---
title: "Church history timeline — Orthodoxy"
description: "Major events and periods by year. The Orthodox Church calendar, icons, prayers, lives of saints and Church history on spas.life."
url: "https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/history/timeline"
language: "en"
---

# Church history timeline

Major events and periods by year.

1. 33–100

   [The Apostolic Age](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/history/history-apostolic-age)

   The birth of the Church at Pentecost and the preaching of the apostles in the 1st century.

2. 64–313

   [Early Christianity and the Persecutions](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/history/history-persecutions)

   From Nero's persecution to the Edict of Milan in 313.

3. 300–1400

   [Monasticism](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/history/history-monasticism)

   From the Egyptian desert fathers of the 4th century to Mount Athos and the Russian lavras.

4. 325

   [The First Ecumenical Council (Nicaea, 325)](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/history/history-council1)

   Convened by the Emperor Constantine, the Council condemned the teaching of Arius and confessed the Son consubstantial with the Father.

5. 325–787

   [The Ecumenical Councils](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/history/history-councils)

   The seven Ecumenical Councils (325–787) formulated the dogmas of the Trinity, of Christ and of the veneration of icons.

6. 330–1453

   [Byzantium and the Liturgy](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/history/history-byzantium)

   Constantinople as the centre of the Orthodox world: Hagia Sophia, the Liturgy, hymnography.

7. 381

   [The Second Ecumenical Council (Constantinople, 381)](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/history/history-council2)

   The Council confirmed the Nicene faith, confessed the divinity of the Holy Spirit and completed the Creed.

8. 431

   [The Third Ecumenical Council (Ephesus, 431)](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/history/history-council3)

   The Council condemned the teaching of Nestorius and confessed the Virgin Mary as Theotokos.

9. 451

   [The Fourth Ecumenical Council (Chalcedon, 451)](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/history/history-council4)

   The Council confessed one person in Christ in two natures — “without confusion, without change, without division, without separation”.

10. 553

    [The Fifth Ecumenical Council (Constantinople, 553)](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/history/history-council5)

    Under the Emperor Justinian the Council condemned the “Three Chapters” and interpreted the Chalcedonian definition in the spirit of St Cyril.

11. 680–681

    [The Sixth Ecumenical Council (Constantinople, 680–681)](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/history/history-council6)

    The Council confessed two natural wills and two energies in Christ, condemning Monothelitism.

12. 787

    [The Seventh Ecumenical Council (Nicaea, 787)](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/history/history-council7)

    The Council condemned iconoclasm and affirmed the veneration of holy icons.

13. 988

    [The Baptism of Rus](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/history/history-baptism-of-rus)

    The adoption of Christianity by Kievan Rus under Prince Vladimir in 988.

14. 1054

    [The Schism of 1054](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/history/history-schism1054)

    The mutual anathemas of 1054 and the gradual estrangement of East and West.

15. 1448–2000

    [History of the Russian Church: from Metropolis to Patriarchate and the 20th century](https://spas.life/en/orthodoxy/history/history-russian-church)

    Milestones: autocephaly 1448, Patriarchate 1589, the Synodal period, the Council of 1917–1918, the persecutions of the 20th century.