This is a timeline of Korean history.
Early history
8000 BC: Beginning of the Jeulmun pottery period.Bale, Martin T. 2001. Archaeology of Early Agriculture in Korea: An Update on Recent Developments. Bulletin of the Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association 21(5):77-84. Choe, C.P. and Martin T. Bale 2002. Current Perspectives on Settlement, Subsistence, and Cultivation in Prehistoric Korea. Arctic Anthropology 39(1-2):95-121. Crawford, Gary W. and Gyoung-Ah Lee 2003. Agricultural Origins in the Korean Peninsula. Antiquity 77(295):87-95. Lee, June-Jeong 2001. From Shellfish Gathering to Agriculture in Prehistoric Korea: The Chulmun to Mumun Transition. PhD dissertation, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison. Proquest, Ann Arbor. Lee, June-Jeong 2006. From Fisher-Hunter to Farmer: Changing Socioeconomy during the Chulmun Period in Southeastern Korea, In Beyond "Affluent Foragers": The Development of Fisher-Hunter Societies in Temperate Regions, eds. by Grier, Kim, and Uchiyama, Oxbow Books, Oxford. 2337 BC: Legendary establishment of Tamna by Go, Yang, and Bu on Jeju Island.Lee, Peter H.; de Bary, William Theodore: Sources of Korean Tradition, Volume I: From Early Times Through the Sixteenth CenturyNew York: Columbia University Press(1997), . 2333 BC: Legendary establishment of Gojoseon by Dangun. "An extreme manifestation of nationalism and the family cult was the revival of interest in Tangun, the mythical founder of the first Korean state... Most textbooks and professional historians, however, treat him as a myth."
"Although Kija may have truly existed as a historical figure, Tangun is more problematical."
"Most [Korean historians] treat the [Tangun] myth as a later creation."
"The Tangun myth became more popular with groups that wanted Korea to be independent; the Kija myth was more useful to those who wanted to show that Korea had a strong affinity to China."
"If a choice is to be made between them, one is faced with the fact that the Tangun, with his supernatural origin, is more clearly a mythological figure than Kija." 1500 BC: Beginning of the Mumun pottery period. 800 BC: Historian Richard McBride posits that the historical founding of Old Chosŏn as a polity likely began around this time. 700 BC: Beginning of the Liaoning bronze dagger culture. 323 BC: Estimated beginning of the Gojoseon-Yan War that eventually ends in Gojoseon's loss of the Liaodong peninsula to Yan. 300 BC: Beginning of the Iron Age. 300 BC: Establishment of Jin in southern Korean peninsula.
Proto-Three Kingdoms
200 BC: Buyeo, which Goguryeo and Baekje claim descent from, is established sometime around the 2nd century BC. 195 BC: Establishment of Wiman Joseon. 108 BC: Han dynasty destroys Wiman Joseon, establishing four commanderies in northern Korean Peninsula. 57 BC: Traditional date for the founding of Silla by Bak Hyeokgeose, who is elected leader. 37 BC: Traditional date for the founding of Goguryeo by Jumong, a Prince of Buyeo. 18 BC: Traditional date for the founding of Baekje by Onjo, a Buyeo Nobleman or the third son of Jumong according to different sources. 17 BC: The oldest known Korean song, Song of the Yellow Bird is written by Yuri of Goguryeo.
Three Kingdoms
42 AD: Traditional date for the founding of Gaya by Suro. 53: Goguryeo begins to become a centralized kingdom under Taejo's reign. 234: Baekje begins to become a centralized kingdom under Goi's reign. 244: Goguryeo is defeated by Cao Wei in the Goguryeo–Wei War.Byington, Mark E. "Control or Conquer? Koguryŏ's Relations with States and Peoples in Manchuria," Journal of Northeast Asian History volume 4, number 1 (June 2007):93. 313: Goguryeo destroys Lelang Commandery, ending the last of the four Han Chinese commanderies established by the Han Dynasty. 356: Silla becomes a centralized kingdom under Naemul's reign. Retrieved on 2008-03-08 371: Baekje's King Geunchogo invades Goguryeo and kills King Gogugwon. 372: Under Sosurim, Goguryeo imports Buddhism from Former Qin of China and adopts it as state sponsored religion. 372: Sosurim also establishes Korea's first National Confucian Academy. 384: Chimnyu of Baekje officially adopts Buddhism. 392: Gwanggaeto the Great of Goguryeo begins his reign, expanding Goguryeo into a major regional power. 413: Jangsu of Goguryeo erects the Gwanggaeto Stele. 433: Baekje and Silla form an alliance against Goguryeo's aggression. 475: Goguryeo attacks Baekje and captures Hanseong (modern day Seoul). Baekje moves its capital south to Ungjin (modern-day Gongju) due to Goguryeo's pressure. 494: Last remains of Buyeo absorbed by Goguryeo.La Universidad de Seúl, 《Seoul Journal of Korean Studies,》, Vol.17, 2004. p.16 498: Baekje attacks Tamna (modern-day Jeju Province), which enters into a tributary relationship with Baekje as a result. 512: Silla vassalizes Usan (modern-day Ulleungdo).Samguk sagi, Book4 520: Silla formalizes the Bone-rank system, an aristocratic rank system that acted as a caste system under the reign of Beopheung of Silla. 527: Silla formally adopts Buddhism after Beopheung of Silla executes Ichadon, a Buddhist convert who had tried to persuade the king to adopt Buddhism. Before he was executed, Ichadon predicted that milk colored blood would spill from his body after his death. This supposed miracle allegedly occurred according to the Samguk yusa and convinced Silla's royal court to adopt Buddhism as its state religion. 538: Baekje moves its capital to Sabi (modern-day Buyeo). 553: Silla attacks Baekje, breaking the alliance. 562: Silla completes annexation of Gaya. 598: First of a series of major Sui dynasty attacks in the Goguryeo–Sui War, which ends in 614 in a costly defeat for Sui. 612: Goguryeo repulses second Sui invasion at the Salsu. 631: Goguryeo builds the first Cheolli Jangseong following Tang incursions into Goguryeo's northwestern border. 645: First campaign in the Goguryeo–Tang War. 648: Silla establishes alliance with Tang. 660: Baekje falls to the Silla-Tang forces. 662: As a result of the fall of Baekje, Tamna enters into a tributary relationship with Silla. 663: Battle of Baekgang, the remnants of Baekje allied with Japanese expeditionary forces are defeated by the Silla-Tang alliance, ending all hopes for the restoration of the kingdom. 668: Goguryeo falls to the Silla-Tang forces.
North–South States period and Later Three Kingdoms
676: Silla repels Chinese forces from the Korean peninsula, completes unification of much of the Three Kingdoms following the Silla-Tang War and successfully defends its independence.Encyclopedia of World History, Vol II, P371 Silla Dynasty, Edited by Marsha E. Ackermann, Michael J. Schroeder, Janice J. Terry, Jiu-Hwa Lo Upshur, Mark F. Whitters, 698: The founding of Balhae by former Goguryeo general Dae Joyeong. 751: Silla, at its cultural peak, constructs Seokguram and Bulguksa. 828: Chang Pogo establishes Cheonghaejin, a major center of trade with China, Japan, and Vietnam. 830: Balhae reaches its peak under King Seon of Balhae. 892: Silla begins to lose control of parts of the peninsula as the brief Later Three Kingdoms period begins. 897: Queen Jinseong of Silla dies. She was the third and last queen regnant in Korean history.Lee Bae-yong, Women in Korean History, Ewha Womans University Press, 2008, pp. 145-147, . 900: Hubaekje ("Later Baekje") established in the southwest of the peninsula. 901: Taebong ("Later Goguryeo") established in the northwest of the peninsula. 918: Founding of Goryeo by Taejo of Goryeo. 926: Balhae falls to Khitan forces. 935: Silla formally surrenders to Goryeo. Retrieved on 2008-03-08 936: Hubaekje formally surrenders to Goryeo.Il-yeon: Samguk Yusa: Legends and History of the Three Kingdoms of Ancient Korea, translated by Tae-Hung Ha and Grafton K. Mintz. Book Two, page 135f. Silk Pagoda (2006).
Goryeo
936: Goryeo completes the reunification of the Later Three Kingdoms, absorbing the entirety of Hubaekje and parts of former Balhae territory. 937: Tae Kwanghyŏn, the last Crown Prince of Balhae, flees to Goryeo with a great portion of the Balhae royalty and aristocracy and settles with tens of thousands of Balhae households there. 938: Goryeo subjugates Tamna. 956: Emperor Gwangjong forces major land and slavery reforms, and in 958 implements civil service examinations. 979: According to the Goryeosa, tens of thousands of Balhae refugees from Jeongan flee to Goryeo, marking the largest Balhae migration since the 936 exodus. 986: Jeongan falls to the Liao Dynasty. 993: The first of three Goryeo–Khitan Wars. 1010: The second ravages the northern border. 1018: The third, Khitan successfully repelled. 1033: Goryeo builds the second Cheolli Jangseong (lit. "Thousand Li Wall"), also known as the Goryeo Jangseong, a massive wall running along the northern border. 1135: Buddhist monk and geomancer Myocheong rebels in a failed attempt to move the capital to Pyongyang and pursue aggressive expansion against the Jin Dynasty. 1145: Kim Pusik compiles the Samguk sagi, Korea's oldest extant history text. 1170: Yi Ŭi-bang overthrows Uijong of Goryeo, beginning a century of military rule known as the Goryeo military regime. 1231: The Mongol invasions of Korea begin and will continue intermittently until 1259. 1234: Ch'oe Yun-ŭi's Sangjeong Gogeum Yemun is published, world's first metal-block printed text. 1251: Goryeo completes the Tripitaka Koreana, the most comprehensive and oldest intact version of the Buddhist canon in Chinese script. 1270: Goryeo signs a peace treaty with the Mongols, beginning an 80-year period of Yuan overlordship. The Sambyeolcho Rebellion lasts for three more years."A History of Korea: From Antiquity to the Present, by Michael J. Seth", p112 1274: Goryeo helps the Mongol Empire during the Mongol invasions of Japan. 1285: Il-yeon compiles the Samguk yusa, record of history and legends. 1356: Goryeo regains its independence under the reign of King Gongmin of Goryeo and momentarily conquers Liaoyang. 1388: General Yi Sŏng-gye, ordered to engage China in a border dispute, turns his troops against the Goryeo court.
Joseon
1392: Yi Sŏnggye is crowned King Taejo, officially beginning the Joseon dynasty. 1394: Capital moved to Hanyang (now Seoul). 1395: The palace Gyeongbokgung is established in Hanyang. 1398 The occurs. The capital is moved back to Kaesong. 1400: The occurs. 1402: Paper currency initiated 1405 The capital is moved back to Hanyang. The palace Changdeokgung is established in Hanyang. 1412–1414: Namdaemun Market, now the oldest extant market in Korea, is established. 1418: Sejong the Great ascends the throne. 1420: The government research institute Hall of Worthies is established. 1424: Goryeosa compiled. 1426: Two fires destroy much of Hanyang. 1446: The Hangul alphabet, created 3 years earlier, is promulgated by King Sejong the Great. 1586: Local nobleman Yi Ŭngt'ae dies, leaving a pregnant widow and a child named Wŏn behind. His widow leaves a grief-stricken letter in his tomb that is later discovered in 1998 and becomes famous internationally.
Imjin War 1592: The Imjin War begins. 4th month. All the palaces in Seoul are burnt down. 1597: The Chŏngyu War begins. 1593: The war causes the Kyegap Famine () to begin. It lasts until 1594. 1597: António Corea, a Korean slave kidnapped and taken to Japan, is sold to an Italian master. He is then taken to Italy at latest by 1600, and becomes possibly the first Korean to set foot in Europe.
Late Joseon period 1626–1627: Pyŏngjŏng Famine (). 1627: The Later Jin invasion of Joseon occurs. 1636: The Qing invasion of Joseon ends in Joseon's defeat, and Korea is made a tributary of Qing China. 1653: Dutch mariner Hendrick Hamel becomes stranded on Jeju Island. The isolationist Joseon government prevents him from leaving, although he is given relative freedom to live normally on the peninsula.