Centuries: 8th century BC - 7th century BC - 6th century BC

Decades: 690s BC 680s BC 670s BC 660s BC 650s BC - 640s BC - 630s BC 620s BC 610s BC 600s BC 590s BC

Events and trends

• Assyrian king Ashurbanipal founds library, which includes our earliest complete copy of the Epic of Gilgamesh.
• 649 BC - Indabigash succeeds Tammaritu as a king of the Elamite Empire.
• 649 BC - Babylonian revolt under Shamash-shuma-ukin is crushed by the Assyrians.
• 648 BC - Pankration becomes an event at the Ancient Olympic Games.
• April 6, 648 BC - Earliest Greek-chronicled solar eclipse.
• 647 BC - King Assurbanipal of Assyria sacks Susa.
• 642 BC - Ancus Marcius becomes the fourth king of Rome (traditional date).
• 640 BC - Great victory of Assyria over Elamite Empire.

Significant people

• 645 BC - Death of Guan Zhong, Prime Minister of the Chinese state of Qi.
• 645 BC - Death of Archilochos, Greek poet (approximate date).
• 643 BC - Death of Manasseh of Judah.
• 641 BC - Josiah becomes king of Judah.
• 640 BC - Birth of Stesichorus, Greek poet (approximate date).

640s BC

640'erne f.Kr. | Años 640 adC | K. a. 640ko hamarkada | Années -640 | Anni 640 a.C. | 640-е до н. э. | 640 pred Kr. | 640-luku eaa | MA 640. yıllar | 前640年代