6th century
What happened around the world
Europe
- 536 Volcanic winter of 536 — A dimmed sun opens the coldest decade in 2,000 years
- 537 Hagia Sophia consecrated — Justinian builds Christendom's largest church for a millennium
- 541–549 Plague of Justinian — The first plague pandemic: Constantinople loses thousands a day
Middle East
- 526 Antioch earthquake — Quake and fire destroy a city packed with pilgrims
- 529–534 Code of Justinian — Roman law compiled — the bedrock of Europe's legal systems
Asia
- 589 Sui dynasty reunifies China — China is whole again after three centuries of division
Americas
- c. 600 Wari Empire — The first Andean empire, eight centuries before the Inca
Who ruled
- Franks and France
- Clovis I 481 – 511
- China: dynasties
- Northern and Southern dynasties 420 – 589, Sui 581 – 618
- Japan: shoguns & emperors
- Prince Shōtoku 593 – 622
- India: empires
- Gupta Empire 320 – 550
- Rome and Byzantium
- Justinian I 476 – 610
Largest states
- Göktürk Khaganate
- Sasanian Empire
- Western Göktürks
- Rouran Khaganate
- Sui Dynasty
- White Huns
- Eastern Göktürks
- Eastern Roman Empire
- Gupta Empire
- Liang Dynasty
- Southern Qi
- Hunnic Empire
- Northern Zhou
- Kingdom of the Franks
- Kingdom of the Franks
- Northern Wei
- Avar Khaganate
- Chen Dynasty
- Chalukya Dynasty
- Later Zhou
- Western Wei
- Northern Qi
- Merovingian Empire
- Protectorate of the Western Regions
- Visigothic Kingdom
- Vakataka Kingdom
- Eastern Wei
- Burgundian Kingdom
- Ostrogothic Kingdom
- Tuyuhun
- Maukhari Dynasty
- Kingdom of Armenia
- Kingdom of Italy
- Chenla
- Chenla
- Scandinavian minor kingdoms
- Yenisei Kyrgyz
- Goguryeo
- Kingdom of Axum
- Mayan City-States