Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar Begins: Year Zero for the Maya
The Mesoamerican Long Count calendar begins on a date corresponding to August 11, 3114 BCE in the Gregorian calendar. The Maya didn't choose this date at random — it corresponded to a mythological creation event they understood to be the start of the current world. The calendar cycles back to zero every 5,125 years. When it did in December 2012, nothing happened.
August 11, 3114 BC
Key Figures & Places
Maya civilization
Wikipedia
Mesoamerican Long Count calendar
Wikipedia
pre-Colombian
Wikipedia
Mesoamerica
Wikipedia
Mayan Civilization
Wikipedia
pre-Columbian
Wikipedia
Maya civilization
Wikipedia
32nd century BC
Wikipedia
Mesoamerican Long Count calendar
Wikipedia
Pre-Columbian era
Wikipedia
Mesoamerica
Wikipedia
IV milenio a. C.
Wikipedia
Calendario maya
Wikipedia
What Else Happened on August 11
Hayk the Great struck down the Babylonian tyrant Bel with a single arrow, shattering his army and securing the independence of the Armenian people. This victory…
The Battle of Artemisium in 480 BCE lasted three days and ended in a draw that got called a Persian victory. The Greek fleet absorbed punishment, gave some back…
Emperor Trajan formally annexed Dacia as a Roman province, securing the empire's control over the region's vast gold and silver mines. This conquest brought the…
Hadrian assumed control of the Roman Empire following Trajan’s death, inheriting a state stretched to its geographic limits by his predecessor’s conquests. He i…
Claudius Silvanus seized the imperial purple in Cologne after a campaign of slander by his rivals forced his hand against Constantius II. This desperate rebelli…
The Goths under Theodoric the Great routed Odoacer's forces at the Battle of Adda, near Milan. The victory opened the road to Ravenna and effectively decided th…
Talk to History
Have a conversation with historical figures who witnessed this era. Ask questions, explore perspectives, and bring history to life.