121 BC

By place

Roman Republic

• The Roman Senate passes the motion senatus consultum ultimum, which the consul Lucius Opimius interprets as giving him unlimited power to preserve the Republic. He gathers an armed force of Senators and their supporters to confront Gaius Gracchus. A pitched battle is fought inside Rome, resulting in the death of Gracchus and many of his followers.
• A tribunal is established in Rome that executes 3,000 followers of Gracchus.
• Consul Quintus Fabius Maximus, allied with the Aedui, defeats the Arverni and Allobroges in Transalpine Gaul, thus establishing the province for Rome.
• The finest vintage of Falernian wine, known as the Opimian vintage, is bottled from vines grown on Mt Falernus between Latium and Campania.

  Asia

• Led by General Huo Qubing, the Chinese defeat the Xiongnu, killing more than 40000 Xiongnu soldiers, including seven xiongnu princes.