Timeline of Armenian history explained

This is a timeline of Armenian history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in Armenia and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, see History of Armenia. See also the list of Armenian kings.

24th century BC

Year	Date	Event
2400 BC		The Book of Genesis identifies the land of Ararat as the resting place of Noah's Ark after the "great deluge" described there. The Indo-Europeans were people who presumably spread from the Caucasus, settling on lands along the way. Armenian is one of the Indo-European language branches.

23rd century BC

Year	Date	Event
2300 BC		The legendary figure Hayk creates the Armenian nation in the Ararat region. (Akkadians mention Armani in 2300 BC)

20th century BC

Year	Date	Event
2000 BC		Trialeti culture

17th century BC

Year	Date	Event
1700 BC		Aram, Armenian patriarch mentioned in the History of Armenia (Moses of Chorene) (dated 5th century AD) See also: Mitanni.

15th century BC

Year	Date	Event
1450 BC		Artatama I (Thutmose III of Egypt, mentions the people of Ermenen in 1446 BC)

14th century BC

Year	Date	Event
1400		Artashumara
1384		Artatama II

12th century BC

Year	Date	Event
1200 BC		Nairi, a confederation of tribes in the Armenian Highlands, roughly corresponding to the modern Van and Hakkâri provinces of modern Turkey.

9th century BC

Year	Date	Event
860 BC		Foundation of the Kingdom of Urartu with Aramé.
834 BC		Reign of Sarduri I who constructs Tushpa (Van). (to 828 BC)
810 BC		Reign of Menuas who conquers the Araratian fields. (to 785 BC)

8th century BC

Year	Date	Event
785 BC		Reign of Argishtis I.
782 BC		Construction of the fortress of Erebuni (modern Yerevan).

6th century BC

Year	Date	Event
585 BC		Conquest of Urartu by the Medes.
570 BC		Reign of Orontes I Sakavakyats.
512 BC		Armenia is annexed to Persia by Darius I. Urartu is officially called Armenia in the Behistun inscription.

5th century BC

Year	Date	Event
401 BC		Orontes I (Yervand I).

4th century BC

Year	Date	Event
331 BC		Alexander the Great attacks Persia and defeats Darius III, but never conquers Armenia. As a result, Armenia regains its independence from Persia.

2nd century BC

Year	Date	Event
190 BC		Artaxias I reclaims the sovereignty of Armenia from the Seleucids by establishing the Artaxiad dynasty with Artaxata as the capital.

1st century BC

Year	Date	Event
95 BC		Accession of power by Tigranes the Great.
93 BC		Invasion of Cappadocia
88 BC		Conquest of Atropatene, Gordyene, and Osrhoene
83 BC		Conquest of Syria, Phoenicia, and Cilicia
69 BC		Tigranes' army is defeated at the Battle of Tigranocerta against Lucullus' Roman army.
68 BC		Lucullus is beaten off from Artaxata.
67 BC		Lucullus is recalled to Rome.
66 BC		Pompey invades Armenia, but returns to Roman land after being offered a generous sum of money by Tigranes.
		Death of Tigranes the Great. Artavasdes II continues to rule Armenia.
		Reign of Artavasdes. (to 34 BC)

1st century

Year	Date	Event
1		End of the Artaxiad dynasty in Armenia. Arsacid dynasty of Parthia incorporates Armenia.
53		Tiridates I reaffirms Armenian independence by founding the Arsacid dynasty of Armenia
58		Roman general Corbulo invades Armenia with the assistance of the Iberians and Commagenians.
66		Tiridates is crowned in Rome by Nero, after he and Corbulo came to an agreement.
72		War against the Alans

3rd century

Year	Date	Event
228		Tiridates II repels Sassanid invasion.
287		Beginning of the reign of Tiridates III.

4th century

Year	Date	Event
301		Armenia becomes the first official Christian state in the world, King Tiridates III proclaims Christianity as the official state religion of Armenia. Zoroastrianism starts to decline gradually.
330		End of Tiridates III's reign.
387		Division of Armenia into Western and Eastern parts per the Peace of Acisilene between the Sassanid Persians and Byzantines.
392		Armenia regains its might by the coronation of King Vramshapuh in 392.

5th century

Year	Date	Event
405		Mesrop Mashtots invents the Armenian alphabet.
428		End of the Arsacid dynasty of Armenia. Marzpanate Armenia era as part of the Sassanid Empire begins.
451		The Battle of Avarayr, led by Vartan Mamikonian, secures the Christian religion in Armenia.

7th century

Year	Date	Event
639		The first Arab invasion under the leadership of Abd ar-Rahman ibn Rabiah devastates the region of Taron.
642		Arabs storm the city of Dvin killing 12,000 its inhabitants and taking 35,000 into slavery.
645		Theodorus Rshtuni and other Armenian nakharars accepted Muslim rule over Armenia.
650		Armenia becomes the main battleground of the Khazar–Arab Wars & Byzantine–Arab Wars which leaves the lands depopulated. (to 750)

9th century

Year	Date	Event
861		Ashot I Bagratuni is recognized as prince of princes by the Baghdad court, followed by a war against local Muslim emirs. (to 862)
885		Ashot wins and is thus recognized King of the Armenians by Baghdad in 885.
886		Formal recognition of Armenian sovereignty by Constantinople.
891		King Ashot I dies and is succeeded by his son Smbat I, in 892.

10th century

Year	Date	Event
961		King Ashot III (953–977) transfers the capital from Kars to Ani, which came to be considered the "City of a 1001 Churches" which rivaled other metropolises like Baghdad and Constantinople.

11th century

Year	Date	Event
1016		Seljuk Turks first appear in the region.
1045		Armenia falls to Byzantine troops, and an exodus from the Armenian lands begins.
1064		Byzantine Ani, once the capital of Bagratid Armenia, is conquered and destroyed by the Seljuk Turks.
1071		After the Battle of Manzikert, Seljuk dominance is established over Anatolia and a large number of Turkish tribes migrate to the region.
1072		The Seljuks sell Ani to the Shaddadid, a Kurdish tribe ruling a territory coinciding with modern-day Armenia.
1078		Establishment of the Armenian Principality of Cilicia, led by the Rubenid dynasty.
1095		The First Crusade is launched by Pope Urban I.

12th century

Year	Date	Event
1187		Debut of Leon II's reign as prince.
1194		After the decline of the Seljuk dominance in the region, Eastern Anatolia is ruled by a slew of Turkish emirates and tribes, such as the Ahlatshahs, Mengujekids, Saltukids and the Artuqids. (to 1241)
1198		Leon II "the Magnificent" managed to secure his crown, becoming the first King of Armenian Cilicia.

13th century

Year	Date	Event
1219		Death of Leon II.
1241		Mongol Invasion of Anatolia, much of the sedentary population of Armenia is slaughtered. (to 1244)
1256		Turco-Mongol rule continues in Eastern Anatolia under the Ilkhanate rulers and their Turkish and Kurdish vassals. (to 1335)

14th century

Year	Date	Event
1335		The decline of Mongol power leads Armenia to be dominated once again by Anatolian Turkoman tribes such as the Chobanids. (to 1400)
1375		Fall of the Armenian kingdom of Cilicia to the Mameluks of Egypt and their Ramadanid vassals.
1400		Tamerlane's devastating invasion of Georgia, Armenia and Central Anatolia leads to the slaughter of large portions of the population of Armenia and the enslavement of over 60,000 people from Anatolia and the Caucasus.

15th century

Year	Date	Event
1405		After Tamerlane's death, Anatolia becomes a battleground between the rival tribal confederations of the Ak Koyunlu and the Kara Koyunlu.
1461		Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople established by the then Ottoman Emperor, Mehmed II.
1478		Armenian migration to Bruges, Belgium.

16th century

Year	Date	Event
1502		The Safavid dynasty is established in Persia, that conquers Armenia.
1512		Printing of first Armenian books.
1514		The Ottoman-Persian Wars rage in the Armenian Highlands for the first time, the Ottomans temporarily gain Western Armenia.
1519		Decree of King Sigismund I that Armenians in Poland be governed under code of laws by Mkhitar Gosh.
		The first Jelali revolts; clashes between Sunnite Turks and Kurds and Shi'ite Qizilbash cause friction in Eastern Anatolia. (to 1528)
1520		Large portions of Armenia are conquered by Selim I.
1532		Ottoman-Safavid War (1532-1555) commences.
1555		Peace of Amasya signed between the Ottomans and Safavids. Western Armenia falls in Ottoman hands, Eastern Armenia stays under Persian rule.
1567		Establishment of Armenian printing press in Constantinople.
1598		Continuation of the devastating Jelali revolts in Anatolia. (to 1611)

17th century

Year	Date	Event
1603		Shah Abbas of Persia invades Ottoman Armenia (to 1618) and reestablishes full control over Eastern Armenia and large parts of Western Armenia as part of his empire.
1605		When forced to abandon the siege of Kars, Shah Abbas orders the complete destruction of many Armenian towns and villages and deports over 300,000 Armenians to Persia, of which only half survive.
1623		The final Ottoman-Safavid War rages in both parts of historic Armenia.
1639		Treaty of Zuhab signed between the Ottomans and Safavids. Western Armenia falls decisively under Ottoman rule. Safavids remain in possession of Eastern Armenia.
1648		Major earthquake in Van.

18th century

Year	Date	Event
1712		Sayat Nova, renowned Armenian poet troubadour.
1722		David Bek leads the national liberation movement in 1722, but passes away in 1728.
1747		The Persians establish the Karabakh Khanate.
1759		Arrival of Hovsep Emin in Armenia
1778		Establishment of Nor Nakhichevan

19th century

Year	Date	Event
1809	15 October	Khachatur Abovian, renowned novelist, poet, and playwright, is born.
1810		Zeitountsi revolts.
1811		Mkhitarist order of Vienna founded.
1813		Treaty of Gulistan. All of Eastern Armenia remains under Persian rule, except for the Armenians in Karabakh, which had already de facto become part of the Russian Empire.
1824		Founding of Nersessian Academy in Tiflis
1826		Nickolas Balian, architect in Constantinople (to 1858)
1827		Occupation of Yerevan by Russian forces
1828		Treaty of Turkmanchay. Eastern Armenia is forcefully ceded by Persia to Russia per the Russo-Persian War (1826-1828), strengthening Russian control of Transcaucasus.
1836		The Russian government enacts the Polozhenie, a statute greatly restricting the power of the Armenian Church.^[1]
1894–1896		Hamidian massacres an estimated 80,000–300,000 are killed.

20th century

Year	Date	Event
1909		Adana massacre An estimated 15,000–30,000 are killed.
1915		Armenian genocide An estimated 1,500,000 are killed. (to 1923)
1918	3 March	The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk gives Kars, Ardahan and Batum regions to the Ottoman Empire.
	22 May	Battle of Sardarapat
	28 May	The Armenian Congress of Eastern Armenians declares the first Republic of Armenia.
	4 June	Treaty of Batum
	30 October	Armistice of Mudros, the Ottoman Empire agreeing to leave the Transcaucasus. The Democratic Republic of Armenia assumes control of Western Armenia, now that the Ottomans are forced to leave.
1920	2 December	Soviet-aligned Armenian SSR established (distinct from and opponent of the first Republic of Armenia).
	6 December	Fall of the first Republic of Armenia, fully occupied by the Turkish National Movement and the Red Army (Soviet Union).^[2]

Soviet rule

Year	Date	Event
1922	30 December	Establishment of the Soviet Union; Armenian SSR joins the Soviet Union.
1923	7 July	Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast is created granting Armenian autonomy for Nagorno-Karabakh within Azerbaijan SSR.
1965	24 April	1965 Yerevan demonstrations
1988	20 February	First Nagorno-Karabakh War commences.
	7 December	Spitak earthquake.

Independence; last decade of the 20th century

Year	Date	Event
1991	21 September	Armenian independence referendum
	17 October	First-ever Armenian presidential election, Levon Ter-Petrosyan elected president with overwhelming popular support.
1992	9 May	Victory in the battle of Shushi
1994	12 May	First Nagorno-Karabakh War formally ends
1995	5 July	Armenian constitutional referendum
1999	1 July	EU-Armenia Partnership and Cooperation Agreement enters into force
	27 October

21st century

Year	Date	Event
2001	25 January	Armenia's accession to the Council of Europe
2004	12 April	Robert Kocharyan's government dispersed massive, peaceful protest using excessive force^[3]
2008	19 February	Armenian presidential election, 2008
2012	6 May	Armenian parliamentary election, 2012
2013	18 February	Armenian presidential election, 2013
2015	2 January	Armenia's accession to the Eurasian Union
	12 January	2015 Gyumri massacre
2016	1–5 April	2016 Nagorno-Karabakh clashes
2017	2 April	Armenian parliamentary election, 2017
	24 November	The Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement is ratified in Brussels
2018	2 March	Armenian presidential election, 2018
	8 May
	9 December	Armenian parliamentary election, 2018
2020	27 September	Second Nagorno-Karabakh War commences
	10 November	2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War formally ends
2021	20 June	Armenian parliamentary election, 2021

See also

• Timeline of modern Armenian history
• Timeline of Yerevan
• Timeline of Artsakh history

Further reading

• Book: William Henry Overall. William Henry Overall. Dictionary of Chronology. 1870. William Tegg . London . Armenia . 2027/uc2.ark:/13960/t9m32q949?urlappend=%3Bseq=47. http://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc2.ark:/13960/t9m32q949?urlappend=%3Bseq=47 .
  • • Book: Rouben Paul Adalian. Rouben Paul Adalian. Historical Dictionary of Armenia . 2010 . 2nd . Scarecrow Press. 978-0-8108-7450-3 . Chronology . https://books.google.com/books?id=QS-vSjHObOYC&pg=PR27 .

Notes and References

1. Suny, Ronald Grigor; "Eastern Armenians under Tsarist Rule" in Armenian People, p. 115
2. Web site: armenicum. www.conflicts.rem33.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20170914220914/http://www.conflicts.rem33.com/images/Armenia/restoration%20and%20terr%20issue/T6.html. 2017-09-14. 2018-05-26. Two days later, on December 4, Dro left Erevan for the lake Sevan area where he welcomed the Revkom and, in turn, gave up his power to the new Bolshevik administration. Two more days later, the first units of the red Army entered the Armenian capital. That was the end of the First republic, and independent Armenian statehood was interrupted for more than 70 years until August 1991. (Hovannisian, pp. 386–390).
3. Web site: Armenia Events of 2004. Human Rights Watch. 10 April 2013.