Dates that Made History

Based on the discovery of painted caves dating back up to 70,000 years ago, such as Blombos Cave, the pictograms that were found in Lascaux Cave now appear to represent human art from a sort of "middle ages" of prehistory.

As a pharaoh, Akhenaten abandoned Ancient Egypt's traditional polytheism and introduced Atenism. This seismic cultural shift proved to be short-lived, and traditional religious practice was restored, most notably by Tutankhamun.

April 21, 753 B.C. stands as the date most attributable to the founding of the city of Rome. However, examination of further evidence that exists points to an earlier time specific to Aeneas, Ascanius, and the creation of Lavinium.

To this day Socrates is a central figure in Humanity's study of ancient cultures, yet as a philosopher he was persecuted for heresy and set before the Temple of Hephaestus where he was tried by his peers and sentenced to death.

Marking the end of Gallic independence, the Battle of Alesia was the climatic military battle of the Gallic Wars between the Gauls and the Romans and is considered one of Julius Caeser's greatest military achievements.

The exact date of the Donation of Constantine is unknown. This phantom date, combined with the fact that the document was a forgery, exemplifies the central geopolitical issues that define the Middle Ages.

This military encounter between the Abbasid Caliphate and its allies against the Tang Dynasty took place over control of the Syr Darya region, a key location along the Silk Road. The defection of the Karluks resulted in a Tang rout.

The year 1000 A.D. does not register in the minds of historians as a year of great consequence in the span of world history, but to some of the world's population who were alive at that time, preconceived notions of terror haunted many.

On August 25, 1270, Louis IX of France landed on African soil at Carthage during his second crusade and died. Even though the world saw the death of a king that day, it also saw the birth of a saint in the collective French imagination.

The reign of Mansa Musa is considered to be the Zenith of the Mali Empire. It has been suggested that he was the wealthiest person in history. When he and his enormous entourage went on hajj to Mecca in 1324, the entire world noticed.

The fall of Constantinople in 1453 widened the East-West Schism, and saw Constantinople become the new Ottoman capital. Modern scholars often agree that this event marked the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Renaissance.

A descendant of Tamerlane and Genghis Khan, Babur was the founder of the Mughal Empire of Northern India. Upon reaching Panipat on April 20, 1526, Babur utilized the tactic of Tulugma to defeat Ibrahim Lodi's numerically superior army.

On May 14, 1610, Henry IV of France was assassinated in his carriage on Rue de la Ferronnerie by Francois Ravaillac who was immediately seized and executed. What was the driving force behind the King's assassination?

The Declaration of Independence set in motion a political experiment still alive today. The pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness was not easily achieved. To this day Democracy's fragile nature relies on the strength of a united purpose.

The Battle of Borodino in 1812 saw Napoleon's Grande Armee invade Russia to face the Imperial Russian Army led by General Mikhail Kutuzov. 250,000 soldiers were involved in the battle that symbolized a key moment in the Napoleonic Wars.

From 1848 to 1849, widespread revolutionary waves swept across Europe. No one variable served as the impetus behind this activity, but the fervor occurred at a time when national governments were being closely examined and reshaped.

Three Chinese emperors- Qianlong Emperor, Kangxi Emperor, Yongzheng Emperor, were responsible for creating Yuanmingyuan. In the mid-19th century, the palatial grounds were targeted by British and French forces bent on total destruction.

To survive the punishing trek to the southernmost point of Earth stands among the greatest feats ever recorded by mankind. On December 14, 1911, Amundsen, Hassel, Bjaaland, Wisting, and Hanassen photographed themselves at the South Pole.

The Paris massacre that occurred on October 17, 1961, took place within the context of the Algerian War, and involved the mass killing of Algerians who were living in Paris by the French National Police, led by Maurice Papon.

On September 11, 1973, the Popular Unity government in Chile led by President Salvador Allende was overthrown by a group of military officers led by General Augusto Pinochet. Following the coup, a military junta was established in Chile.