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Timeline of Christian History
(A question mark [?] indicates an approximation or scholarly uncertainty)
Life of Jesus (4-3 BC-c.33 AD)
Early Church (33 AD-65 AD)
Writing of the Gospels (65 AD-95 AD)
The Church Grows (100 AD-400 AD)
End of the Roman Empire (400 AD-480 AD)
Post-Roman Empire (480 AD-690 AD)
Middle Ages (690- AD-1350 AD)
Renaissance and Reformation (1380 AD-1530 AD)
Modern Era (1530 AD-Present)
...................................................
Life of Jesus
(4-3 BC?) - Date of Jesus' birth unknown; estimates range between 4 BC and 6 AD
(6 AD) - Herod Archelaus deposed by Augustus; Samaria, Judea and Idumea annexed as province Judea under direct Roman administration.
(6-?) - Quirinius becomes Legate (Governor) of Syria, 1st Roman tax census of Judea
(6-9) - Coponius is Roman Prefect of Judea (Samaria, Judea, and Idumea)
(7-26) - Brief period of peace, free of revolt and bloodshed in Judea & Galilee
(9-12?) - M. Ambivius is Roman Prefect of Judea (Samaria, Judea, and Idumea)
(12?-15) - Annius Rufus is Roman Prefect of Judea (Samaria, Judea, and Idumea)
(14-37) - Tiberius I is emperor of Rome, b. 42BC
(26-36) - Pontius Pilate is Roman Prefect of Judea (Samaria, Judea, and Idumea)
(27-29?) - John the Baptist begins ministry (Luke 3,1-2) (15th year of Tiberius)
(27-29?) - Jesus baptized by John the Baptist (Mk1:4-11)
(32-33?) - John the Baptist arrested and killed by Herod Antipas (Luke 3,19-20)
(30-33?) - Jesus' ministry
(33?) - Jesus crucified, Friday, Nisan 14th, March 30th
Early Church
(33?-67) - Peter leads at least one part of the new Christian Church
(33-37?) - Saul of Tarsus has Stephen martyred and the Jerusalem church destroyed
(33-37?) - Saul of Tarsus is converted, given new name, Paul (Acts 9)
(37-41) - Gaius Caligula is emperor of Rome, declared himself god
(37-41?) - Marullus is Roman Prefect of Judea (Samaria, Judea, and Idumea)
(40) - Paul goes to Jerusalem to consult with Peter (Gal 1, 18-20)
(41-54) - Claudius emperor of Rome
(44) - James, brother of John, executed by Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12, 1-3)
(47-48) - Paul and Barnabas on Cyprus (Acts 13, 4-12)
(48-49) - Council of Jerusalem, 1st Christian Council, doctrine regarding circumcision and dietary law is agreed to by apostles and presbyters, written in a letter addressed to "the brothers of Gentile origin in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia" (Acts 15)
(48-57?) - Paul writes Galatians
(49-50) - Paul in Corinth (Acts 18)
(50?) - Peshitta translation begun, Hebrew OT->Syriac Aramaic, (Greek NT in 400)
(50?) - Ascension of Isaiah, original written in Hebrew (Ethiopic Bible)
(51-52) - Paul writes 1 Thessalonians
(51-52) - Paul writes 2 Thessalonians
(53-62) - Paul writes Philippians
(56) - Paul writes 1 Corinthians
(57) - Paul writes Romans
(57) - Paul writes 2 Corinthians
(57) - Paul's last visit to Jerusalem [Acts21]
(58) - Paul arrested, imprisoned in Caesarea [Acts25:4]
(60) - Paul imprisoned in Rome (Acts 28,16)
(61-63?) - Paul writes Ephesians
(61-63) - Paul writes Philemon
(61-63) - Paul writes Colossians
(61-63?) - Paul writes 1,2 Timothy, Titus, known as "pastoral epistles"
(62?) - James written (Gal 2,9?)
(62) - Paul martyred for Christian testimony in Rome
(c.62) - Gospel according to Luke written
(62-65?) - Acts of the Apostles written by Luke, author of synoptic Gospel
(62) - {Being therefore this kind of person [i.e., a heartless Sadducee], Ananus, thinking that he had a favorable opportunity because Festus had died and Albinus was still on his way, called a meeting [literally, "sanhedrin"] of judges and brought into it the brother of Jesus-who-is-called-Messiah, James by name, and some others. He made the accusation that they had transgressed the law, and he handed them over to be stoned.} [JA20.9.1,Marginal Jew,p.57]
(64) - Great fire of Rome, started by Nero and blamed on Christians, {Therefore to squelch the rumor , Nero created scapegoats and subjected to the most refined tortures those whom the common people called "Christians," [a group] hated for their abominable crimes. Their name comes from Christ, who, during the reign of Tiberius, had been executed by the procurator Pontius Pilate. Suppressed for the moment, the deadly superstition broke out again, not only in Judea, the land which originated this evil, but also in the city of Rome, where all sorts of horrendous and shameful practices from every part of the world converge and are fervently cultivated.} [Tacitus Annals 15.44;Marginal Jew;Meier;p.89-90]
(64-65?) - 1) - Peter's 1st and 2nd epistles written in Rome
Writing of the Gospels
(65-69?) - Gospel according to Matthew written
(65-70?) - Gospel according to Mark written, maybe as early as 50 AD
(66-70) - Roman-Jewish War
(68-80+?) - Hebrews written probably before 70 AD or after 80 AD, author uncertain, possibly Paul
(67) - Peter martyred, crucified upside down in Rome
(67) - General Vespasian of Rome conquers Galilee
(68) - Nero commits suicide, resurrects as "Nero redivivus", Rev's 666?) - (see 81)
(68) - Galba emperor of Rome (6/68-1/69)
(68) - Qumran (Essenes?) community destroyed by Rome, site of Dead Sea Scrolls found in 1949
(69) - Flavian Dynasty of Rome (Vespian, Titus, Domitian)
(69-79) - Vespian emperor of Rome, quells unrest in Rome and Jerusalem
(70) - Collapse of Jewish self-government in Judea and complete destruction of the Second (Herod's) Temple in Jerusalem by Roman General, Titus, in fulfillment of several Bible prophecies
(70-640) - Sanhedrin (High Court) period of Judaism, rise of house of Hillel
(79-81) - Titus emperor of Rome, eldest son of Vespasian
(80-90) - Gospel according to John written
(80?) - Jude written, rejected by some early Christians due to its reference to apocryphal Book of Enoch (v14)
(81-96) - Domitian emperor of Rome, son of Vespasian, "Nero redivivus?" (see 68)
(90-95) - 1, 2, 3 John written, by author of 4th gospel
(94) - "Jewish Antiquities", by Josephus in Aramaic, trans. to Grk., Testimonium Flavianum: {At this time there appeared Jesus, a wise man. For he was a doer of startling deeds, a teacher of people who receive the truth with pleasure. And he gained a following both among many Jews and among many of Greek origin. And when Pilate, because of an accusation made by the leading men among us, condemned him to the cross, those who had loved him previously did not cease to do so. And up until this very day the tribe of Christians (named after him) has not died out.} [JA18.3.3) - Meier redaction, Marginal Jew, p.61]
(95) - The Revelation of Jesus Christ written down by Apostle John (son of Zebedee)
The Church Grows
(98-116) - Trajan emperor of Rome, Roman empire reaches maximum size
(125-350) - Period of Christianity during which the first Bible was assembled - Christians are fiercely persecuted and then finally tolerated by the Roman Empire, Great Plague in Rome
(125?) - Papyrus 52: oldest extant NT fragment, p.1935, parts of Jn18:31-33,37-38
(125?) - Shepherd of Hermas, written in Rome (AF = Apostolic Fathers)
(130-200) - "Christian Apologists" writings against Roman Paganism by: Justin Martyr (165), Athenagoras (180?), Aristides (145?), Theophilus of Antioch (185?), Tatian (170), Quadratus (130?), Melito of Sardis (180?), Apollinaris of Hierapolis (180?), also Epistle to Diognetus in Apostolic Fathers
(130?) - "Gospel of Basilides", a 24) - book commentary?, lost
(130?) - Papias, bishop of Hierapolis in Asia Minor, wrote: "Expositions of the Sayings of the Lord", lost, widely quoted, see Eusebius (340) (AF)
(130?) - Aquila of Pontus, Roman convert to Christianity then to Judaism, student of Rabban Gamaliel, compiled literal Greek OT translation in Jabneh (Jamnia)
(132-135) - Bar Kokhba's revolt: final Jewish revolt, Judea and Jerusalem erased from maps, all of southern Syria renamed Palestine (coined by Herodotus)
(140) - Letters of Marcion, produces his own canon without OT and using only a heavily edited Luke + 10) - Pauline Epistles, cites "Western" Gospel text-type
(160?) - Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, martyred at age 86: "Let. to Philip." (110)
(166-174) - Bishop Soter of Rome, moved Easter from Nisan 14 to following Sunday
(170) - Letters of Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons, cites "Western" Gospel text-type
(170) - Christian council on Montanist sect in Asia Minor
(170) - Letters of Dionysius, bishop of Corinth, claims Christians were changing and faking his own letters just as [he knew] they had changed the Gospels
(170) - Tatian produces "Diatessaron" (Harmony) by blending 4) - "Western" text-type Gospels into 1
(170?) - Symmachus, an Ebionite, writes an entirely new Greek OT translation
(189-198) - 'Pope' Victor I excommunicated Eastern churches that continued to observe Easter on Nisan 14 "Quartodeciman", (see 166, 190)
(190) - Christian council to determine "official" date of Easter
(197) - Writings of Apollonius, uses the term "catholic" (i.e. general, universal) in reference to 1 John
(200) - Bishop of Antioch notes Gospel of Peter (see 65?) being used in Cilicia
(200?) - Latin Bible translations begun in Carthage?, originals no longer extant
(200?) - Sahidic Coptic cop(sa) Bible translations written in Alexendria
(217-236) - Anti-Pope Hippolytus, bishop of Rome, "Logos" sect, 1st Anti-Pope (illegitimate claimants of or pretenders to the papal throne)
(220?) - Clement of Alexandria, b.150?, bishop, cites "Alexandrian" NT text-type & Secret Gospel of Mark & Gospel of the Egyptians; wrote: "Exhortations to the Greeks";"Rich Man's Salutation";"To the Newly Baptized"; (Loeb Classics)
(223?) - Tertullian, wr: "de Spectaculis" (Latin): v30.6) - cites rumor Jesus son of prostitute, coined "New Testament", cites "Western" Gospel text-type (Loeb)
(225?) - Papyrus 967: Chester Beatty 9, Greek Ezekiel 11:25-end, ~Codex Vaticanus
(230-250) - Christian council of Rome, Demetrius bishop of Alexandria condemns Origen who in 248 cited a rumor recorded by Celsus that "Jesus fabricated the account of his birth from a virgin. In reality, Jesus' mother was driven out by the carpenter husband to whom she was betrothed because she had committed adultery with a [Roman] soldier named Panthera [thus the ben Pantere of Jewish sources]. Left poor and homeless, she gave birth to Jesus in secret. Jesus later spent time in Egypt, where he hired himself out as a laborer, learned magic, and so came to claim the title of God." [CC1.28-32, Marginal Jew, Meier, p. 223]
(236-238) - Maximus emperor of Rome, ends Christian schism in Rome by deporting Pope Pontian and anti-Pope Hippolytus to Sardinia where they soon die
(240-250) - Christian council of Carthage
(250) - Rome steps up persecution of Christians, martyrs revered as saints
(250) - Letters of Methodius, Pistis Sophia, Porphyry Tyrius; church fathers
(250?) - Mandeans (followers of John the Baptist) begin compilation of "Ginza"
(251-258) - Anti-Pope Novatian, decreed no forgiveness for sins after baptism
(253-260) - Valerian emperor of Rome, executes all Bishops, Priests, and Deacons
(254) - Letters of Origen, Jesus and God one substance, later adopted at Council of Nicaea in 325
(254-257) - Pope Stephen I, major schism over rebaptizing heretics and apostates
(257-258) - Pope Sixtus II, martyred
(257) - Visigoths and Ostrogoths invade Black Sea area, Franks invade Spain
(260-268) - Gallienus emperor of Rome, reverses Valerian, restores Roman Church
(260-268) - Pope Dionysius rebuilds Roman Church after Valerian's massacre
(264-268) - Christian council on Paul of Samosata, Bishop of Antioch, founder of Adoptionism (Jesus was human until Holy Spirit descended at his baptism)
(264?) - Letters of Dionysius, bishop of Alexandria, b.190?
(268) - Goths sack Athens, Sparta, Corinth
(268-270) - Claudius II emperor of Rome
(270-275) - Aurelian emperor of Rome
(276-282) - Marcus Aurelius Probus emperor of Rome
(276) - Mani, b.215, crucified, founder of Manichaean Christian sect in Persia
(284-305) - Diocletian emperor of Rome, notorius persecuter of Christians
(285) - Roman empire partitioned into Western and Eastern empires
(290-345) - St Pachomius establishes 1st monastery in Egypt
(296-304) - Pope Marcellinus, apostate, offered pagan sacrifices for Diocletian
(301) - Armenia becomes the first country in the world to officially accept Christianity as a State religion.
(303-311) - Last persecution of Christians in Rome
(306-337) - Emperor Constantine the Great, 'converts' to Christianity
(306-312) - Maxentius emperor of Western Roman Empire
(312) - Lucian, founded Exegetical School of Antioch, martyred
(312) - Constantine defeats Maxentius at Milvian Bridge, reunites Roman Empire
(313) - Edict of Milan, Constantine establishes toleration of Christianity
(314) - Council of Arles, called by Constantine against Donatist (Donatus) schism
(317) - Letters of Lactantius, early Christian church father
(321) - Constantine decrees Sunday as official Roman-Christian day of rest
(325) - Council of Nicaea, called by Constantine against Arianism, called 1st great Christian council by Jerome, 1st ecumenical, 318 bishops attend, Nicaean (Nicene) Creed
(330) - Old Saint Peter's Basilica dedicated by Constantine, located over the traditional burial site of Saint Peter the Apostle in Rome on Vatican Hill
(331) - Seat of Roman Empire moved to Constantinople (formally Byzantium)
(336) - Arius, Greek theologian - Arianism (Jesus was a created being)
(337-350) - Roman empire splits again, Constans emperor of West until 350
(337-361) - Roman empire splits again, Constantius emperor of East until 361
(338) - Jewish calendar modified with different year lengths to correct to Solar
(340?) - Eusebius of Caesarea dies (260-340), theologian & church historian wrote: "Ecclesiastical History"
(350-400) - Period of time between the 1st Christian Bible and the 1st Western Christian Bible, during which the books contained in Bibles varied
(350) - Letters of Adamantius, Firmicus Maternus; early Christian church fathers
(354-430) - St. Augustine, Latin Bishop considered the founder of formalized Christian theology, church father
(355-365) - Anti-Pope Felix II, Arianism, supported by Constantius II
(360) - Huns invade Europe, scrolls begin to be replaced by books (Codex)
(361-363) - Julian the Apostate emperor of East, attempts to revive Paganism
(363) - Council of Laodicea names 26 NT books (excludes Revelation)
(363) - Letters of Marius Victorinus, Acacius of Caesarea; early church fathers
(364) - Council of Laodicea decrees death for Christians who keep 7th day Sabbath
(366-384) - Pope Damasus I hired thugs to massacre rival Ursinians (Liberians)
(366-367) - Anti-Pope Ursinus, leader of supporters of former Pope Liberius
(367) - Letters of Hilary of Poitiers, Lucifer of Calaris; early church fathers
(367) - Athanasius, d.373, bishop of Alexandria, first cite of modern 27-book NT canon
(378) - Letters of Titus of Bostra, Ambrosiaster, Priscillian; church fathers
(379-395) - Theodosius the Great, last emperor of the united empire
(380) - Feb 27, Christianity declared official state religion by Theodosius
(381) - Council of Theodosius at Constantinople, 2nd ecumenical, Jesus had true human soul
(382) - The office of Pontifex Maximus, a pagan term meaning "bridge-maker," was relinquished by the Emperor Gratianus in 382, and was assumed by the Bishops of Rome at that time and held until the present day.
(382-384) - Pope Damasus I has Jerome revise and unify Latin Bibles
(383) - Roman legions begin to evacuate Britain under Magnus Maximus
(384) - Jerome presents Pope Damasus I with new Latin Gospels, originals lost
(384-399) - Pope Siricius criticized Jerome
(390) - Apollinaris of Laodicea, Jesus had human body but divine spirit
(390) - Letters of Tyconius, Gregory of Nyssa, Didymus of Alex.; church fathers
(391?) - Ammianus Marcellinus, b.330, Christian historian, wrote: "Res gestae"
(393,397) - Augustine's Councils, cites exactly 27 NT books
(395) - Theodosius prohibits practice of Pagan rituals including Olympic Games
(396) - Alaric, king of the Visigoths, plunders Athens
(397) - Ambrose, b.333?, bishop & governor of Milan, wrote: "de Fide" ...
End of the Roman Empire
(400-484) - Era between 1st Western Christian Bible and the Great Schism - Christian doctrine is formed, Roman empire ends
(400?) - Vulgate Bible, by Jerome?, (340?-420) originals lost, Vulgate Latin text becomes standard Western Christian Bible
(400?) - Jerome cites "expanded" ending in Mark after Mark 16,14
(400?) - Jerome adds Pericope of the Adultress (John 7,53-8,11)
(400?) - Codex Vercellensis it(a): Latin Gospels, of "European" text-type
(400?) - Peshitta Bible, Syriac (Aramaic) Vulgate becomes standard Syrian Christian Bible
(401) - Visigoths invade Italy
(403) - Letters of Epiphanius of Constantia, John Chrysostom; church fathers
(410) - Visigoths sack Rome under king Alaric
(414) - Letters of Nicetas of Remesiana, Orosius; early Christian church fathers
(415) - Bishop Cyril of Alex. (444) expels Jews, kills Hypatia with oyster shells
(416) - Visigoths take Spain
(418) - Franks take Gaul; Pelagian heresy outlawed by the Roman Emperor, Honorius
(431) - Council of Ephesus, 3rd ecumenical, decreed Mary the Mother of God
(429) - Picts and Scots expelled from southern England by Anglo-Saxon-Jutes
(430) - St. Augustine, b.354, origin of "Original Sin," church father & philosopher, wrote: "The City of God", "Confessions"
(430) - Letters of Marcus Eremita, Nilus of Ancyra; Christian church fathers
(431) - Syrian Christianity splits into East (Nestorian-disagreed with Council of Ephesus) and West (Jacobites)
(432) - St Patrick begins mission in Ireland
(433-453) - Attila the Hun, "Scourge of God"
(444) - Letters of Cyril of Alexandria, Arnobius the Younger; church fathers
(451) - Council of Chalcedon, 4th ecumenical, declared Jesus is 2 natures, both human and divine in one, a compromise solution of Jesus god/man schisms
(451) - Nestorius of Constantinople, Nestorians: Mary was not "Mother of God"
(451) - Letters of Hesychius, Quodvultdeus; early Christian church fathers
(454) - Eutyches of Constantinople, Monophysites: Jesus was divine but not human
(455) - Vandals sack Rome
(457-474) - Pope Leo I becomes emperor of remaining (eastern) Roman empire
(463) - Letters of Prosper of Aquitaine, early Christian church father
(466) - Letters of Shenute of Atripe, Theodoret of Cyrrhus; early church fathers
(474-491) - Zeno, eastern Roman emperor
(476) - Official end of western Roman empire, last emperor Romulus Augustulus
(480-547) - St. Benedict, founded the Benedictines
Post-Roman Empire
(484-640) - Period between Great Schism and the destruction of the Library of Alexandria - After the end of the Roman Empire, the Catholic Church sees a period of turmoil and division, Europe's population "halved" by plague, great earthquakes occur
(484-519) - Acacian schism, over "Henoticon" divides Eastern (Greek) and Western (Roman) churches. Photinus, deacon of Thessalonica, was of the Greek church and held to the Acacian heresy, which denied the divine paternity of Christ. Photinus persuaded emperor Anastasius I to accept the Acacian heresy.
(484) - Letters of Vigilius of Thapsus, early Christian church father
(489) - Zeno destroys Nestorian school at Edessa, erects Church of St Simeon
(491) - Armenian Church seceds from East (Byzantium) and West (Rome) churches
(491-518) - Anastasius I eastern Roman emperor
(492-496) - Pope Gelasius I "Vicar of Christ" is first used as another title
(498) - Nestorians settle in Nisibis, Persia
(498-506) - Anti-Pope Lawrence, Lawrencian schism
(500) - Incense introduced in Christian church service, first plans of Vatican
(502) - Narsai of Mealletha, Syrian poet, heads Nestorian school in Nisibis
(518-527) - Justin I: emperor of Byzantine (former eastern Roman) empire
(524) - Boethius, b.480?, Roman Christian philosopher, wrote: "Theological Tractates", "Consolation of Philosophy"
(525) - Dionysius Exiguus sets Christian calendar (a.d.) & Jesus' birth @ 23 Dec 1AD
(526) - Earthquake in Antioch kills 250,000
(527-565) - Justinian the Great, Byzantine emperor
(527) - Letters of Fulgentius, early Christian church father
(529) - Justinian closes 1000 yr. Athen's School of Philosophy, declared Paganistic
(533) - N. Africa captured by Belisarius from Vandals, becomes Byzantine province
(534-870) - Malta becomes Byzantine province
(537-555) - Pope Vigilius, involved in death of Pope Silverius, conspired with Justinian and Theodora, excommunicated by N. African bishops in 550
(539-562) - War between Byzantine empire and Persia
(542) - Plague in Constantinople from Egyptian and Syrian rats, spreads to Europe
(543) - Justinian condemns Origen, disastrous earthquakes hit the world
(544) - Justinian condemns the "3 Chapters" of Theodore of Mopsuestia (d.428) and other writings of "2-natures" Christology of Council of Chalcedon
(547) - Pope Vigilius issues "Iudicatum" supporting Justinian's anti-"2-natures"
(547) - Plague reaches Britain
(548) - Letters of Apringius Pacensis, early Christian church father
(550-1453) - Medieval Greek of Constantinople (Byzantium) becomes standard Greek
(550) - Byzantine Greek Text, standard Eastern Bible
(550) - St. David converts Wales to Christianity, crucifix becomes Christian icon
(553) - Second Council of Constantinople, 5th ecumenical, called by Justinian
(556-561) - Pope Pelagius I selected by Justinian
(561-574) - Pope John III authorized by Justinian
(565-578) - Justin II Byzantine emperor
(567) - Letters of Primasius, Cassiodorus; early Christian church fathers
(572-628) - War between Byzantine empire and Persia
(575-579) - Pope Benedict I, authorized by Justin II
(578-582) - Tiberius II, Byzantine emperor
(579-590) - Pope Pelagius II, died of plague
(582-602) - Maurice, Byzantine emperor
(587) - Visigoths of Spain converted to Christianity
(589) - Lombards of Italy converted to Christianity
(590) - Plague in Rome
(590-604) - Pope Gregory I, commanded that a way be found to collect and preserve the singing of the Benedictine monks of Santo Domingo de Silos (now known as Gregorian Chant)
(594) - End of plague which began in 542 and "halved" the population of Europe!
(597) - St. Augustine of Canterbury sent to convert Britain to Christianity
(609) - Roman Pantheon (a Pagan Temple) renamed Church of Santa Maria Rotonda
(614) - Persians take Damascas and Jerusalem and "Holy Cross of Christ"
(615) - earliest records of some of Mohammed's teachings
(622-680) - Monothelite controversy: condemned at 6th Ecum. Council of Constantinople
(625) - Paulinus of Rome comes to convert Northumbria to Christianity
(626) - King Edwin of Northumbria founds Edinburgh and begins Christianization
(627) - Byzantines defeat Persians at Nineveh
(628) - Emperor Heraclius wins back "Cross of Christ" from Persians
(628) - Mohammed captures Mecca & writes to rulers of the world explaining Islam
(629) - Heraclius recovers Jerusalem from Persians
(629) - Pope Honorius I sides with Emperor Heraclius and Monothelites (622)
(632) - East Anglia Christianized
(635) - Christianization of Wessex
(636) - Southern Irish Church submits to Roman Catholicism
(637) - Jerusalem captured by Islam
(638) - Emp. Heraclius' "Ecthesis", decrees Christ of one nature: "Monothelites"
(688) - The Dome of the Rock (Mosque of Omar) is built by Abd al-Malik on the Temple mount in Jerusalem
Middle Ages
(690?) - Earliest Bible translations into England's vernacular, continued work by Bede and others from this point forward
(750?) - Tower added to St Peter's Basilica at the front of the atrium
(850?) - King Alfred translation of several Bible books into English vernacular, also done by Aldhelm and Aelfric
(1054) - Split between Eastern (Orthodox) and Western (Catholic) churches formalized
(1095-1291) - 10 Crusades, 1st called by Pope Urban II, to restore Asia Minor to Byzantium and conquer the Holy Land from the Turks
(1184) - The Inquisition, an office of the Roman Catholic Church charged with suppressing heresy, is begun by a papal bull entitled "Ad abolendam," "For the purpose of doing away with."
(1206) - Rosary is reportedly given to St. Dominic by an apparition of Mary
(1215) - Dominican order begun
(1223) - Franciscan order begun
(1225-1274) - Thomas Aquinas, theologian and philosopher
(1184) - Torture begins to be used by Inquisition as a means of extracting confessions, albeit in somewhat milder forms than those used in secular courts
(1260) - Date which a 1988 Vatican sponsered scientific study places the origin of the Shroud of Turin
(1290) - The Jews are expelled from England by Edward "Longshanks"
(1321?) - The Divine Comedy, by Dante Alighieri
(1350?) - English begins to emerge as the national language of England
(1350?) - Renaissance begins in Italy
(1354) - Earliest extant documentation stating the existence of the Shroud of Turin
Renaissance and Reformation
(1380-1517) - Period between the 1st complete English translation of the Bible and Martin Luther's 95 Theses
(1380-1382) - John Wycliffe, eminent theologian at Oxford, makes NT (1380) and OT (with help of Nicholas of Hereford) (1382) translations in English, 1st complete translation to English, included deutercanonical books, preached against abuses, expressed 'unorthodox' views of the sacraments (Penance and Eucharist), the use of relics, and against celibacy of the clergy
(1384) - John Purvey, follower of John Wycliffe, revises Wycliffe's translation
(1390?) - Wycliffe's teachings condemned repeatedly in England
(1408) - Council of Oxford forbids translations of the Scriptures into the vernacular unless and until they were fully approved by Church authority, sparked by Wycliffite Bible, Sir Thomas More said: "It neither forbiddith the translations to be read that were already well done of old before Wycliffe's days, nor damneth his because it was new but because it was naught; nor prohibiteth new to be made but provideth that they shall not be read if they be made amiss till they be by good examination amended." ("A Dialogue against Heresies")
(1412-1431) - St. Joan of Arc, French national heroine
(1415) - Council of Florence condemns all of Wycliffe's works, but the actual Bibles continued to be used after having the heretical prologue removed, and were possessed by both religious houses and those of the nobility and tacitly accepted by Catholics
(1453) - Byzantium succeeded by the Ottoman Empire
(1456) - Gutenburg prints first Bible
(1466-1536) - Desiderius Erasmus, Dutch scholar, produced Greek NT used in many 16th century translations
(1478) - Spanish Inquisition begun by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands, including Jews
(1473-1481) - Sistine Chapel built, under supervision of Giovanni de Dolci
(1483-1546) - Martin Luther, leader of Protestant reformation, preached that only faith leads to salvation without need for mediation of clergy or good works, attacked authority of the Pope, rejected priestly celibacy, recommended individual study of the Bible (see 1517, 1522)
(1488-1569) - Miles Coverdale, Augustinian friar who left the Order, repudiated Catholicism, 1st Protestant Bishop of Exeter
(1491-1556) - Ignatius of Loyola, founded the Jesuit order (see 1534)
(1492) - Christopher Columbus's first voyage, discovers San Salvador - begins Spanish colonization of the New World
(1505-1572) - John Knox, Protestant reformer in Scotland (see 1560)
(1506) - Pope Julius II orders the Old St Peter's Basilica torn down and authorizes Donato Bramante to plan a new structure, demolition completed in 1606
(1508-1512) - Michelangelo frescoes the Sistine Chapel's vaulted ceiling
(1509-1547) - Henry VIII ruler of England
(1535) - John Calvin writes "The Institutes of the Christian Religion" which exert heavy influence on the Protestant movement. Calvin himself will cold-heartedly execute (in some cases by torture) more than 50 people he considers heretics, before his death.
Modern era
(1517-1994) - modern era of Christianity - Luther, Calvin lay the seeds of modern Protestantism, England breaks away from the Catholic Church
(1517) - Martin Luther posts 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church at Wittenberg, Germany
(1520) - Luther excommunicated
(1522) - Luther's German NT translation
(1523-1534) - Pope Clement VII
(1524) - South German peasant uprising, repressed with Luther's support, begins 1.5 century long religious wars
(1525-1534) - Tyndale's translation of the NT from Greek text of Erasmus (1466) compared against the Vulgate and the Pentateuch from the Hebrew (1525) compared to Vulgate and Luther's German version (1530), first printed edition, used as a vehicle by Tyndale for bitter attacks on the Church, reflects influence of Luther's NT of 1522) - in rejecting "priest" for "elder", "church" for "congregation"
(1530) - Augsburg Confession, Martin Luther founds the Lutheran Church
(1531) - Reported apparition of Mary at Guadalupe, Mexico, considered "worthy of belief" by the Catholic Church
(1534) - Henry VIII breaks England away from the Catholic church, confiscates monastic property, beginning of Anglican/Episcopal Church
(1534) - Jesuit order founded by Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556), helped re-convert to Catholicism large areas of Poland, Hungary, and S. Germany and sent missionaries to the New World, India, and China
(1535-1537) - Coverdale's Bible (see 1488), used Tyndale's (1525) translation along with Latin and German versions, included Apocrypha at the end of the OT (like Luther) as was done in later English versions, 1537 edition received royal license, but banned in 1546
(1536) - Tyndale put to death, left his OT translation in manuscript, English ecclesiaastical authorities ordered his Bible burned because it was thought to be part of Lutheran reform
(1537-1551) - Matthew Bible, by John Rogers (1500-1555), based on Tyndale and Coverdale received royal license but not authorized for use in public worship, numerous editions, 1551) - edition contained offensive notes (based on Tyndale)
(1536-1541) - Michelangelo paints the Last Judgement
(1539-1552) - Richard Taverner's (1505-1577) revisions of Matthew Bible, mostly NT revisions since he didn't know Hebrew, 1st edition most reliable
(1539-1569) - Great Bible, by Thomas Cromwell, 1st English Bible to be authorized for public use in English churches, defective in many places, based on last Tyndale's NT of 1534-1535, corrected by a Latin version of the Hebrew OT, Latin Bible of Erasmus, and Complutensian Polyglot, last edition 1569, never denounced by England
(1542) - Conocation makes an unsuccessful attempt to correct the Great Bible against the Vulgate
(1543) - Parliament bans Tyndale's translation as a "crafty, false and untrue transalation", although 80% of the words were in the RV
(1545-1563) - Council of Trent, Catholic Reformation, or counter-reformation, met Protestant challenge, clearly defining an official theology
(1546) - King Henry VIII forbids anyone to have a copy of Tyndale's or Coverdale's NT
(1547-1553) - Edward VI ruler of England
(1549) - Book of Common Prayer (Church of England)
(1550?) - St. Thomas More, Cranmer, and Foxe affirm the existence of English versions of portions of the Bible, including the Gospels (11th century), Mark, Luke, Epistles of Paul (14th century), Apocalypse (11th century)
(1553-1558) - Mary I ruler of England, publications of English Scriptures cease (except for Geneva NT of 1557), many clerics leave England
(1553) - Pontifical Gregorian University founded at Vatican City
(1556) - Beza's Latin NT
(1558-1603) - Protestant Elizabeth I is ruler of England
(1560) - Geneva Bible, NT a revision of Matthew's version of Tyndale with use of Beza's NT (1556), OT a thorough revision of Great Bible, appointed to be read in Scotland (but not England), at least 140 editions
(1560) - Scotch Presbyterian Church founded by John Knox (1505-1572), due to disagreement with Lutherans over sacraments and church government
(1563) - 39 Articles (Anglican/Episcopal Church)
(1571) - Superior force of Turks intent upon conquering Christian Europe is beaten decisively by Christian sailors reportedly calling upon the name of Our Lady of the Rosary
(1582) - Pope Gregory XIII declares January 1 as first day of year; previously, April 1 had been considered first day of new year.
(1572-1606) - Bishop's Bible, an inadequate and unsatisfactory revision of the Great Bible checked against the Hebrew text, 1st to be published in England by episcopal authority
(1582) - Rheims NT, based on Coverdale, Bishops', Geneva, follows Wycliffe
(1590) - Sistine edition of the Vulgate
(1590) - Michelangelo's dome in St Peter's Basilica completed
(1596) - Ukrainian Catholic Church forms when Ukrainian subjects of the king of Poland are reunited with Rome, largest Byzantine Catholic Church
(1606) - Carlo Maderno redesigns St Peter's Basilica into a Latin cross
(1609) - Baptist Church founded by John Smyth, due to objections to infant baptism and demands for church-state separation
(1609-1610) - Rheims-Douay Bible, 1st Catholic English translation, OT published in two volumes, based on an unofficial Louvain text corrected by Sistine Vulgate (1590), NT is Rheims text of 1582
(1611-1800) - King James Version, based on Bishop's Bible of 1572 with use of Rheims NT of 1582 - included Apocropha, alterations found in many editions through 1800, revisors accused of being "damnable corrupters of God's word"
(1633) - AV published in Scotland
(1644) - Long Parliament directed that only Hebrew canon only be read in *the Church of England (effectively removed the Apocropha)
(1660-1685) - Charles II king of England, restoration of monarchy in England beginning under Charles II, continuing through James II, reversed decision of Long Parliament of 1644, reinstating the Apocrypha, reversal not heeded by non-conformists
(1714) - AV published in Ireland
(1718) - Catholic English version of NT by Dr. Nary, much less bulky than Reims- Douay
(1730) - Catholic English version of NT, revision of Reims NT by Dr. Robert Witham
(1738) - Methodist Church founded by Rev John Wesley
(1738-1816) - New Catholic English versions of NT by Dr. Richard Challoner and Francis Blyth O.D.C., Bernard MacMahon, Dr Troy
(1752) - Authorized Version of 1611 published in New World colonies; England & Wales adopt January 1 as first day of new year (previously it had been 25th of March)
(1811) - Dr. Hay's revision of Challoner's version
(1815) - Catholic Bible Society NT, based on Challoner's
(1816-1829) - Challoner's 3rd revision, Dr. John Lingard's translation from Greek using Vulgate when possible
(1827) - Mormon Church founded by Joseph Smith as a result of reported visions of the Angel Moroni
(1830) - Reported apparition of Mary in Paris, France, considered "worthy of belief" by the Catholic Church
(1832) - Church of Christ (Disciples) organized, made up of Presbyterians in distress over Protestant factionalism and decline of fervor
(1837-1901) - Victoria queen of England
(1846) - Reported apparition of Mary in La Salette, France, considered "worthy of belief" by the Catholic Church
(1858) - Reported apparition of Mary in Lourdes, France, considered "worthy of belief" by the Catholic Church
(1861) - Vatican Council I affirms Papal Infallibility when the Pope speaks ex cathedra.
(1859-1959) - 90 Catholic NT editions, 56 Catholic editions of the whole Bible
(1869-1870) - First Vatican Council, 20th ecumenical, affirms doctrine of papal infallibility (ie. when a pope speaks ex cathedra on faith or morals he does so with the supreme apostolic authority, which no Catholic may question or reject)
(1871) - Reported apparition of Mary in Pontmain, France, considered "worthy of belief" by the Catholic Church
(1878) - 14-point creed of the Niagara Bible Conference, used by Fundamentalists
(1879) - Reported apparition of Mary in Knock, Ireland, considered "worthy of belief" by the Catholic Church
(1881-1894) - Revised Version, called for by Church of England, used Greek based on Septuagint (B) and (S), Massoretic text used in OT, follows Greek order of words, greater accuracy than AV, includes Apocrypha, scholarship never disputed
(1898-1904) - Twentieth Century NT, changed order of books to chronological
(1901) - American Standard Version, recension of the RV, included words/phrases preferred by Americans, follows Greek order of words
(1901) - Pentecostal Church formed in Topeka, Kansas in reaction to loss of evangelical fervor among Methodists and other denominations
(1902) - Richard Weymouth NT, a careful literary translation
(1903-1914) - Pope Pius X, most recent Pope to be canonized
(1910) - 5-point statement of the Presbyterian General Assembly, also used by Fundamentalists
(1910-1915) - The Fundamentals, a 12-volume collection of essays by 64 British and American scholars and preachers, a foundation of Fundamentalism
(1913-1924) - James Moffat Bible, 1st one man translation in almost 400 years
(1917) - Reported apparition of Mary in Fatima, Portugal, "miracle of the sun" witnessed by between 70,000 and 100,000 people, considered "worthy of belief" by the Catholic Church
(1919) - World's Christian Fundamentals Association founded
(1925) - Scopes Trial, caused division among Fundamentalists
(1925) - United Church of Canada formed
(1932) - Reported apparition of Mary in Beauraing, Belgium, considered "worthy of belief" by the Catholic Church
(1933) - Reported apparition of Mary in Banneux, Belgium, considered "worthy of belief" by the Catholic Church
(1936) - Westminster NT, unofficial Catholic version (not commissioned by the Hierarchy)
(1945-1955) - Knox Version, from Vulgate, asked for by English Hierarchy
(1946-1952) - Revised Standard Version, revision of AV "based on consonantal Hebrew text" for OT and best available texts for NT, done in response to changes in English usage
(1948) - May 14th, Israel becomes nation, again, after nearly 2000 years of dispersion, fulfilling numerous Biblical prophecies
(1949) - Basic English Bible, only 1000 words, simple and direct style
(1949) - Discovery of Qumran (Essenes?) scrolls, aka Dead Sea scrolls (see 68)
(1957) - United Church of Christ founded by ecumenical union of Congregationalists and Evangelical & Reformed, representing Calvinists and Lutherans
(1958) - J. B. Phillip's NT, uses only commonly spoken language
(1959) - Statement of Faith (United Church of Christ)
(1961) - New English Bible, renders original Basic English Bible for private use
(1962-1965) - Second Vatican Council, 21st ecumenical, announced by Pope John XXIII in 1959, produced 16 documents which became official after approval by the Pope, purpose to renew "ourselves and the flocks committed to us" (Pope John XXIII)
(1966) - RSV Catholic Edition, a joint effort between Catholics and the Church of England, a big step towards a common Catholic/Protestant Bible
(1966) - Jerusalem Bible, translation from original languages based on Bible de Jerusalem, Catholic version
(1949) - Israel re-captures city of Jerusalem from Arab occupiers
(1970) - Confraternity Version, new Catholic translation from the originals which began before 1939 as a translation from the Vulgate, but ending up as a new translation from the Hebrew (OT) and Greek (NT).
(1971) - New American Standard Bible, updated the ASV using recent Hebrew and Greek textual discoveries
(1978) - Pope John Paul I, died (murdered?) after only 33 days
(1978) - New International Version, used eclectic Greek text, Massoretic Hebrew text, and current English style
(1978-?) - Pope John Paul II, reaffirmed conservative moral traditions (The Splendor of Truth) and the forbidding of women in the priesthood
(1979-1982?) - New King James Version, complete revision of 1611 AV, updates archaisms while retaining style
(1981-?) - Reported apparitions of Mary in Medjugorje, Yugoslavia, not yet approved/disapproved by the Catholic Church
(1994) - Declaration of cooperation between Evangelicals and Catholics in document known as E&CT, Evangelicals and Catholics Together -- huge controversy among conservative evangelicals
Based on 'Timeline of Christianity' available on Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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