AP European History Timeline Key Events in AP European History Topics Covered in AP European History Resources for AP European History

750 BCE

• Greek city-states emerge, each with its own acropolis and agora.
• Homer composes the Iliad and Odyssey.

508 BCE

• Athenians establish a democracy, the first of its kind in the world.
• Cleisthenes introduces reforms that give all citizens a voice in government.

499-479 BCE

• Persian Wars: The Persian Empire attempts to conquer Greece, but is defeated by the Greeks at the battles of Marathon, Salamis, and Plataea.

478-431 BCE

• Golden Age of Athens: Athens flourishes under the leadership of Pericles. The city becomes a center of art, literature, and philosophy.
• Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes write their masterpieces.
• Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle develop their philosophical ideas.

431-404 BCE

• Peloponnesian War: Athens and Sparta fight for control of Greece. The war ends with the defeat of Athens.

338-323 BCE

• Alexander the Great conquers a vast empire that stretches from Greece to India.
• Alexander’s empire collapses after his death, but his conquests spread Greek culture throughout the Mediterranean world.

27 BCE-284 CE

• Roman Empire: The Roman Empire is founded by Augustus Caesar. The empire grows to its greatest extent under Trajan.
• The empire adopts Christianity as its official religion under Constantine the Great.
• The empire is divided into two parts, the Western Roman Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire.

476 CE

• The Western Roman Empire falls to the barbarians.
• The Eastern Roman Empire continues to exist for another 1,000 years.

500-1000 CE

• Middle Ages: Europe is divided into small, feudal kingdoms.
• The Catholic Church plays a major role in society.
• The Crusades are launched by Christian kings to reconquer the Holy Land from the Muslims.

1000-1200 CE

• Renaissance: A period of great cultural and intellectual renewal begins in Italy.
• Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael create their masterpieces.
• Christopher Columbus discovers the Americas.

1200-1400 CE

• High Middle Ages: The population of Europe grows, and cities begin to flourish.
• The Black Death kills up to half of the population of Europe.
• The Hundred Years’ War is fought between England and France.

1400-1600 CE

• Renaissance: The Renaissance spreads from Italy to the rest of Europe.
• William Shakespeare writes his plays.
• The Protestant Reformation begins, led by Martin Luther.

1600-1700 CE

• Absolutism: Monarchs in Europe gain absolute power.
• The Thirty Years’ War devastates Europe.
• The Scientific Revolution begins, with scientists like Isaac Newton and Galileo Galilei making important discoveries.

1700-1800 CE

• Enlightenment: A period of intellectual and philosophical change in Europe.
• Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Rousseau write their influential works.
• The American Revolution and the French Revolution are inspired by Enlightenment ideas.

1800-1900 CE

• Industrial Revolution: A period of great technological and economic change in Europe.
• The population of Europe explodes.
• Imperialism: European powers colonize much of the world.

1900-1945 CE

• World War I is fought between the Central Powers and the Allied Powers.
• The Russian Revolution leads to the creation of the Soviet Union.
• World War II is fought between the Axis Powers and the Allies.

1945-Present CE

• Cold War: The United States and the Soviet Union compete for global supremacy.
• The European Union is founded.
• The Berlin Wall falls, and the Soviet Union collapses.

• The Renaissance and Reformation
• Absolutism and Enlightenment
• The French Revolution and Napoleon
• The Industrial Revolution
• Imperialism and Nationalism
• World War I
• The Russian Revolution
• World War II
• The Cold War
• The European Union

• AP European History Exam Description
• AP European History Practice Questions
• AP European History Review Books