580s BC

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

Decades: 620s BC - 610s BC - 600s BC - 590s BC - 580s BC - 570s BC - 560s BC - 550s BC - 540s BC - 530s BC

Events and trends

*589 BC - Apries succeeds Psammetichus II as king of Egypt.
*588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon begins siege of Jerusalem; the opera Nabucco sets the date at 587 BC.
*587 BC - Jerusalem falls to the Babylonians, ending the Kingdom of Judah. The conquerors destroy the Jewish Temple of Jerusalem and exile the land's remaining inhabitants.
*586 BC - Death of Zhou ding wang, King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
*May 28, 585 BC - A solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Thales, while Alyattes II is battling Cyaxares. This leads to a truce. This is one of the cardinal dates from which other dates can be calculated.
*585/584 BC - Astyages succeeds Cyaxares as King of the Medes.
*585 BC - Zhou jian wang becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
*582 BC - Pythian Games founded at Delphi. (traditional date)
*580 BC - Cambyses I succeeds Cyrus I as king of Anshan and head of the Achaemenid dynasty. (approximate date)
*580 BC - Isthmian Games founded at Corinth. (traditional date)

Significant people

*Nebuchadnezzar II, King of Babylon.
*585 BC - Birth of Anaximenes of Miletus, Greek philosopher († 525 BC).
*585 BCE - Death of Emperor Jimmu of Japan
*582 BC - Birth of Pythagoras in Samos, Greek philosopher and mathematician († 496 BC).
*580 BC - Death of Cyrus I of Anshan (approximate date).