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

• 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)