Here you’ll find 19 Historical events that start with Q, organized from “Qarmatian sack of Mecca” to “Quito Revolution”. Many entries span battles, revolutions, and religious movements with global and regional impact.
Historical events that start with Q are notable occurrences whose common English names begin with the letter Q. They include early Islamic-era episodes like the Qarmatian sack, and modern uprisings such as the Quito Revolution.
Below you’ll find the table with Year, Location and Significance.
Year: Records the year or date range of the event so you can place it chronologically and compare historical timelines.
Location: Gives a concise city, region, or country so you can map events geographically and understand regional context.
Significance: Summarizes the event’s importance in 15–25 words so you can quickly grasp causes and consequences.
Historical events that start with Q
| Event | Year | Location | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quiet Revolution | 1960–1966 | Quebec, Canada | Révolution tranquille |
| Quasi-War | 1798–1800 | Atlantic, Caribbean, United States & France | Undeclared naval war with France |
| Quebec Act | 1774 | Province of Quebec, British North America (Canada) | Quebec Act of 1774 |
| Quebec Conference (1943) | 1943 | Quebec City, Canada | Quadrant (First Quebec Conference) |
| Quebec Conference (1944) | 1944 | Quebec City, Canada | Octagon (Second Quebec Conference) |
| Quebec Referendum (1980) | 1980 | Quebec, Canada | 1980 Quebec referendum |
| Quebec Referendum (1995) | 1995 | Quebec, Canada | 1995 Quebec referendum |
| Quartering Acts | 1765–1774 | Thirteen Colonies, British North America | Quartering Acts (1765, 1774) |
| Qarmatian sack of Mecca | 930 | Mecca, Arabian Peninsula (now Saudi Arabia) | Sack of Mecca (930) |
| Qin unification of China | 221 BC | China | Unification under Qin Shi Huang |
| Qing conquest of the Ming | c. 1618–1662 | China | Manchu conquest of China |
| Qing conquest of Taiwan | 1683 | Taiwan (Formosa) | Qing annexation of Taiwan |
| Qianlong’s Ten Great Campaigns | 1755–1792 | Qing Empire (Central Asia, Tibet, Burma) | Ten Great Campaigns |
| Quetta earthquake | 1935 | Quetta, British India (now Pakistan) | 1935 Quetta earthquake |
| Quadruple Alliance | 1815 | Europe | Quadruple Alliance (UK, Austria, Prussia, Russia) |
| Quito Revolution | 1809 | Quito, present‑day Ecuador | First Cry of Independence (Quito) |
| Queen Anne’s War | 1702–1713 | North America | War of the Spanish Succession (North American theatre) |
| Quaternary extinction | c. 12,000–8,000 BCE | Global | Late Pleistocene extinction |
| Qarmatian state establishment | c. 899 | al‑Hasa region, Arabian Peninsula | Foundation of the Qarmatian movement |
Descriptions
Quiet Revolution
A rapid social and political transformation in Quebec that secularized institutions, expanded state services, and fueled Quebec nationalism, reshaping Canadian society and federal politics.
Quasi-War
An undeclared naval conflict between the U.S. and France that spurred U.S. naval development and shaped early American foreign policy after the Revolution.
Quebec Act
British legislation expanding Quebec’s borders and protecting Catholic rights; enraged American colonists and became one of the “Intolerable Acts” before the American Revolution.
Quebec Conference (1943)
Allied wartime summit where Roosevelt and Churchill coordinated strategy, including cross‑channel invasion planning and combined operations in WWII.
Quebec Conference (1944)
Follow-up Allied meeting addressing Pacific strategy, logistics and coordination for 1945 operations between Britain, the U.S., and Canada.
Quebec Referendum (1980)
First major referendum on Quebec sovereignty‑association; voters rejected sovereignty, shaping decades of Canadian constitutional politics and federal‑provincial relations.
Quebec Referendum (1995)
A narrowly defeated referendum on Quebec independence (NO 50.58%); polarized Canadian politics and prompted constitutional, cultural, and federal responses.
Quartering Acts
British laws requiring colonial accommodation of soldiers; seen as infringements on liberties and listed among grievances leading to the American Revolution.
Qarmatian sack of Mecca
Radical Ismaili Qarmatians attacked Mecca in 930, desecrated holy sites and stole the Black Stone, shocking the Muslim world and destabilizing the region.
Qin unification of China
The Qin state’s conquest of rival kingdoms unified China under an emperor, standardizing laws, weights, and scripts and founding imperial Chinese governance.
Qing conquest of the Ming
The Manchu‑led overthrow of the Ming dynasty, establishing the Qing and radically altering China’s ruling dynasty, administration, and relations with neighbors.
Qing conquest of Taiwan
Qing forces defeated the Ming loyalist Kingdom of Tungning, bringing Taiwan under Qing rule and integrating it into imperial administration.
Qianlong’s Ten Great Campaigns
A series of military campaigns ordered by the Qianlong Emperor that expanded and consolidated Qing control across Central Asia, Tibet, and parts of Southeast Asia.
Quetta earthquake
A catastrophic quake that leveled Quetta, killing an estimated c. 30,000–60,000 people and prompting major colonial emergency responses and city reconstruction.
Quadruple Alliance
A post‑Napoleonic coalition created to enforce the Congress of Vienna settlement and maintain European stability, shaping 19th‑century diplomacy and balance of power.
Quito Revolution
One of South America’s earliest independence uprisings, Quito’s 1809 revolt helped spark the broader Latin American wars of independence from Spain.
Queen Anne’s War
Colonial conflict between Britain and France (and allies) over North American territories; influenced settlement patterns and imperial rivalries in the region.
Quaternary extinction
A major, global loss of large mammals at the end of the last Ice Age, reshaping ecosystems and human hunting strategies across continents.
Qarmatian state establishment
Formation of a radical Ismaili polity that challenged Abbasid authority, controlled parts of eastern Arabia, and conducted disruptive raids across the region.