538

Years: 534 535 536 537 - 538 - 539 540 541 542
Decades: 500s 510s 520s - 530s - 540s 550s 560s
Centuries: 5th century - 6th century - 7th century

Events

March 12 - Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving the city in the hands of the victorious Roman general, Belisarius.
October 17 - King Cyrus of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost 70 years of exile and making the first Human Rights Declaration.(538 BCE)
End of the Kofun era and beginning of the Asuka period, the second part of the Yamato period in Japan.
Buddhism introduced formally into Japan (by some accounts; see also 552).
End of the Ostrogothic siege of Rome.
Gabran becomes king of Dál Riata.