsurayuki, to compile the Kokin Wakashū, an early anthology of Waka poetry.

title: 905

text: September 7 – Suzaku, emperor of Japan (d. 952)

title: 923

text: July 14 – Murakami, emperor of Japan (d. 967)

title: 926

text: Fujiwara no Anshi, empress consort of Japan (d. 964)

title: 927

text: Narita-san ("New victory temple"), a Shingon Buddhist temple, is founded in Chiba (Japan).

title: 940

text: Kaminarimon, the eight-pillared gate to the Sensō-ji Buddhist temple in Tokyo, Japan, is erected.

title: 941

text: September 14 – Fujiwara no Tadahira, a politician and chancellor (kampaku), dies at his native Kyoto. Having governed Japan as regent under Emperor Suzaku since 930. The Fujiwara clan will continue to hold the regency until 1180, controlling the imperial government.

title: 949

text: September 6 – Suzaku, emperor of Japan (b. 923)

title: 952

text: Fujiwara no Onshi, empress of Japan (b. 885)

title: 954

text: April 12 – En'yū, emperor of Japan (d. 991)

title: 959

text: Fujiwara no Anshi, empress consort of Japan (b. 927)

title: 964

text: July 5 – Murakami, emperor of Japan (b. 926)

title: 967

text: July 5 – Emperor Murakami dies after a 21-year reign. He is succeeded by his 17-year-old son Reizei, who is insane and becomes the 63rd emperor of Japan.

title: 967

text: November 29 – Kazan, emperor of Japan (d. 1008)

title: 968

text: September 27 – Emperor Reizei abdicates the throne of Japan (due to a mental illness) after a 2-year reign. He is succeeded by his 10-year-old brother En'yū, who becomes the 64th emperor.

title: 969

text: A major volcano erupts in Lake Mashū, Japan (approximate date).

title: 970

text: February 5 – Sanjō, emperor of Japan (d. 1017)

title: 976

text: Emperor Kazan abdicates the throne after a political struggle from the Fujiwara family. He is succeeded by his 6-year-old cousin Ichijō as the 66th emperor (tennō) of Japan.

title: 986

text: March 1 – En'yū, emperor of Japan (b. 959)

title: 991

text: January 13 – Fujiwara no Teishi, empress of Japan (b. 977)

title: 1001

text: The Shūi Wakashū ("Collection of Gleanings"), an anthology of waka (poetry), is compiled by ex-Emperor Kazan of Japan (approximate date).

title: 1005

text: April 30 – The brightest supernova ever recorded, SN 1006, occurs in the constellation of Lupus. It is observed and described in China, Japan, Iraq, Egypt, and Europe and possibly depicted in North American rock art. Modern astronomers now consider its distance at about 7,200 light-years. The supernova provides enough light to read by on a night with a dark moon.

title: 1006

text: October 12 – Atsuhira, future Emperor Go-Ichijō of Japan (d. 1036)

title: 1008

text: December 14 – Atsunaga, future Emperor Go-Suzaku of Japan (d. 1045)

title: 1009

text: Emperor Ichijō abdicates the throne and dies later after a 25-year reign. He is succeeded by his cousin Sanjō as the 67th emperor of Japan.

title: 1011

text: July 25 – Ichijō, emperor of Japan (b. 980)

title: 1011

text: May 15 – Emperor Go-Ichijō dies at the age of 27 after a 20-year reign. He is succeeded by his brother Go-Suzaku as the 69th emperor of Japan.

title: 1036

text: May 15 – Go-Ichijō, emperor of Japan (b. 1008)

title: 1036

text: September 19 – Fujiwara no Genshi, empress of Japan (b. 1016)

title: 1039

text: February 5 – Emperor Go-Reizei ascends the throne of Japan.

title: 1045

text: July 7 – Shirakawa, emperor of Japan (d. 1129)

title: 1053

text: May 22 – Go-Reizei, emperor of Japan (b. 1025)

title: 1068

text: October 25 – Shōshi, empress of Japan (b. 988)

title: 1074

text: August 8 – Horikawa, emperor of Japan (d. 1107)

title: 1079

text: February 24 – Toba, emperor of Japan (d. 1156)

title: 1103

text: August 9 – Emperor Horikawa dies after a 20-year reign and is succeeded by his 4-year-old son Toba as emperor of Japan.

title: 1107

text: August 9 – Horikawa, emperor of Japan (b. 1079)

title: 1107

text: The sōhei or warrior monks of Mii-dera and Enryaku-ji unite their forces to attack Nara in Japan.

title: 1117

text: The Genei era begins in Japan.

title: 1118

text: February 25 – Japan's Emperor Toba abdicates in favor of his 3-year-old son Sutoku after a 16-year reign. The retired Emperor Shirakawa rules as regent during Toba's minority.

title: 1123

text: July 24 – Shirakawa, emperor of Japan (b. 1053)

title: 1129

text: July 31 – Nijō, emperor of Japan (d. 1165)

title: 1143

text: February 10 – Taira no Tadamori dies after a career in which he has used his military and diplomatic skills to subdue the pirates menacing commerce in the Seto Inland Sea. He expands trade with China and becomes the first samurai to serve Emperor Konoe as personal bodyguard. He is succeeded by his son Taira no Kiyomori, who assumes control of the Taira Clan. He establishes the first samurai-dominated government in Japan.

title: 1153

text: August 22 – The 16-year-old Emperor Konoe dies after a 14-year reign. He is succeeded by his brother Go-Shirakawa as the 77th emperor of Japan.

title: 1155

text: August 22 – Konoe, emperor of Japan (b. 1139)

title: 1155

text: July 28 – The Hōgen rebellion, a dispute between Emperor Go-Shirakawa and his half-brother retired-Emperor Sutoku, erupts in Japan.

title: 1156

text: September 5 – Emperor Go-Shirakawa of Japan abdicates the throne after a 3-year reign. He is succeeded by his 15-year-old son Nijō as the 77th emperor. Go-Shirakawa retains power, and gives Kiyomori Taira a higher position to lead a samurai-dominated government.

title: 1158

text: September 20 – Takakura, emperor of Japan (d. 1181)

title: 1161

text: December 28 – Emperor Rokujō of Japan (d. 1176)

title: 1164

text: Taira no Kiyomori becomes the first samurai to be appointed Daijo Daijin, chief minister of the government of Japan.

title: 1167

text: April 9 – Emperor Rokujō of Japan is deposed by his grandfather, retired-Emperor Go-Shirakawa, after an 8-month reign. He is succeeded by his 6-year-old uncle, Takakura, as the 80th emperor.

title: 1168

text: August 23 – Rokujō, emperor of Japan (b. 1164)

title: 1176

text: During the third year of the Angen era in Japan, a fire devastates Kyoto.

title: 1177

text: December 22 – Antoku, emperor of Japan (d. 1185)

title: 1178

text: August 6 – Go-Toba, emperor of Japan (d. 1239)

title: 1180

text: January 30 – Takakura, emperor of Japan (b. 1161)

title: 1181

text: March 20 – Taira no Kiyomori, Japanese military leader and dictator, dies at Kyoto. He established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in Japan.

title: 1181

text: May – The Yōwa era, marked by famine, ends during the reign of Emperor Antoku in Japan.

title: 1182

text: Three-year-old Emperor Go-Toba ascends to the throne of Japan, after the forced abdication of his brother Emperor Antoku, during the Genpei War.

title: 1183

text: February 19 – Second Battle of Uji: Japanese forces under Minamoto no Yoshinaka are defeated by his cousins, Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Minamoto no Yoritomo, for the control of Japan.

title: 1184

text: December – Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa grants Minamoto no Yoritomo the authority to form the first bakufu (shogunate) in Japan, ending the Genpei War.

title: 1185

text: June 1 – Minamoto no Yukiie, Japanese warlord

title: 1186

text: January 3 – Tsuchimikado, emperor of Japan (d. 1231)

title: 1196

text: October 22 – Juntoku, emperor of Japan (d. 1242)

title: 1197

text: Hōnen and his followers of the Pure Land sect are persecuted and exiled to remote parts of Japan, while a few are executed, for what the government considers heretical Buddhist teachings.

title: 1207

text: May 13 – Emperor Juntoku is forced to abdicate, and is briefly succeeded by his 2-year-old son Chūkyō on the throne of Japan. Ex-Emperor Go-Toba leads the unsuccessful Jōkyū War against the Kamakura shogunate.

title: 1221

text: Dōgen Zenji receives Dharma transmission and inka from his master Rujing in China, settling his "life's quest of the great matter", going on to introduce Sōtō Zen Buddhism into his native Japan.

title: 1227

text: March 17 – Shijō (Mitsuhito), emperor of Japan (d. 1242)

title: 1231

text: June 18 – Chūkyō, emperor (tennō) of Japan (b. 1218)

title: 1234

text: March 28 – Go-Toba (Toba II), emperor of Japan (b. 1180)

title: 1239

text: Emperor Lizong of Song China accepts the Neo-Confucian teachings of the late Zhu Xi, including his commentary on the Four Books. This will have an impact upon the philosophical schools of surrounding countries as well, including Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.

title: 1241

text: June 28 – Go-Fukakusa, emperor of Japan (d. 1304)

title: 1243

text: The Hikitsuke, a judicial organ of the Kamakura and Ashikaga shogunates of Japan, is established.

title: 1249

text: July 9 – Emperor Kameyama of Japan (d. 1305)

title: 1249

text: March 17 – Go-Saga, emperor of Japan (b. 1220)

title: 1272

text: In Japan, a 20 kilometer stone wall defending the coast of Hakata Bay at Fukuoka on the island of Kyushu is completed; it is built in response to the attempted Yuan dynasty Mongol invasion of Japan in 1274.

title: 1277

text: A Mongol Yuan embassy, sent by Kublai Khan to Japan, is killed by orders from Hōjō Tokimune, leading to a second invasion.

title: 1279

text: April 5 – Go-Fushimi, emperor (tenno) of Japan (d. 1336)

title: 1288

text: In Japan the temple of Nanzen-ji at Kyoto is established by Emperor Kameyama. This temple becomes one of the most important religious schools within the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism and includes multiple sub-temples.

title: 1291

text: October 20 – Saionji Kisshi (or Ōmiya-in), empress of Japan (b. 1225)

title: 1292

text: August 1 – Kōgon, emperor of Japan (Northern Court) (d. 1364)

title: 1313

text: August 11 (12th day of 7th month of 4 Shōwa) – Hōjō Mototoki becomes ruler (shogun) and regent (shikken) of the Kamakura shogunate in Japan upon the death of Hōjō Hirotoki.

title: 1315

text: July 16 – Yohito, former emperor of Japan (b. 1267)

title: 1324

text: July 7 – The reign of Emperor Kōgon of Japan, first of the Northern Court (Ashikaga) Pretenders, ends.

title: 1333

text: May 18 – Siege of Kamakura in Japan: Forces loyal to Emperor Go-Daigo, led by Nitta Yoshisada, enter and destroy the city, breaking the power of the Hōjō clan over the Kamakura shogunate. The Kamakura period ends, and the Kenmu Restoration under Go-Daigo begins.

title: 1333

text: February 25 – The Kenmu Restoration ends and the Muromachi period begins in Japan; start of the Nanboku-chō period.

title: 1336

text: September 18 – Emperor Go-Murakami accedes to the throne of Japan.

title: 1339

text: March 29 – Emperor Chōkei accedes to the throne of Japan.

title: 1368

text: March 29 – Emperor Go-Murakami of Japan (b. 1328)

title: 1368

text: April 9 – Emperor Go-En'yu of Japan succeeds Emperor Go-Kōgon of the Northern Court of Japan.

title: 1371

text: The Kingdom of Chūzan, ruled by King Satto on the island of Okinawa, in Japan) enters tributary relations with Ming dynasty China by way of an envoy, Yang Zai, sent by the Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang.

title: 1372

text: June 26 – Shortly after an earthquake in Japan, the Southern Court, ruled by Emperor Chōkei, changes the name of the Bunchū era, and the Tenju era begins.

title: 1375

text: June 15 – (23rd day of 6th month of Kowa) – In Japan's Higo Province, Imagawa Sadayo and Imagawa Nakaaki capture Kikuchi Castle and Somedo Castle.

title: 1381

text: January 13 – At Heian-kyō (now Kyoto), Go-Komatsu is enthroned as the Emperor of the Northern Court of Japan, after having succeeded to the throne on the abdication of Emperor Go-En'yū on November 19.

title: 1383

text: August 2 &ndash (5th day of the 7th month of Meitoku 5), the Meitoku Era in Japan is declared to be at an end because of the misfortune of a smallpox epidemic, and the Ōei era begins.

title: 1394

text: August 27 – Emperor Chōkei of Japan (b. 1343)

title: 1394

text: Bunei succeeds his father, Satto, as King of Chūzan (modern-day central Okinawa, Japan).

title: 1398

text: January 31 – Former Emperor Sukō of Japan (b. 1334)

title: 1398

text: Hananchi succeeds Min as King of Hokuzan, in modern-day north Okinawa, Japan.

title: 1400

text: probable – Ououso becomes King of Nanzan, in present-day south Okinawa, Japan.

title: 1403

text: October 5 (29th day of 8th month Ōei 19) – Emperor Go-Komatsu abdicates, and Emperor Shoko accedes to the throne of Japan.

title: 1412

text: June 20 – The Ōei Invasion of Tsushima Island, Japan on orders of King Sejong of Korea, begins as General Yi Jong-mu leads 227 ships and 17,285 soldiers to come ashore at Asō Bay.

title: 1419

text: August 31 – A 9.4 M S -strong earthquake shakes Chile's Atacama Region, causing tsunamis in Chile, as well as Hawaii and Japan.

title: 1420

text: March 11 – On Okinawa Island, now part of Japan, King Shō Hashi of Chūzan begins a war against the two other kingdoms on the island, Hokuzan and Nanzan and begins the unification of Okinawa.

title: 1422

text: April 28 – Ashikaga Yoshimochi abdicates as shogun of Japan and is succeeded by his son, Ashikaga Yoshikazu.

title: 1423

text: September 7 – (29th day of the 7th month of Shōchō 1) Emperor Go-Hanazono, the 10-year old third cousin of the late Emperor Shoko accedes to the throne of Japan.

title: 1428

text: July 12 ((Kakitsu 1, 24th day of the 6th month) – In Japan, the Shōgun Ashikaga Yoshinori is murdered by Akamatsu Mitsusuke, who is upset that Ashikaga has made Akamatsu Sadaura leader of the Akamatsu clan. Over the next 16 days, several prominent nobles allied with Ashikaga are killed during the fighting including Kyōgoku Takakazu, the Shugo of Yamashiro Province and Ōuchi Mochiyo (1394–1441), the head of the Ōuchi clan. After the fighting ceases, Yoshinori's 8-year-old son, Ashikaga Yoshikatsu, is proclaimed as the new shōgun.

title: 1441

text: Iizasa Ienao founds Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū, the earliest historically verifiable Japanese koryū martial art, that will still be extant in modern times.

title: 1447

text: January 22 – In Japan, where the Kansho famine has led to thousands of people starving to death, the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa orders relief efforts to be coordinated by Ganami, a Buddhist monk who leads the Kōfuku-ji temple.

title: 1461

text: July 22 – (5th day of 7th month of Entoku 2) At Heian-kyō, in Japan, now Kyoto, Ashikaga Yoshitane becomes the 10th Muromachi shōgun of Japan, more than a year after the death of his cousin, Ashikaga Yoshihisa.

title: 1490

text: September 13 – In Japan, Tokudaiji Saneatsu retires from his position as Chancellor of the Realm (Daijō-daijin) after two years of leading the Council of State.

title: 1511

text: September 3 – The Kyōroku era begins in Japan, with the last day of the Daiei era ending on Daiei 8, 20th day of the 8th month.

title: 1528

text: approximate date – The musket is introduced into Japan from Europe.

title: 1540

text: The first contact of Japan with the West occurs when a Portuguese ship, blown off its course to China, lands Antonio Pexoto, Francisco Zeimoto and António Mota in Japan, according to António Galvão. According to the Japanese books Tanegashima Kafu and Teppoki, it is stated they landed in 1543.

title: 1542

text: July 23 – (10th day of 6th month of Tenbun 11) In Japan, a six-year rebellion within the Date clan when clan leader Date Tanemune, returning home from a day of falconry, is attacked by his oldest son, Date Harumune, and imprisoned at Kōri-Nishiyama Castle in Fukushima Prefecture. Tanemune is rescued by an aide, Koyanagigawa Munetomo, and escapes. The war lasts for six years before Harumune triumphs and becomes the new leader of the Date clan.

title: 1542

text: May 19 – The Siege of Kawagoe Castle ends in defeat for the Uesugi clan, in their attempt to regain Kawagoe Castle from the Late Hōjō clan in Japan.

title: 1546

text: February 14 – (Tenbun 18, 4th day of 1st month) At the Battle of Uedahara, firearms are used for the first time on the battlefield in Japan, and Takeda Shingen is defeated by Murakami Yoshikiyo.

title: 1548

text: April 15 – Spanish Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier departs from Goa on a mission to bring Christian ministry to Japan.

title: 1549

text: July 27 – (Tenbun 18, 3rd day of the 7th month) European Jesuit Francis Xavier arrives in Japan at the port of Kagoshima, the first Christian missionary there, but is not allowed to go to shore until three weeks later.

title: 1549

text: May 28 (20th day of 4th month of Kōji 2) – In Japan, the Battle of Nagara-gawa takes place along the Nagara River in Mino Province near what is now the Gifu Prefecture. Saitō Yoshitatsu, with 17,500 troops, overwhelms and kills his father, Saitō Dōsan, who had attempted to avenge the Saitō family honor with less than 3,000 people.

title: 1556

text: September 10 – Battle of Kawanakajima in Japan: Takeda Shingen fights the forces of Uesugi Kenshin for the final time, to a draw.

title: 1564

text: September 30 (12th day of 9th month of Genki) – In Japan, the Siege of Mount Hiei is carried out by Oda Nobunaga at Ōmi Province (now the Shiga Prefecture). After Nobunaga's 30,000 troops overwhelm the monks of the 4,000 warriors of the Sōhei, Nobunaga orders the massacre of more than 1,500 survivors.

title: 1571

text: June 28 – Battle of Nagashino: Oda Nobunaga defeats Takeda Katsuyori in Japan's first modern battle.

title: 1575

text: April 14 – Ishiyama Hongan-ji War: In Japan, the Third Battle of Ishiyama begins as Oda Nobunaga sends 10,000 soldiers against the Ashikaga shogunate to capture the Honganji Temple.

title: 1576

text: August 23 – On the island of Kyūshū in Japan, near what is now Takaharu, Miyazaki prefecture, Takahara Castle of the Itō clan is captured by 30,000 men led by the warlord Shimazu Yoshihisa, after a siege of four days.

title: 1576

text: August 17 – "Yasuke", a man of African origin who has been hired as a manager by the Chancellor of the Realm, Oda Nobunaga, arrives in Japan. Called "The Black Samurai" in dramatizations of his experience, he begins a service of three years to the Chancellor, ending on June 21, 1582.

title: 1579

text: May 21 – Battle of Mimaomote: In Japan, Doi Kiyonaga defeats the forces of Kumu Yorinobu.

title: 1579

text: June 21 – (2nd day of the sixth month, Tenshō 10) The Honnō-ji Incident occurs in Kyoto in Japan, as Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga, on the verge of unifying Japan under his rule, is assassinated following a betrayal by a rebel subject, Akechi Mitsuhide.

title: 1582

text: May 21 – Battle of Shizugatake in Japan: Shibata Katsuie is defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who goes on to commence construction of Osaka Castle.

title: 1583

text: Hiroshima is founded, by the Japanese warlord Mōri Terumoto.

title: 1589

text: July 17 – (Tensho 17, 5th day of 6th month); The Battle of Suriagehara takes place in Japan between the Date and Katakura clans and the Ashina, Satake and Nikaido clans. Date Masamune leads the two clans to victory over Satake Yoshinobu.

title: 1589

text: February 12 – Battle of Haengju: Korea defeats Japan.

title: 1593

text: August 28 – Imjin War: Battle of Chilcheollyang – The Japanese fleet defeats the Koreans, in their only naval victory of the war.

title: 1597

text: February 5 – In Japan, 26 European Catholic Christians are executed in Nagasaki by crucifixion. They had the misfortune of being shipwrecked on the Japanese coast on October 19, 1596.

title: 1597

text: Sumo wrestling becomes a professional sport in Japan.

title: 1600

text: April 19 – The first Dutch ship ever to arrive in Japan, the Liefde ("Love"), anchors in Sashifu, in the Bungo Province (modern-day Usuki in Ōita Prefecture). The sailors present on this ship are William Adams, Jan Joosten van Lodensteijn, Jacob Quaeckernaeck and Melchior van Santvoort.

title: 1600

text: October 21 – The Battle of Sekigahara occurs in what is now present-day Gifu Prefecture, Japan, where the Eastern Army led by Tokugawa Ieyasu emerges victorious against the Western Army led by Ishida Mitsunari. The battle ends the Sengoku period and grants the Tokugawa clan nominal control over Japan, establishing the Tokugawa shogunate with Tokugawa Ieyasu as shogun.

title: 1600

text: The earliest of eight companies that will eventually merge to form the Kikkoman Corporation, the producers of soy sauce, is founded in Japan.

title: 1603

text: April 16 – Tokugawa Ieyasu abdicates as shogun of Japan, becoming Ogosho (retired shogun). His son Tokugawa Hidetada succeeds him to the office.

title: 1605

text: February 3 – The 1605 Keichō earthquake, of estimated 7.9 magnitude, strikes Japan south of the island of Honshu, and triggers a tsunami that washes away hundreds of houses and kills thousands of people.

title: 1605

text: Itoh Gofuku, a predecessor of Matsuzakaya, a famous department store, is founded for the sale of silk in Nagoya, Japan.

title: 1611

text: December 2 (Keichō 16, 10th month, 28th day) – The 1611 Sanriku earthquake of 8.1 magnitude strikes off of the coast of Japan and causes a tsunami that kills almost 5,000 people in the northern section of Honshu island.

title: 1611

text: The Nagoya Castle is completed in Japan.

title: 1612

text: March 15 – Construction begins on the Takada Castle in Japan.

title: 1614

text: Konoike Shinroku opens an office in Osaka, and begins shipping tax-rice from western Japan to Osaka.

title: 1615

text: June 4 – Forces under shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu take Osaka Castle in Japan, beginning a period of peace which lasts nearly 250 years. Bands of Christian samurai support Ieyasu's enemies at the Battle of Osaka.

title: 1615

text: January 8 – Shimabara Rebellion: The siege of Shimabara Castle ends after 27 days in Japan's Tokugawa shogunate (part of modern-day Nagasaki prefecture) as the rebel peasants flee reinforcements sent by the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu.

title: 1638

text: The Keian Uprising fails in Japan.

title: 1651

text: January 5 – Emperor Go-Sai ascends to the throne of Japan.

title: 1655

text: Konoike Zen'amon (son of Konoike Shinroku) founds a baking and money-changing business in Osaka, Japan.

title: 1656

text: March 5 – Emperor Go-Sai's reign ends, and Emperor Reigen ascends to the throne of Japan.

title: 1663

text: The Mitsui family's trading and banking house is founded in Japan.

title: 1673

text: June 4 – Tokugawa Tsunayoshi becomes the new Shōgun of Japan upon the death of his older brother, Tokugawa Ietsuna, who had been shōgun for 29 years.

title: 1680

text: May 6 – Emperor Higashiyama succeeds Emperor Reigen, on the throne of Japan.

title: 1687

text: February 19 – Tokugawa Ienobu becomes the sixth shōgun of the Tokugawa dynasty of Japan, after the death of the shōgun Tsunayoshi, who had been head of government since 1680.

title: 1709

text: July 27 – Japan's Emperor Higashiyama abdicates after a reign of 23 years that began in 1687, and is succeeded by his son Yoshihito, who is enthroned as the Emperor Nakamikado.

title: 1709

text: A suggestion box is developed under the eighth shōgun of Japan, Yoshimune Tokugawa.

title: 1721

text: April 13 – Emperor Sakuramachi accedes to the throne of Japan.

title: 1735

text: June 9 – Emperor Momozono ascends to the throne of Japan, succeeding Emperor Sakuramachi.

title: 1747

text: October 27 – The Hōreki period begins in Japan.

title: 1751

text: Okadaya (岡田屋), predecessor of AEON, a multiple retailer group, founded in Yokkaichi, Japan.

title: 1758

text: June 12 – Ohmiya (近江屋), as predecessor for Takeda, a major worldwide pharmaceutical brand, is founded in Doshomachi (道修町), Osaka, Japan.

title: 1781

text: August 4 – Mount Asama, the most active volcano in Japan, begins a climactic eruption, killing roughly 1,400 people directly and exacerbating a famine, resulting in another 20,000 deaths (Tenmei eruption).

title: 1783

text: April 29–May 8 – The first American ships reach Japan, brigantine Lady Washington captained by John Kendrick of Boston, and the brig Grace.

title: 1791

text: Sogo, a Japanese department store brand founded in Osaka, Japan, as predecessor part of Seven & I Retail Group.

title: 1830

text: January 10 – Japanese department store, Takashimaya in Kyoto established.

title: 1831

text: May 8 – The Nagano earthquake leaves more than 8,600 people dead in Japan.

title: 1847

text: May (unknown date) – Japanese trading company Itochu founded in Toyosato, Shiga Prefecture, Japan.

title: 1858

text: Iwai Fumisuke Shoten (岩井文助商店), predecessor of Japanese conglomerate Sojitz, is founded in Osaka.

title: 1862

text: July 11 – Tanaka Manufacturing, a telecommunications factory in Ginza, Tokyo, a predecessor of Toshiba, a Japanese electromechanics giant, is founded.

title: 1875

text: Samurai are banned from carrying swords in Japan, and their stipends are replaced by a one-time grant of income-bearing bonds.

title: 1876

text: April 12 – The University of Tokyo is officially established in Japan.

title: 1877

text: June 4 – Yasukuni Shrine is officially renamed from Tokyo Shokonsha Shrine in Japan.

title: 1879

text: March 11 – The Ryukyu Domain is incorporated into the Okinawa Prefecture of Japan and the last ruler, Shō Tai, exiled to Tokyo.

title: 1879

text: October 21 – Waseda University is founded by Shigenobu Ōkuma in Japan as Tokyo Specializing School.

title: 1882

text: Nagase Shoten (長瀬商店), predecessor of Japanese cosmetics and toiletry brand Kao Corporation, is founded in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, Japan.

title: 1887

text: April 13 – Kahisakan (可否茶館), the first coffee shop in Japan, opens in Tokyo.

title: 1888

text: May 10 – Nippon Oil Corporation, predecessor of Eneos, a petroleum and gas energy brand in Japan, is founded in Niigata Prefecture.

title: 1888

text: Japanese tractor and iron pipe brand, Kubota founded in Osaka, Japan.

title: 1890

text: April 2 – Kashihara Shrine, a landmark spot in Nara Prefecture, Japan, is officially built by Emperor Mutsuhito (Emperor of Meiji).

title: 1890

text: October 14 – A devastating levee collapse, flash flood and landslide hit and damage around Kyushu Island, Shikoku Island and western Honshū in Japan, due to a strong typhoon wind; an official document reports that 2,044 people perish.

title: 1893

text: June 18 – Kyoto University is officially established in Japan.

title: 1897

text: February 1 – The Suntory whisky distiller and worldwide alcoholic and soft drink brand of Japan is established by Shinjiro Torii in Osaka as a store selling imported wines.

title: 1899

text: May 15 – Russo-Japanese War: Russian minelayer Amur lays a minefield about 15 mi km off Port Arthur, and sinks Japan's battleships Hatsuse, 15,000 tons with 496 crew, and Yashima. On the same day, the Japanese protected cruiser Yoshino sinks after being accidentally rammed by the armored cruiser Kasuga, killing over 270 crew, including Captain Sayegi and his second-in-command, Commander Hirowateri. Japan will keep the loss of Yashima secret for over a year.

title: 1904

text: Hitachi, an electromechanics company, is founded as a mining machine repair factory in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.

title: 1910

text: December 20 – Tokyo Station officially opens in Japan, replacing Shinbashi Station as Tokyo's main terminal.

title: 1914

text: April – Imokawa Mukuzo Genkanban no Maki, the first anime, is released in Japan.

title: 1917

text: November 2 – Meiji Shrine, one of many landmark spots in Tokyo, is officially built in Japan.

title: 1920

text: December 30 – The first Asian commuter metro line, the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, opens in Japan.

title: 1927

text: May 21 – Tsuyama massacre: Matsuo Toi kills 30 people in a village in Okayama, Japan, in the world's worst spree killing by an individual until 1957.

title: 1938

text: July 27 – Eleven British nationals, including Melville James Cox, are arrested on suspicion of spying for military intelligence by the secret police in Japan. Cox commits suicide in Tokyo on July 29, according to a report by the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

title: 1940

text: May 29 – A United States Army Air Forces Douglas C-54 Skymaster crashes on approach to Naval Air Station Atsugi, Japan, killing all 41 on board in the worst aviation accident in Japanese history up to this time.

title: 1947

text: June 28 – Lotte Group, a global conglomerate in Northeast Asia (South Korea and Japan), is founded.

title: 1948

text: April 28 – The Treaty of San Francisco goes into effect, formally ending the war between Japan and the Allies, and simultaneously ending the occupation of the four main Japanese islands by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers.

title: 1952

text: July 25 – The first attack helicopter company, Utility Tactical Transport Helicopter Company, of the United States Army is formed on Okinawa Island, Japan.

title: 1962

text: May 9 – South Korean President Park Chung Hee reshuffles his Cabinet, after a series of student demonstrations against his efforts to restore diplomatic and trade relations with Japan.

title: 1964

text: May 16 – Junko Tabei from Japan becomes the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

title: 1975

text: February 3 – In northern Japan a blizzard piles snow on rooftops, causing many to collapse killing at least 31 people.

title: 1977

text: April 2 – In Japan, the channel of TV Asahi premieres Doraemon.

title: 1979

text: March 17 – Expo '85, an international exhibition, opens in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan, running until September 16.

title: 1985

text: April 21 – The Nintendo Game Boy has its first official release in Japan

title: 1989

text: June 30 – The Liberal Democratic Party in Japan regains power after spending 11 months in opposition, in coalition with the Japan Socialist Party.

title: 1994

text: December 16 – In Japan, over 700 children suffer photosensitive epilepsy attacks after watching an episode of the Pokémon anime.

title: 1997

text: February 7–22 – The 1998 Winter Olympics are held in Nagano, Japan.

title: 1998

text: January 31 – 2001 Japan Airlines mid-air incident: Japan Airlines Flight 907 and Flight 958 almost collided with each other in Yaizu, Shizuoka, Japan. Flight 907 safely landed at Narita Airport and Flight 958 continued to Naha Airport. 100 people were injured.

title: 2001

text: June 29 – Second Battle of Yeonpyeong: During the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan, two North Korean patrol boats cross a contested border in between the two Koreas and attack two South Korean Chamsuri-class patrol boats.

title: 2002

text: June 14 – A 6.9 magnitude earthquake in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, kills 12 and injures more than 400.

title: 2008

text: January 1 – Japan, Mexico, Turkey and Uganda assume their seats on the United Nations Security Council.

title: 2009

text: February 26 – The Nintendo 3DS has its first release in Japan, following later releases in Europe on March 25, North America on March 27, and Australia on March 31.

title: 2011

text: December 28 – Japanese supercentarian Jiroemon Kimura surpasses the final age of Danish-American supercentarian Christian Mortensen of 115 years, 252 days and becomes the oldest validated man in recorded history.

title: 2012

text: September 27 – Mount Ontake, in Japan, erupts, killing several climbers on the slopes of the volcano.

title: 2014

text: April 14–16 – A series of major earthquakes strikes southwestern Japan, killing 277 people and injuring 2,809.

title: 2016

text: March 31 – Taiwan scrambles its fighter aircraft after two Chinese jets crossed the maritime border between the two nations. Just the day before, Japan had similarly scrambled its jets after Chinese jets flew between Miyako and Okinawa.

title: 2019

text: October 12 – Typhoon Hagibis makes landfall in Japan, the biggest storm to hit the region in decades, with over seven million people urged to evacuate.

title: 2019

text: September 20–November 2 – The 2019 Rugby World Cup is held in Japan and is won by South Africa who defeated England in the final.

title: 2019

text: April 7 – COVID-19 pandemic: Japan declares a state of emergency in response to COVID-19 and finalises a stimulus package worth 108 trillion yen (US$990 billion), equal to 20% of the country's GDP.

title: 2020

text: August 15 – The Japanese bulk carrier Wakashio, which stranded on a reef in Mauritius last month, breaks in half. Approximately 1,000 tonnes of oil are spilled into the ocean, becoming the largest environmental disaster in the history of Mauritius.

title: 2020

text: January 1 – The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the largest free trade area in the world, comes into effect for Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

title: 2022

text: April 3 – A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 strikes off the eastern coast of Taiwan, with small tsunamis reaching heights of 20 – 30 hitting Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.

title: 2024

text: January 1 – A 7.5 M ww earthquake strikes the western coast of Japan (Noto Peninsula), killing at least 504 people and injuring 1,389 others. A further 5 are killed the next day when a Coast Guard aircraft carrying humanitarian aid was involved in a collision with a Japan Airlines Airbus A350-900 aircraft, destroying both aircraft. All 379 people aboard the passenger jet are evacuated safely.

title: 2024

text: December 8 – A 7.6 earthquake occurs in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Aomori Prefecture in Japan, triggering a tsunami up to 70 cm high.

title: 2025

text: July 30 – An 8.8 earthquake strikes off the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, triggering tsunami warnings in Japan and Hawaii.

title: 2025

text: November 25 – A report published by the United Nations shows that Indonesian capital Jakarta has surpassed Japanese capital Tokyo as the world's largest city, with a population of 42 million people.

title: 2025


slug: japanese-poetry

label: Japanese poetry

description: literary tradition of Japan

text: Kakinomoto no Hitomaro, Japanese poet (approximate date)

title: 662

section: Deaths

date: August 31

text: August 31 – Ōtomo no Tabito, Japanese poet (b. 665)

title: 731

text: Yamabe no Akahito, Japanese poet

title: 736

text: Otomo no Yakamochi, Japanese general, compiles the first Japanese poetry anthology, Man'yōshū. It contains some 500 poems by Japanese poets who include the emperor, noblemen and commoners.

title: 759

text: Ono no Takamura, Japanese scholar and poet (d. 853)

title: 802

text: Minamoto no Tōru, Japanese poet (d. 895)

title: 822

text: Ono no Komachi, Japanese poet (approximate date)

title: 825

text: Ki no Tsurayuki, Japanese writer and poet (d. 945)

title: 872

text: Fujiwara no Sadakata, Japanese poet (d. 932)

title: 873

text: Lady Ise, Japanese poet (approximate date)

title: 875

text: Ōnakatomi no Yorimoto, Japanese poet (approximate date)

title: 886

text: Minamoto no Tōru, Japanese poet (b. 822)

title: 895

title: 900

date: January 25

text: January 25 – Sugawara no Michizane, a Japanese poet, is demoted from his aristocratic rank and is exiled to a minor official post at Dazaifu (Chikuzen Province).

title: 901

date: March 26

text: March 26 – Sugawara no Michizane, Japanese politician and poet (b. 845)

title: 903

text: Emperor Daigo of Japan orders the selection of four court poets, led by Ki no Tsurayuki, to compile the Kokin Wakashū, an early anthology of Waka poetry.

title: 905

text: Harumichi no Tsuraki, Japanese poet

title: 920

text: Fujiwara no Sadakata, Japanese poet (b. 873)

title: 932

text: Lady Ise, Japanese noblewoman and poet (b. 875) (approximate date)

title: 938

date: July 26

text: July 26 – Motoyoshi, Japanese nobleman and poet (b. 890)

title: 943

date: June 30

text: June 30 – Ki no Tsurayuki, Japanese writer and poet (b. 872)

title: 945

text: Fujiwara no Nagatō, Japanese bureaucrat and poet (d. 1009)

title: 949

text: Ōnakatomi no Sukechika, Japanese waka poet (d. 1038)

title: 954

text: Fujiwara no Kintō, Japanese poet and bureaucrat (d. 1041)

title: 966

text: Murasaki Shikibu, Japanese poet and lady-in-waiting (or 978)

title: 973

text: Izumi Shikibu, Japanese poet (approximate date)

title: 976

text: Murasaki Shikibu, Japanese poet and lady-in-waiting (or 973)

title: 978

text: Michitsuna no Haha, Japanese female poet

title: 995

text: Takashina no Takako, Japanese female poet

title: 996

date: July 6

text: July 6 – Ōnakatomi no Sukechika, Japanese poet (b. 954)

title: 1038

text: Ōe no Masafusa, Japanese poet (d. 1111)

title: 1041

text: Minamoto no Shunrai, Japanese poet (d. 1129)

title: 1055

text: Ōe no Masafusa, Japanese poet and writer (b. 1041)

title: 1111

date: January 29

text: January 29 – Minamoto no Shunrai, Japanese poet (b. 1055)

title: 1129


slug: java

label: Java

description: island of Indonesia

section: Climate & Environment

text: Reports of the eruption of Krakatoa (Java), which possibly led to several years of climate change (see Extreme weather events of 535–536), are recorded in the Javanese Book of Kings.

title: 535

text: A major eruption of the Mount Merapi volcano on Java causes devastation throughout the centre of the island (which it covers with volcanic ash) and to the Javanese Hindu Mataram kingdom.

title: 1006

section: Events › By place › Oceania

text: Kublai Khan sends a Mongol expeditionary force (some 20,000 men) to Java. He collects an invasion fleet with some 500–1,000 ships and enough provisions for a year from Fujian, Jiangxi and Huguang in southern China. The fleet travels past Champa (modern Vietnam) and the Karimata Islands. The Mongols land on Java, taking the capital of Kediri, but it proves impossible to hold.

title: 1292

text: The Hindu Majapahit Empire is founded by Kertarajasa in Java. It benefits from internal conflict and Mongol intervention, to defeat the Singhasari Kingdom and establish the empire.

title: 1293

section: Events › By area › Asia

date: August 5

text: August 5 – The Blitar Regency is established on the island of Java (part of modern-day Indonesia) by Java's King Jayanegara of Majapahit.

title: 1324

section: Events › July – September

text: Hayam Wuruk, Javanese ruler (d. 1389)

title: 1334

date: November 18

text: November 18 – Shen-Chi and Chang-Jhing-Chi, diplomatic envoys from China, land in Java to deliver a message from the Chinese Emperor to Muhammad Shah of Brunei.

title: 1371

section: Events › October–December

date: June 4

text: June 4 – The Chinese merchant Chen Yanxiang and his crew of 121 people depart from Java to Korea on the pretext of being Java's ambassador to Korea. His djong ship carries with it with various Southeast Asian products, including parrots, peacocks, agarwood, camphor, and black pepper.

title: 1406

section: Events › April–June

section: Disasters & Accidents

text: October 12 – Chen Yanxiang and his surviving crew are hosted by King Taejong of Korea at Seoul. The State Council (Uijongbu) verifies in a letter to the rulers of Java confirming that the Korean ship had been attacked.

title: 1406

date: March 7

text: March 7 – The seventh Ming Chinese overseas expedition fleet, led by Admiral Zheng He, arrives at the port of Surabaya on the island of Java (now in Indonesia). The Chinese do trading until leaving on July 13

title: 1432

section: Events › January–March

text: The Demak Sultanate, the first Islamic state on the island of Java (now in Indonesia), ruled by Panembahan Jimbun, gains independence from Majapahit, after a civil war.

title: 1478

section: Events › Date unknown

date: August 14

text: August 14 – First Dutch Expedition to Indonesia: A Dutch expedition commanded by Cornelis de Houtman returns to Amsterdam, after having successfully reached Java. This achievement opens the Spice trade, which had until then been monopolised by the Portuguese, to the Dutch, who in the next years launch several more expeditions to the Indies.

title: 1597

section: Events › July–September

date: December 27

text: December 27 – The Battle of Bantam is fought within what is now Indonesia off of the coast of the island of Java, as Walter Harmensz leads five Dutch Republic galleons in a successful attack against a Portuguese fleet led by André Furtado de Mendonça.

title: 1601

text: Dutch traders smuggle the coffee plant out of Mocha, a port in Yemen on the Red Sea, and cultivate it at the Amsterdam Botanical Gardens. The Dutch later introduce it to Java.

title: 1616

date: August 22

text: August 22 – Sultan Agung of Mataram (located on the island of Java sends a fleet of ships to besiege the Dutch fort at Batavia (now Jakarta, Indonesia). The siege fails after four months.

title: 1628

section: Economy & Finance

date: December 3

text: December 3 – The attempt by the Mataram Sultanate to drive the Dutch East India Company from the western part of the island of Java fails after 103 days.

title: 1628

section: Science & Discovery

date: July 8

text: July 8 – The Javanese calendar is commenced on this day by the order of Sultan Agung of the Mataram Sultanate. It is the Javanese adaptation of the Hijri calendar, but it continues the year numbering of the Shaka era widely used in Java then, thus the calendar's epoch is 1 Sura 1555 AJ, corresponding with 1 Muharram 1043 AH.

title: 1633

date: February 26

text: February 26 – On the Indonesian island of Java, Amangkurat II of the Mataram Sultanate agrees to bring his kingdom under the protection of the Dutch East India Company to drive out rebels.

title: 1677

date: August 21

text: August 21 – On the island of Java in modern-day Indonesia, the Kediri campaign begins as Mataram Sultanate and Dutch East India Company (VOC) forces under the command of VOC Captain François Tack begin marching from Jepara toward Kediri to suppress the Trunajaya rebellion that had driven out the Mataram Sultan. They are joined by two other columns of troops over the next fortnight.

title: 1678

date: December 26

text: December 26 – In modern-day Indonesia, the Trunajaya rebellion comes to an end with the surrender of Prince Panembahan Maduretno to the Sultan Amangkurat II of Mataram, ruler of the entire island of Java. While treated with respect as a prisoner of the occupying forces of the Dutch East India Company (Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie or VOC), Panembahan is killed seven days later by Amangkurat after the VOC allows him to attend a ceremonial visit to the sultan's palace.

title: 1679

date: November 25

text: November 25 – Cornelis Speelman of the Netherlands becomes the new Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) and concludes an alliance with the Sultan Amangkurat II of the Mataram Sultanate on the island of Java, then uses the Dutch Army to suppress the rebellion started by the Sultan's half-brother, Prince Puger. Puger surrenders on November 28 to the ranking Dutch officer, Jacob Couper.

title: 1681

date: March 14

text: March 14 – Ageng Tirtayasa, Sultan of Banten on the island of Java (part of modern-day Indonesia), is captured by soldiers hired by the Dutch East India Company.

title: 1683

date: January 5

text: January 5 – A violent earthquake damages the city of Batavia on the Indonesian island of Java, killing at least 28 people.

title: 1699

date: September 17

text: September 17 – First Javanese War of Succession: On the island of Java in the Dutch East Indies (modern-day Indonesia), Pakubuwono I becomes the new Sultan of Martaram, capturing Kartosuro and deposing Sultan Amangkurat III.

title: 1705

date: February 13

text: February 13 – Treaty of Giyanti: The kingdom of Mataram on Java is divided in two, creating the sultanate of Yogyakarta and the sunanate of Surakarta.

title: 1755

date: December 5

text: December 5–11 – Napoleonic Wars: Raid on Griessie – A British Royal Navy squadron attacks the Dutch port of Griessie on Java in the Dutch East Indies, eliminating the last Dutch naval force in the Pacific and concluding the Java campaign of 1806–1807.

title: 1807

date: May 19

text: May 19 – Volcano Kelud erupts in Java, killing about 5,000.

title: 1919

section: Events › May

date: December 19

text: December 19 – Mount Merapi volcano in central Java, Indonesia, erupts, destroying numerous villages and killing 1,300 people.

title: 1930

section: Events › December

date: May 27

text: May 27 – The 6.4 Yogyakarta earthquake shakes central Java in Indonesia with an MSK intensity of IX (Destructive), leaving more than 5,700 dead and 37,000 injured.

title: 2006

date: October 29

text: October 29 – Lion Air Flight 610 crashes off the coast of Java, killing all 189 people on board.

title: 2018

section: Events › October


slug: jawhar-general

label: Jawhar (general)

description: 10th-century Fatimid military officer

section: Conflict & Security

text: The Fatimid general Abu al-Hasan Jawhar ibn Abd Allah takes Ifgan, the capital of the rebellious Kharijite Banu Ya'la tribe. In the following two years, Jawhar conquers most of the north of modern-day Morocco and Algeria. In particular, he conquers the cities of Tangier, Sijilmasa and Tlemcen.

title: 958

section: Events › By place › Africa

text: The Fatimid general Jawhar al-Siqilli launches a military campaign in the west of the Maghreb. He resumes his expansion, together with the Zirids, and conquers Fez (modern-day Morocco).

title: 967

section: Events › By place › Arabian Empire

date: February 6

text: February 6–July 9 – Fatimid conquest of Egypt: Caliph Al-Mu'izz's army under General Jawhar invades Egypt. Jawhar occupies the lands around the Nile from the Ikhshidids after a siege at Giza and the capitulation of Fustat.

title: 969

text: First Qarmatian invasion of Egypt: The Qarmatians under al-Hasan al-A'sam invade Syria, recently conquered by the Fatimid Caliphate, capturing Damascus and Ramla, defeating a major Fatimid army and blockading another in Jaffa. A subsequent invasion of Egypt leads to widespread anti-Fatimid revolts in the Nile Delta, but the delay allows the Fatimid general Jawhar to prepare his defences, leading to the decisive Qarmatian at Ayn Shams on 24 December and the collapse of the invasion.

title: 971

section: Events › By place › Middle East

text: The Qarmatians are defeated north of Cairo by Fatimid forces under General Jawhar al-Siqilli. He consolidates Fatimid rule and sends a legation to the Christian land of Nubia to secure the southern border of Egypt. Arab traders introduce Islam to the population, which gradually supplants Christianity.

title: 974

text: Jawhar as-Siqilli is dismissed as vizier of Egypt after an unsuccessful campaign in Syria (near Damascus). He is replaced by Ya'qub ibn Killis.

title: 979

section: Religion & Belief

text: Construction of the Al-Hakim Mosque by orders of the Fatimid vizier Gawar Al-Siqilli begins in Cairo (modern Egypt).

title: 990

date: February 1

text: February 1 – Jawhar al-Siqilli, Fatimid general

title: 992


slug: jerome

label: Jerome

description: 4th and 5th-century Catholic and Eastern Orthodox saint and Doctor of the Church

section: Births

text: Jerome, priest and Bible translator (approximate date)

title: 340

date: March 27

text: March 27 – Saint Jerome, priest and translator of the Bible (approximate date)

title: 347

date: July

text: July – Emperor Constantius II convenes the Council of Rimini, to resolve the crisis over Arianism in the Church. Some 400 bishops of the Western portion of the Roman Empire attend, while the Eastern bishops simultaneously hold a meeting at Seleucia. Given Saint Jerome's comment that, "The whole world groaned in astonishment to find itself Arian", it appears to have failed. Pope Liberius rejects the new creed at Rimini.

title: 359

section: Events › By topic › Religion

section: Exploration & Expansion

text: Saint Jerome retires to the desert of Chalcis (Syria).

title: 375

text: The Council of Rome establishes Biblical canon in the Catholic Church. Pope Damasus I commissions a revision of the Vetus Latina, eventually resulting in the Vulgate of Jerome.

title: 382

text: Jerome, Christian prophet, writes his celebrated letter "De custodia virginitatis" (vow of virginity) to Eustochium, daughter of the ascetic Paula. He has by this time completed his Vulgate translation of the Gospels.

title: 384

text: The Roman synod exiles the prophet Jerome, who has incorporated ideas first propounded by the Roman statesman Cicero. He departs for Egypt, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem, accompanied by the Christian ascetic Paula, who will edit Jerome's translation of the Bible, which becomes the Latin Vulgate.

title: 385

section: Events › By place › Roman Empire

text: Jerome moves to Palestine, where he spends the rest of his life as a hermit near Bethlehem.

title: 388

text: Jerome, having finished the Latin translation of the New Testament, begins translating the Old Testament.

title: 390

text: Jerome writes "Apologiae contra Rufinum" and "Liber tertius seu ultima responsio adversus scripta Rufini".

title: 402

text: Jerome's Vulgate translation of the Bible into Latin is completed by his translations of the Tanakh from the Hebrew language.

title: 405

section: Deaths

date: September 30

text: September 30 – Saint Jerome, priest and translator of the Bible

title: AD 420

text: Ambrose, Augustine, Jerome and Pope Gregory I are named the first Doctors of the Church. They are known collectively as the Great Doctors of the Western Church.

title: 1298

date: April 8

text: April 8 – The Council of Trent, by a vote of 24 to 15, with 16 abstentions, issues the Decretum de Canonicis Scripturis for the scripture considered to be canon by the Roman Catholic Church. The decree recites that if anyone declines to receive all parts of the Vulgate edition of the Bible, they are in contempt of the Church and should be excommunicated. and approves the 4th century Vulgate of Jerome as its official Bible

title: 1546


slug: jerusalem

label: Jerusalem

description: city in the Middle East, holy to the three Abrahamic religions

text: c. 1200 BC: The Israelite highland settlement takes place, with a notable increase in the settled population in the hills north of Jerusalem during this time.

title: 1200s BC (decade)

section: Events and trends

year_label: 957 BCE

text: 957 BC: Solomon completes the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem.

title: 10th century BC

section: Events

year_label: 538 BCE

text: The Babylonian captivity of the Jews in Babylon ends when Cyrus the Great, king of Persia, allows them to return to Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua the High Priest; possible start of construction of the Second Temple.

title: 538 BC

section: Events › By place › Near East

year_label: 444 BCE

section: Geopolitics & Diplomacy

text: Nehemiah, the Jewish cupbearer to Artaxerxes I at Susa, is given permission by Artaxerxes to return to Jerusalem as governor of Judea, in order to rebuild parts of it.

title: 444 BC

section: Events › By place › Persian empire

year_label: 360 BCE

text: Jerusalem has been rebuilt and the power of Judaism's hereditary priesthood is firmly established.

title: 360 BC

section: Events › By place › Judea

year_label: 170 BCE

text: The usurped high priest of Judea, Jason, does not abandon his claims to being the high priest which he has lost to Menelaus two years earlier. While Antiochus IV is waging war against Egypt, he succeeds in making himself master of Jerusalem once more and forces Menelaus to seek refuge in the citadel.

title: 170 BC

section: Events › By place › Seleucid Empire

year_label: 168 BCE

text: Jason removes Menelaus as High Priest in Jerusalem, which Antiochus IV regards as an affront to his majesty.

title: 168 BC

year_label: 166 BCE

text: Mattathias, father of Judas Maccabaeus, Jewish priest from Modi'in, near Jerusalem, who has started and briefly led a rebellion by the Jews in Judea against the Seleucid kingdom of Syria

title: 166 BC

year_label: 164 BCE

text: The Battle of Beth Zur was fought between Jewish rebel forces led by Judas Maccabeus and a Seleucid army led by the regent Lysias. Judas Maccabeus wins the battle and is able to recapture Jerusalem soon after. Judas purifies the defiled Temple in Jerusalem, destroys the idols erected there by Antiochus IV and restores the service in the Temple. The reconsecration of the Temple becomes an annual feast of dedication in the Jewish calendar, Hanukkah.

title: 164 BC

year_label: 162 BCE

text: Seleucid forces still control the Acra, a strong fortress within Jerusalem that faces the Temple Mount. Judas Maccabeus lays siege to the fortress and in response, the Seleucid general and regent to the young Seleucid king Antiochus V, Lysias, approaches Jerusalem and besieges Beth-zechariah, 25 kilometres from the city. Judas lifts his own siege on the Acra, and leads his army south to Beth-zechariah. In the ensuing Battle of Beth-zechariah, the Seleucids achieve their first major victory over the Maccabees, and Judas is forced to withdraw to Jerusalem.

title: 162 BC

year_label: 161 BCE

text: The Jewish High Priest Menelaus, who is supported by the Hellenist party, is removed from office and is executed. His successor is a moderate member of the Hellenic party, Alcimus. However, when Alcimus executes sixty Jews who are opposed to him, he finds himself in open conflict with the Maccabees. Alcimus flees from Jerusalem and goes to Damascus to ask the Seleucid king, Demetrius I, for help.

title: 161 BC

section: Events › by side › Seleucid Empire

year_label: 160 BCE

text: In response to the Jewish high priest, Alcimus', request for assistance, the Seleucid general Bacchides leads an army into Judea with the intent of reconquering this now independent kingdom. Bacchides rapidly marches through Judea after carrying out a massacre of the Assideans in Galilee. He quickly makes for Jerusalem, besieging the city and trapping Judas Maccabeus, the spiritual and military leader of the Maccabees, inside. However, Judas and many of his supporters manage to escape the siege.

title: 160 BC

year_label: 159 BCE

text: With the Seleucid victory in Judea over the Maccabees, Alcimus is re-established as the High Priest of Israel, and a strong force is left in Jerusalem to support him. However, he does not enjoy his triumph for long, as he dies soon after from a paralytic stroke.

title: 159 BC

section: Events › Greece › Seleucid Empire

year_label: 153 BCE

text: As a result of the rise of the pretender, Alexander Balas, Demetrius I Soter is forced to recall most of his garrisons in Judea. To retain control of Judea, he makes a bid to gain the loyalty of Jonathan Maccabeus, whom he permits to recruit an army and to take back the hostages that the Syrians are holding in the city of Acre. Jonathan gladly accepts these terms, takes up residence in Jerusalem and begins to fortify the city, becoming High Priest of Jerusalem until 143 BC.

title: 153 BC

year_label: 152 BCE

text: The pretender to the Seleucid throne, Alexander Balas, makes contact with Jonathan Maccabeus offering him terms even more favorable than those offered by the king Demetrius I Soter. In particular, Alexander offers him the official appointment as High Priest in Jerusalem. In response, Jonathan withdraws his support from Demetrius and declares his allegiance to Alexander. Thus Jonathan becomes the first member of his family to achieve appointment as High Priest.

title: 152 BC

year_label: 141 BCE

text: The Seleucid garrison negotiates the surrender of Jerusalem. Simon Maccabaeus assumes control of the city. He becomes prince (ruler) of Judea until 135 BC.

title: 141 BC

section: Events › By place › Syria and Judea

year_label: 76 BCE

text: Hyrcanus II becomes high priest of Jerusalem for the first time, on the death of his father, Alexander Jannaeus, until 66 BC.

title: 76 BC

year_label: 64 BCE

text: Pompey annexes Syria and captures Jerusalem, annexing Judea.

title: 64 BC

section: Events › By place › Roman Republic

section: Climate & Environment

text: 64 BC Syria earthquake, mentioned in catalogues of historical earthquakes. It affected the region of Syria and may have caused structural damage in the city of Jerusalem.

title: 64 BC

section: Events › By place › Syria

year_label: 63 BCE

text: Massacre of over 12,000 Jews on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem by Roman troops, in support of John Hyrcanus II against Aristobulus II.

title: 63 BC

year_label: 53 BCE

text: Aristobulus III, high priest of Jerusalem (d. 36 BC)

title: 53 BC

year_label: 40 BCE

text: Parthians conquer Jerusalem. Hyrcanus II is removed from power, while Antigonus the Hasmonean becomes king of Judea under Parthian rule. Herod the Great flees Jerusalem to Rome. There he is titled king of Judea by Mark Antony.

title: 40 BC

section: Events › Asia minor › Parthia

year_label: 37 BCE

text: Romans conquer Jerusalem from the Parthians. Herod the Great becomes king of Judea and Ananelus is installed as High Priest; both positions are seized from Antigonus II Mattathias after a five-month siege. Thousands of Jews are slaughtered by Roman troops supporting Herod.

title: 37 BC

year_label: 36 BCE

text: Judea: Aristobulus III, the last of the Hasmoneans, becomes High Priest in Jerusalem, replacing Ananelus, who has only held the position for one year.

title: 36 BC

text: Aristobulus III, high priest of Jerusalem (Hasmonean dynasty)

title: 36 BC

year_label: 23 BCE

text: Herod the Great builds a palace in Jerusalem and the fortress Herodium in Judaea. He also marries his third wife, named Mariamne, the daughter of high priest Simon.

title: 23 BC

year_label: 4 BCE

text: Herod the Great dies, which causes unrest in his client kingdom of Judea. His son, Herod Archelaus, becomes the new ruler. Herod Antipas becomes tetrarch of Galilee and Perea,and the governor of Syria, Publius Quinctilius Varus, marches down to Jerusalem from Antioch to restore order; around 3000 Jews are crucified.

title: 0s BC

section: Events › 4 BC › Roman Empire

year_label: 52 CE

text: Ananias, a high priest in Jerusalem, is sent to Rome after being accused of violence.

title: 50s

section: Events › 52 AD › Palestine

year_label: 58 CE

section: Crime & Justice

text: The apostle Paul returns to Jerusalem with the money he has collected to give the Christian community there. However, he is accused of defiling the temple, and is arrested and imprisoned in Caesarea. He then invokes his Roman citizenship and is sent to Rome to be judged.

title: 50s

section: Events › 58 AD › Palestine

year_label: 66 CE

date: October

text: October – The Jewish Revolt commences against the Roman Empire. The Zealots lay siege to Jerusalem and annihilate the Roman garrison (a cohort of Legio III Cyrenaica). The Sicarii capture the fortress of Masada overlooking the Dead Sea.

title: AD 66

year_label: 67 CE

text: Jewish leaders at Jerusalem are divided through a power struggle, and a brutal civil war erupts. The Zealots and the Sicarii execute anyone who tries to leave the city.

title: AD 67

year_label: 68 CE

text: Winter – Titus sets up camp at Jericho and the Romans cut off escape routes toward Jerusalem.

title: AD 68

year_label: 69 CE

text: Judea: The Jewish Revolt – Vespasian lays siege to Jerusalem; the city is captured the following year by his son Titus.

title: AD 69

text: About April 21 – Titus opens a full-scale assault on Jerusalem, concentrating his attack on the city's Third Wall (HaHoma HaShlishit) to the northwest. The Roman army begins trying to breach the wall using testudos, mantlets, siege towers, and battering rams.

title: AD 70

text: Herodium, a Jewish fortress south of Jerusalem, is conquered and destroyed by Legio X Fretensis on their way to Masada.

title: AD 71

text: The Temple of Peace, also known as the Forum of Vespasian, is built in Rome. The temple celebrates the conquest of Jerusalem (in AD 70) and houses the Menorah from Herod's Temple.

title: AD 75

text: Zacchaeus of Jerusalem, bishop of Jerusalem

title: AD 116

text: Matthias of Jerusalem, bishop of Jerusalem

title: AD 120

text: Emperor Hadrian builds the city Aelia Capitolina, on the location of Jerusalem.

title: AD 131

text: Legio X Fretensis must evacuate Jerusalem, returning to Caesarea. The Jews enter the city, and re-establish their system of sacrifices. They strike coins to celebrate their independence, which will last for only 30 months. Legio XXII Deiotariana, which advanced from Egypt, is completely destroyed.

title: AD 132

text: Cyriacus, bishop of Jerusalem (approximate date)

title: AD 133

text: The Romans retake Jerusalem. The largely-destroyed city is renamed Aelia Capitolina.

title: AD 134

text: Narcissus of Jerusalem, patriarch of Jerusalem

title: 216

text: Helena tells Constantine that he must atone for executing his son and wife by building churches, and at about this date construction begins on Old St. Peter's Basilica, the first church on the traditional site of Saint Peter's tomb in Rome, and on the basilica of Golgotha on Calvary outside Jerusalem. He also commissions construction of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem (dedicated 339).

title: 326

text: September 14 (traditional date) – Helena, mother of Constantine I, discovers the so-called True Cross and the Holy Sepulchre (Jesus's tomb) in Jerusalem. On her pilgrimage, which begins about this year, she pauses on the Aegean island of Patmos, where she is said to found the church of Panagia Ekatontapiliani.

title: 326

text: Constantine I reinstates the Alexandrian priest Arius (declared a heretic at the First Council of Nicaea in 325) in a synod at Jerusalem about a year before Arius' death.

title: 335

text: September 13 – The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is consecrated.

title: 335

title: 385

text: Aelia Eudocia, wife of Theodosius II, goes on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, bringing back with her holy relics to prove her faith.

title: 438

text: October 8 – November 1 – Council of Chalcedon, an ecumenical council of the Church: The monophysitism of Eutyches is repudiated, and the Chalcedonian Definition set forth. As a result of this council, the Oriental Orthodox Churches eventually become a separate communion. More immediately, Jerusalem becomes a Patriarchate, and Dioscorus of Alexandria is deposed as Patriarch of Alexandria by the Council.

title: 451

text: The mosaic synagogue floor from Maon (Judea) is made. It is now kept at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem (approximate date).

title: 530

text: Sasanian conquest of Jerusalem: A Persian–Judaean army (26,000 men) commanded by Shahrbaraz captures and sacks Jerusalem, after a 20-day siege against the Byzantine Empire. Somewhere between 57,000 and 66,500 citizens are slain; another 35,000 are enslaved, including the Patriarch Zacharias. Many churches in the city (including the "Church of the Resurrection" or Holy Sepulchre) are burned, and numerous relics, including the True Cross, the Holy Lance, and the Holy Sponge, are carried off to the Persian capital Ctesiphon.

title: 614

text: Byzantine–Sassanid War of 602–628: The Jews of Jerusalem gain complete control over the city; much of Judea and Galilee becomes an autonomous Jewish province of the Persian Empire. The Jewish Temple is rebuilt by Nehemiah ben Hushiel (exilarch of Jerusalem), who establishes a High Priesthood.

title: 616

text: Islamic tradition says Muhammad visited heaven aboard the winged mount Buraq, in the Isra wal-Miraj, (the Night Journey), from Mecca to Jerusalem, then to heaven from Jerusalem's Temple Mount, then back to Mecca.

title: 621

text: The Jewish community in Medina (Saudi Arabia) rejects the idea of Muhammad being a leader of Judaism. He and his followers stop bowing toward Jerusalem and start bowing toward Makkah.

title: 623

text: February 11 – While praying in the Masjid al-Qiblatayn in Medina, the Islamic prophet Muhammad receives revelations from God on the qibla, the direction of prayer, that he should be facing Mecca rather than Jerusalem during prayer, beginning an Islamic tradition.

title: 624

text: September – Jerusalem is reconquered by the Byzantines (after 15 years of occupation), from the Persian Empire.

title: 629

text: March 21 – Emperor Heraclius returns the True Cross, one of the holiest Christian relics, to Jerusalem. He tries to promote Monothelitism, which is rejected by the Christians.

title: 630

text: April – Siege of Jerusalem: The Rashidun army (20,000 men), led by 'Amr ibn al-'As, conquers Jerusalem after a six-month siege. The Byzantine garrison surrenders to Caliph Umar I, who is invited by Sophronius, patriarch of Jerusalem, to pray in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Umar declines, fearing that accepting the invitation might endanger the church's status, and turn the Christian holy site into a mosque.

title: 637

text: March 11 – Sophronius, patriarch of Jerusalem

title: 638

text: October 12 – Pope John IV dies after a 2-year reign. He is succeeded by a Jerusalem-born cleric of Greek descent, Theodore I, as the 73rd pope of Rome.

title: 642

text: The Dome of the Rock is completed in Jerusalem (under the patronage of Abd al-Malik) during the Second Fitna, becoming the first work of Islamic architecture.

title: 691

text: Al-Walid I commissions the construction of Al-Aqsa Mosque located in the Old City of Jerusalem (approximate date).

title: 705

text: The Muslims expel 300 Christians from Jerusalem, and European Christians are forbidden to enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

title: 1056

text: Ealdred, archbishop of York, becomes the first English bishop to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

title: 1058

text: Winter – Great German Pilgrimage: Archbishop Siegfried I of Mainz leads a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Either during this pilgrimage or shortly before it, the Ezzolied; a High German poem on the life of Jesus, is composed.

title: 1064

text: Great German Pilgrimage of 1064–65: A large pilgrimage led by Siegfried I (archbishop of Mainz) arrives in Jerusalem after having been attacked by Bedouin bandits. Two weeks later (in April) they return to Ramla and take ships back to Latakia.

title: 1065

text: August – Fatimid forces under Caliph Al-Musta'li recapture Jerusalem and occupy Palestine. The Crusaders threaten the borders of the Fatimid Caliphate which already has lost the Emirate of Sicily (see 1091).

title: 1098

text: January 16 – The Crusaders, under Raymond IV, count of Toulouse (Raymond of Saint-Gilles), leave Antioch, and head south towards Jerusalem. They are joined by forces of Tancred (a nephew of Bohemond I) and Robert II, duke of Normandy. Raymond is given free passage and supplies, and accepts guides from the Emir of Shaizar (modern Syria), who conducts the army (6,000 men) across the Orontes River (between Shaizar and Hama).

title: 1099

text: The Almoravid emir, Yusuf ibn Tashfin, sends a maritime expedition to Palestine from Sevilla to ward off the Crusaders and perhaps to reconquer Jerusalem. The fleet of about seventy ships rushes into a storm in the Mediterranean Sea, and is never seen again.

title: 1105

text: April 1 – Alberic of Ostia, papal legate to Outremer, solemnly dedicates the Templum Domini in Jerusalem.

title: 1141

text: September 20–October 2 – Siege of Jerusalem: Egyptian army under Saladin captures Jerusalem, after the Crusaders led by Balian of Ibelin surrender the 'Holy City'. The take-over of the city is relatively peaceful; Saladin agrees to let the Muslims and Christians leave the city, taking with them their goods. Balian joins his wife Maria Komnene and family, in the County of Tripoli.

title: 1187

text: September 2 – After negotiations between Richard and Saladin, the Treaty of Jaffa is signed, which makes sure Jerusalem remains in Muslim hands, but insures visiting rights for pilgrims to come to the Holy City. The Third Crusade ends.

title: 1192

text: February 17 – Al-Adil I, Ayyubid ruler of Damascus, Jerusalem, and parts of the Jazira takes control of Egypt, and is recognized as sultan of the Ayyubid Empire. During his reign, he promotes trade and good relations with the Crusader States. His son Al-Kamil becomes the effective ruler (viceroy) of Egypt.

title: 1200

text: November – The Crusader army (some 15,000 men) under Andrew II sets out from Acre, and marches up the Plain of Esdraelon. Sultan Al-Adil I, on hearing that the crusaders are assembling, sends some Muslim troops to Palestine, to halt their advance. The crusaders move towards Beisan, while Al-Adil waits at Ajloun Castle, ready to intercept any attack on Damascus. He sends his son, Al-Mu'azzam, to cover Jerusalem. On November 10, Andrew's well-mounted army defeats Al-Adil at Bethsaida, on the Jordan River. Beisan is occupied and sacked; the Muslims retreat to their fortresses and towns.

title: 1217

text: March 1 – Pope Honorius III sends a letter to the Roman Catholic Patriarch of Jerusalem, Francisco Clemente Pérez Capera, notifying him that the armies and navies of the Holy Roman Empire, the Teutonic Knights and the Kingdom of Sicily will be departing soon to begin the Sixth Crusade to recapture Jerusalem from the Arab rulers.

title: 1224

text: July 25 – The Agreement of San Germano is signed between the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II and Pope Honorius III, with the Emperor Frederick agreeing to lead the Sixth Crusade to recapture Jerusalem and the rest of the Christian Holy Land in the Middle East from the Muslims. In return for the financing and the provision of soldiers by the Catholis Church in Syria, Frederick agrees to launch the Crusade on or before August 15, 1227.

title: 1225

text: May 10 – Gerold of Lausanne, French bishop of Valence, becomes the new Latin patriarch of Jerusalem (until 1239).

title: 1225

text: Autumn – Frederick II receives an embassy of Egypt's Sultan Al-Kamil, including Fakhr al-Din ibn as-Shaikh, at the Hospitaller camp at Recordane, near Acre. Meanwhile, Al-Kamil is engaged in suppressing a rebellion in Syria and has concentrated his forces on a siege at Damascus. Frederick is pressed for time, because his army is not large enough for a major campaign. Al-Kamil, who has full control of Jerusalem, starts diplomatic negotiations.

title: 1228

text: Autumn – Frederick II appoints Marshal Richard Filangieri as his imperial legate, and sends an expeditionary army of mostly Lombards for the defense of Jerusalem. He gathers some 600 knights, 100 "sergeants-at-arms", 700 armed infantrymen, and 3,000 marines. The army is supported by 32 war-galleys.

title: 1231

text: December 7 – Ayyubid forces under An-Nasir Dawud march on Jerusalem, which is largely undefended. The garrison of the city surrenders to Dawud, after accepting his offer for a safe-conduct to Acre. Dawud destroys Jerusalem's fortifications, including the Tower of David. Meanwhile, Theobald I (losing many men underway) moves with the remnants of the Crusader army northward to Acre.

title: 1239

text: October 10 – Richard of Cornwall, brother of King Henry III of England, arrives at Acre for a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. His pilgrimage has the approval of Emperor Frederick II, who is married to his younger sister, Isabella of England, and gives him the task to make arrangements with the Military Orders. On his arrival, Richard travels to Ascalon, where he is met by ambassadors from As-Salih Ayyub. As a negotiator, he is successful in the release of prisoners captured in the Battle at Gaza (1239), and he also assists with the building of the citadel in Ascalon.

title: 1240

text: Spring – The Templar Knights raid the city of Hebron. Meanwhile, An-Nasir Dawud, Ayyubid ruler of Damascus, sends forces to cut off the road to Jerusalem, and to levy tolls on the pilgrims and merchants that pass by.

title: 1242

text: June – Khwarazmian forces (some 10,000 men) invade Syrian territory, ravaging the land and burning the villages. As Damascus is too strong for a siege, they attack Galilee, past the town of Tiberias – which they capture. The Khwarazmians attack further southward through Nablus towards Jerusalem.

title: 1244

text: April – An-Nasir Yusuf, Ayyubid ruler of Damascus, cedes Palestine, together with Jerusalem, Nablus and the coastline of Al-Sham to Aybak, Mamluk sultan of Egypt.

title: 1253

text: June 8 – Robert of Nantes, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem

title: 1254

text: The 21-year-old Marco Polo together with his father and uncle, Niccolò and Maffeo Polo, arrives at Kublai Khan's opulent summer palace at Shangdu (or 'Xanadu'), after a 4-year journey. They present the "Great Khan" sacred oil from Jerusalem and letters from Pope Gregory X. Kublai takes Marco into his royal court and appoints him as a 'special envoy' (possibly as a tax collector).

title: 1275

text: Spring – Arghun Khan, Mongol ruler of the Ilkhanate, sends an embassy under Rabban Bar Sauma with the mission of contracting a military alliance against the Mamluk Sultanate and take the city of Jerusalem. He travels with a large retinue (bearing gifts and letters) and 30 riding animals from Tabriz through Armenia to Trebizond. Bar Sauma arrives in Constantinople and receives an audience with Emperor Andronikos II (Palaiologos).

title: 1287

text: November 4 – Pope Clement V declares that Knights Hospitaller will not be sent to the Holy Land and Jerusalem, and that they will be limited to defending the Mediterranean Sea including Cyprus and Rhodes.

title: 1309

text: Tbilisi becomes a capital of European Christian Cathedra, after the city of Smirna. George V (the Brilliant) returns Jerusalem and the Grave of Christ from the Muslims.

title: 1341

text: May 13 – St. Bridget and her fellow pilgrims finally arrive at Jerusalem on Ascension Day after a two-month journey.

title: 1372

text: August 26 – The iconic painting the Black Madonna of Częstochowa is brought from Jerusalem, to the Jasna Góra Monastery in Poland on her the day celbrated as the feast day in her honor.

title: 1382

text: June 15 – Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghuri, ruler of the Mamluk Sultanate that controls Egypt and what is now Egypt, Israel, Lebanon and parts of Syria, receives an envoy from King George II of Kakheti (now located in the Republic of Georgia) and decides to reopen the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

title: 1512

text: Suleiman the Magnificent begins the rebuilding of the walls around Jerusalem.

title: 1535

text: Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent seals off The Golden Gate in Jerusalem, likely because of a prophecy that the Messiah would return through this gate to Jerusalem.

title: 1541

text: September 13 – A total of 16 rabbis (including Isaiah Horowitz) are imprisoned in Jerusalem.

title: 1625

text: December 1 – Pasha Muhammad ibn Farukh, tyrannical Governor of Jerusalem, is forced out.

title: 1626

text: A firman (decree) of Ottoman sultan Osman III (d. October 30) preserves the division of ownership and responsibilities of various Christian holy places in Jerusalem and Bethlehem (e.g. the former's Church of the Holy Sepulchre); this becomes established as the Status Quo in international law.

title: 1757

text: September 22 – Qasim al-Ahmad is appointed as the new Ottoman Governor (mutasallim) of Jerusalem (Kudüs), after Sultan Mahmud II dismisses Muhammad Said Agha.

title: 1832

text: September 1 – Rebuilding begins at the Hurva Synagogue in Jerusalem.

title: 1836

text: Battle of Jerusalem: The British Egyptian Expeditionary Force accepts the surrender of Jerusalem by the mayor, Hussein al-Husayni, following the effective defeat of the Ottoman-German Yildirim Army Group.

title: 1917

text: December 11 – WWI: General Edmund Allenby leads units of the British Egyptian Expeditionary Force into Jerusalem on foot through, the Jaffa Gate.

title: 1917

text: The British Desert Mounted Corps begins the Battle of Tel el Khuweilfe, in the direction of Hebron and Jerusalem.

title: 1917

text: April 4 – 1920 Palestine riots: Violence erupts between Arab and Jewish residents in Jerusalem; 9 are killed, 216 injured.

title: 1920

text: July 21 – An Irgun bomb explodes in Jerusalem, during secretive talks between Jews and Britain to consolidate the state of Israel.

title: 1946

text: July 22 – King David Hotel bombing: The Irgun bombs the King David Hotel (headquarters of the British civil and military administration) in Jerusalem, killing 90.

title: 1946

text: January 23 – The Knesset passes a resolution that states Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.

title: 1950

text: July 20 – King Abdullah I of Jordan is assassinated by a Palestinian while attending Friday prayers in Jerusalem. He is succeeded by his son, King Talal.

title: 1951

text: April 11 – The trial of Nazi Adolf Eichmann begins in Jerusalem.

title: 1961

text: August 7 – A general strike in the old quarter of Jerusalem protests Israel's unification of the city.

title: 1967

text: September 22–25 – An Islamic conference in Rabat, Morocco, following the al-Aqsa Mosque fire (August 21), condemns the Israeli claim of ownership of Jerusalem.

title: 1969

text: March 28 – The Talpiot Tomb is discovered by construction workers in Jerusalem.

title: 1980

text: October 8 – Israeli–Palestinian conflict: In Jerusalem, Israeli police kill 17 Palestinians and wound over 100 near the Dome of the Rock mosque on the Temple Mount.

title: 1990

text: Ibrahim Hanna, the last native speaker of Mlahsô, dies in Qamishli, Syria, making the language effectively extinct. Also, the last native speaker of related Bijil Neo-Aramaic, Mrs. Rahel Avraham, dies in Jerusalem.

title: 1998

text: August 9 – A Sbarro restaurant in Jerusalem is bombed by a Palestinian Hamas terrorist, killing 15 civilians and injuring 130 others.

title: 2001

text: August 19 – Shmuel HaNavi bus bombing: A Palestinian suicide bomber kills at least 18 people in a bus bombing in Jerusalem.

title: 2003

text: December 24 – Guatemala follows in the footsteps of the United States by announcing that they will also move their Israeli embassy to Jerusalem, followed by Honduras and Panama two days later.

title: 2017

text: December 6 – The United States officially recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

title: 2017

text: February 1 – Kosovo officially establishes diplomatic ties with Israel and announces plans to open an embassy in Jerusalem.

title: 2021

text: April 5 – Clashes between Palestinians and the Israeli police happen at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

title: 2023