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1469
Isabella and Ferdinand unite Spain
The marriage of Isabella and Ferdinand was the event that united Spain in 1469. -
Period: Jun 28, 1509 to Jan 28, 1547
Henry VIII reigns over England
Henry VIII was known for his multiple marriages and breaking with the Catholic Church after the Pope refused to annul his marriage. -
Period: Nov 17, 1558 to
Elizabeth I reigns over England
Elizabeth I was Queen of England and Ireland and was the last monarch of the House of Tudor. -
Don Quixote is published
Don Quixote is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes and is considered a founding work of Western literature, it is often labeled as the first modern novel and one of the greatest works ever written. -
Period: to
Thirty Years War
Thirty Years' War was a series of wars fought by various nations for various reasons, including religious, dynastic, territorial, and commercial rivalries. -
Petition of Right signed
The Petition of Rights is an English constitutional document setting out specific individual protections against the state, reportedly of equal value to the Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights 1689. -
Period: to
The Long Parliament
The Long Parliament was an English Parliament which lasted from 1640 until 1660. It followed the fiasco of the Short Parliament. -
Period: to
Louis XIV reigns as the King of France
Louis XIV lived in the Palace of Versailles and had a long reign as the King of France. He was an absolute monarch. -
Peace of Westphalia is signed
The Peace of Westphalia formally ended the Thirty Years' War in Europe. -
Thomas Hobbes publishes “Leviathan”
Leviathan concerns the structure of society and legitimate government. -
Period: to
Charles II reigns over England
Charles II was the eldest surviving child of Charles I of England, Scotland, and Ireland. -
Period: to
Peter the Great reigns as czar of Russia
The reign of Peter I was a turning point in Russian history. He got Russia up to date which was way behind in his time. -
Period: to
Glorious Revolution
The series of events that resulted in the exile of James II and the accession of William and Mary to the throne. -
Signing of the English Bill of Rights
The Parliament signed the English Bill of Rights that created separation of powers and limited the power of the King or Queen. -
John Locke publishes "Two Treatises of Government"
John Locke wrote "Two Treaties of Government" based on the theory that all humans have rights under natural law, and the government needs to protect them. -
Period: to
Frederick II reigns over Prussia
Frederick II caused Prussia to become one of the Great States in Europe. -
Daniel Defoe publishes “Robinson Crusoe”
“Robinson Crusoe” is a book about survival on an inhabited island near Trinidad. -
Johnathan Smith publishes "Gulliver's Travels"
Gulliver's Travels is an adventure story that also mixes in satire to mock the English politics and customs of the day. -
Baron de Montesquieu publishes "The Spirit of Laws"
Montesquieu, an advocate for limited government, published "The Spirit of Laws" on the idea of checks on political power. -
Sebastian Bach at the height of his career
Sabastian Bach dies of complications after eye surgery at the age of 65. -
Denis Diderot publishes his “Encyclopedia”
Denis Diderot publishes his "Encyclopedia," which is a twenty-eight-volume reference book. -
Period: to
Seven Years War
The Seven Years' War was a global conflict involving most of the European great powers, fought primarily in Europe and the Americas. -
Voltaire publishes “Candid”
Candide is a French satire written by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment, first published in 1759. -
Period: to
George III reigns over England
George III was the King of England when the U.S. signed the Declaration of Independence to break from British power. -
Jean Jacque Rousseau publishes "Social Contract"
Rousseau wrote "Social Contract" based on his theory that a people is free only when governed by its own laws. -
Period: to
Catherine Great reigns over Russia
She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter III. Some of her accomplishments included establishing educational reform and extending Russia's borders in the largest territory. -
Period: to
Joseph II reigns over Austria
Joseph II was the Holy Roman Emperor and then also became the ruler of the Habsburg monarchy. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a confrontation in Boston where nine British soldiers shot a crowd of a few hundred people who were harassing them verbally and throwing various projectiles. -
Boston Tea Party
An American political and mercantile protest by the Sons of Liberty, Massachusetts. -
Period: to
Intolerable Acts
British Parliament passed four laws that were meant to punish the American colonists for the Boston Tea Party. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
The Battle of Lexington and Concord started the American Revolution and was a win for the Americans over the British. -
Adam Smith Publishes "Wealth of Nations"
Adam Smith provided new insight into what makes a nation wealthy and how to maximize it in his book "Wealth of Nations." -
Declaration of Independence signed
The Declaration of Independence was signed by members of all 13 American colonies to declare independence from France. -
Period: to
Battle of Yorktown
General Charles Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown ending the American Revolutionary War. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris, signed in Paris by representatives of King George III of Great Britain and representatives of the United States on September 3, 1783, officially ended the American Revolutionary. -
US Constitution ratified
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States. The Constitution describes the national frame and constrains the powers of the federal government. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man
The Declaration of the Rights of Man is a human civil rights document from the French Revolution. -
Tennis Court Oath
The Tennis Court Oath was a key moment that set off the French Revolution. There, the men of the National Assembly swore an oath never to stop meeting until a constitution had been established. -
Storming of the Bastille
The Storming of the Bastille occurred in Paris, France, when revolutionary rebels attempted to storm and seize control of the medieval armory, fortress, and political prison known as the Bastille. -
Period: to
Women’s march on Versailles
The Women's March on Versailles was a riot that took place during this first stage of the French Revolution. Thousands of women marched to the palace of King Louis XVI. -
Declaration of the Rights of Woman
Declaration of the Rights of Woman is made by French activist, feminist, and playwright in response to the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man. -
Mary Wollstonecraft publishes “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman”
“A Vindication of the Rights of Woman” opposes the empowerment of women and men in education, politics, and society. -
Period: to
Radical Phase (French Revolution)
In the Radical Phase, France was made a republic, abolishing the monarchy and executing the king -
National Convention Formed
The National Convention was the replacement of the previous legislative bodies after the end of the monarchy. -
Committee of Public Safety Created
A committee of the National Convention formed the provisional government and war cabinet during the Reign of Terror, a fierce phase of the French Revolution. -
Period: to
Reign of Terror (French Revolution)
The Reign of Terror was a period of the French Revolution when a series of massacres and numerous public executions took place. -
Creation of the Five Man Directory
The Directory was a governing five-member committee in France but was later overthrown by Napoleon. -
Napoleon Bonaparte becomes Emperor
Napoleon Bonaparte becomes Emperor of France, the backbone of the recovery from the Revolution. -
Battle of Austerlitz
The Battle of Austerlitz was decisive in the Napoleonic Wars, showcasing Napoleon's tactical mastery. -
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a naval battle at Cape Trafalgar resulting in an important British triumph. -
Battle of Leipzig
The 3 day Battle of Leipzig was important because it was a decisive defeat of Napoleon. -
Period: to
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna is a series of meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new map of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. -
Napoleon exiled to Elba
Napolean was exiled, for the first time, to Elba off the coast of Italy near Corsica. -
Napoleon exiled to St. Helena
Napolean was exiled for the second time to St. Helena after his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.