KEY DATES in Persian History

1500 bc	Medes and Persians migrated to the Iranian plateau.
700 bc	Achaemenes founded Persian kingdom and the Achaemenid dynasty of Persian kings; kingdom was dominated by Media until 6th cent. BC.
628-c551 bc	Zoroaster lived; founded Zoroastrianism, which became the religion of Persia in following centuries.
600-559 bc	Cambyses I reigned; his son was Cyrus the Great.
558-529 bc	Cyrus (the Great) reigned; established Persian dominance over Media and Elam and greatly expanded Persian power and territory borrowed freely from Assyrian and Babylonian cultures.
546 bc	Cyrus conquered Lydia in Asia Minor.
535 bc	Cyrus conquered Babylonia; Babylonian captivity of the Jews ended.
529 - 522 bc	Cambyses II reigned; murdered his brother Smerdis to secure his power and then pursued successful campaign to conquer Egypt; a false Smerdis seized throne (522) and Cambyses died on return from Egypt.
522 - 486 bc	Darius I (the Great) successor to Cambyses II, reigned after defeating a false claimant, seizing power from the false Smerdis Magia Gomates; put down revolts within the empire and reorganized domains into satrapies, or administrative districts; instituted effective communications system using horses; extended empire into northern India and ranged into Europe. He proved to be a great Ruler and was noted as a builder and administrator. Extended Persia into northern India & Europe in a battle against Scythians, then invaded Macedonia and Thrace (515 bc), was unsuccesful against Greek City States during the Persian Wars.
499 - 479 bc	Persian Wars; Darius and his successor Xerxes failed in their attempt to subjugate the Greeks, though Persia continued to influence affairs of Greek city-states in subsequent years.
486 - 465 bc	Xerxes I reigned, was successor to Darius I. Xerxes prepared a massive force for the conquest of Greece; but was defeated at Salamis (480 BC), lost the Persian Wars, and fell into dissolute life at Susa; the decline of empire began; Xerxes was assassinated.
464 - 425 bc	Artaxerxes I reigned; put down revolt in Egypt (460-454 BC), permitted Jews to worship at Judaea, kept Persia out of the Peloponnesian War in Greece.
423 - 404 bc	Darius II (Nothus) ruled. He was the illegitemate son of Artaxerxes I.
405 bc	Egypt successfully revolted against Persian rule.
404 - 359 bc	Artaxerxes II reigned; his rule plagued by many revolts; the royal palace at Susa was rebuilt.
401 bc	Great rebellion by Cyrus the Younger, satrap of Asia Minor; led army against Artaxerxes II; Cyrus defeated and killed at battle of Cunaxa; famous retreat by Greek soldiers (under Xenophon) who had fought for Cyrus.
359 - 338 bc	Artaxerxes III again subjugated Egypt (343 BC) after initial unsuccessful campaigns.
336 - 330 bc	Darius III (Codommanus) reigned. He was the last king of the Persian Achaemenid dynasty (336 - 330 BC). Failed to halt advance of Alexander the Great. Was defeated at Granicus (334 BC), Issus (333 BC) and Gaugamela (331 BC). He fled only to be murdered by one of his satraps, Bessus.
334 bc	Darius defeated by Macedonian Greeks under Alexander at Battle of Granicus.
333 bc	Battle of Issus: Alexander again defeated Darius.
331 bc	Darius decisively defeated at Battle of Gaugamela; long rule of Achaemenid dynasty ended; Darius fled to Bactria. Persepolis was sacked by Alexander the Great.
330 bc	Darius assassinated in Bactria.
323-281 bc	Wars of the Diadochi; Alexander's generals warred for control of his empire after his death; most of Persia came under Seleucid rule.
312 - 64 bc	Seleucid dynasty, established by Seleucid I, ruled over much of ancient Persian Empire; at its height it included Babylon, Persia, Syria, Bactria, and part of Asia Minor, though control was weak and domains were gradually reduced to Syria; Seleucids introduced Hellenic (Greek) culture to Persia.
3rd cent. bc	Bactria overthrew Seleucid rule; became independent kingdom.
247 BC to 224 AD	Parthian Empire founded (south of Caspian Sea) by Arsaces I; after overthrowing Seleucid rule, Parthians dealt with nomadic invasions from northeast and successfully blocked eastward advance of Romans, Parthians pushed their empire westward to Mesopotamia.
64 bc	Last of Seleucid domains (Syria) conquered by Romans under Pompey, Persia (proper) under Parthian rule.
224 - 640 AD	Sassanid dynasty reigned in Persia; empire at its greatest extent reached Indus Valley in east and Mesopotamia in west; Persian culture flourished; many buildings and roads constructed.
226 - 241 AD	Ardashir I reigned; established Zoroastrianism as state religion; built many cities.
241 - 272 AD	Shapur I reigned, a successful conqueror, he gained parts of Asia Minor and in wars with Rome took Syria and part of Mesopotamia; captured Emperor Valerian.
293 - 302 AD	Narses reigned; lost substantial territory to the Roman Empire.
309 - 379 AD	Shapur II reigned; regained much of the territory lost to the Romans by Narses.
399 - 420 AD	Yazdegerd I reigned, Christians in Persian domains persecuted.
531 - 579 AD	Khosru I reigned; Sassanid Empire brought to its greatest extent through successful wars against Byzantines (in time of Justinian and Justin II); reformed administration; literature flourished.
590 - 628 AD	Khosru II reigned; warred against the Byzantines; initially successful, he occupied Egypt and threatened Constantinople; defeated by the Byzantine Heraclius (622-628).
632 - 651 AD	Yazdegerd III, last Sassanian ruler, reigned; Persian Empire conquered by the Arabs and absorbed into the Caliphate Empire; Islam introduced into region in place of Zoroastrianism.
819-999 AD	Samanid dynasty in power, native Persian dynasty ruling over Transoxania and Khorasan (in northeast Iran) under nominal control of the Muslim caliphs; Persian culture flourished.
999- 1186	Ghaznavid dynasty reigned; this Turkish dynasty took control of much of Samanid Empire (west of river Oxus) and extended empire eastward, eventually embracing Afghanistan and part of India.
1100 - 1400	Seljuks, Muslim Turks, dominated the domains of the Empire of the Caliphate, including Persia.
1300 - 1600	Mongol conquests; Empire of the Caliphate fell to the Mongols (1258), there followed a period of rule by Mongols, Timurs, and Turkmen.
1501 -24	Ismail reigned after establishing new Persian Empire; founded Safavid dynasty; established Shi'ite Islam as state religion.
1501 - 1736	Safavid dynasty in power; engaged in long series of wars with Ottoman Turks and Uzbeks.
1586 - 1629	Abbas I (The Great) reigned; regained Persian territories lost in wars with Ottoman Turks and Uzbeks; captured Baghdad (1623); encouraged art, trade, and public works.
1722 - 30	Afghan interlude; Persia under control of Afghans after being defeated by Mir Mahmud.
1724	Russia and Turkey seized portions of Persian Empire.
1730	Nadir Kuli defeated Afghans and forced them from Persia.
1736-47	Nadir Shah reigned; recaptured Persian territories from Russia and Ottoman Empire invaded India (1738-39).
1794 - 97	Agha Muhammad reigned as shah founded Kajar dynasty fruled (1794-1925); reign noted for its cruelty and repression.
1797-1835	Fath Ali reigned as shah; power of the shah declined as both Russia and Britain sought to dominate Persia, Persia began to lose territories; signed disadvantageous treaty of Gulistan with Russia (1813).
1828	Persia ceded lands in Armenia to Russia by the Treaty of Turkmanchay, following Russo- Persian War of 1826-28.
1856 - 57	War with Britain; seizure of Persian lands by Afghanistan provoked war with Afghanistan; Britain interceded, defeated Persia, and forced it to recognize Afghan independence.
1901	Britain was granted oil concession; discovery of oil led to increased rivalry between Britain and Russia over Persia.
1906	Shah Muzaffar-ed-Din established first Persian mallis, or national assembly; liberal constitution drawn up.
1907- 9	Muhammad Ali reigned as shah; attempted forcibly to overthrow the constitution (1909) and was deposed.
1909 - 25	Ahmed Shah reigned; last of the Kajar dynasty.
1914 - 18	WW I; Persia occupied by British and Russian forces.
1919	Persia signed agreement giving Britain control over Persia while recognizing Persian in- dependence; agreement repudiated in 1921.
1920	Became a member of the League of Nations.
1921	British began withdrawing troops from Persia.
1921	Reza Khan became prime minister by a coup (Feb.21). Reza Pahlavi, a soldier, took power in a coup ending British control over Iran (then a League of Nations mandate); led military dictatorship.
1921	Treaty with the Soviets; Soviets agreed to withdraw from Persia.
1925	Ahmed Shah deposed by majlis (Oct. 31); Prime Minister Reza Khan made shah (Dec.13). Reza Pahlavi electred herediatry shah; founded the Pahlavi dydnasty (in power 1925 - 79).
1925- 41	Reza Shah Pahlevi reigned; began modernization and Westernization of Persia. Instituted reforms, proomoted industrialization and advance of education.
1935	Persia officially renamed Iran (Mar. 21) by Reza Shah Pahlavi.
1936	Modernization begun; shah's wife and daughters appeared in public without veils, thus breaking tradition.
1937	Treaty with Iraq; ceded control of the strategic Chatt al Arab River to Iraq.
1941 - 45	WW II, Iran occupied by Britain and USSR
1963	Persian women received the right to vote; there was unrest among some religious groups alienated by the reform movement
1971	Persian empire celebrated 2,500 year Anniversary !! (Oct 12)
1979	Shah fled Iran (Jan 16) after Muslim fundamentalists opposed to government reforms sparked riots in Tehran (1978), and called for removal of shah (May 11). Ayatollah Khomeini, leader of the Muslim fundamentalist rebels, returned to Iran after 15-year excile (Jan 16).

If you were born after 1970, you should have felt
some of the ramifications of the Ayatollah into 
the present times... if you really don't know your history,
I suggest you look it up in the encyclopedia or Almanac!!