The Archive
African
Timeline
300,000 years of African history — from the emergence of Homo sapiens to the independence movements of the 20th century. Click any event to expand it.
c. 300,000 BCE
Homo Sapiens Emerge in Africa
North Africa
The earliest anatomically modern humans appear in Africa, making the continent the birthplace of all humanity. Fossil ev…
c. 77,000 BCE
Blombos Cave Art — World's Oldest Abstract Art
Southern Africa
Geometric engravings on ochre stones at Blombos Cave, South Africa, represent the world's oldest known abstract art. Thi…
c. 20,000 BCE
Ishango Bone — World's Oldest Mathematics
Central Africa
A baboon fibula with deliberate tally marks found in the Congo. The Ishango Bone shows prime number sequences and may re…
c. 3200 BCE
Egyptian Hieroglyphics Developed
North Africa
One of humanity's first writing systems emerges in Egypt — a complex pictographic script capable of recording history, r…
c. 3100 BCE
Unification of Upper and Lower Egypt
North Africa
Pharaoh Narmer unifies Upper and Lower Egypt, founding one of history's greatest civilizations. The Narmer Palette — the…
c. 2560 BCE
Great Pyramid of Giza Completed
North Africa
The Great Pyramid of Khufu is completed at Giza — the only surviving Wonder of the Ancient World. Standing 146 meters ta…
c. 1479–1458 BCE
Hatshepsut Rules as Pharaoh
North Africa
Hatshepsut becomes one of Egypt's most successful pharaohs, ruling for over 20 years. She expands trade to the Land of P…
1259 BCE
World's First Peace Treaty — Battle of Kadesh
North Africa
Ramesses II and the Hittite king Hattusili III sign the Treaty of Kadesh — the world's oldest surviving peace treaty. Af…
c. 814 BCE
Carthage Founded
North Africa
The Phoenician city of Carthage is founded on the North African coast (modern Tunisia). It grows into the dominant marit…
747 BCE
Kingdom of Kush Conquers Egypt
East Africa
Kushite king Piye conquers Egypt, establishing the 25th Dynasty — the "Black Pharaohs." The Kushite pharaohs revived Egy…
51–30 BCE
Cleopatra VII Rules Egypt
North Africa
The last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom, Cleopatra VII is a polyglot scholar, diplomat, and strategist who allies…
c. 100 CE
Aksumite Empire Rises to Power
East Africa
The Kingdom of Aksum in modern Ethiopia becomes one of the ancient world's great powers, controlling trade between the R…
330 CE
Ethiopia Adopts Christianity
East Africa
King Ezana of Aksum converts to Christianity, making Ethiopia one of the first Christian nations on Earth. The Ethiopian…
639–711 CE
Islam Spreads Across North Africa
North Africa
Arab armies sweep across North Africa, bringing Islam from Egypt to Morocco within 70 years. The resulting Afro-Islamic …
c. 1100–1450 CE
Great Zimbabwe at Its Peak
Southern Africa
The stone city of Great Zimbabwe reaches its peak as the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe. Its massive dry-stone walls…
1235 CE
Sundiata Founds the Mali Empire
West Africa
Sundiata Keita defeats the Sosso Empire at the Battle of Kirina and founds the Mali Empire. He establishes the Kouroukan…
c. 1300 CE
University of Sankore Flourishes in Timbuktu
West Africa
The University of Sankore in Timbuktu becomes one of the world's great centers of learning, enrolling up to 25,000 stude…
1324 CE
Mansa Musa's Legendary Pilgrimage to Mecca
West Africa
Mansa Musa of Mali embarks on a pilgrimage to Mecca with 60,000 men and 12,000 enslaved people carrying gold. His lavish…
1464–1591 CE
Songhai Empire — Africa's Largest State
West Africa
Under Sunni Ali and Askia Muhammad, the Songhai Empire becomes the largest state in African history, stretching from the…
1624–1663 CE
Queen Nzinga Resists Portuguese Colonization
Central Africa
Queen Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba wages a 30-year military and diplomatic resistance against Portuguese colonization of…
1816–1828 CE
Shaka Builds the Zulu Kingdom
Southern Africa
Shaka kaSenzangakhona transforms a small clan into one of southern Africa's most powerful military forces. His revolutio…
1884–1885 CE
Berlin Conference — The Scramble for Africa
Pan-African
European powers meet in Berlin to divide Africa among themselves without African representation. Within 30 years, 90% of…
1896 CE
Battle of Adwa — Ethiopia Defeats Italy
East Africa
Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia defeats the Italian army at the Battle of Adwa — the first decisive victory of an African…
1957–1975 CE
African Independence Movements
Pan-African
Beginning with Ghana's independence in 1957 under Kwame Nkrumah, African nations reclaim sovereignty from colonial power…
"A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots."— Marcus Garvey
Continue Exploring
Dive deeper into the dynasties, leaders, and cultures of Africa.