AP World History: Must‑Know Dates, Events, and People
A concise study guide based on the official AP World History: Modern time periods.
Vital AP Test Information and Specific Events
To excel in the AP World History exam, focus on understanding the causes and effects of major events, key developments in trade and technology, and the roles of influential leaders. Pay special attention to how different regions interacted through trade, conquest, and cultural exchange.
Period 1: 1200–1450
1206 — Genghis Khan unites Mongol tribes, beginning Mongol Empire expansion.
1325 — Founding of Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire.
1347–1351 — Black Death spreads across Eurasia, drastically reducing populations.
Period 2: 1450–1750
1492 — Christopher Columbus reaches the Americas, initiating European colonization.
1517 — Martin Luther’s 95 Theses spark the Protestant Reformation.
1600 — Establishment of the British East India Company, marking increased European involvement in Asia.
Period 3: 1750–1900
1776 — American Declaration of Independence.
1789 — Start of the French Revolution.
1884–1885 — Berlin Conference divides Africa among European powers.
Period 4: 1900–Present
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1914–1918 — World War I reshapes global politics.
1945 — End of World War II; beginning of the United Nations.
1947 — Indian independence and partition.
1991 — Collapse of the Soviet Union, ending the Cold War.
Period 1: 1200–1450
Key Dates
1200 — Starting point of the AP curriculum; major civilizations flourishing.
1450 — Symbolic end of the medieval era; rise of European exploration.
Important Civilizations & States
Song Dynasty (China) — Neo-Confucianism, gunpowder, champa rice.
Abbasid Caliphate (declining), followed by new Islamic states like the Delhi Sultanate.
Mali Empire — Wealth from trans-Saharan trade.
Aztec & Inca Empires — Mesoamerican and Andean powerhouses.
Mongol Empire — Largest land empire; revitalized Silk Roads.
Major Events & Developments
Expansion of Silk Road, Indian Ocean, and Trans-Saharan trade.
Mongol conquests connecting Eurasia.
Spread of technologies: paper, gunpowder, navigational tools.
Key People
Genghis Khan — Founder of the Mongol Empire.
Mansa Musa — Mali emperor known for wealth and pilgrimage.
Period 2: 1450–1750
Key Dates
1450 — Start of European maritime exploration.
1750 — Beginning of industrialization.
Major Empires
Land-Based Empires: Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal, Russia, Qing.
Sea-Based Empires: Portugal, Spain, England, France, Netherlands.
Major Events & Developments
Columbian Exchange — Transfer of plants, animals, diseases.
Rise of Atlantic slave trade.
Gunpowder empires consolidating power.
Global silver trade linking Americas and Asia.
Key People
Suleiman the Magnificent — Ottoman ruler.
Akbar the Great — Mughal emperor.
Christopher Columbus — Initiated sustained European contact with the Americas.
Tokugawa Ieyasu — Unified Japan.
Period 3: 1750–1900
Key Dates
1750 — Industrial Revolution begins.
1900 — Industrialization spreads globally.
Major Events & Developments
Industrial Revolution — Mechanization, factories, urbanization.
Enlightenment — Ideas of liberty, equality, rights.
Atlantic Revolutions: American, French, Haitian, Latin American.
Second wave of imperialism — Scramble for Africa, Asia.
Migration patterns: indentured labor, global movement.
Key People
Adam Smith — Economic liberalism.
Karl Marx — Critique of capitalism.
Toussaint Louverture — Leader of Haitian Revolution.
Simón Bolívar — Latin American independence.
Period 4: 1900–Present
Key Dates
1900 — Symbolic start of the modern era.
Present — Contemporary global world.
Major Events & Developments
World War I and World War II.
Decolonization across Africa, Asia, Middle East.
Cold War — U.S. vs. USSR.
Globalization — Economic, cultural, technological integration.
Rise of international organizations: UN, NATO, World Bank.
Key People
Gandhi — Indian independence.
Nelson Mandela — Anti-apartheid leader.
Mikhail Gorbachev — Reforms leading to USSR collapse.
Mao Zedong — Chinese Communist Revolution.
Quick Timeline Summary
1200 — Start of AP World curriculum.
1450 — European exploration begins.
1750 — Industrial Revolution begins.
1900 — Modern era begins.
Present — Globalized world.