7200 BCE: Elamite community of Chogha Bonut established.

4395 BCE: City of Susa founded in region of ancient Persia.

3000 BCE: Aryan tribes of Indo-Iranians migrate to the region, among them are Persians.

1500 BCE - 1000 BCE: Development of the religion of Zoroastrianism in region of ancient Persia.

1000 BCE: Scythians migrate from Persia into the Asian steppes.

850 BCE: Medes migrate into Iran from Asia.

750 BCE: Persians migrate into Iran from Asia.

727 BCE - 675 BCE: Medes unite during the reign of their king Dayukku (aka Deioces).

675 BCE - 640 BCE: Persians settle in Persis during the reign of their king Teispes.

628 BCE - 551 BCE: Life of Zoroaster, according to Pahlavi sources.

553 BCE: Cyrus the Great successfully rebels against the Medes and establishes the Achaemenid Empire of Persia.

550 BCE: Cyrus the Great of Persia founds the Achaemenid Empire.

550 BCE - 330 BCE: The Persian Achaemenid Empire reigns over Central Asia, Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and Egypt.

547 BCE: Anatolia conquered by the Persians. Ephesos remains neutral.

547 BCE: Phrygia becomes a Satrapy of the Persian empire.

546 BCE: The Persians occupy Cyprus, being invited by Cypriot leaders.

539 BCE: Fall of Babylon, conquered by Cyrus of Persia. Return of the Jews.

539 BCE: Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon; the Fertile Crescent is controlled by the Achaemenid Empire (The First Persian Empire).

530 BCE: Persia conquers the Indus Valley.

530 BCE - 522 BCE: Reign of Cambyses II of Persia.

525 BCE - 404 BCE: Persia conquers Egypt.

522 BCE: Darius I (Darius the Great) succeeds to the throne of Persia after the death of Cambyses II.

522 BCE: The Persian satrapy of Armenia briefly cedes from the Achaemenid Empire but is brought under control by Darius I.

520 BCE - 325 CE: Achaemenid rule in the Gandhara region.

520 BCE: Darius I of Persia fights the Scythians (not very successfully).

515 BCE: Darius I moves the capital of Persia from Pasargadae to Persepolis.

513 BCE - 512 BCE: Darius I of Persia campaigns against Scythians into European Scythia, past the Danube River, Scythians refuse to fight and Darius is forced to abandon the campaign due to lack of provisions.

499 BCE: Naxos is attacked by Darius' Persian forces.

499 BCE - 493 BCE: Ionian cities rebel against Persian rule.

498 BCE: Ionians and Greek allies invade and burn Sardis (capital of Lydia).

492 BCE: Darius I of Persia invades Greece.

490 BCE: Rhodes comes under Persian rule.

490 BCE: Naxos is attacked for a second time by Persian forces.

490 BCE: A combined force of Greek hoplites defeat the Persians at Marathon.

486 BCE: Xerxes succeeds to the throne of Persia after the death of Darius I.

485 BCE - 465 BCE: Reign of Xerxes I (the Great) of Persia.

485 BCE: Babylon is destroyed by Xerxes, King of Persia.

480 BCE: Persians destroy the sanctuary at Sounion.

480 BCE: Sack of Athens by the Persians under Xerxes. The Agora is destroyed.

480 BCE: Persian forces attack the sanctuary of Delphi.

480 BCE: Xerxes I makes extensive preparations to invade mainland Greece by building depots, canals and a boat bridge across the Hellespont.

480 BCE: The indecisive battle of Artemision between the Greek and Persian fleets of Xerxes I. The Greeks withdraw to Salamis.

480 BCE: Battle of Thermopylae. 300 Spartans under King Leonidas and other Greek allies hold back the Persians led by Xerxes I for three days but are defeated.

480 BCE: Battle of Salamis where the Greek naval fleet led by Themistocles defeats the invading armada of Xerxes I of Persia.

479 BCE: Xerxes' Persian forces are defeated by Greek forces at Plataea effectively ending Persia's imperial ambitions in Greece.

478 BCE: Sparta withdraws from alliance against Persia.

478 BCE: Xerxes I builds the Gate of All Nations, the Hall of 100 Columns and the grand Palace of Xerxes.

449 BCE: Peace is agreed on by Athens and Persia, sometimes referred to as the Peace of Callias.

449 BCE: Ionian cities become independent from Persia under the Peace of Callias.

412 BCE: Sparta allies with Persia.

401 BCE: Retreat from Persia of Xenophon and the ten thousand mercenaries.

380 BCE - 330 BCE: Life of Darius III of Persia.

341 BCE: The Persians complete conquest of Egypt.

336 BCE: Artaxerxes III builds the Hall of 32 Columns, the Palace of Artaxerxes and the Unfinished Gate.

334 BCE: Alexander the Great invades the Persian Achaemenid Empire.

333 BCE: Battle of Issus. Alexander the Great is victorious against Darius III of Persia.

331 BCE: Egypt is conquered by Alexander the Great without resistance.

331 BCE: Battle of Gaugamela. Alexander the Great calls himself "King of Asia."

330 BCE: Persian Achaemenid Empire falls to Alexander the Great.

330 BCE: Death of Darius III and end of the Achaemenid Empire of Persia.

330 BCE: Persepolis is burned and looted by Alexander the Great.

329 BCE - 327 BCE: Alexander conquers Bactria and Sogdiana.

312 BCE - 63 BCE: The Seleucid Empire replaces the Achaemenid Empire.

247 BCE - 224 BCE: Parthia replaces the Seleucid Empire.

247 BCE - 224 CE: Empire of the Parthians.

63 BCE: The Roman general Pompey defeats the Seleucid Antiochus XIII and incorporates Syria as a province of the Roman empire.

224 CE - 651 CE: The Sassanian Empire replaces the Parthian Empire.

224 CE: Zoroastrianism becomes Persian state religion under the Sassanian Empire.

224 CE: Sasanians overthrow the Parthians.

240 CE - 270 CE: Reign of Shapur I, who first brought the Sassanian empire to its peak.

260 CE: Shapur I captures the Roman emperor Valerian at Edessa.

607 CE - 627 CE: East Rome defeats Sasanian Persia.

651 CE: Sassanian Empire conquered during the Muslim Arab invasion of the 7th century CE.