19th Century timeline: 1801-1810

1801: Thomas Jefferson wins the Presidential Election in the House of Representatives
    Battle of Abukir
    The Concordant
    First Barbary War (1801-05)

1802: Treaty of Amiens

1803: Marbury v Madison
    Louisiana Purchase
    Robert Emmet executed

1804: Haiti wins independence
    Decatur's Raid
    Napoleonic Code
    Lewis and Clark Expedition begins (1804-06)
    Burr-Hamilton duel
    Jefferson re-elected

1805: Trafalgar
    Austerlitz
    Peace of Pressburg

1806: Battle of Jena-Auerstedt
    Continental System

1807: Battle of Montevideo
    Battle of Eylau
    Burr Treason trial
    Slave trade banned by British Empire
    Chesapeake-Leopold Affair
    Treaty of Tilsit
    First Steamboat
    Embargo Act

1808: Slave Trade banned in U.S.
    James Madison elected President

1809: Peninsular War (1807-14)
    Non-Intercourse Act

Dark Ages: Timeline

476: Rome falls to Odavacer

483-511: Clovis unites Franks

493: Odavacer overthrown by Ostrogoths

527-65: Reign of Justinian I

  -529-34: Justinian compiles Corpus Juris Civilis

535-54: Gothic War

541-42: Plague of Justinian

547: St. Benedict dies

568: Lombards invade Italy

590-604: Gregory the Great is Pope

610: Muhammad's vision

  -610-32: Muhammad spreads Islam

  -622: Flight from Mecca

  -630: The Return

610: Heraclitus I assumes power

627: Battle of Ninevah breaks Sassanid power

632-732: Muslim Conquest

  -717: Assault on Constantinople

  -732: Battle of Tours

730-87: Iconoclast Controversy

782: Verdict of Verdun

793: Viking raid on Lindesfarne

800: Charlemagne crowned Holy Roman Emperor

814: Charlemagne dies

867-1056: Macedonian Renaissance

919: Gunpowder used at The Battle of Long-Shan Jiang

1000: Vikings discover North America

#13 U2

U2 formed in Dublin while still in their teens. They emerged during the New Wave era and really did not seem all that different from other Euro New Wave acts. However, they soon began to distinguish themselves. By 1983, they were clearly superior to their New Wave contemporaries. They added credibility and depth with hits such as "New Years Day" and "Sunday Bloody Sunday". They continued their socially conscious brand of rock with The Unforgettable Fire which was an ode to Martin Luther King Jr.

U2 were stars by the mid-80s. In 1987, they became superstars when they released The Joshua Tree which was a concept album inspired by America. The album scored a number of hits; some of which criticized modern materialism. Stardom seemed to trouble the band. Despite this, they filmed a movie. Rattle and Hum was perceived to be nothing more than an ego-fest and seriously annoyed fans. After the tour, the band went into hiding.

They re-emerged in Berlin and seemed to see where the music biz was going. They reworked their sound and incorporated electronic and alternative influences into their music. Actung Baby is now considered classic. The album included the song, "One", which documents the band’s near breakup. The band also mocked the materialistic lifestyle by embracing it through satire. They invented the modern large-scale concert event with their Zoo TV Tour and continued it through the decade. By the end of the 90s, the band scared fans away by overdoing the satire and appearing as The Village People in the video for "Discotheque". Additionally, their Pop Mart Tour was a money pit.

After the Village People/Pop Mart fiascos, the band returned to its roots. They released two monster albums and were the biggest band in the world for the third time. They began to rack up the awards once more, were inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, and played the Superbowl. In 2009, they released No Line On the Horizon which incorporates Middle Eastern influences and The Edge filmed a movie with Jimmie Page and Jack White.

Throughout their career, U2 have been activists for various causes. In recent years, Bono has campaigned for Third World Debt Relief and launched his One Campaign to help achieve this goal. In 2005, he organized the Live 8 Concerts to bring the cause to the attention of the world.

Rock n Roll Moment: During the Pop Mart Tour, they got stuck in a giant electronic lemon ala Spinal Tap.

Essential U2:

War (1983)
The Unforgettable Fire (1984)
The Joshua Tree (1987)
Achtung Baby (1991)
All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000)
How to Dismantle and Atomic Bomb (2004)

U2’s Top 10:

I Will Follow
Sunday Bloody Sunday
New Year’s Day
Bad
Pride (In the Name of Love)
With or Without You
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
Where the Streets Have No Name
Beautiful Day
Mysterious Ways