Fall of the Western Roman Empire

Romulus Augustulus is deposed — the traditional endpoint of the ancient world, though reality was far messier.

The deposition of the last Western Roman emperor was more symbolic than dramatic — the Western Empire had been functionally collapsed for decades. The Eastern Empire (Byzantine) would continue for nearly another thousand years.

Perspective

Empires don't fall with a bang; they rot. By 476, the "fall" was just paperwork. The real collapse happened over centuries through overextension, economic decline, plague, climate change, and political fragmentation. Every modern empire should be taking notes.