The year 0 was not recorded. AD stands for “Anno Domini,” a Latin phrase meaning “in the year of the Lord” and referring to the years after that.

04 Death of Herod.

06 Judea becomes a Roman province. Candidates for political office in China must take civil service exams. Emperor Cheng is succeeded by Emperor Ngai.

09 Battle of Teutoburger Wald, the Rhine River is established as the boundary between Latin- and German-speaking worlds.
14 Augustus Caesar, first Emperor of the Roman Empire, dies, succeeded by his stepson, Tiberius.

15 Livy, the Roman historian, publishes the story of Romulus and Remus, the first who becomes a god and declares that it is the will of heaven that Rome be the capital of the world.

23 Greek geographer Strabo publishes Geography, a work covering the world known to the Romans and Greeks at the time of Emperor Augustus – it is the only such book to survive from the ancient world.

26 Pontius Pilate becomes Roman procurator of Judea.

27 Probable the year that Jesus Christ was crucified. (The exact year of the crucifixion is disputed; often quoted as 33AD.)

34 Apostle Paul begins missionary journeys.

37 Emperor Tiberius dies, succeeded by his nephew, Caligula.

41 ? Dioscorides writes about medicinal herbs. Emperor Caligula is murdered, succeeded by Claudius, a lame man with a speech impediment.

43 The first London bridge is a temporary pontoon bridge built by the Romans.

50 Heron of Greece invents steam power and the first vending machine. St Paul begins missionary work in Europe. Pedanius Dioscorides writes the first pharmacology text, De Materia Medica (it became the primary source on pharmacology for the next 16 centuries).

53 The Parthians annihilate an army of 40,000 Romans.

54 Nero becomes last Caesar (of Caesar family) of Rome.

63 ? Death of St Paul in Rome (some sources quote St Paul’s execution in 67AD)

64 Great fire in Rome. Persecution of Christians begin.

65 First persecution of Christians in Rome. The Gospel according to St. Mark, the earliest of the four Gospels, is written.

68 Nero commits suicide.

70 Jerusalem destroyed by Titus. The third Temple is burnt and destroyed

71 Colosseum building starts in Rome (finished in 79). Spartacus and other slaves crucified on the Appian road to Rome.

73 Siege of Massada.

74 Chinese Emperor Zhao dies at age 22, succeeded by another child, Emperor Xuan.

77 Around this year, the last book of the Old Testament, the Book of Esther, is translated into Greek.

79 Emperor Titus dedicates the Roman Colosseum; the amphitheater has 160-foot walls and 50,000 marble seats. Mount Vesuvius erupts, killing thousands in Herculaneum and Pompeii.

82 According to Suetonius, the Emperor Domitian made women gladiators fight by torchlight at night.

95 Renewed persecution of Christians.