for the people next door

Timeline

Faiths through time

When each of your neighbors' faiths began, and how they came to America. Every dot is a moment people still remember.

More than 15,000 years ago: Native peoples in North AmericaAbout 2000 BC: Abraham answers God's callAbout 1500 BC: The Rig VedaAbout 1450 BC: The Exodus and the Torah at SinaiAbout 500 BC: The Buddha teachesAbout 400 BC to AD 200: The Bhagavad GitaAbout 250 BC: Emperor AshokaAbout 6 BC: Jesus is bornAbout AD 30: Jesus' death and resurrectionAD 610: The Qur'an's revelation beginsAD 622: The Hijra1469: Guru Nanak is born1699: The Khalsa is founded1787: No religious test for office1791: The First Amendment1820: The First VisionApril 6, 1830: The Church is organized1965: Immigration and Nationality Act1978: American Indian Religious Freedom Act2023–24: 29 percent unaffiliated

Long ago

Before 1 BC

  1. More than 15,000 years ago

    Native peoples in North America

    Native peoples have lived here for at least 15,000 years; many tribes teach they have always been here.

    Native neighbors Source

  2. About 2000 BC

    Abraham answers God's call

    Jews remember Abraham as the first patriarch, who left his homeland to follow the one God.

    Jewish neighbors Source

  3. About 1500 BC

    The Rig Veda

    The Rig Veda, oldest of the Vedas, is composed; Hindus honor the Vedas as sacred, timeless wisdom.

    Hindu neighbors Source

  4. About 1450 BC

    The Exodus and the Torah at Sinai

    Jews remember God freeing the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and giving the Torah at Mount Sinai.

    Jewish neighbors Source

  5. About 1010 BC

    David becomes king

    David becomes king of Israel; Jewish tradition looks for a future Messiah from his family line.

    Jewish neighbors Source

  6. About 800 to 500 BC

    The early Upanishads

    The first Upanishads teach that each person's true self, atman, is one with Brahman, the ultimate reality.

    Hindu neighbors Source

  7. 586 BC

    The First Temple is destroyed

    Babylon destroys Jerusalem and Solomon's Temple and takes many Jews into exile; Jews still mourn this on Tisha B'Av.

    Jewish neighbors Source

  8. About 500 BC

    The Buddha teaches

    Siddhartha Gautama becomes the Buddha, the "Awakened One"; Buddhists follow his path to end suffering.

    Buddhist neighbors Source

  9. About 400 BC to AD 200

    The Bhagavad Gita

    In the Gita, Krishna teaches Prince Arjuna about duty and devotion; many Hindus believe it is far older.

    Hindu neighbors Source

  10. About 250 BC

    Emperor Ashoka

    India's Emperor Ashoka embraces Buddhism and supports it, helping the teaching spread across India and beyond.

    Buddhist neighbors Source

  11. About 6 BC

    Jesus is born

    Jesus is born in Bethlehem; Christians believe he is the Son of God and the promised Messiah.

    Christian neighbors Source

The first thousand years

AD 1 to 1000

  1. About AD 30

    Jesus' death and resurrection

    Jesus is crucified in Jerusalem; Christians believe he rose from the dead on the third day.

    Christian neighbors Source

  2. About AD 30

    Pentecost

    Christians believe the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus' followers at Pentecost, and the church began to spread.

    Christian neighbors Source

  3. 1st century AD

    Buddhism reaches China

    Traders and teachers bring Buddhism along the Silk Road to China, where it later becomes a major faith.

    Buddhist neighbors Source

  4. AD 70

    The Second Temple is destroyed

    Roman armies destroy the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem, and Jewish life turns toward prayer, study and the synagogue.

    Jewish neighbors Source

  5. About AD 200

    The Mishnah is written down

    Rabbi Judah the Prince gathers Jewish oral teachings into the Mishnah, a guide to living out the Torah.

    Jewish neighbors Source

  6. AD 325

    The Council of Nicaea

    Church leaders meet at Nicaea and affirm that Jesus is fully God, shaping the creed many churches still say.

    Christian neighbors Source

  7. About AD 500

    The Babylonian Talmud is completed

    Rabbis in Babylonia finish the Talmud, a huge record of discussion that Jews still study together today.

    Jewish neighbors Source

  8. AD 538 or 552

    Buddhism reaches Japan

    A Korean king sends a Buddha statue and scriptures to Japan, where Buddhism soon wins royal support.

    Buddhist neighbors Source

  9. About AD 570

    The Prophet Muhammad is born

    Muhammad is born in Mecca, in Arabia; Muslims honor him as the last prophet sent by God.

    Muslim neighbors Source

  10. AD 610

    The Qur'an's revelation begins

    Muslims believe the angel Gabriel began revealing the Qur'an to Muhammad in a cave near Mecca.

    Muslim neighbors Source

  11. AD 622

    The Hijra

    Muhammad and his followers move from Mecca to Medina; this journey marks year 1 of the Islamic calendar.

    Muslim neighbors Source

  12. AD 632

    The Prophet's death

    Muhammad dies in Medina; Muslims believe the revelation of the Qur'an was complete by then.

    Muslim neighbors Source

  13. AD 680

    Karbala

    Husayn, the Prophet's grandson, is killed at Karbala; Shia Muslims mourn him each year on Ashura.

    Muslim neighbors Source

A changing world

1001 to 1775

  1. 1054

    East and West split

    Church leaders in Rome and Constantinople excommunicate each other, deepening the split between Catholic and Orthodox churches.

    Christian neighbors Source

  2. 1469

    Guru Nanak is born

    Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru, is born in Punjab and teaches devotion to one God for all.

    Sikh neighbors Source

  3. 1517

    The Reformation begins

    Martin Luther's 95 Theses challenge church practices and spark the Protestant Reformation and many new churches.

    Christian neighbors Source

  4. 1565

    First parish in today's U.S.

    Spanish Catholics hold Mass at St. Augustine, Florida, starting the oldest Christian parish in the continental United States.

    Christian neighbors Source

  5. 1604

    The Adi Granth is compiled

    Guru Arjan, the fifth Guru, completes the Adi Granth, gathering the Gurus' hymns into one holy book.

    Sikh neighbors Source

  6. 1649

    Maryland Toleration Act

    Maryland protects Christians of different churches, but still threatens death for anyone who denies the Trinity.

    Religious freedom in America Source

  7. 1654

    Jews arrive in New Amsterdam

    Twenty-three Jewish refugees from Brazil land in New Amsterdam, today's New York, and start a lasting Jewish community.

    Jewish neighbors Source

  8. 1699

    The Khalsa is founded

    On Vaisakhi, Guru Gobind Singh founds the Khalsa, a community of initiated Sikhs committed to faith and justice.

    Sikh neighbors Source

  9. 1708

    The scripture becomes the Guru

    Guru Gobind Singh names the holy scripture as the Sikhs' eternal Guru, now called the Guru Granth Sahib.

    Sikh neighbors Source

Neighbors in America

1776 to today

  1. 1786

    Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom

    Virginia adopts Jefferson's law saying no one can be forced to attend or support any church.

    Religious freedom in America Source

  2. 1787

    No religious test for office

    The Constitution says no religious test shall ever be required to hold federal office or public trust.

    Neighbors with no religion Source

  3. 1790

    Washington writes to Newport's Jews

    George Washington tells Newport's Jewish congregation the U.S. "gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance."

    Jewish neighbors Source

  4. 1791

    The First Amendment

    The First Amendment is ratified, keeping the federal government from setting up an official religion.

    Neighbors with no religion Source

  5. 1791

    The First Amendment

    The Bill of Rights is ratified, protecting free exercise of religion and barring an official national church.

    Religious freedom in America Source

  6. 1816

    The AME Church is founded

    Richard Allen and other Black Methodists form the African Methodist Episcopal Church after facing racism in white-led churches.

    Christian neighbors Source

  7. 1820

    The First Vision

    Latter-day Saints believe God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to young Joseph Smith in a New York grove.

    Latter-day Saint neighbors Source

  8. 1830

    The Book of Mormon is published

    The Book of Mormon is printed in New York; members accept it as scripture alongside the Bible.

    Latter-day Saint neighbors Source

  9. April 6, 1830

    The Church is organized

    Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery and others formally organize the Church at a meeting in western New York.

    Latter-day Saint neighbors Source

  10. 1830

    The Indian Removal Act

    Congress passes the Indian Removal Act, leading to the forced removal of Cherokee and other nations from their homelands.

    Native neighbors Source

  11. 1831

    An enslaved Muslim writes his story

    Many enslaved Africans in America were Muslim; Omar ibn Said writes his life story in Arabic.

    Muslim neighbors Source

  12. 1847

    Pioneers reach the Salt Lake Valley

    After being driven from Illinois, pioneers led by Brigham Young arrive in the Salt Lake Valley on July 24.

    Latter-day Saint neighbors Source

  13. 1868

    The Navajo come home

    After the Long Walk and years at Bosque Redondo, Navajo leaders sign a treaty to return to their homeland.

    Native neighbors Source

  14. 1883

    Ceremonies punished

    The U.S. sets up courts to punish Native people for traditional ceremonies like the Sun Dance.

    Native neighbors Source

  15. 1890

    The Manifesto

    Church President Wilford Woodruff issues the Manifesto, advising members to stop entering plural marriages forbidden by law.

    Latter-day Saint neighbors Source

  16. 1893

    Vivekananda speaks in Chicago

    Swami Vivekananda opens with "Sisters and brothers of America" at Chicago's Parliament of Religions, introducing many Americans to Hinduism.

    Hindu neighbors Source

  17. 1893

    Dharmapala speaks in Chicago

    Anagarika Dharmapala of Sri Lanka speaks for South Asia's Buddhists at Chicago's World's Parliament of Religions.

    Buddhist neighbors Source

  18. 1899

    Buddhist Mission of North America

    Japanese immigrants start a Pure Land temple in San Francisco, the root of today's Buddhist Churches of America.

    Buddhist neighbors Source

  19. 1903

    First Sikhs arrive in the U.S.

    Records show the first Sikh immigrants from Punjab arriving in the United States, many coming by way of Canada.

    Sikh neighbors Source

  20. 1905

    A Hindu temple in San Francisco

    The Vedanta Society builds its Old Temple in San Francisco, often called the first Hindu temple in the West.

    Hindu neighbors Source

  21. 1912

    The first U.S. gurdwara

    Sikhs in Stockton, California, open the first gurdwara, or Sikh house of worship, in the United States.

    Sikh neighbors Source

  22. 1924

    The Indian Citizenship Act

    A new law makes Native Americans born in the United States citizens of the country.

    Native neighbors Source

  23. 1934

    The Mother Mosque opens

    Muslims in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, open a mosque that is now the oldest surviving mosque in America.

    Muslim neighbors Source

  24. 1940

    Cantwell v. Connecticut

    In a case about Jehovah's Witnesses, the Supreme Court rules that states, too, must respect religious freedom.

    Religious freedom in America Source

  25. 1957

    A Sikh in Congress

    Dalip Singh Saund, a Sikh immigrant from India, becomes the first Asian American to serve in Congress.

    Sikh neighbors Source

  26. 1961

    Torcaso v. Watkins

    The Supreme Court rules Maryland cannot make Roy Torcaso declare belief in God to serve as a notary public.

    Neighbors with no religion Source

  27. 1965

    A new immigration law

    A new U.S. law opens immigration from India, and many Hindu students and professionals begin to arrive.

    Hindu neighbors Source

  28. 1965

    Immigration and Nationality Act

    A new law ends national-origin quotas, and immigrants of many more faiths begin arriving in America.

    Religious freedom in America Source

  29. 1977

    Traditional temples are consecrated

    Hindus consecrate traditional temples in Pittsburgh and in Flushing, New York, among the first of many across America.

    Hindu neighbors Source

  30. 1978

    Priesthood opened to all races

    Church leaders announce a revelation that all worthy male members may hold the priesthood, regardless of race.

    Latter-day Saint neighbors Source

  31. 1978

    American Indian Religious Freedom Act

    Congress passes a law meant to protect Native peoples' right to practice their traditional religions.

    Native neighbors Source

  32. 1978

    American Indian Religious Freedom Act

    Congress pledges to protect the traditional religions of American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians.

    Religious freedom in America Source

  33. 1993

    Religious Freedom Restoration Act

    Congress passes a law limiting how much government may burden any person's practice of their religion.

    Religious freedom in America Source

  34. 2006

    First Muslim elected to Congress

    Voters in Minnesota elect Keith Ellison, the first Muslim ever elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

    Muslim neighbors Source

  35. 2007

    16 percent unaffiliated

    A large Pew Research Center survey finds that 16 percent of U.S. adults have no religious affiliation.

    Neighbors with no religion Source

  36. 2014

    23 percent unaffiliated

    Pew's next large survey finds the share of religiously unaffiliated adults has grown to 23 percent.

    Neighbors with no religion Source

  37. 2023–24

    29 percent unaffiliated

    Pew finds 29 percent of U.S. adults are atheist, agnostic or "nothing in particular," a share that has leveled off.

    Neighbors with no religion Source

  38. 2025

    A worldwide church

    The Church reports nearly 17.9 million members around the world at the end of 2025.

    Latter-day Saint neighbors Source

  39. 2026

    575 recognized tribes

    The federal government's official list now names 575 tribes, after adding the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.

    Native neighbors Source

Dates before about 500 BC are traditional and approximate. For Bible events we use the same dates as the Bible timeline on Free Scripture. Jewish tradition counts some of them differently, for example placing the Exodus around 1313 BC. Faith claims are written the way each community would say them.

For the whole Bible story in order, see the Bible timeline on Free Scripture →