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Sep 27, 1492
Columbus's First Voyage
Columbus's first voyage to America came in 1492. -
Sep 27, 1498
First Trip Around the Cape of Good Hope
Vasco da Game rounded Africa, around the Cape of Good Hope which was located on the southern tip of Africa. He landed in an unknown world of Arab commerce. -
Sep 27, 1500
The Opening of the Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean was always a barrier until about 1500, where it became a bridge. -
Sep 27, 1500
Dividing the Globe
The Spanish and Portuguese divided the globe between them in order to determine which country gets which land. Spain claimed all the Americas while Portugal claimed all rights of trade in Africa, Asia, and the East Indies. -
Sep 27, 1502
Second Trip Around the Cape of Good Hope
Da Gama returned, this time bringing a fighting fleet of no less than 21 vessels. A war broke out between them and the Arab merchants and there were many atrocities for India. -
Sep 27, 1506
The Death of Columbus
Columbus died in 1506. -
Sep 27, 1509
Malacca
The Portuguese reaced into Malacca and eventually into China and the heart of the Spice Islands. This led to the creation of their trading empire and the first of Europe's commercial-colonial empires. -
Oct 1, 1519
Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V became the Holy Roman Emperor. The money used to obtain this election came from the Medici family. -
Sep 27, 1520
Magellan's Expedition
Magellan found a southwestern passage in which he sailded from the Atlantic into the Pacific, crossed the Pacific, discovered the Philippine Islands, and crossed the Indian Ocean back to Spain. This marks the first time the globe was circumnavigated. -
Sep 27, 1544
The Printing Press
The printing press was brought to Mexico. -
Oct 1, 1545
Silver Mine
Silver deposits at Potosi in Peru were discovered. At the same time, methods of extracting silver improved. Production of precious metals shot up and these riches financed the European projects of the king of Spain. -
Sep 27, 1551
Universities
In 1551, the University of Lima was established and in 1553, the University of Mexico was established. -
Sep 27, 1553
The White Sea
While searching for a northeast passage to the Pacific, an English expedition discovered the White Sea. English merchants began taking the ocean route to Russia. -
Oct 1, 1556
Charles V Retirement
Charles V abdicated his crowns and retired to a monastery. This came the year after the Peace of Augsburg had given the ruler of each German state the right to choose its own religion. -
Oct 1, 1556
Philip II
Philip II came into rule in 1556 and lasted until 1598. -
Oct 1, 1563
Statute of Artificers
Parliament enacted this in order to regulate the admission to apprenticeship and level of wages in various trades. -
Oct 1, 1565
Spanish Trade Route
The Spanish established a trade route between their colonies in Mexico and the Philippines. "Manila Galleons" carried large amounts of silver from Acapulco to Manila. -
Oct 1, 1566
Revolt
The revolt against Philip II began in 1566 when about 200 nobles founded a league to check the "foreign" or Spanish influence in the Netherlands. -
Oct 1, 1567
New Governor
Philip II sent a nw and firmer governor generla to the Netherlands (the Duke of Alva) with 20,000 Spanish soldiers in order to suppress religious and political dissidents by establishing a Council of Troubles. -
Oct 1, 1572
St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre
The Catholic leaders of France decided to end the Huguenots. Over 3000 were seized and put to death on the eve of St. Bartholomew's Day in Paris alone. -
Oct 1, 1576
Don Juan
Don Juan became the governor general of the Netherlands. He developed a plan to subdue the Netherlands and then use the country as a base for an invastion of England. -
Oct 1, 1579
The Union of Utrecht
This Union, consisting of the seven northern prvoinces, was formed. In 1581, they declared their independence from the king of Spain, calling themselves the United Provinces of the Netherlands. -
Oct 1, 1580
Spanish Kingdom
Philip II inherited Portugal which made the whole Iberian peninsula brought under his rule. -
The Execution of Mary Stuart
After almost 20 years of imprisonment, Mary Stuart was executed. -
Company Boom
Many companies began to operate out of England, Holland, and France shortly after 1600. The most famous were the East India Companies, which was founded by the English in 1600, the Dutch in 1602, and the French in 1664. -
The Poor Law
This law, in England, was designed both to force people to work and to relieve absolute destitution. This remained in effect until 1834. -
Cervantes
Cervantes wrote his Don Quixote and Lope de Vega. -
Companies Overseas
The East India Company was organized in 1602. The English settled in Virginia in 1607 while the Dutch settled in New York in 1612. -
The Thirty Years' War
This war in Germany began in 1618 because of a long period of civil troubles and ended in 1648. -
Portugal Independence
In 1640, Portugal reestablished its independence.