First millennium

Millennia:	1st millennium BC 1st millennium AD 2nd millennium AD
Centuries:	1st century 2nd century 3rd century 4th century 5th century 6th century 7th century 8th century 9th century 10th century

The first millennium was a period of time that began on January 1, AD 1, and ended on December 31, AD 1000, of the Julian calendar. It was the first period of one thousand years in the Anno Domini or Common Era.

In Europe and the Mediterranean, the first millennium was a time of great transition. The 1st century saw the peak of the Roman Empire, followed by its gradual decline during the period of Late Antiquity, the rise of Christianity and the Great Migrations. The second half of the millennium is characterized as the Early Middle Ages in Europe, and marked by the Viking expansion in the west, the rise of the Byzantine Empire in the east, and by the Islamic conquests throughout the Near East, North Africa and the Iberian peninsula, culminating in the Islamic Golden Age (700–1200 AD).

In Arabia, a man called Muhammad became the leader and the final prophet of Islam. After his death, his companions extended the religion.

In East Asia, the first millennium was also a time of great cultural advances, notably the spread of Buddhism to East Asia. In China, the Han dynasty is replaced by the Jin dynasty and later the Tang dynasty until the 10th century sees renewed fragmentation in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. In Japan, a sharp increase in population followed when farmers' use of iron tools increased their productivity and crop yields. The Yamato court was established.