Timeline of Iranian History

Key events from ~7000 BCE to 2022

~7000 BCE

First Settlements on Iranian Plateau

Ancient

Early agricultural communities emerge in western Iran

Section 001 →
~3200 BCE

Proto-Elamite Civilization

Ancient

First urban civilization in Iran, centered in Susa

Section 001 →
~2700 BCE

Elamite Kingdom

Ancient

Rise of the Elamite state in southwestern Iran

Section 001 →
~678 BCE

Median Empire Founded

Ancient

Deioces unites the Medes and establishes Ecbatana

Section 002 →
550 BCE

Cyrus Founds Achaemenid Empire

Ancient

Cyrus the Great defeats Astyages, uniting Persia and Media

Section 002 →
539 BCE

Conquest of Babylon

Ancient

Cyrus captures Babylon and frees the Jews

Section 002 →
522 BCE

Darius I Takes Power

Ancient

Darius consolidates the empire and introduces administrative reforms

Section 002 →
490-479 BCE

Persian-Greek Wars

Ancient

Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis, and Plataea

Section 002 →
330 BCE

Alexander Conquers Persia

Ancient

Fall of the Achaemenid Empire to Macedon

Section 002 →
247 BCE

Parthian Empire Founded

Ancient

Arsaces I establishes the Arsacid dynasty

Section 002 →
224 CE

Sassanid Empire Founded

Ancient

Ardashir I defeats the Parthians, begins last pre-Islamic dynasty

Section 002 →
636 CE

Battle of Qadisiyya

Medieval

Arab forces defeat the Sassanid army

Section 003 →
651 CE

Fall of Sassanid Empire

Medieval

Death of Yazdegerd III, end of pre-Islamic Iran

Section 003 →
680 CE

Battle of Karbala

Medieval

Martyrdom of Husayn, pivotal for Shia Islam

Section 003 →
819 CE

Tahirid Dynasty

Medieval

First autonomous Persian dynasty under the Caliphate

Section 004 →
934 CE

Buyid Dynasty Controls Baghdad

Medieval

Persian Shia dynasty dominates the Abbasid Caliphate

Section 004 →
~1000 CE

Ferdowsi Completes Shahnameh

Medieval

The Persian national epic preserves pre-Islamic heritage

Section 004 →
1037 CE

Avicenna Dies

Medieval

Death of the great philosopher and physician Ibn Sina

Section 004 →
1219 CE

Mongol Invasion Begins

Medieval

Genghis Khan invades Greater Iran

Section 005 →
1501 CE

Safavid Dynasty Founded

Early Modern

Shah Ismail I establishes Twelver Shia as state religion

Section 005 →
1722 CE

Afghan Invasion

Early Modern

Fall of Isfahan, end of Safavid golden age

Section 005 →
1796 CE

Qajar Dynasty Established

Early Modern

Agha Mohammad Khan founds the Qajar dynasty

Section 005 →
1813-1828

Treaties of Gulistan and Turkmenchay

Modern

Iran loses Caucasus territories to Russia

Section 006 →
1906

Constitutional Revolution

Modern

First parliament (Majles) established, constitution adopted

Section 006 →
1925

Pahlavi Dynasty Founded

Modern

Reza Khan becomes Shah, beginning modernization drive

Section 006 →
1941

Anglo-Soviet Invasion

Modern

Reza Shah abdicates in favor of Mohammad Reza

Section 006 →
1953

Operation Ajax

Modern

CIA-MI6 coup overthrows Prime Minister Mosaddegh

Section 006 →
1963

White Revolution

Modern

Shah launches modernization and land reform

Section 006 →
1978

Revolutionary Protests Begin

Contemporary

Mass demonstrations against the Shah spread nationwide

Section 007 →
Jan 1979

Shah Leaves Iran

Contemporary

Mohammad Reza Shah departs, never to return

Section 007 →
Feb 1979

Khomeini Returns

Contemporary

Ayatollah Khomeini arrives from exile

Section 007 →
Apr 1979

Islamic Republic Declared

Contemporary

Referendum establishes the Islamic Republic

Section 007 →
Nov 1979

US Embassy Hostage Crisis

Contemporary

444-day hostage crisis begins

Section 007 →
1980-1988

Iran-Iraq War

Contemporary

Eight-year war with over one million casualties

Section 008 →
1989

Khomeini Dies

Contemporary

Death of the founder; Khamenei becomes Supreme Leader

Section 008 →
1997-2005

Khatami Presidency

Contemporary

Reform era and "Dialogue of Civilizations"

Section 008 →
2009

Green Movement

Contemporary

Mass protests over disputed election results

Section 008 →
2015

JCPOA Signed

Contemporary

Nuclear deal with world powers

Section 008 →
2022

Woman, Life, Freedom Movement

Contemporary

Nationwide protests following Mahsa Amini's death

Section 008 →