15 dated entries naming Gautama Buddha, drawn from 14 separate years between 543 BCE and 1963 CE. Nothing here is written by us: each line is the sentence a Wikipedia year article used, and the link beside it opens the exact revision.
543 BCEGautama Buddha Mahaparinibbana (traditional in Thailand and elsewhere - basis of Thai solar calendar)source
528 BCE528 BC—Gautama Buddha attains Enlightenment, and begins his ministry.source
5th century BC
483 BCEFollowing the death of Gautama Buddha, the relics associated with his cremation were divided amongst royal families and his disciples, then interned in 8 reliquaries. Each reliquary was then encased in its own burial mound, called a stupa (approximate date).source
483 BCEGautama Buddha, Indian prince, founder of Buddhism (b. c. 563 BC)source
4th century BC
400 BCESiddhārtha Gautama (also known as Buddha), founder of Buddhism (approximate date)source
3rd century BC
248 BCEThe Mauryan king Ashoka is dedicated to the propagation of Buddhism and begins establishing monuments marking several significant sites in the life of Gautama Buddha.source
2nd century
104In India, figures of Buddha replace abstract motifs on decorative items.source
4th century
366Buddhist monk Lè Zūn has a vision of "golden rays of light shining down on 1,000 Buddhas", resulting in the creation of the Mogao Caves.source
5th century
402Fa-Hien, Chinese Buddhist monk, makes a pilgrimage to India, initiating Sino-Indian relations. Stirred by his faith to Buddhism, he visits the sites of Siddhartha Gautama's life.source
460The seated Buddha in the Yungang Grottoes, Datong (Shanxi), is made (approximate date).source
6th century
600Chinese-influenced sculptures of Buddha begin to be created in Japan.source
8th century
713Construction begins on the Leshan Giant Buddha near Leshan, Sichuan Province (China). Upon its completion in 803, it will become the largest stone carved Buddha in the world.source
11th century
1040The Shalu Monastery is founded by the Buddhist monk Chetsun Sherab Jungnay in Tibet.source
19th century
1896December 1 – Archaeologist Alois Anton Führer, Nepalese General Khadga Samsher Rana and an expedition rediscover the great stone pillar of Ashoka at Lumbini, traditionally the spot of the birthplace of Gautama Buddha, after using Faxian's records.source
20th century
1963May 8 – Huế Phật Đản shootings: The Army of the Republic of Vietnam opens fire on Buddhists who defy a ban on the flying of the Buddhist flag on Vesak, the birthday of Gautama Buddha, killing 9. Earlier, President Ngô Đình Diệm allowed the flying of the Vatican flag in honour of his brother, Archbishop Ngô Đình Thục, triggering the Buddhist crisis in South Vietnam.source