Inuit culture emerges in the Arctic
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting Inuit Nunangat, the regions of Greenland, Canada, and Alaska
North & Central America
Construction begins at the Grand Ball Court of Chichen Itza
The Great Ballcourt of Chichen Itza, measuring 146 m x 36 m, is the largest in Mesoamerica.
Erik the Red founds the first European settlement on Greenland
Erik Thorvaldsson (c. 950 – c. 1003), known as Erik the Red, was a Norse explorer, described in medieval and Icelandic saga sources as having founded the first settlement in Greenland.
The Norse settle Greenland
Norsemen settled the uninhabited southern part of Greenland beginning in the 10th century, having previously settled Iceland to escape persecution from the King of Norway and his central government.
The Maya civilization thrives in modern-day Belize
In the late classic period of the Maya civilization, it is estimated that between 400,000 and 1,000,000 people inhabited the area that is now Belize.
The Plains Indians begin their purification ceremonies held in sweat lodges
The sweat ceremony is intended as a spiritual reunion with the creator and a respectful connection to the earth itself as much as it is meant for purging toxins out of the physical body.
Mayans begin construction of pyramid of Kukulcan at Chich’en Itza in modern-day Mexico
The Pyramid of Kukulcan (also know as El Castillo, a name given by the Spanish Conquistadors) is the central of Chich’en Itza, it was built over a preexisting temple between 800 and 900 C.E.
The city-state of Xochicalco is founded in modern-day Mexico
Xochicalco was founded in about 650 C.E. by the Olmeca-Xicallanca, which are a Mayan group of traders from Campeche, at a site that gave them an excellent position along several of the major Mesoamerican trade routes.
The Cueva people form in modern-day Panama
The Cueva were an indigenous people who lived in the Darién region of eastern Panama.
Teotihuacan reaches the peak of its power
By 450 C.E., the city had perhaps 150,000 citizens and was the center of a powerful culture whose influence extended through much of the Mesoamerican region.