Dossier №270

2,012 AD

NASA’s Curiosity rover lands inside Gale Crater on Mars using a rocket-powered sky crane.

This question uses 2012 AD as its sourced chronological anchor.

The rover began a long investigation of whether ancient Mars offered conditions suitable for microbial life.

1,368 AD

Zhu Yuanzhang declares the Ming dynasty after driving the Yuan court from Beijing.

This question uses 1368 AD as its sourced chronological anchor.

The new dynasty restored Chinese rule and rebuilt institutions after decades of rebellion and war.

1,609 AD

Johannes Kepler publishes evidence that planets move in elliptical rather than circular orbits.

This question uses 1609 AD as its sourced chronological anchor.

Astronomia nova introduced two laws of planetary motion and replaced ideal circles with a more accurate mathematical astronomy.

319 AD

Chandragupta I begins the reign in which Gupta power first takes an imperial form.

This question uses 319 AD as its sourced chronological anchor.

His reign is conventionally dated from around 319, and his title “king of great kings” distinguishes him from his less powerful predecessors.

1,000 AD

Settlement begins around the site that develops into Great Zimbabwe.

This question uses 1000 AD as its sourced chronological anchor.

Major stone construction followed in the eleventh century, and the city became the center of a Shona-speaking state tied to cattle, gold, and Indian Ocean exchange.