742
Birth of Charlemagne.

Muslims enter India.

732
Muslim invasion of Europe is halted by defeat at the Battle of Poitiers

740-742
Berber rebellion against Arab rule in North Africa. Loss of Algeria.

749
As Saffah proclaimed first Abbasid Caliph

Islam enters its golden period

751
Battle of River Talas (near Samarkand: Islam defeats the T'ang army and enters Central Asia.

756
Ummayyad state proclaimed in Spain. 'Abd ar-Rahman I chooses Cordoba as the capital - over the next 200 years it grows into one of the most important cities in Europe.

762
Capital of Islam moves to Baghdad

778
Birth of Al Karismi (778-850), inventor of algebra and the decimal system. 784
Work begins on building of mosque at Cordoba.

805
Capture of Cyprus and Rhodes.

816-8
Ummayyads of Spain take over Corsica, Majorca, and Sardinia.

Shi'a revolt in Mecca.

820
Death of ash-Shafi'i (767-820), the lawyer who laid down the principle that Islamic law was divinely inspired and must be based on the teachings of the Qur'an and the behaviour of the Prophet (pbuh).

836
Abbasid capital moves to Samarra.

840
Death of Al Khwarizmi, great Islamic mathematician.

850
Muslim scientists perfect refining of paraffin (kerosene) for lamps.

859
Muslim University of Qarawiyin at Fez in North Africa is founded; becomes famous centre of Islamic culture.

865
Birth of Razi (865-923/32): the greatest doctor of early Islam, famous for his work on smallpox and measles.

870
Death of Muhammad ibn Isma'il al- Bukhari (810-870) whose collection of Hadith, or traditions of the Prophet (pbuh) is held in the highest esteem by Muslims.

871
Afghanistan now almost totally Muslim.

888
Version of the Qur'an in Sindhi appears.

929/930
Members of the Quarmatian Islamic sect steal the Black Stone from Ka'bah, it was restored in 951.

950
Death of al-Farrabi (878-950), Muslim philosopher, and alleged constructor of a musical organ.