Events - Browse By Category - Religion

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Senwosret III is Egyptian pharaoh at time that Abraham lived in Canaan
-1874
Religion, Middle East
Krishna (dates unknown) is central character in Bhagavad-Gita of Hinduism
-1500
Religion, Global
Amenhotep changes his name to Akhenaten and worships one god, the sun
-1352
Religion, Egypt
Seti I (Dynasty 19) builds Great Hypostyle Hall in Karnak & enslaves Israelites
-1294
Religion, Egypt
Moses leads the Hebrews out of Egypt (Exodus)
-1250
Religion, Egypt
Zoroaster establishes monotheistic faith similar to Judaism, Christianity & Islam
-1200
Religion, Global
Solomon completes temple started by David
-959
Religion, Israel
Jews exiled to Babylon by Tiglath-pileser III or Shalmaneser
-722
Religion, Israel
Daniel captured and taken from Jerusalem to Babylon
-605
Religion, Middle East
Jews (almost 10,000) exiled to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar
-597
Religion, Israel
Jews exiled twice to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar after capturing Jerusalem
-587
Religion, Israel
Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, is born
-563
Religion, India
Cyrus conquers Babylon and releases exiled Jews
-539
Religion, Israel
Confucius leaves Lu to spread his message of virtue-based government
-497
Religion, China
Socrates sentenced to death in Athens for not believing in the gods
-399
Religion, Greece
Jesus Christ crucified in Jerusalem
30
Religion, Roman Empire
Paul leads Christian church after religious experience on the road to Damascus
36
Religion, Syria
Buddhism first spreads from Central Asia into China
50
Religion, China
Apostolic Council decides that Gentiles can convert directly to Christianity
51
Religion, Israel
Peter is crucified in Rome
64
Religion, Roman Empire
Romans end siege of Jewish stronghold at Masada
73
Religion, Roman Empire
Jews expelled from Jerusalem and Hadrian bans Judaism after Bar Kokhba Revolt
135
Religion, Israel
Septmius Severus becomes emperor & is well disposed towards Christians
193
Religion, Roman Empire
Valerian orders Senate to take strong steps toward Christians
257
Religion, Roman Empire
Aurelian builds new temple to the sun god
274
Religion, Roman Empire
Diocletian appoints Tetrarchy and persecutes Christians
293
Religion, Roman Empire
Armenia converts to Christianity
300
Religion, Middle East
Diocletian issues first edict against Christians
303
Religion, Roman Empire
Galerius issues Edict of Toleration ending Diocletian persecutions of Christians
311
Religion, Roman Empire
Constantine and Licinius in Edict of Milan declare end of religious persecution
313
Religion, Roman Empire
Bishops at Council of Nicea rule on Arian controversy
325
Religion, Turkey
Constantius II becomes co-emperor & promotes Arian Christianity
337
Religion, Roman Empire
Julian the Apostate rejects Christianity & promotes Neoplatonic Hellenism
360
Religion, Roman Empire
Jovian reestablishes Christianity
363
Religion, Roman Empire
Valens becomes emperor and promotes Arian Christianity
364
Religion, Roman Empire
Theodosius I declares that Nicene Christianity is the official state church
380
Religion, Roman Empire
Emperor Theodosius bans sacrifices and closes pagan temples
391
Religion, Roman Empire
Library of Alexandria (Serapeum) burned after decree to destroy pagan temples
391
Religion, Egypt
St. Patrick starts mission in Ireland
432
Religion, Ireland
King Clovis, who united the Frankish kingdom, is baptized at Rheims Cathedral
496
Religion, Europe
St. Benedict writes the rules for communities of monks to follow
529
Religion, Italy
Gregory is the first monk to become pope
590
Religion, Papacy
Augustine, based at Canterbury, converts thousands of Britons to Christianity
597
Religion, England (<1707)
Journey of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad and His followers from Mecca to Medina
622
Religion, Islamic Empire
Chinese monk Xuanzang begins travels to India to gather Buddhist texts
629
Religion, China
Umar, the second caliph, campaigns in the Persian and Byzantine Empires
634
Religion, Islamic Empire
Aidan, a monk from Iona, becomes bishop of Lindisfarne
635
Religion, England (<1707)
Umar murdered by a disgruntled slave and Uthman succeeds him as caliph
644
Religion, Islamic Empire
Islam first arrives in China
650
Religion, China
Battle of the Camel, first fight over the caliphate, begins civil war (the Fitna)
656
Religion, Islamic Empire
Islam schism (Sunni and Shi'a) after murder of Caliph Ali
661
Religion, Islamic Empire
Caliph Muawiya begins Umayyad dynasty after Ali's death & Hasan's resignation
661
Religion, Islamic Empire
Synod at Whitby chooses Roman tradition, not Irish, for the Northumbrian church
664
Religion, England (<1707)
Martyrdom of Husayn and followers in Karbala by army of Caliph Yazid I
680
Religion, Islamic Empire
Al-Malik builds Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem
691
Religion, Islamic Empire
Al-Malik conquers North Africa & makes Arabic official language of empire
702
Religion, Islamic Empire
Saracens (Arab/Berber army) led by Tariq invade the Visigothic kingdom of Spain
711
Religion, Islamic Empire
Pope commissions Boniface for missionary work in pagan Germany
717
Religion, Europe
Christian warriors defeat a Muslim army at the Battle of Covadonga
722
Religion, Spain
Emperor Leo III bans the use of Icons
726
Religion, Byzantine Empire
Iconoclast movement begins in the Byzantine Empire under Leo III
726
Religion, Byzantine Empire
Bede completes "Ecclesiastical History of the English People"
731
Religion, Europe
A decree in Japan orders the construction of Buddhist monasteries and nunneries.
741
Religion, Japan
Umayyad dynasty overthrown after Abbasids kill 80 members of family
750
Religion, Islamic Empire
Caliph al-Mansur chooses Bagdad as new Abbasid capital
762
Religion, Islamic Empire
Harun al-Rashid begins golden age of Islamic culture inspiring "1001 Nights"
786
Religion, Islamic Empire
Empress Irene calls Second Council of Nicea which condemns iconoclasm
787
Religion, Byzantine Empire
Al-Rashid sends Charlemagne decree protecting pilgrims to holy sites in Jerusalem
807
Religion, Islamic Empire
Belief that the tomb of St. James is found in Spain inspires the Reconquest
813
Religion, Spain
Use of icons is restored
843
Religion, Byzantine Empire
Anarchy of Samarra
861
Religion, Iraq
Cyril & Methodius are missionaries to Serbia (863), Hungary (864), & Kiev (875)
863
Religion, Europe
"Disappearance of Al-Mahdi, the Hidden Imam of Twelver Shi'ites"
874
Religion, Islamic Empire
New abbey at Cluny in Burgundy stimulates monastic revival
909
Religion, France
Abd ar-Rahman III in Iberian Peninsula (al-Andalus) declares himself a caliph
929
Religion, Islamic Empire
Poppo, a Denmark missionary, converts King Harald Bluetooth to Christianity
960
Religion, Denmark
Ottonian dynasty establishes Christian states in Poland, Bohemia, & Hungary
973
Religion, Germany
Grand Prince Vladimir is baptized in the Byzantine church and his empire follows
988
Religion, Russia
Caliph al-Hakim orders the destruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
1009
Religion, Middle East
Anawrahta becomes Burma's first supreme king
1044
Religion, Myanmar
East-West schism begins between Western Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy
1054
Religion, Europe
Henry IV crosses Alps to seek forgiveness from Pope Gregory VII at Canossa (Italy)
1077
Religion, Europe
Peter the Hermit begins People's Crusade leading 100,000 to recapture Jerusalem
1096
Religion, Global
Cistercian Order of monks begins in France
1098
Religion, France
Catholic church rules that capturing Zaragoza in Almoravid Spain is a crusade
1118
Religion, Spain
Knights Templar begin protecting pilgrims to Jerusalem
1119
Religion, Middle East
Henry V conforms to Concordant of Worms
1122
Religion, Germany
"Peter the Venerable commissions the first Latin translation of the Koran."
1142
Religion, France
William of Conches becomes tutor of future king of England, Henry II
1145
Religion, Europe
Pope Lucius III issues the papal bull Ad Abolendam to abolish Christian heresy
1184
Religion, Italy
Emperor Frederick Barbarossa drowns in river on route to the Holy Land
1190
Religion, Global
Monk Myo-an Eisai brings Zen Buddhism to Japan
1191
Religion, Japan
Crusaders vent frustration by burning Constantinople
1204
Religion, Global
St. Francis of Assisi hears call to establish Franciscan Order of Friars
1208
Religion, Italy
Pope calls Crusade against Cathars in Languedoc
1208
Religion, Europe
Citizens of Beziers massacred in Albigensian Crusade against Cathar heresy
1209
Religion, Europe
Christians win at Las Navas de Tolosa after Pope calls Crusade against Almohads
1212
Religion, Spain
Pope Innocent III in 4th Lateran Council begins 5th Crusade
1215
Religion, Italy
St. Francis of Assisi takes part in the failed Fifth Crusade by talking to Sultan
1219
Religion, Egypt
Teutonic Knights start Baltic Crusade to convert pagans in Baltic region & Prussia
1233
Religion, Lithuania
King Louis IX buys Christian relics & begins Sainte-Chapelle, near Notre Dame
1239
Religion, France
Summa Theologica is published after the death of Thomas Aquinas
1274
Religion, France
Pope Clement V begins "Avignon Papacy" that lasted until 1377
1309
Religion, France
Jacques de Molay, last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, executed in Paris
1314
Religion, France
Election of two popes begins Great Schism of the West lasting 1378-1417
1378
Religion, Europe
Jan Hus burned at the stake after heresy ruled by Council of Constance in 1414
1415
Religion, Czech Republic
Papal schism ends at Council of Constance and election of Pope Martin V
1417
Religion, Italy
Joan of Arc, a 19-year-old girl, burns as the stake in Rouen
1431
Religion, France
Council of Basel convened regarding Hussite wars, Ottomans rise & papal supremacy
1431
Religion, Europe
Pope Sixtus IV supports Inquisition throughout Ferdinand's Aragon territories
1483
Religion, Spain
Portuguese rulers convert to Christianity Nzinga, king of tribe in central Africa
1490
Religion, Sub-Saharan Africa
Jews expelled from Spain
1492
Religion, Spain
Dominican friar Savonarola burned at the stake in Florence
1498
Religion, Italy
Erasmus criticizes church in "Praise of Folly"
1511
Religion, Netherlands
Martin Luther protests against Catholic Church with 95 theses
1517
Religion, Germany
Luther crystallizes his ideas in 18-day debate with Johann Eck
1519
Religion, Germany
Martin Luther accused of heresy by Charles V at the Diet of Worms
1521
Religion, Germany
Luther translates Bible into German
1522
Religion, Germany
Tyndale's translation of the Bible into English is printed
1526
Religion, England (<1707)
Paul III (Alessandro Farnese) becomes Pope in 1534
1534
Religion, Europe
Henry VIII becomes head of Church of England
1534
Religion, England (<1707)
Ignatius Loyola founds Society of Jesus
1534
Religion, Europe
Anabaptists are ousted from Munster after 18 months in control of the city
1535
Religion, Germany
Thomas More executed after refusing to accept king as supreme head of church
1535
Religion, England (<1707)
John Calvin to Geneva
1536
Religion, Switzerland
Sikh founder, Guru Nanak, dies at the age of sixty-nine
1539
Religion, Pakistan
Pope Paul III sanctions Roman Inquisition, which later tries Galileo Galilei
1542
Religion, Italy
Jesuit Francis Xavier arrives by Portuguese ship on mission to Kagoshime, Japan
1549
Religion, Japan
Thomas Cranmer, first Protestant archbishop of Canterbury, burns at the stake
1556
Religion, England (<1707)
The Council of Trent takes 18 years to define counter-reformation church doctrine
1563
Religion, Italy
Pius V becomes Pope in 1566
1566
Religion, Europe
St. Bartholomew's Day massacre as thousands of Huguenots killed in Paris
1572
Religion, France
Jesuits begin missionary work in China
1582
Religion, China
Catholics in Europe adopt the Gregorian calendar instituted by Pope Gregory XIII
1582
Religion, Europe
King Henry IV grants freedom of worship to the French Huguenots
1598
Religion, France
Giordano Bruno, former Dominican friar, burns as a heretic in Rome
1600
Religion, Italy
Moriscos (Muslims who converted to Catholicism) are expelled from Spain
1609
Religion, Spain
Urban VIII becomes Pope in 1623
1623
Religion, Europe
Galileo recants Copernican heliocentrism after threat of torture from Inquisition
1633
Religion, Italy
After Patriarch Nikon of Moscow, Russia no longer had a church
1666
Religion, Russia
Pennsylvania's constitution establishes freedom to practice any Christian religion
1682
Religion, United States
Huguenots flee France after Louis XIV revokes privileges granted to Protestants
1685
Religion, France
Six witches executed in Salem
1692
Religion, United States
Emperor Kangxi bans teaching of Christianity
1721
Religion, China
Wesley preaches Methodism in England
1739
Religion, England (<1707)
Monasteries in Europe reach their peak between 1725 and 1775
1750
Religion, Europe
Clement XIV abolishes the Society of Jesus
1773
Religion, Europe
Protestant mobs in Britain cry "No Popery" and burn Catholic churches
1780
Religion, United Kingdom
State of Connecticut disestablishes religion
1818
Religion, United States
William Ellery Channing gives sermon about compatibility of science & the Bible
1819
Religion, United States
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints established by Joseph Smith
1830
Religion, United States
Finney goes to Ohio to teach theology at the newly founded Oberlin College
1835
Religion, United States
Sojourner Truth warns of the Second Coming of Christ
1843
Religion, United States
Siyyid Kazim, the second of the 'twin resplendent lights' dies in Karbala
1843
Religion, Iraq
Quddus, outstanding disciple of the Bab, travels with the Bab on pilgrimage
1844
Religion, Iran
Mulla Husayn is the first to believe in the Bab
1844
Religion, Iran
William Miller and his followers expect the return of Christ
1844
Religion, United States
Declaration of the Bab's Mission on May 22
1844
Religion, Iran
Brigham Young and the Mormons found Salt Lake City
1847
Religion, United States
Aided by circuit riders & camp meetings, Methodists increase to 2.7 million
1850
Religion, United States
Tahirih "the Pure One" is the first woman suffrage martyr
1852
Religion, Iran
Declaration of Baha'u'llah in the Garden of Ridvan
1863
Religion, Iraq
Baha'u'llah reveals Suriy-i-Muluk {Tablets to the Kings)
1867
Religion, Global
Alexander II receives tablet from Baha'u'llah
1868
Religion, Global
Pope Pious IX promotes doctrine of papal infallibility
1870
Religion, Italy
Exile of Akka issues epistle to Napoleon III with prophecy of his downfall
1870
Religion, Global
Caliphate abolished
1924
Religion, Turkey
First Dead Seas Scrolls are discovered in Qumran caves
1947
Religion, Israel
Pope John XXIII urges reform in Second Vatican Council
1962
Religion, Italy
Pope Paul VI embraces the Patriarch, Athenagoras I, in Jerusalem
1964
Religion, Global
Malcolm X is assassinated after embracing Sunni Islam and renouncing racism
1965
Religion, United States
Pope Paul VI's Humanae Vitae condemns all forms of artificial birth control
1968
Religion, Italy
Jim Jones leads followers to mass suicide at Jonestown, Guyana
1978
Religion, Americas
Pope John Paul II, the first Polish pope, returns home to 2 million cheering Poles
1979
Religion, Poland
Ayatollah Khomeini returns to lead Iranian revolution
1979
Religion, Iran
John Paul II visits Nicaragua to support archbishop against "liberation theology"
1983
Religion, Nicaragua
In October, Indira Gandhi assassinated by 2 Sikh members of her bodyguard
1984
Religion, India
In June, Golden Temple, sacred Sikh shrine in Amritsar, is stormed by Indian army
1984
Religion, India
Ayatollah Khomeini orders assassination of Salman Rushdie for The Satanic Verses
1989
Religion, Iran
Second Baha'i World Congress held in New York City
1992
Religion, United States
Mother Teresa dies at the age of 89
1997
Religion, Global
Obama at Cairo University calls for peace between Islamic world & United States
2009
Religion, Egypt
The Universal House of Justice convenes 114 youth conferences around the world
2013
Religion, Global