Glimpse At The History Of Buddhism:

History of Buddha dharma or Buddhism, as it is widely known today, was founded over 2500 years ago in Nepal by the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni. After attaining realization in approximately 531 B.C.E., the Buddha taught widely until his passing in approximately 486 B.C.E.
Tibetan historians hold that by the time of his passing, the Buddha had taught the whole corpus of Buddhist teachings,  encompassing what came to be known as the three major vehicles (Skt. yanas), or cycles of the Buddhist teachings. Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana . Each of these cycles of teaching became popular at different periods in the history of Buddhism.