1st century

The 1st century was the century spanning AD 1 (represented by the Roman numeral I) through AD 100 (C) according to the Julian calendar. It is often written as the 1st century AD or 1st century CE to distinguish it from the 1st century BC (or BCE) which preceded it. The 1st century is considered part of the Classical era, epoch, or historical period. The Roman Empire, Han China and the Parthian Persia were the most powerful and hegemonic states.

During this century, the Roman Empire (ruled by the Julio-Claudian and Flavian dynasties) continued to be in a period of relative stability known as Pax Romana, withstanding a financial crisis in 33 and a civil war in 69. In Europe, Rome expanded into Britain and fought wars in Germania and Dacia. In Africa, Rome was challenged by Tacfarinas, who led his own Musulamii tribe and a loose and changing coalition of other Berber tribes before being defeated in 24. In West Asia, Rome defeated a Jewish rebellion (66–73) and fought a war with Parthia from 58–63, though the latter conflict was inconclusive. In East Asia, the Chinese Western Han dynasty was overthrown and replaced by the Xin dynasty in 9, which in turn faced its own rebel movements (namely the Red Eyebrows and Lulin), and was replaced by the Eastern Han dynasty in 25. The Eastern Han dynasty then faced and quelled a rebellion by the Trưng sisters (40–43). In 58, the Eastern Han dynasty entered a golden age with the Rule of Ming and Zhang, who were generally regarded as able administrators who cared about the welfare of the people and who promoted officials with integrity. On its northern frontier, the Chinese dynasties waged intermittent war with the Xiongnu before emerging victorious in 91. The states of Funan and Xianbei were also established in this century.

The century saw the origination of Christianity from Palestine. In the early 30s, Roman governor Pontius Pilate sentenced Jesus to crucifixion; his suffering and redemptive death by crucifixion would become central aspects of Christian theology concerning the doctrines of salvation and atonement. Anti-Jewish riots broke out in Alexandria in 38. In 64, the Great Fire of Rome destroyed two-thirds of the city, precipitating the empire's first persecution of Christians, who were blamed for the disaster. Later in 70, the siege and subsequent sack of Jerusalem and the Second Temple during the First Jewish–Roman War marked a major turning point in Jewish history. The loss of mother-city and temple necessitated a reshaping of Jewish culture to ensure its survival. Judaism's Temple-based sects, including the priesthood and the Sadducees, diminished in importance. Second Temple Judaism came to an end, while a new form of Judaism that became known as Rabbinic Judaism developed out of Pharisaic school. Furthermore, the White Horse Temple, the first Buddhist temple in China, was traditionally constructed in 68, though it is not recorded in contemporary sources before 289.

Several natural disasters took place in this century. In 17, an earthquake struck the region of Lydia in the Roman province of Asia in Asia Minor (now part of Turkey), causing the destruction of at least 12 cities, with Sardis being most affected. Around 44 to 48, a famine took place in Judea, precipitating assistance by Helena of Adiabene and her son, Izates II. In 62, an earthquake of an estimated magnitude of between 5 and 6 and a maximum intensity of IX or X on the Mercalli scale struck the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, severely damaging them. The towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum both suffered major damage, with damage to some buildings also reported from Naples and Nuceria. In 79, Mount Vesuvius violently spewed forth a deadly cloud of super-heated tephra and gases to a height of 33 km, ejecting molten rock, pulverized pumice and hot ash. The event destroyed several towns and minor settlements in the area, at the time part of the Roman Empire, with Pompeii and Herculaneum being the most famous examples. The total population of both cities was over twenty thousand. The remains of over 1,500 people have been found at Pompeii and Herculaneum so far, although the total death toll from the eruption remains unknown.

Regional politics

 * Western Europe: Celtic, Germanic, Saami and Finnic tribal chiefdom and the Roman Empire
 * Eastern Europe: Roman Empire, Dacian, Sarmatian, Venedae and Balt tribal chiefdoms
 * North Africa: Roman Empire, Garamantes, Mauri, Libyan and Gaetulian tribal chiefdoms
 * West Africa: Gur, Kwa, Soninke and Mande tribal chiefdoms
 * Central Africa: Bantu tribes, collapsing Nok culture, Nok civilization
 * East Africa: Kingdom of Kush, Kingdom of Blemmyes, Kingdom of Aksum
 * Southern Africa: Bantu tribes, Khoisan
 * Western Asia: Roman and Parthian Empires, Sabaean and Arabian Kingdoms
 * Central Asia: Kushan Empire, Sarmatian, Dahae and other Iranian tribal chiefdoms
 * South Asia: Kushan Empire, Western Satraps, Satavahana Empire, Dravidian Kingdoms, Kingdom of Kalinga, Indo-Parthian Kingdom, Zhangzhung
 * Southeast Asia: Mandala of city-states, Kingdom of Funan
 * East Asia: Han dynasty, Yamatai, Xiongnu and Xianbei tribal chiefdoms, Three Kingdoms of Korea (Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla)
 * Central America: Mayan, Teotihuacan and Zapotec civilizations
 * South America: Nazca, Moche civilizations, Tairona tribal chiefdoms

Inventions, discoveries, introductions

 * Codex, the first form of the modern book, appears in the Roman Empire.
 * Various inventions by Hero of Alexandria, including the steam turbine (aeolipile), water organ, and various other water-powered machines.
 * c. AD 23: the Chinese astronomer Liu Xin dies, he documented 1080 different stars, amongst other achievements.
 * AD 31: the Han dynasty Chinese engineer and statesman Du Shi (d. AD 38) from Nanyang invented the first-known hydraulic-powered bellows to heat the blast furnace in smelting cast iron. He used a complex mechanical device that was powered by the rushing current against a waterwheel, a practice that would continue in China.
 * AD 78: the beginning of the Saka Era used by South Asian calendars.
 * c. AD 80: although Philo of Byzantium described the saqiya chain pump in the early 2nd century BC, the square-pallet chain pump was innovated in China during this century, mentioned first by the philosopher Wang Chong around AD 80. Wang Chong also accurately described the water cycle in meteorology, and argued against the mainstream 'radiating influence' theory for solar eclipses, the latter of which was accepted by many, including Zhang Heng.