Vikings discover Iceland
Recorded settlement has conventionally been dated back to 874, although archaeological evidence indicates Gaelic monks from Ireland had settled Iceland before that date.
Post-classical (500 - 1500 C.E.)
The University of Al-Karaouine, founded by a Muslim woman, becomes the world's first university
Over the centuries, the University of Al-Karaouine became a key spiritual and educational center in the Muslim world.
Islet construction begins at Nan Madol in modern-day Micronesia
The ruined city is one of today’s great archaeological enigmas and is sometimes called “Atlantis,” the “eighth wonder of the world,” or the “Venice of the Pacific”.
The ancient Chinese of the Tang Dynasty invent fireworks
In China, pyrotechnicians were respected for their knowledge of complex techniques in mounting firework displays. Chinese people originally believed that the fireworks could expel evil spirits and bring about luck and happiness.
Humans of the Sailendra Dynasty in modern-day Indonesia complete Borobudur, the world's largest Buddhist temple
Borobudur is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Central Java, Indonesia. It is the world’s largest Buddhist temple.
Gunpowder is invented in China
Experimenting with life-lengthening elixirs around C.E. 850, Chinese alchemists instead discovered gunpowder.
The city of Bukhara in modern-day Uzbekistan becomes a major trade and intellectual center of the Muslim world
Bukhoro became one of the leading centers of learning, culture, and art in the Muslim world, its magnificence rivaling contemporaneous cultural centers such as Baghdad, Cairo, and Cordoba.
The Pagan Kingdom rises to power in modern-day Myanmar
The Kingdom of Pagan was the first kingdom to unify the regions that would later constitute modern-day Myanmar.
Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī publishes The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing
Translated into Latin by Robert of Chester in 1145, it was used until the sixteenth century as the principal mathematical text-book of European universities. It also introduced the term “algebra” to European languages.
The Khmer Empire comes to power in modern-day Cambodia
The Khmer Empire, the predecessor state to modern Cambodia, was a Hindu-Buddhist empire in Southeast Asia. Its greatest legacy is Angkor which was the site of the capital city during the empire’s zenith.