This list includes 28 Historical events that start with Y, from “Yalta Conference” to “Yukon Gold Rush”. It covers global political, social, and cultural milestones and lesser-known regional events.
Historical events that start with Y are notable incidents, movements, or meetings whose common English names begin with Y. Many played outsized roles in diplomacy or resource booms, like the Yalta Conference and Yukon Gold Rush.
Below you’ll find the table with Year, Location and Significance.
Year: You can use the year to place events on a timeline and compare chronological relationships quickly.
Location: Location shows where the event happened, helping you map regional patterns and focus further research.
Significance: Significance gives a concise 15–25 word summary of impact so you can judge importance quickly.
Historical events that start with Y
| Event | Year | Location | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yom Kippur War | 1973 | Middle East (Israel, Egypt, Syria) | War |
| Yalta Conference | 1945 | Yalta, Crimea (then Soviet Union) | Diplomatic conference |
| Yellow Turban Rebellion | 184–205 CE | China | Peasant uprising |
| Year Without a Summer | 1816 | Global (Northern Hemisphere) | Climate anomaly / Natural disaster |
| Young Turk Revolution | 1908 | Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey) | Revolution |
| Yugoslav Wars | 1991–2001 | The Balkans (former Yugoslavia) | Series of wars / Ethnic conflicts |
| Year of the Four Emperors | 69 CE | Roman Empire | Civil war / Political crisis |
| Yorktown Campaign | 1781 | Yorktown, Virginia, USA | Military campaign / Decisive battle |
| Yukon Gold Rush | 1896–1899 | Yukon Territory, Canada | Gold rush / Mass migration |
| Yarmouk, Battle of | 636 CE | Yarmouk River (near modern Syria-Jordan border) | Decisive battle |
| Yalu River, Battle of the (1894) | 1894 | Yellow Sea (off Yalu River mouth) | Naval battle |
| Yellow River Flood (1931) | 1931 | China | Natural disaster / Flood |
| Yuan Dynasty establishment | 1271 CE | China | Dynastic founding |
| Yazoo Land Scandal | 1795 | Georgia, USA | Political scandal |
| Young Plan | 1929 | International (Germany, Allied Powers) | Financial agreement |
| Yandabo, Treaty of | 1826 | Yandabo, Myanmar | Peace treaty |
| Young Irelander Rebellion | 1848 | County Tipperary, Ireland | Uprising / Rebellion |
| Yamasee War | 1715–1717 | South Carolina, USA | Colonial war |
| Yellow Fever Epidemic of Philadelphia | 1793 | Philadelphia, USA | Epidemic / Public health crisis |
| Year of the Five Emperors | 193 CE | Roman Empire | Civil war / Political crisis |
| Yongle Encyclopedia commissioning | 1403 | Nanjing, China | Cultural / Academic project |
| Yates v. United States | 1957 | Washington D.C., USA | Landmark court case |
| Yalu River, Battle of the (1904) | 1904 | Yalu River (Korea-China border) | Land battle |
| Yellow River Flood (1887) | 1887 | Henan province, China | Natural disaster / Flood |
| Yingkou, Battle of | 1895 | Yingkou, China | Battle |
| Yangzhou Massacre | 1645 | Yangzhou, China | Massacre |
| Yuezhi Migration | c. 176 BCE–c. 30 CE | Central Asia | Mass migration |
| Year of the Three Popes | 1978 | Vatican City | Papal succession event |
Descriptions
Yom Kippur War
A coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel during the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur.
Yalta Conference
A WWII meeting of Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin to discuss the postwar reorganization of Germany and Europe, shaping the Cold War landscape.
Yellow Turban Rebellion
A massive peasant revolt against the Han dynasty that, despite its failure, weakened the empire and led to the Three Kingdoms period.
Year Without a Summer
A severe global climate anomaly caused by the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora, leading to major crop failures and widespread famine.
Young Turk Revolution
This constitutionalist revolution forced Sultan Abdul Hamid II to restore the Ottoman constitution, a key step towards a modern Turkish state.
Yugoslav Wars
A series of brutal ethnic conflicts and wars of independence that led to the breakup of Yugoslavia into several sovereign states.
Year of the Four Emperors
A tumultuous year following Emperor Nero’s death, where four different emperors ruled in quick succession amid widespread civil war.
Yorktown Campaign
The decisive Franco-American victory that forced the surrender of British General Cornwallis, effectively ending the American Revolutionary War.
Yukon Gold Rush
A migration of over 100,000 prospectors to the Klondike region after gold was discovered, dramatically shaping the region’s development.
Yarmouk, Battle of
A major victory for the Rashidun Caliphate over the Byzantine Empire, leading to the swift Muslim conquest of Syria and Palestine.
Yalu River, Battle of the (1894)
A decisive naval engagement of the First Sino-Japanese War where the Imperial Japanese Navy overwhelmed the Chinese Beiyang Fleet.
Yellow River Flood (1931)
One of the deadliest natural disasters ever recorded, this series of catastrophic floods on China’s major rivers caused immense devastation and loss of life.
Yuan Dynasty establishment
Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, officially established the Yuan dynasty, marking the first time a foreign-led dynasty ruled all of China.
Yazoo Land Scandal
A massive real estate fraud where Georgia politicians were bribed to sell huge land tracts at low prices, leading to a major legal battle.
Young Plan
A program for settling Germany’s World War I reparations, it reduced the total amount owed but was soon made obsolete by the Great Depression.
Yandabo, Treaty of
The peace treaty that ended the First Anglo-Burmese War, forcing Burma to cede territory and marking the start of British colonial influence.
Young Irelander Rebellion
A failed Irish nationalist uprising during the Great Famine which, though quickly suppressed, inspired later Irish revolutionary movements.
Yamasee War
A major conflict between British colonists and a coalition of Native American tribes that fundamentally altered the region’s geopolitical landscape.
Yellow Fever Epidemic of Philadelphia
A devastating outbreak in the U.S. capital that killed thousands, prompting the government to flee and leading to advances in public health.
Year of the Five Emperors
A chaotic year of civil war after the murder of Emperor Commodus, which saw five different claimants vie for the imperial throne.
Yongle Encyclopedia commissioning
The commissioning of the world’s largest known paper-based encyclopedia, a monumental Ming dynasty project that preserved a vast amount of Chinese knowledge.
Yates v. United States
A key U.S. Supreme Court decision that narrowed the Smith Act, protecting radical speech by distinguishing between belief and calls to action.
Yalu River, Battle of the (1904)
The first major land battle of the Russo-Japanese War, a Japanese victory that surprised international observers and boosted Japanese morale.
Yellow River Flood (1887)
A devastating flood of the Yellow River that inundated thousands of square miles and led to an estimated 900,000 to 2,000,000 deaths.
Yingkou, Battle of
One of the final land battles of the First Sino-Japanese War, its capture by Japanese forces secured a comprehensive victory over Qing China.
Yangzhou Massacre
A brutal ten-day massacre of the residents of Yangzhou by Qing dynasty troops after the city refused to surrender during the conquest of Ming China.
Yuezhi Migration
The epic migration of the Yuezhi people across Central Asia, which displaced other groups and led to the founding of the Kushan Empire in Bactria.
Year of the Three Popes
A notable year in Catholic history that saw the deaths of two popes (Paul VI and John Paul I) and two papal conclaves in quick succession.