-
Jan 1, 1418
Prince Henry the Navigator
Prince Henry started the first school for oceanic navigation along with an astronomical observatory at Sagres, Portugal. -
Jan 1, 1488
Bartholomeu Dias
Bartholomeu Dias rounded the southern tip of Africa. -
Jan 1, 1492
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus sailed west with three small ships, the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa María. -
Jan 1, 1493
Ferdinand and Isabella
Ferdinand and Isabella appealed to the Pope to support their claim to the lands of the new world. -
Jan 1, 1494
Treaty of Tordesillas
Treay of Todersillas was signed between Spain and Portugal. -
Jan 1, 1497
John Cabot
John Cabot sailed to Canada, commanding a small ship called "Matthew" at the request of King Henry VII of England. -
Jan 1, 1497
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama led four ships aroudnthe Cape of Good Hope. -
Jan 1, 1500
Prices rises
Prices began to rise in many parts of Europe. -
Jan 1, 1500
Francis I of France
Francis I of France declared, "I should like to see Adam's will, wherein he divided the Earth between Spain and Portugal." -
Jan 1, 1505
Affonso I
Affonso I called on the Portuguese to help him develop Kongo as a modern Christian state. -
Jan 1, 1507
Amerigo Vespuci
Amerigo Vespucci wrote a journal describing his voyage to Brazil. -
Jan 1, 1507
Martin Waldseemüller
Martin Waldseemüller used Vespucci's descriptions of is voyage to publish a map of the region. -
Jan 1, 1510
Afonso de Albuquerque
Afonso de Abuquerque burned coastal towns and crushed Arab fleets at sea. -
Jan 1, 1510
Goa
Portuguese seized the island of Goa off the coast of India, making it thier major military and commercial base. -
Jan 1, 1514
China
Portuguese ships first reached China from their base in Malacca. -
Jan 1, 1519
Hernan Cortez and the Aztecs
Hernan Cortez landed on the coast of Mexico with about 600 men, 16 horses, and a few cannons. -
Jan 1, 1522
Ferdinand Magellan
Magellan's expedition circumnavigates the globe. -
Jan 1, 1532
Francisco Pizarro and the Incans
Francisco Pizarro arrived in Peru, just after the Incan ruler had won the throne from his brother in a bloody civil war. -
Jan 1, 1534
Jacques Cartier
Jacques Cartier sailed to North America on behalf of France to find spices, gold, and a passage to Asia. -
Jan 1, 1542
Bartolome de Las Casas
Bartolome de Las Casas persuaded Spain to pass the New Laws of the Indies, which forbade enslavements and abuse of Native Americans. -
Jan 1, 1543
Japan
Portuguese reached Japan, followed by Spanish, Dutch, and English. -
Matteo Ricci
Matteo Ricci made a particularly strong impression on the Chinese, but had little success spreading their religious beliefs in China. -
Dutch fleet
Dutch fleet returned to Amsterdam from Asia after more than a year's absence. -
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch establish the Dutch East India Company. -
Tokugawas
The Tokugawas come to power in Japan. -
Jamestown
English built their first permanent colony at Jamestown,Virginia. -
Quebec
The first permanent French settlement was Quebec, settled by Samuel de Chaplain -
Slaves
The first cargo of African slaves arrives in Virginia. -
Japan
Japan bars foreign merchants from the country. -
Malacca
The Dutch take Malacca from the Portuguese. -
The Boers
Dutch farmers called Boers, settled around Cape Town. They ousted, enslaved, or killed the people who lived there. -
Qianlong
The reign of Chinese emperor Qianlong begins. -
Olaudah Equiano
Olaudah Equiano writes a book about his experiences during the Atlantic slave trade. -
The Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War breaks out between Britain and France. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris is signed, ending the French and Indian War. -
African Association
The British established the African Association- an organization that sponsored explorers to Africa. -
Lord Macartney
Lord Macartney arrived in China at the head of a British diplomatic mission. He brought samples of British-made goods to show the Chinese the advantages of trade with Westerners.
