Chronology

Chronology

1,000 BCE		Iron & Bronze Ages in Europe, first trade takes place in Middle East.
500 BCE		Beginning of Roman Empire.
0 CE		Height of Roman Empire, North & South India linked, Han Dynasty further development in Mexico.
325 CE		Chandragupta Maurya combines the expansive powers of world religion, trade economy, & imperial arms for the first time.
500		Decline of Roman Empire. Decline of early civilizations -- beginning of Middle or Dark Ages. Can be argued that this is the beginning of globalization.
960-1279		The Song Dynasty in China & contemporary regimes in India which produced the economic output, financial instruments, and technologies for the medieval world economy that linked Europe & China by land & sea across the Eurasia and Indian Ocean.
1000		Vikings.
1100		The Rise of Genghis Khan & the integration of overland routes across Eurasia.
1300		Creation of the Ottoman Empire, spanning Europe, N. Africa, & Middle East. Connected politically overland with Safavids & dynasties in Central Asia & India -- creating the great imperial arch of integration that spawned a huge expansion of trade; Marco Polo wrote about travels for a limited world view.
1335-1410		Life of Medieval merchant, Francesco Datini, of Prato, Italy. Kept meticulous records such as bills and letters to wife while away trading. Created the Holding Co. with subsidiaries Algeria to London & Alexandria to Lisbon.
1488		Henry the Navigator sailed around Africa to try to reach India.
1492-1498		Columbus & da Gama travel west & east to the Indies, inaugurating an age of European sea borne empires.
1497		John Cabbot sailed around the entire world.
1650		Expansion of slave trade, giving birth to integrated economic/industrial systems across the ocean.
1776/1789		US & French Revolutions. Nationalist governments, new imperial expansion.
1885		Treaty of Berlin marks a diplomatic watershed in the age of modern imperial expansion by European & American overseas empires.
1913		Federal Reserve Act creates first central bank in America.
1914-1918		World War I.
1918		Wilson's 14 Points speech, League of Nations covenant.
1919		Treaty of Versailles.
1920		League of Nations established in Geneva Switzerland, rejected by U.S. Senate.
1929		Stock Market Crash, sets stage for world wide depression, international response.
1930		Bank of International Settlements created in Basil Switzerland.
1933		Roosevelt begins New Deal.
1939-1945		World War II.
1944		Bretton Woods agreements creating the World Bank & the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
1945		Yalta Conference, UN Charter ratified by Senate.
1946		Winston Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech on containment. Beginning of Cold War era of Soviet Union & United States. Capitalism vs. Communism.
1947		The Truman Doctrine sets ideological containment policies for US.
1948		The Marshall Plan (Economic Cooperation Act) for European reconstruction.
1950-1953		Korean War.
1951		Germany & France create European Coal & Iron Community.
1957		European Economic Community (EEC) created via the Treaty of Rome which included Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, & Luxembourg.
1958		European Free Trade Association (EFTA) created.
1962		Cuban Missile Crisis.
1964-1975		Vietnam War.
1967		EEC integrated together with the European Coal and Steel Community to form one European Community.
1970		First earth day celebrated, world conference on peace & religion in Kyoto Japan; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created.
1971		U.S. ended gold standard, devalued dollar, currency floats, determined by market.
1973		OPEC oil crisis. Oil shortage led to massive inflow of funds to OPEC economies, aggressive bank lending policies, & emergence of international credit economies; UK, Denmark, & Ireland joined EC.
1975		U.S. Apollo & Soviet Sojuz link in space.
1979		European Monetary system created to keep exchange rates stable.
1981		Greece became full member of the EC, followed by Portugal & Spain in 1986; PC launched by IBM.
1987		World Stock Market crash; Single European Act called for further economic & political integration.
1988		Transatlantic optical fiber telephone cable enters service.
1989-1991		Fall of Soviet Union.
1992		Maastricht Treaty signed, creating European Union (EU), call for a completion of a single market with no economic barriers between countries; NAFTA Trade Agreement signed by U.S., Canada, & Mexico.
1995		General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) Rounds, leading to the World Trade Organization (WTO); Finland, Austria, & Sweden joined the EU bringing the number of members to 15. Eleven of the 15 nations were part of Euroland.
1997		Asian Crisis; Kyoto Protocols.
Jan, 1999		Introduction of the Euro currency.