The Sumerians first inhabited Sumer, modern day Iraq, in 5000 B.C. (according to most historians). Although, it is probable that they inhabited Sumer for a longer time. At that time, Sumerians built small homes out of reeds, irrigation systems, cultivated plants, raised sheep, and milked cows.
4000 B.C. Sumerians started building ziggurats at the center of each major city in Mesopotamia. Ziggurats were built for their gods.
3500 BC Is the time where ancient Sumerians blossomed into tribes and city-states such as Ur, Uruk, Eridu, Kish, Lagash, and Nippur.
3300 BC Is when the Sumerians invented writing, and their language is called “Cuneiform”. This came as a result of the multiplicity of cities in ancient Mesopotamia as well as the populations growth; language was partly invented to facilitate co-existence.
3200 BC Sumerians usage of wheels & boats as vehicles as to facilitate movement from one place to another. They’ve also invented tools to help with their agricultural needs & the arch with hunting.
3000 B.C. The usage of sexagesimal mathematics took place during this period. Combined a mundane 10… with a “celestial” 6, to obtain the base figure 60.
2700 B.C. King gilgamesh becomes the ruler of the city-state of Ur.
2400 B.C. Akkadian language starts emerging & replacing the Sumerian language. The “epic of Gilgamesh”, of the earliest known literary works, is written in the Akkadian language.
2330 BC — Sargon of Akkad conquers most of the Sumerian city states and creates the world’s first empire, the Akkadian Empire.
Moreover in that period, Enheduanna (daughter of Sargon of Akkad & Tashlultum), the world’s earliest known female author, wrote poems exalting her goddess: “Innana” (also known “Ishtar” to the Akkadians).
2250 B.C. King Naram-sin successfully expands the Akkadian empire to its largest state. He ruled for 50 years.
2100 B.C. The Sumerians, as led Utu-hengal, manged to reclaim the city of Ur, & they’ve rebuilt it. They’ve also successfully managed to put an end the Akkadian empire & Gutians.
2000 B.C. The Elamites, led by Kutik-Inshushinak, captured the city of Ur from Utu-hegal & Gudea.
1900 B.C Assyrians had a strong presence in northern Mesopotamia after the fall of the Akkadian empire. Characterized by their fierce attacks & a well-thought-out strategy, the Assyrians were a force to be reckoned with.
1792 B.C. Hammurabi, son of Sin-Muballit, becomes the king of Babylon & establishes “Code of Hammurabi”.
1781 B.C. Shamshi-Adad, king of the Assyrian empire, dies. The First Assyrian Empire is soon taken over by the Babylonians.
1750 B.C. Hammurabi, king of Babylon dies, and the first Babylonian empire starts falling apart.
1595 B.C. The Kassites take the city of Babylon.
1360 BC The Assyrians, led by Tiglath-Pileser I, once again rise to power from 1360 BC to 1074 BC. This time they conquered all of Mesopotamia and expanded the empire to include much of the Middle East including Egypt, Babylonia, Israel, and Cypress.
1250 B.C. The Assyrians begin to use iron weapons and chariots. Militarily, Assyrians were utmost competent; utilizing iron & chariots in battles gave proved a major success.
1225 BC The Assyrians capture Babylon.
1115 B.C. The Second Assyrian Empire reaches its peak under the rule of King Tiglath-Piliser I.
1077 BC Tiglath-Piliser dies and the Assyrian Empire becomes weaker for a time.
744 BC The Assyrian Empire becomes strong once again under the rule of Tiglath-Piliser III.
721 BC King Sargon II takes control of Assyria. The empire grows stronger.
709 BC Sargon II takes control of the city of Babylon.
705 BC Sargon II dies and Sennacherib becomes king. He moves the capital to Nineveh.
668 BC Ashurbanipal becomes the last great King of Assyria. He establishes a great library in the city of Nineveh.
626 BC Ashurbanipal dies and Assyria begins to crumble, mainly due to civil wars.
616 BC Nabopolassar takes control of Babylon back from the Assyrians and crowns himself king. The neo-Babylonian empire begins.
604 BC Nabopolassar dies and Nebuchadnezzar II becomes King of Babylon. He will rule for 43 years and bring the Babylonian Empire to its peak.
550 BC Cyrus the Great rises to power and the Persian Empire begins.
539 BC Cyrus the Great takes the city of Babylon and lets the Jewish people return to Israel, after they were forcefully brought to Neo-babylonian empire by Nebuchadnezzar II.
522 BC Darius I becomes King of Persia. He expands the empire and divides it up into states each ruled by a governor called a satrap.
518 BC — Darius I establishes the capital of the Persian Empire at Persepolis.
490 BC — Darius I attacks the Greeks. He is defeated at the Battle of Marathon.
480 BC — Xerxes I tries to conquer the Greeks with a huge army. He is eventually turned back in defeat.
333 BC — Alexander the Great invades the land and conquers the Persian Empire.
