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

• 548 BC -- Croesus, Lydian king, defeated by Cyrus.
• 546 BC -- Lydia conquered by Persia.
• 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 sothern Italy founded (approximate date).

Significant people

• 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)