Dr. Shirley's Web Courses
History Pages - Part 16
World Wars; The formation of modern Israel - AD 1,900-2,000
These time-lines are intended for use by my students who are taking Courses in Church History, History of Hebrew and the Jews, History of the Greek language, Survey of World Religions, or Biblical Archaeology. Hence they are very selective in what events are included
- AD 1858-1922
- Ben Yehuda decides to recreate Hebrew as a spoken language, rather than a literary one
- AD 1860-1904
- Theodore Herzl, founder of Zionism
- AD 1860-1911
- Gustav Mahler, composer
- AD 1864
- Leon Pinsker writes "Autoemancipation" (published 1882), and argues for the foundation of a Jewish state
- AD 1873-1956
- Leo Back, theologian of Reform Judaism, was put in Teresienstadt German concentration camp
- AD 1874-1952
- Chaim Weizmann, statesman and scientist
- AD 1878
- Petah Tikvah (agricultural community) founded by orthodox Jews in Palestine;
Congress of Berlin reaffirms religious liberty and equality throughout the Turkish Empire (including Israel)
- AD 1879-1955
- Albert Einstein, physicist, formulated the Theory of Relativity, Zionist
- AD 1880-1939
- Vladimir Jabotinski, Zioinst leader, founder of the New Zionist Organization, Haganah, Jewish Legion, Irgyn, Betar, Revisionist Party
- AD 1881
- Russian pogroms against the Jews
- AD 1882-1903
- The First Aliyah (immigration of Jews into Palestine) mainly from Russia
- AD 1885-1962
- Niels Bohr, scientist
- AD 1886-1973
- David Ben-Gurion, statesman
- ca. AD 1886
- Founding of Conservative Judaism by Solomon Schechter in the USA
- AD 1887-1990
- Marc Chagall, artist
- AD 1894
- Sholem Aleichem writes the first episode in the Life of Tevye the Dairyman
- AD 1896
- Theodor Herzl publishes "Der Judenstadt" (The Jewish State) promoting Zionism
- AD 1897
- Theodor Herzl convenes the First Jewish Zioinist Congress, and the founding of the Zioinist Organization, in Basle (Switzerland);
The Dreyfus Affair - Alfred Dreyfuss, French Jewish soldier unjustly accused and sentenced
- AD 1898
- Emile Zola publishes "J'Accuse" on behalf of Alfred Dreyfuss
- AD 1898-1904
- The Twentieth Century New Testament, used a chronological order for the books
- AD 1898-1936
- Golda Meir, became the fourth Prime Minister of Israel
- AD 1899
- Albert Dreyfus aquitted and reinistated as a Major
- AD 1900-1990
- Aaron Copeland, composer
- AD 1901
- American Standard Version of the Bible, a recension of the Revised Version, used words and phrases preferred by Americans;
Founding of the Pentecostal Church, in Topeka, Kansas, as members of several denominations were touched by the Holy Spirit;
"Evangelakia" riots over translations of the Bible into demotic Greek
- AD 1901-1910
- Edward VII of England
- AD 1904-1914
- Second Aliyah, of Jews mainly from Russia and Poland, to Palestine
- AD 1909
- First Kibbutz founded, at Degania, Palestine;
Tel Aviv founded as the first Hebrew-speaking all-Jewish city in Palestine;
Hashomer founded, Jewish self-defense organization in Palestine
- AD 1910
- 5-point statement of the Presbyterian General Assembly, also used by Fundamentalists
- AD 1910-1915
- "The Fundamentals", a 12-volume collection of essays by 64 British and American scholars and preachers, the foundation of Fundamentalism
- AD 1910-1936
- George V of England
- AD 1912
- Hadassah, Women's Zionist organization, founded by Nehrietta Szold
- AD 1912-1913
- The Balkan Wars. The Balkan League of Montenegro, Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece declare war on Turkey and drive the Turks out of Europe. Greece gains Macedonia and Epirus
- AD 1913
- Treaty of London put Crete under Greek rule. Treaty of Bucharest put much of western Thrace under Greek rule. Lesbos, Chios, and Samos were also incorporated
- AD 1913, Mar 18
- King George of Greece assassinated in Thessaloniki
- AD 1913-1924
- James Moffat Bible, the first one-man translation in almost 400 years
- AD 1913-1993
- Menachem Begin, statesman, Israeli Prime Minister
- AD 1914-1918
- The First World War
- AD 1915-1981
- Moshe Dayan, soldier, Israeli Minister of Defense
- AD 1916
- Sykes-Picot agreement between France and England, to divide up the Middle East;
Arab revolt against the Ottoman Turks
- AD 1917
- The Russian Revolution breaks out. Many Jews murdered;
Trotsky and Lenin take over the Russian government;
British conquest of the Ottoman Empire;
The Balfour Declaration : British Foreign Minister Balfour pledges his support for the establishment of a "Jewish national home in Palestine"
Appearance of the Virgin Mary in Fatima, Portugal, acompanied by the "miracle of the sun" witnessed by 70,000 - 100,000 people
- AD 1917, June
- Britain and France demand that King Constantine of Greece abdicate. The King and his son Prince George flee, his second son Alexander became the provisional King
- AD 1917, July 2
- Venizelos assumes control of Greece and declares war on the Central Powers
- AD 1917, Dec. 9
- British forces enter Jerusalem, begin modernization of the country
- AD 1918
- T. E. Lawrence and Arab troops capture Damascus
- AD 1919
- Foundation of the World Christian Fundamentals Association;
Versailles Peace Conference, Chaim Weizmann heads the Zionist delegation;
Egyptian revolution
- AD 1919, March
- Italy lands forces at Antalya to ensure their mandate over southwest Turkey (promised to them for entering WWI on the side of the Entente)
- AD 1919, May 6
- Greek forces, escorted by British and French naval units, occupy Smyrna in reaction to Italian invasion
- AD 1919-1922
- Graeco-Turkish War
- AD 1919-23
- the Third Aliyah of Jews to Palestine, mainly from Russia
- AD 1920
- Histadrut, Jewish labor federation, founded;
Haganah, Jewish defence organization, founded;
Vaad Leumi (National Council) set up by the Yishuv (Returned Jewish community) to conduct its affairs;
Chaim Weizman elected President of the World Zionist Organization
- AD 1920, June
- Turkish nationalists under Mustapha Kemal attack British on the Ismid peninsula at the eastern end of the Sea of Marmara. Greek forces come to help the British
- AD 1920, Aug 10
- Treaty of Sevres, signed but never ratified by the Entente powers of Turkey. Promised to give Greece eastern Thrace, the islands of Tenedos and Imbros and administration of the Smyrna district that stays under Turkish sovereignty for five years. By a plebescite after this period the population was to be allowed to ask for incorporation into the Greek state
- AD 1920, Dec 5
- The Greeks vote for King Constantine's return, in spite of the allies' threat to cut off all aid to Greece
- AD 1921
- Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan established;
First Moshav (Jewish cooperative village) founded in Nahalal, Palestine;
Kingdom of Iraq founded
- AD 1922, Sept 8-14
- Smyrna evacuated after the Greek army was defeated and 30,000 civilians were killed. A million refugees fled to Greece, joining half a million Greeks who had fled earlier
- AD 1922, Sept 26
- Military coup in Greece, in reaction to the loss in Asia Minor led by Colonels Plastiras and Gonatas, creating the Revolutionary Government. King Constantine abdicates, and his son becomes King George II
- AD 1922
- Collapse of the Ottoman Empire
- AD 1922-1948
- British Mandate in the Middle East - The League of Nations granted Britain Palestine and Transjordan
- AD 1923, January 30
- Agreement signed by Greece and Turkey for the compulsory exchange of minority populations except the Turks in western Thrace and the 100,000 Greeks in Constantinople
- AD 1923, July 23
- Treaty of Lausanne ends the Greco-Turkish War. Eastern Thrace, and the islands of Tenedos and Imbros were given to Turkey
- AD 1923
- Kemal Ataturk overthrows the Ottoman Muslim Empire and establishes the secular state of Turkey
- AD 1924-32
- The Fourth Aliyah of Jews, mainly from Poland, to Palestine
- AD 1925
- The Hebrew University of Jerusalem opened, on Mount Scopus, Jerusalem.
The Scopes Trial, for the teaching of the theory of evolution, caused divisions among Fundamentalists
- AD 1925-1979
- Pahlevi Dynasty in Persia (Iran)
- AD 1928-1932
- Venizelos governs Greece. Institutes educational reforms. Builds many primary schools, makes education less classical and more practical, establishes Demotic Greek in the schools
- AD 1929
- Arab militants massacre the Jews of Hebron
- AD 1929-1938
- The Fifth Aliyah of Jews to Palestine, mainly from Germany
- AD 1929-1945
- Anne Frank, Holocaust victim, writes her diary during the Nazi occupation
- AD 1930
- Hope-Simson Report and Passfield White Paper ban land acquistion by Jews in Palestine, recommend ban on Jewish imigration to Palestine
- AD 1931
- Foundation of the Irgun and the Etzel, Jewish underground organizations
- AD 1932
- Kingdom of Saudi Arabia established;
Iraq gains independence;
Appearance of the Virgin Mary at Beauraing in Belgium
- AD 1933
- Appearance of the Virgin Mary at Banneux in Belgium;
Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany;
Albert Einstein leaves Germany and comes to USA
- AD 1933-1939
- The Fifth Aliyah of Jews to Palestine, mainly from Germany
- AD 1935
- Religious Kibbutz movement founded
- AD 1936
- World Jewish Congress, Geneva;
Edward VIII of England, abdicated;
The Westminster New Testament, an unofficial Catholic version
- AD 1936-1952
- George VI of England
- AD 1937
- The Peel Commission recommends the partition of Palestine between Jews and Arabs;
Chaim Weizmann and David Ben-Gurion accept the Peel partition plan;
Third edition of Kittel's "Biblia Hebraica" based on a copy dated to AD 1008 in the Leningrad Public Library. This is the edition current today. (Another edition, using a manuscript dated to AD 930, is being prepared by the Hebrew University Bible Project)
- AD 1938 - November 9
- "Kristallnacht" in Germany, synagagues and scriptures burned, jewish homes and businesses vandalised
- 1939
- Britain tries to curtail Jewish immigration to Palestine
- AD 1939-1945
- World War II;
Hitler attempts to "solve the Jewish problem" by killing millions of Jews
- AD 1939-1958
- Pope Pius XII
- AD 1941
- Formation of the "Stern Gang" and the Lehi (Jewish underground movements), and the "Palmach", Jewish strike force of the Haganah
- AD 1941, April
- Germany and Italy occupy Greece
- AD 1944
- The Jewish Brigade formed as part of the British army
- AD 1946-1950
- The Greek Civil War
- AD 1946-1952
- The Revised Standard Version of the Bible, a revision of the KJV/AV in response to changes in English usage
- AD 1947
- The UN proposes the establishment of Arab and Jewish States in Palestine;
Discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran
- AD 1947, Mar 7
- Italy cedes the Dodecanese to Greece after WWII
- AD 1948 - May 14
- End of the British Mandate;
British forces move out of Jerusalem. Fighting between Jews and Arabs escalates;
Formation of the State of Israel, opposed by Arab nations;
Restoration of Hebrew as the language of Israel
- AD 1948 - May 15
- Five neighbouring Arab states invade Israel, vow to annihilate Israel
- AD 1948, May - 1949, July
- Israeli War of Independence; Israel Defense Forces (IDF) established
- AD 1948-1952
- Mass immigration of Jews from Europe and the Arab countries to Israel
- AD 1949
- Basic English Bible, using a vocabulary of only 1000 words, simple and direct style;
Armistice between Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon;
Jerusalem is declared the capital of Israel (though not recognized by some countries), and is divided into Istaeli and Jordanian sectors;
First Knesset (parliament) elected;
Chaim Weizmann is elected first President of Israel;
Israel is admitted as the 59th member to the United Nations;
Aliyah of Jews from the Yemen begins
- AD 1950
- The West Bank joins Jordan;
"Law of Return" : "every Jew shall have the right to come to Israel as a permanent settler"
- AD 1952
- Libya proclaims its independence;
Elizabeth II of England
- AD 1956
- Nasser of Egypt nationalizes the Suez Canal;
The Sinai Campaign - fighting between Israel and Egypt
- AD 1957
- The United Church of Christ formed by the ecumenical union of Congregationalists with the Evangelical and Reformed Churches, representing Calvinists and Lutherans
- AD 1958
- Formation of the United Arab Republic;
J. B. Phillip's New Testamrnt, uses only commonly spoken language
- AD 1958-1963
- Pope John XXIII
- AD 1959
- Statement of Faith, of the United Church of Christ
- AD 1960
- Cyprus gains independence from Britain;
Archaeologists find letters from the Bar Kochbar archive
- AD 1961
- The New English Bible
- AD 1962
- Yigal Yadin starts archaeological investigations at Masada
- AD 1962-1965
- The Second Vatican Council, announced by Pope John XXIII in 1959, produced 16 documents which became official after approval by the Pope, with the aim of renewing "ourselves and the flocks committed to us" (Pope John XXIII)
- AD 1963-1978
- Pope Paul VI
- AD 1964
- Start of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)
- AD 1965, December 7
- The Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox Churches cancelled their excommunications of each other, which dated from AD 1054
- AD 1966
- The RSV Catholic Edition, a joint effort between Roman Catholics and the Church of England, working towards a common Catholic/Protestant Bible;
The Jerusalem Bible, Roman Catholic version
- AD 1967 - June 5-10
- The "Six-Day War" (Arab-Israeli War ): Israeli army takes the whole of Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninnsular, and the "West Bank" of the Jordan (some of these territories were returned to Arab population later)
- AD 1967, April 22
- The Coup of the Greek Colonels; Demotiki ("People's Greek" - street Greek) was banned from schools and replaced by Katherevousa("Good Greek")
- AD 1968
- Jews return to Hebron
- AD 1968-1970
- Egypt's War of Attrition against Israel
- AD 1969
- Golda Meir becomes President of Israel
- AD 1970
- The Confraternity Version of the Bible, a new Catholic translation from the originals which began before 1939 as a translation from the Vulgate, but ended up as a new translation from the Hebrew (OT) and Greek (NT)
- AD 1971
- The New American Standard Bible
- AD 1973
- The Yom Kippur War
- AD 1974
- Greek Junta falls, and the Turks invade Cyprus
- AD 1978
- The New International Version of the Bible;
Pope John Paul I, died after only one month as Holy Father;
The Camp David Accords include a framework for comprehensive peace in the Middle East and a proposal for Palestinian self-government;
- AD 1978-2005
- Pope John Paul II, reaffirmed conservative moral traditions (The Splendor of Truth)
- AD 1979
- Iranian Revolution, The Shah of Iran flees, and Ayatollah Khomeini founds an Islamic Republic;
Saddam Hussein becomes Head of State of Iraq;
Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty signed; Prime Minister Menachem Begin and President Anwar Sadat are awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
- AD 1979-1982
- The New King James Bible, complete revision of the 1611 KJV, updates archaisms
- AD 1987
- The Intifada (Palestinian violence in Israeli-controlled areas)
- AD 1981
- Appearances of the Virgin Mary at Medjugorje in Yugoslavia
- AD 1982
- Israel's three-stage withdrawal from Sinai completed
- AD 1984
- Operation Moses, immigration of Jews from Ethiopia
- AD 1987
- The Intifada, Arab violence, starts in Israeli-administered areas
- AD 1990
- The Persian Gulf War
- AD 1991
- Operation Solomon, airlift of Jews from Ethiopia
- AD 1993
- Inscription at Tel Dan discovered by Avraham Biram, mentioning the "House of David"
- AD 1994
- Peace Treaty between Israel and Jordan; Self-government for the Gaza Strip and Jericho areas;
Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Yitzahk Rabin, Shimon Peres, and Yasser Arafat;
Declaration of cooperation between Evangelicals and Catholics
- AD 1995
- Israeli Prime Minister Rabin assassinated at a peace rally; Shimon Peres becomes prime minister
- AD 1996
- Jerusalem celebrates its 3,000th anniversary as the capital of the Jewish State
- AD 2000
- Pope Paul II visits Israel
- AD 2005
- Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger becomes Pope Benedict XVI
Main Sources : Simsothian Timelines of Ancient History, The Timetables of History (Bernard Grun)
Go here for Geography Pages
Copyright © 1999 Shirley J. Rollinson, all Rights Reserved
Dr. Rollinson
Department of Religion
ENMU
Portales, NM 88130
Last Updated: January 1, 2007
