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1415
Ceutha is Defeated
Prince Henry of Portugal, along with his father and brother, lead an attack to capture Ceutha. Prince Henry was inspired by this event to begin more exploring. -
1440
Gutenberg Introduces the Printing Press
Johannes Gutenberg, from Germany, invented the printing press, which was based on already existing screw presses -
1492
San Salvador discovered
Christopher Columbus lands in San Salvador -
1498
The Last Supper
Leonardo da Vinci finished painting The Last Supper -
1499
Trade Route to India
Vasco da Gama discovers the overseas trade route from Europe to India. -
1503
Mona Lisa
Leonardo da Vinci finished his famous painting, The Mona Lisa. It is primarily famous because it was stolen. -
1504
The Statue of David
Michelangelo sculpts the Statue of David -
1507
America Gets Named
Martin Waldseemüller made a map, which named the new world America, after the feminine latin version of Amerigo Vespucci's name. -
1509
The Praise of Folly
Erasmus writes the Praise of Folly -
1512
Sistine Chapel
Michelangelo finishes painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel -
1513
The Prince
Machiavelli writes The Prince, which describes how to get and maintain a position with political power -
1517
95 Theses
Martin Luther writes the 95 Theses, which challenge the Catholic Church. He nailed them on his church's door -
1521
Magellan's Ships Circumnavigate the World
Ferdinand Magellan died on April 27, 1521, but his crew was the first to sail around the globe. They got home on November 5, 1521. -
1521
Hernando Cortez defeats the Aztecs
Hernando Cortez captured the Aztec ruler Montezuma and destroyed the capital city Tenochtitlán, effectively defeating the Aztecs -
1528
The Book Of The Courtier
Castiglione writes The Book Of The Courtier, which describes how a gentleman and lady should act. -
1532
Incas Conquered
Francisco Pizarro led his troops up the Andes mountain and conquered the Incas. -
1534
Anglican Church founded
Henry VIII founded the Anglican Church, so he could divorce his wife. -
1534
The Jesuits
St. Ignatius de Loyola established the Jesuits. -
1534
Jacques Cartier explores
Jacques Cartier explores for the Northwest Passage, a fictional route from Europe west to Asia. -
1536
The Institutes of the Christian Religion
John Calvin published the Institutes of the Christian Religion, creating Calvinism. In Calvinism, it is believed that people should have a work ethic that honors God. -
1540
Recognition of the Jesuits
The Jesuits were recognized by Pope Paul III -
1543
Heliocentric Theory
Nicolaus Copernicus created the Heliocentric Theory, which stated that the sun was the center of the universe. Previously, people believed that Earth was the center. -
1559
Anglican Church Officially
Queen Elizabeth I makes the Anglican Church the official state church of England -
1562
Huguenots
The Huguenots in France attack in civil wars -
Period: 1577 to 1580
Francis Drake Circumnavigates the Globe
Francis Drake becomes the first Englishman and the second person to sail around the world -
Spanish Armada Defeated
Queen Elizabeth I defeated the Spanish Armada. -
Francis Drake Defeats Armada
Francis Drake worked for Queen Elizabeth I, and he helped her defeat the Spanish Armada -
Romeo and Juliet
The famous play Romeo and Juliet, by Shakespeare, was published for the first time -
Edict of Nantes
Henry IV signs the Edict of Nantes, which gave Huguenots some rights -
Don Quixote
Miguel de Cervantes writes Don Quixote. He is regarded by many as the best Spanish writer. -
Macbeth
Shakespeare finished writing his play Macbeth -
Galileo's Telescope
Galileo created his first telescope, which was more advanced than other ones of his time. He created another later that year that was even better. -
William Harvey Discovers Circulation
William Harvey announced his discovery of the circulation of blood. -
Period: to
The Thirty Years War
The war that started as a religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants -
Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion
Kepler published his third law of planetary motion, which was the final law. -
Charles I is Executed
Charles I was executed for high treason, and the monarchy was abolished. -
Leviathan
Thomas Hobbes published his book Leviathan. He believed that people were naturally wicked and that an absolute monarchy was the best form of government -
Oliver Cromwell forms Dictatorship
Oliver Cromwell forms a dictatorship. The people did not want another monarchy after Charles I. -
Charles II Becomes Ruler
In 1660,Charles II is invited back to England to rule. After Cromwell's dictatorship, the English people decide that they want a monarchy again. -
Newton's Laws of Gravity
Isaac Newton proposed his Laws Of Universal Gravitation, basically explaining how gravity works. -
Louis XIV Rebuilds Versailles
Louis XIV, the sun king, rebuilt Versailles, transforming it from a hunting lodge into a grand palace. -
The Glorious Revolution
William III and Mary II take over England in a joint monarchy. They take power from James II. It is known as the Glorious Revolution because there was no blood loss in battles. -
Two Treatises of Government
John Locke wrote his Two Treatises of Government. Locke believed that people had the gift of reason and that people were sovereign. He also believed that people had the rights to life, liberty, and property. -
Modernized Russian Army
Peter the Great modernized the Russian army. By 1725, Russia's military had 130,000 men, 48 ships, and 800 galleys. -
Spirit of Laws
Baron de Montesquieu writes the Spirit of Laws. He believed that the best government had a separation of powers -
Period: to
Seven Years War
The Seven Years War affects much of the world. Prussia comes out on the victorious side. Frederick the Great's leadership caused them to win, against terrible odds. -
Candide
Voltaire writes Candide. He believed in religious toleration over fanaticism. The church should also be separate from the state. -
The Social Contract
Jean-Jacques Rousseau writes the Social Contract. He said that people had the right of liberty, but many were oppressed. Strong people rule over the weak, and government only rules with the consent of the people -
Storming the Bastille
This date represents the Storming of the Bastille, a turning point in the French Revolution. Today, it is a French holiday celebrated as Bastille Day -
Period: to
The Reign of Terror
The reign of terror was a period when the government (run by Robespierre) killed everyone that they thought opposed them. The guillotine was the most popular instrument of execution. -
Execution of Louis XVI
After being convicted of conspiracy with foreign powers, Louis XVI is executed by guillotine. -
Battle of Waterloo
Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo, ending his leadership. -
Liberty Leading the People
Eugene Delacroix paints Liberty Leading The People. He was a French Romantic artist.
