Timelines of European history by era
European history divided into eight eras, with what happened year by year set out in tables: Classical Greece (431–30 BC), the Roman Empire (117–476), the Viking Age (793–1066), the Middle Ages (1187–1453), the Renaissance and Reformation (1453–1648), the Baroque and the Enlightenment (1683–1789), the Age of Revolution (1789–1848), and the 19th century and the First World War (1848–1918).
Each timeline opens with a summary of the era's main currents, followed by tables by century listing year, event and region. The timelines are based on the historical events told era by era in Crown & Plough, a free history life-sim browser game, and links between the tables let you follow a scene into a game scenario or a “What if…?” article.
The eight eras at a glance
| Era | Years covered | Key events |
|---|---|---|
| Classical Greece | 431 BC–30 BC | The Peloponnesian War, Alexander's conquests, Rome's conquest of the Mediterranean |
| Roman Empire | 117–476 | Hadrian's Wall, the Crisis of the Third Century, the Edict of Milan, the fall of the West |
| Age of Vikings and Coronations | 793–1066 | Charlemagne's coronation, the Treaty of Verdun, the Danelaw, the Holy Roman Empire, the Norman Conquest |
| Middle Ages | 1187–1453 | The Fourth Crusade, Magna Carta, the Mongol invasion, the Hundred Years' War, the Black Death |
| Renaissance and the Age of Discovery | 1453–1648 | Columbus, the Reformation, Mohács, Lepanto, the Thirty Years' War |
| Age of the Sun King and the Baroque | 1683–1789 | The siege of Vienna, the Glorious Revolution, the War of the Spanish Succession, the Seven Years' War, the partition of Poland |
| Age of Revolution | 1789–1848 | The French Revolution, Napoleon, the Congress of Vienna, Greek independence, the revolutions of 1830 |
| Victorian Era | 1848–1918 | The revolutions of 1848, the Crimean War, Italian and German unification, the First World War |
About these timelines
Dates follow the chronology widely used in general histories. BC years are written “N BC”; where sources differ by a year or two, or a date rests on tradition, “c.” is added or the note says so.
In Crown & Plough the events on these timelines arrive as news when their year comes, and they really change the map and the realms. But from the moment you start, the game can go differently depending on your choices and those of the AI rulers, so history in the game is not always the same as these timelines.
Frequently asked questions
How is European history divided into periods?
Commonly into antiquity (8th century BC to the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476), the Middle Ages (476 to 1453 or 1492), the early modern period (late 15th to late 18th century) and the modern period (from the French Revolution of 1789). These timelines divide that span more finely into eight eras.
How reliable are the dates in the timelines?
Dates of major battles, treaties and accessions are mostly certain. Some events of antiquity and the Viking Age, however (for example Rurik's arrival in Novgorod or the Battle of Hafrsfjord), have traditional dates resting on later chronicles, and these are marked “c.”.