For those preparing for the UPSC IAS Mains examination, World History is a significant part of the syllabus. The focus is primarily on the events from the 18th century. A well-rounded understanding of World history is not only crucial for this segment but also aids in the International Relations section in General Studies Paper-II.
In this article, we present a chronological timeline of notable events in World History till 1950.
Further Reading | Effective strategies for studying history for UPSC
| B.C.3000 | The majestic Great Pyramids were built |
| B.C 776 | The first Olympiad took place in Greece |
| B.C 753 | The founding of Rome |
| B.C 490 |
The Battle of Marathon occurred
The Greeks triumphed over the Persians |
| B.C 360 | The era of Aristotle and Plato |
| B.C 332 | Alexander the Great conquered Egypt |
| B.C 323 | Alexander the Great passed away in Babylon |
| B.C 214 | The construction of the Great Wall of China commenced |
| B.C 4 | The birth of Jesus Christ |
| A.D. 29 | Jesus Christ was crucified |
| 375 | The Huns invaded Europe |
| 570 | Prophet Mohammed was born in Mecca |
| 632 |
The death of Mohammed
The Hijri Era began |
| 1280 | Roger Bacon invented gunpowder |
| 1338 | The Hundred Years’ War began |
| 1348 | The Black Death Plague swept across Europe |
| 1453 | The Turks seized Constantinople |
| 1453 | The Renaissance period started in Europe |
| 1492 | Columbus discovered America |
| 1498 | Vasco-de-Gama discovered the sea route to India |
| 1588 | The Spanish Armada was defeated |
| 1600 | The British East India Company was established in India |
| 1660 | The monarchy was reinstated in England |
| 1665 | The Great Plague of England |
| 1668 | The Glorious Revolution took place in England |
| 1704 | The Battle of Blenheim |
| 1707 | England and Scotland were united |
| 1776 | The American Declaration of Independence |
| 1789 |
The French Revolution took place
George Washington was elected the first President of America |
| 1805 | The Battle of Trafalgar |
| 1815 | The Battle of Waterloo |
| 1832 | The Reforms Bill was passed in England |
| 1837 | Queen Victoria ascended to the throne of England |
| 1861 | The American Civil War started |
| 1863 | Slavery was abolished in the USA |
| 1865 | President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated |
| 1869 | The Suez Canal was opened for traffic |
| 1895 | Roentgen discovered X-rays |
| 1896 | Marconi invented the wireless |
| 1904 | The Russia-Japan war broke out |
| 1905 | Einstein discovered the Theory of Relativity |
| 1911 | The Chinese Revolution |
| 1912 | The Republic of China was established |
| 1914 | World War I began |
| 1917 | The Russian Revolution |
| 1918 | World War I ended |
| 1919 | The Treaty of Versailles was signed |
| 1920 | The League of Nations was formed |
| 1923 | Turkey was declared a Republic |
| 1933 | Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany |
| 1936 | The Spanish Civil War erupted |
| 1939 | World War II began |
| 1941 |
Hitler invaded Russia
Japan invaded Pearl Harbour |
| 1945 |
The United Nations Organization was established
World War II ended President Roosevelt died The Atom Bomb was dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki for the first time |
| 1946 | The Civil War in China |
| 1948 | Ceylon and Burma gained independence |
| 1949 |
The Communists seized power in China
Indonesia achieved independence |
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