In what year did the fall of the Roman Empire to German tribes occurr?

Question

I need the year.

Answer 1

It's not entirely arbitrary that Medieval / Renaissance History at About.com begins and Ancient / Classical History ends in A.D. 476. Edward Gibbon's 476 date for the fall of Rome is conventionally acceptable because that's when the Germanic Odoacer deposed the last emperor ruling from Rome. There are, however, other reasonable dates for the Fall of the Roman Empire. Some say Rome fell when it was split in two. Many say the Fall was an ongoing process lasting more than a century. Since Rome still exists it could even be argued it never fell.