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Dec 25, 1492
Columbus sails to the Americas
October 28, 1492, and the northern coast of Hispaniola, present day Haiti and Dominican Republic, by December 5. Here, the Santa Maria ran aground on Christmas morning, December 25, 1492 and had to be abandoned. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyages_of_Christopher_Columbus -
Jul 16, 1520
Cortez conquers the Aztecs
he challenged the native forces and entered Tenochititlan, taking the Aztec leader, Montezuma, hostage. This event led to an Aztec uprising that culminated in La Noche Triste. http://www.thenagain.info/webchron/americas/cortes.cp.html -
Apr 16, 1543
Copernicus presents the Heliocentric Theory
The Church became so angry - the Geocentric theory made human beings seem closer to God and since earth was in the center that meant humans were more special. The heliocentric theory changed that perspective completely, making humans lose that position in the universe. -
Glorious Revolution of England
England's system of government became a constituational monarcy; a system of governing in which a ruler's power is limited by law. -
English settle Jamestown
A group of 104 English men and boys began a settlement on the banks of Virginia's James River. They were sponsored by the Virginia Company of London, whose stockholders hoped to make a profit from the resources of the New World. http://www.historyisfun.org/jamestown-settlement.htm -
Louis XIV of France begins his reign
He sought to eliminate the remnants of feudalism persisting in parts of France and, by compelling the noble elite to inhabit his lavish Palace of Versailles, succeeded in pacifying the aristocracy, many members of which had participated in the Fronde rebellion during Louis' minority. By these means he consolidated a system of absolute monarchical rule in France that endured until the French Revolution http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XIV_of_France -
Peter the Great of Russia begins his reign
He traveled to Europe to study new developments in technology mostly ship building. -
French Revolution begins
In the 1770's, the social and political system of France was called the Old Regime. Under this system, the people of France were divided into three large social classes, or estates. -
Napoleon conquers most of Europe
French power rose quickly as Napoleon's armies conquered much of Europe but collapsed rapidly after France's disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleonic_Wars
