255

Millennium:	1st millennium
Centuries:	2nd century – 3rd century – 4th century
Decades:	220s  230s  240s  – 250s –  260s  270s  280s
Years:	252 253 254 – 255 – 256 257 258

255 by topic
Arts, history, and science
Archaeology Architecture Art Literature Poetry Music Science
Countries
Lists of leaders
State leaders Colonial governors Religious leaders
Birth and death categories
Births Deaths
Establishments and disestablishments categories
Establishments Disestablishments
Works category
Works

Year 255 (CCLV) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. In Rome, it was called Year of the Consulship of Valerianus and Gallienus (also called year 1008 Ab urbe condita). This year has been called 255 since the early early medieval period. This is when the Anno Domini calendar era was used in Europe to name years.

China

• Sima Shi stops Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin's rebellion.
• March 23 – Sima Shi dies

Science

• Ma Jun, Chinese mechanical engineer, invents the south-pointing chariot. This is a compass that uses a differential gear, not magnetics.

Births

• January 6 – Marcellus I, bishop of Rome (d. 309)
• Dorotheus of Tyre, Syrian bishop and martyr (d. 362)
• Zhang Gui, Chinese governor of the Jin Dynasty (d. 314)
• Zuo Fen, Chinese poet of the Western Jin Dynasty (d. 300)
• Saint Helena, Roman empress. She apparently discovered Christ’s cross. She was also the mother of Emperor Constantine (d. 318)

Deaths

• February 23 – Guo Huai (or Boji), Chinese general
• March 16 – Guanqiu Jian, Chinese general and politician
• March 23 – Sima Shi, Chinese general and regent (b. 208)
• Fu Gu (or Lanshi), Chinese official and politician (b. 209)
• Liu Zan (or Zhengming), Chinese general (b. 183)
• Sun Luyu (or Xiaohu), Chinese princess