540s BC

Centuries: 7th century BC - 6th century BC - 5th century BC

Decades: 590s BC - 580s BC - 570s BC - 560s BC - 550s BC - 540s BC - 530s BC - 520s BC - 510s BC - 500s BC - 490s BC

Events and trends

* 547 BC -- Croesus, Lydian king, is defeated by Cyrus of Persia near the River Halys.
* 546 BC -- Cyrus of Persia completes his conquest of Lydia, and makes Pasargadae his capital.
* 544 BC -- People of Teos migrate to Abdera, Thrace to escape the yoke of Persia.
* 544 BC -- Zhou Jing Wang becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
* 543 BC -- North Indian Prince Vijaya invades Ceylon and establishes a Sinhalese dynasty.
* 543 BC -- Pisistratus, tyrant of Athens, purifies the island of Delos (approximate date).
* 540 BC -- Greek city of Elea of southern Italy founded (approximate date).
* 540 BC -- Persians conquer Lycian city of Xanthos now in southern Turkey (approximate date).

Significant people

* 549 BC -- Birth of Darius I.
* 547 BC -- Death of Croesus.
* 546 BC -- Death of Anaximander, Greek philosopher (approximate date).
* 545 BC -- Death of Zhou ling wang, King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
* 543 BC -- Death of Gautama Buddha (traditional in Thailand and elsewhere - basis of the Thai solar calendar).
* 543 BC -- Death of Thales, Greek philosopher.
* 540 BC -- Amyntas I becomes king of Macedonia (approximate date).