Siddhartha Gautama

Born: circa 623 BC in Kapilavastu (in modern-day Nepal)
Died: circa 543 BC in Kushinagar (in northern India)
Father: King Suddhodana
Mother: Queen Maya 

Wife: Princess Yasodharā
Son: Rahula 

Ethnicity: Northern Indian (of the Shakya clan)
Job: Monk and teacher 

Because the first written record wasn't created for more than a century after Sidhatha's death creating a biography is difficult. What we can conclude with some probability the following paragraphs are fairly accurate. 

He was born in the northern Indian sub-Continent in the city of Kapilavastu in what is now Nepal.

He would have grown up as a Hindu and accepted dogmas such a reincarnation, Pantheism and the caste system.

Growing up as a prince he felt disconnected from the suffering of the world and realizing this was a significant time in his life.

He spent hours obsessively meditating and that after some time of this he begin to claim he reached something called "enlightenment" which refers to a state of being passionless.

Siddhatha's most influential ideas related to his experience of passionlessness. He said that after we are born we will suffer and die, then he said we will be reborn and then suffer and die all over again. The cycle of reincarnation was therefore evil and had to escaped from. Siddhatha denied the idea that you could simply accumulate enough karma to escape it, instead he taught the following which Buddhists call "the four noble truths"

1.) The cycle of reincarnation involves suffering.

2.) There is a cause to this suffering.

3.) There is a way out of the cycle of suffering.

4.) The way out is to follow the eight-fold path which helps on become a being without passion and thus, according to Buddhism, enlightened.

After death he taught you would no longer be reincarnated but transcend the cycle if you had become 'enlightened'. There is no evidence to suggests he ever questioned whether or not the idea of reincarnation was actually a metaphysical reality.

It is said that he was 29 when he reached 'enlightenment and late traditions claim that the man died at age 80, ' He is said to have had only one son who was utterly devoted to his father's way of life.

He was given the title "Buddha" which means "enlightened one", which is why he is commonly known as "the Buddha." But some consider this to be a bias title.

Timeline:

Circa 623 BC: Siddhatha is born

Circa 594 BC: Siddhatha claims to have reached 'enlightenment' and propagates his ideas.

Circa 543 BC: Siddhatha dies over fifty miles south-east of where he was born.

Sources:

Overall concepts in Buddhist traditions

Clayton Newton

Born: February 9, 1927
Died: August 5, 2015 in Hanover hospital

Father: William Everett Newton
Mother: Melinda Phillips
Brothers: Kenneth Newton and Gordan Newton
Sisters: Audrey Culbert and Dara Vicent
Wife: Doris Macke
Sons: Larry Newton and Wayne Newton

Ethnicity: German
Jobs: Wightman employee, volunteer firefighter

Born in February of 1927 Clayton grew up with two brothers and two sisters in the South-western region of Ontario in Canada. His descendants had been German immigrates to the country.

As the years passed after he had completed his primary education he got a job working for Wightman's telecom when he was 22.

In 1946 Doris (Macke) Newton had his first son who was named Larry Newton. Two years later Wayne Newton was born. Soon afterwards the family moved to the town of Clifford in Ontario's Wellington county.

Starting in 1949 he worked primarily in the towns of Clifford, Ayton and Neustadt. He was a telephone installer, repairmen and cable splicer; and he made mention that he was the first non-relative, full-time employee for the company.

He became like a father to Blare Wightman. He was known for his smile, his stories and his commitment to the company.

He was disappointed when his physician recommended he retire because of heart problems--despite the fact that he was 62 he still enjoyed his job.

Clayton also volunteered as a fireman for 33 years. And was a member of groups such as Mildmay's Hill and Dale Riders Snowmobile Club. He also volunteered to help Salem Evangelical United Brethern Church before it amalgamated with Knox United church. He also worked in the parking lot for Carrick camp, a Protestant place of meeting.

In 1993 his first grandson, Adam Taylor Newton, was born. Two years later Ian Taylor Newton was born.

He died at age 88 in Hanover after about a month of health difficulties.


Timeline

February 9, 1927: Clayton is born.

1949: Clayton begins working for Wightman's telecom.

1955: Clayton marries Doris Macke

1989: Clayton retires, after forty years of working for Wightman's.

1993: His first grandson, Adam is born.

1995: His second grandson, Ian is born.

August 5, 2015: Clayton dies in Hanover, Ontario, Canada.

Sources:

Clayton's Funeral pamphlet
Contemporary testimony

Timeline of First Century Individuals

12 AD: Jesus is about twelve


29 AD: John the Baptist comes to the Jordan to preach, rebuke and baptize.
30 AD: Jesus begins His public ministry

33 AD:
           Judas betrays Jesus and commits suicide.
         
          Jesus is crucified

34 AD: Steven becomes the first Christian martyr.

35 AD: Paul becomes a Christian.

49/50 AD: The first known Christian council is held in Jerusalem.

55-65 AD: The first known biography about Jesus, now called Mark is written.

70-85 AD: Two other Gospel called Matthew and Luke are written.

85-95 AD: The Gospel of John is written.

John the Baptist

Born: Circa 5 BC in the region of Judea within the Roman province of the same name. 
Died: 30 AD by way of beheading in Judea (the Province.)

Father: Zachariah 
Mother: Elizabeth 

Ethnicity: Jewish (of the tribe of Levi) 
Job: Preacher

John the Baptist was born just six months before his cousin Jesus of Nazareth was born. His father Zachariah was of the tribe of Levi and served as a priest at the Temple in Jerusalem. While serving he had a vision of an angel who identified as Gabriel and who told him that his wife would have a son even though she was old.

The first reference to John comes before he's even born: his Aunt Mary had come to visit her sister. When Elizabeth heard her sister's greeting John leaps in his mother's womb.

Eight days after John was born there was debate regarding his naming. His relatives wanted to name him after his father but his mother wanted to use the name "John." Her relatives objected because, in their word: “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

The relatives made signs to the infant's father to find out his preferred name and everyone was astonished when he wrote down "His name is John.” After he wrote it he was able to speak again. 

As John grows up he decides to live in the wilderness. (Most likely in the Syrian desert to the west or the Negev to the south of his home.) 

It's about thirty years later when we hear about John again. He arrives by the Jordan river in eastern Judea. At this point he's very much use to his wilderness life style: He wears clothing made out of camel hair, he wore a leather belt and he had a diet of locusts and wild honey. John preached that people should repent be baptized. “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” He told people.

Crowds came to him from the Judean country side and Jerusalem. They were baptized and confessed their sins. John rebuked the crowd coming to him: 
You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
"What should we do then?” The crowd asked him
When tax collectors come to him and asks the same question, he tells them "Don’t collect any more than you are required to" 
Even a few soldiers come to John. "Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”

Among those baptized was Jesus of Nazareth, Who, after seeing the Holy Spirit descending upon Him like a dove went out to the wilderness for over a month. 

John preached against Herod the Tetrarch for his marriage to his brother's wife and rebuked him for other sins. John was imprisoned for this. 

When is prison John sent his followers to Jesus with two questions: "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?" 

"Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor." Jesus replied. 

Some time later during Herod's birthday he promised his wife's daughter anything. Her mother whose name was Herodias told her to ask for John's head on a platter. Herod was hesitate to murder John because he was regarded as a Prophet, however knowing that his guests heard his promise he gave the command. 

John was decapitated and his followers buried his body. 

Jesus spoke extremely highly of John before he was beheaded:

"What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a Prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: "'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."

Timeline

Circa 5 BC: John is born


29-30 AD: John comes back from his wilderness living and begin preaching, rebuking and baptizing
31-32 AD: John is beheaded.

Sources on the life of John the Baptist:

Matthew 
Mark 
Luke 
John 
Antiques of the Jews (Book 18, chapter 5:2)

Judas

Born: circa 5 BC-5 AD 
Died: 33 AD, by suicide in the vicinity of Jerusalem

Father: Simon 
Mother: Unknown

Ethnicity: Most likely Israelite 
Job: The man in charge of the money

To be expanded at a later time. 

We can, with some probability assume that Judas was between the ages of twenty and thirty when Jesus choose him to be an Apostle. Therefore Judas could have been born as early as 5 BC. 

The first reference we have of Judas is in the Gospel of Mark which lists him as an apostle chosen by Jesus; it calls him "Judas Iscariot." 

During the Passover three years later Judas meets with the chief priests of Jerusalem along with the Temple guards to discuss how to get rid of Jesus and how Judas himself could betray Him. The authorities were pleased to hear Judas was on their side and they agreed to give him money. Judas keeps an eye out for a time when the crowds aren't around in order that Jesus might have no one to protest against the plan. 

After what has become known as the Last Supper Judas had found his opportunity: Jesus had gone to the Mount of Olives about a kilometer from the city and it was late enough that he could get away with the scheme. He took a crowd of guards with him and when he found Jesus he said "rabbi" and kissed him. This was Judas's way of telling the men who to arrest. 

Judas was given thirty silver coins for his assistance but when Judas sees that Jesus is condemned he is seized with remorse. He returns the money to the authorities and tells them that he has betrayed innocent blood. “What is that to us? That's your responsibility."
They reply. Judas throws the money into the Temple then leaves. 

He decided to hang himself. The Book of Acts in which Luke writes a record of early Christianity describes Judas's body: 

"his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out."

Timeline:

5 BC- 5 AD: Judas is born


30 AD: Jesus chooses Judas along with eleven others to be with His apostles.

33 AD: Judas agrees to betrays Jesus and that same month hangs himself.

Sources on Judas Iscariot:

Matthew
Mark
Luke
John

Mary

Born: Circa 20 BC
Died: Unknown but probably between 33 and 50 AD.

Father: Joachim 
Mother: Anne
Sibling: Elizabeth
Children: Jesus, James, Joses, Judas, Simon and two daughters whose names are unknown.

Ethnicity: Jewish (Judean)
Jobs: A mother of at least seven children.

Mary was born in about the year 20 BC but the exact year is far from certain. She was brought up in either the region of Judea (a fair assumption because of her ancestry) or Galilee (a fair assumption because that`s where she raised her children.)

We have no early records of her life until a first center biography that focuses on the life of Jesus commonly called `Luke` says that she was pledged in marriage to a man named Joseph.

Mary is said to have been visited by an angel:

“Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” The angels says to her. 
`This troubles Mary and she`s unsure about the greeting message.
The angel continues on: 
“Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
She asks how this can be, noting that she is a virgin. 
“The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”
“I am the Lord’s servant, may your word to me be fulfilled.”

She hurries to the region of Judea to visit her sister Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard her greeting she said ``Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” 
At this it's reported that Mary sings a song, which can be read here. 

She stays with Elizabeth for three months and then returns to her home.

Some time later while she and Joseph are staying in Bethlehem (a city a few miles south of Jerusalem) that's when Jesus is born.

We hear again about Mary twelve years later when her family travels to Jerusalem for the Passover. as they did every year. But this time Jesus is left behind. After about a day of travelling,  on their way back to Nazareth (which has become their hometown) they noticed Jesus was missing. After three days of searching she finds her son having a conversation with the teachers of the Torah in the Temple courts. Her son impresses them.

"Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” 
Mary asks, to which the young Jesus replies: 
“Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”

She doesn't understand what He means, but as Jesus grows up Mary treasures the events in her heart.

Eighteen years pass and this time Mary is worried about her son again as are His brothers. Jesus has become preaching, teaching and healing which has caused large crowds to follow Him. They're constantly surrounding Jesus which causes Jesus's family to say "He's lost His mind."

Again Mary is mentioned in the earliest of the Gospels as being watching Jesus as He was dying. She had likely come to Jerusalem for the Passover even in her old age (fifty was considered old for her time.) 

According to the latest first century Gospel Jesus spoke to His mother on the cross:
"Woman, here is your son" and He tells one of His disciples "Here is your mother." That disciple took care of her. She is, at this point very likely a widow. She watched her son fade away after suffering the cross for three hours. Then her beloved son's body fell limb. She saw where Jesus's tomb would be and may have remained in Jerusalem instead of heading back to Jerusalem. 

The last mention of her comes from the first early church history written by a fellow named Luke. It reads as follows: 

Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

When, where or how Mary died is very much unclear. The Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic church both hold that Mary ascended bodily into Heaven. Some use a vision in the book of Revelation to try to support the claim, the passage used can be read here. 

Timeline:

Circa 20 BC: Mary is born.

4 BC-6 AD: Jesus, her best known son is born while she`s in Bethlehem.

8-18 AD: Mary is hurt by her son after she leaves the Passover pilgrimage without Him.

April 3, 33 AD: Her son Jesus is crucified.

May of 33 AD: Mary prays with Jesus`s apostles and her sons.

33-50 AD: Mary dies living to be at least 53 (probably.)

Jesus of Nazareth

Quick facts:

Born: 6 BC-4 AD in Bethlehem, Judea
Died: April 3, 30 AD in Jerusalem, Judea

Mother: Mary
Brothers: James, Joses, Judas and Simon. 
Cousin: John the Baptist 
Aunt: Elizabeth 
Uncle: Zechariah 

Ethnicity: Jewish (Judean)
Job: Construction worker/carpenter

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the Roman province of Judea, however He grew up in a small village in a region call Galilee. He was a Jew, specifically from the tribe of Judah. As a twelve year old He showed an impressive ability to understand the Hebrew Scriptures but also upset His parents.

Other than that we don't know very much about the majority of His life until He is baptized by His cousin known as John the Baptist. After coming up from the waters of the Jordan river He saw the spirit of God descending on Him like a dove. He then goes out into a wilderness and remains there fasting from food for some forty days. In the wilderness the devil comes to tempt Him but He overcomes the tempter.

When Jesus returns to His home region He begins preaching “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” He preforms a number of miracles, and chooses twelve men to be His Apostles; namely Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James, Thaddeus, Simon and Judas. Three of these men; Peter, James and John were especially close to Him. Jesus both preached warning people of God's judgement and taught on things such as the Kingdom of God, prayer, forgiveness, hatred, judging others, loving others, adultery, divorce and the unforgivable sin. 

Most of His teachings were based heavily on the Hebrews Scriptures but He gave unique teachings on prayer, forgiveness, the Kingdom of God and Himself. He insisted that salvation could come only through Him; saying "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." and according to the Gospel of John when His apostle Thomas asked "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus replied "I Am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him." 

Jesus used the title "Son of Man" for Himself and claimed He would return to judge the world. (Thus the Christian idea of the Second Coming.) The two most significant events in Jesus's life during what is known as His "earthly ministry" are His transfiguration and His feeding of the five thousand. 

In the former Jesus takes His apostles Peter, James and John alone to a high mountain. Then His clothes become dazzlingly white and the Prophets Elijah and Moses are seen with Him. Peter full of fear Peter offers to make tents for Jesus, Moses and Elijah to stay in. Then a cloud appears and covers them. "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to Him!" After this only Jesus is seen. As Jesus and His three apostles go down the mountain Jesus tells them orders to not to tell anyone about what happened until after "the Son of Man had risen from the dead." But the Apostles didn't understand what He meant by "rise from the dead" because the concept of one man rising before all others wasn't largely understood. One of men who was there, Peter, includes a reference to the event in one of his letters, that part of his letter can be read here. 

The feeding of the five thousand is one of the rare events recorded in every first century Greco-biography we have--despite their different audiences. Jesus is teaching a large crowd of five thousand men and because it's getting late Jesus's apostles ask Him to send the people away for food. Jesus tells them“They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” The Apostles remark that they only have five loaves and two fish. He has the food brought to Him and has the people sit down in the grass. Jesus takes the bread, looks up to Heaven and thanks God (Whom He calls His Father) He breaks and passes out of the bread and everyone is well fed. When the leftovers are collected they end up with twelve basketfuls of broken bread. 

After telling His apostles that "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again." But at the time His apostles didn't understand what He was talking about. 

He decides to go to Jerusalem because, in His words "for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!" He is well received when He enters Jerusalem on a donkey as a member of the great Passover Pilgrimage and some say He is a Prophet from Galilee.

In Jerusalem Jesus becomes angry with the money changers by The Temple, saying "My Temple shall be called a house of prayer, but you have turned it into a den of thieves!" (He was quoting the Prophet Isaiah.) He knocks over tables and cages. 

It is at this point that Jesus teaches on the Last Days in detail after which He has supper with His Apostles in Jerusalem. While at the table Jesus tells them that someone eating with Him will betray Him. The Apostles are troubled by this, "Surely you don't mean me?" they ask Jesus. Judas did agree to betray Jesus for silver. At this time Jesus took the bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to His apostles saying “Take it; this is my body.” He took a cup of wine, gave thanks and gave it to His apostles and they drank it. “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” He told them. 

After singing a hymn together they left and went to the Mount of Olives which was a short walk east of Jerusalem. Jesus told His apostle Peter that he would betray Him, but Peter refused to believe it. When they got to the mount Jesus took Peter, James and John with Him and told His other Apostles to stay there. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death, Stay here and keep watch." He told them. He went a little further away from His three apostles and prayed: "Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” After praying He found that Peter was asleep “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

As Jesus was saying this Judas arrived along with crowd armed with clubs; they had come from the chief priests--what Jesus had talked about was coming. “Rabbi!” Judas said, then he kissed him. Immediately he was seized Him. "Am I leading a rebellion, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I was with you, teaching in the Temple courts, and you did not arrest Me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” Everyone deserted Him. 

Jesus was taken by force before the Sanhedrin (the Jewish religious court of Jerusalem). Peter followed Him at a distance. People were brought in to testify against Him: They claimed He was going to destroy the Temple and build another in three days. Caiaphas (who had been the high priest since 18 AD) questioned Jesus about His silence: “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” Jesus remained silent. 

“Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” He asked the Man of Galilean. 

“I am, “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of Heaven.”

The high priest tore his robes in anger. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” He said. 

“You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” He asked the assembly. 

The Sanhedrin agreed that Jesus should be put to death. 

Some expressed their hatred more than others; some of them spat on Him, they blindfolded Him and hit Him, “Prophesy!” They said. The guards also beat Him like a criminal. As this was going on Peter, one of His best friends, denied He even knew Jesus. 

Jesus was taken to the Governor Pontius Pilate where He was question:

“Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate. 

“You have said so"

The chief priests accused Jesus of a number of things.

"Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.” Pilate asked.

But Jesus remained silent. 

At the time a criminal named Barabbas was under arrest for his role in an uprising. Very early on April 3, Pilate decided to consult the people go who should be freed: Jesus or Barabbas. 

“Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked. 

Because of the chief priests the crowds asked for Barabbas to be released. 

“What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?”

"Crucify Him!`` The crowd shouted. 

“Why? What crime has he committed?”

``Crucify Him`` They shouted even more loudly. 

Pilate, wanting to please the people let Barabbas off and had Jesus flogged.

The Roman soldiers  put a purple robe on Jesus and put a crown of thrones on His head. “Hail, king of the Jews!” They called out mockingly. They hit Him and spit on Him. After mocking Him by bowing before Him they took back the robe, put His own clothes on Him and lead Him towards a place outside the city to be crucified. 

After carrying His cross with a man by the name of Simon being forced to carry the cross part of the way. He was put on the cross at about nine in the morning. As He suffered He was offered wine mixed with myrrh, but He refused to drink it. Above His bleeding head were the words ``THE KING OF THE JEWS`` 

Even on the cross He was mocked among the Jewish authorities ``“He saved others, but He can’t save Himself! Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.`` 

A few last sayings of Jesus on the cross are recorded in the Gospels:

“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”-Mark 15:34, quoting Psalm 22. 

“Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.”-Luke 23:46

"It is finished.”-John 19:30 

He died after suffering suffering on the cross for three hours. His mother and a few other women stayed by Him. 

A man named Joseph who came from the town of Arimathea was granted permission to take Jesus's body down and laid the body in a tomb in the area. 

Three days later after the Passover was over some women who had known Jesus went to anoint His body but when they got there they reported seeing an angel who told them to tell the others. They did so and Jesus's Apostles realized His body was gone. According to one of Paul's letters Jesus appeared first to Peter and His Apostles, then to 500 brothers and sisters at the same time, He then appeared to James and eventually Paul himself. 

Within seventy years of Jesus' Crucifixion four biographies, one early church history, twelve letters and the Book of Revelation expediently mention Jesus as rising from the dead. These are the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John along with Acts and the following letters: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 
2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians 1, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Timothy, 
1 Hebrews, 1 Peter and Revelations. Seventeen documents in all.

According to the Gospels of Luke and Matthew Jesus was seen ascending into Heaven by the eleven Apostles (Judas who had betrayed Jesus, had hung himself.)

Timeline:

6 BC-4 AD: Jesus is born in Bethlehem in the province of Judea while his parents are travelling.

8 AD: Jesus goes to Jerusalem for the Passover and shows Himself as understanding the Tanakah.

30 AD: Jesus is baptized, fasts for forty days and begins preaching, teaching and healing.

31 AD: Jesus give His sermon on the mount.

April 3, 33 AD: Jesus is put to death by crucifixion.

April 6, 33 AD: Jesus rises from the dead three days latter.

May 13, 33 AD: Jesus is seen ascending into Heaven by His apostles.

Sources:

Matthew
Mark
Luke
John

2000's

John Paul Jackson, Charismatic teacher

James, the brother of Jesus

Quick Facts:

Born: Unknown, most probably in Nazareth in the region of Galilee.
Died: 62 AD by stoning in Jerusalem

Mother: Mary
Father: Presumed to have been Joseph

Brother: Jesus of Nazareth, Joses, Judas and Simon.
Cousin: John the Baptist

Job: Head of the Jerusalem church

Because James's birth date is unknown it is hard to say when He was born, due to the lack of mention of the fellow he most likely was born after Jesus. During Jesus's ministry James seems to have agreed that the large crowds that Jesus allowing large to follow Him meant that He was out of His mind. When James along with his other brothers come to visit Jesus they're not immediately brought in to see Him, instead when Jesus is told that His mother and brothers are looking for Him He asks“Who are my mother and my brothers?” Then He says "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” 

Despite what may have been a difficult relationship between the Jesus and James, James does come to believe that his Brother rose from the dead after "Jesus appeared to Him." He becomes the head of the church of Jerusalem and sometime before 50 AD wrote a letter to the Twelve Tribes scattered among the nations. The letter, (which was included in the Christian New Testament) opening line reads "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ." It is therefore clear at this point that James regards his Brother as both Lord and the Anointed One of God. 

His letter can be read here and it won't be gone through it detail on this page. It is worth noting however that James is very much in agreement with Jesus's teachings. The best example is the direct parallel between Jesus's teaching on vows which He seems to have based off of Ecclesiastes 5:5 which reads:

"It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it."-Ecclesiastes 5:5


Jesus goes so far as to say:


"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one"-Matthew 5:33-37

James repeats Jesus's teaching in no uncertain terms:

"Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned."-James 5:12 

In around 50 AD the Christian community runs into a problem: Gentiles are coming into the church and some Jewish believers insist they must first become Jews than have faith in Jesus to be saved. This issue brings Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem for what has become known as The First Jerusalem Council.

After listening to Paul and Barnabas describe the Salvation of certain gentiles James is the first one to speak up:

“Brothers, listen to me. Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:

 “‘After this I will return
    and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
    and I will restore it,

that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
    even all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things’—
     things known from long ago.

“It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”

The Council agreed to send the following letter: 

The apostles and elders, your brothers,

To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:

Greetings.

We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.

Farewell.

James is thought to have continued to remain the head of Jerusalem church for more than a decade until 62 AD when the Ananus (Jewish High Priest of Jerusalem) Ananus had James along with others stoned to death for a violation of the Law. According to the first century Jewish historian Josephus "as for those who seemed the most equitable of the citizens, and such as were the most uneasy at the breach of the laws, they disliked what was done; they also sent to the king, desiring him to send to Ananus that he should act so no more, for that what he had already done was not to be justified; nay, some of them went also to meet Albinus, as he was upon his journey from Alexandria, and informed him that it was not lawful for Ananus to assemble a sanhedrin without his consent." 

Ananus lost his position and James is still viewed with high regard to this day. 

3 BC-20 AD: James is born 

33-34 AD: James sees Jesus alive and becomes a Believer 

50 AD: James is very influential at the Jerusalem Council 

62 AD: James is stoned to death.

Sources:

Mark 3

Acts 15

The Letter of James

The Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20, chapter 9,1

Paul First Letter to the Corinthians 15