EM-001 · 1453
Fallen empire · Byzantium
The Fall of Constantinople — the last Roman capital stormed and conquered in 1453
29 May 1453 · Conquered
EM-002 · 476
Fallen empire · Western Rome
The Fall of the Western Roman Empire — the last western emperor deposed in 476
4 September 476 · Collapsed
EM-003 · 1991
Fallen empire · Soviet Union
The Dissolution of the Soviet Union — a superpower voted out of existence in 1991
26 December 1991 · Dissolved
EM-004 · 1521
Fallen empire · Mexica (Aztec)
The Fall of the Aztec Empire — Tenochtitlan starved, besieged, and taken in 1521
13 August 1521 · Conquered
EM-005 · 1533
Fallen empire · Andes
The Fall of the Inca Empire — Tawantinsuyu broken after its emperor was seized and killed
1533 · Conquered
EM-006 · 1918
Fallen empire · Central Europe
The Collapse of Austria-Hungary — a multinational empire dissolved by defeat in 1918
1918 · Dissolved
EM-007 · 1922
Fallen empire · Anatolia
The End of the Ottoman Empire — a six-century empire defeated, partitioned, and abolished
1922 · Abolished
EM-008 · 1258
Fallen caliphate · Iraq
The Sack of Baghdad — the Mongols storm the Abbasid capital in 1258
February 1258 · Destroyed
EM-009 · 1992
Fallen federation · Yugoslavia
The Breakup of Yugoslavia — a federation torn apart by war in 1991–92
1991–1992 · Dissolved
EM-010 · 1591
Fallen empire · West Africa
The Fall of the Songhai Empire — West Africa’s largest state shattered at Tondibi in 1591
13 March 1591 · Conquered
EM-011 · 1947
Fallen empire · British India
The End of the British Raj — Crown rule in India ended in a partition that uprooted millions
14–15 August 1947 · Dissolved
EM-012 · 1221
Fallen empire · Central Asia
The Mongol Conquest of Khwarazmia — a rich empire annihilated city by city
1219–1221 (collapse complete by 1221) · Destroyed
EM-013 · 1492
Fallen empire · Al-Andalus
The Fall of Granada — the last Muslim state in Iberia surrendered in 1492
2 January 1492 · Conquered
EM-014 · 651
Fallen empire · Persia
The Fall of the Sasanian Empire — Rome’s last great rival conquered by the Arab armies
651 (death of Yazdegerd III) · Conquered
EM-015 · 1565
Fallen empire · South India
The Fall of Vijayanagara — one of the world’s great cities broken in a day and abandoned
23 January 1565 (Battle of Talikota) · Destroyed