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1215
The Magna Carta
The magna carta forced the king to share his power with the nobility in Parliament. This was the first document stating that the king was not above the government or the law. It was a failed concept overall, and didn't last longer than about three months. -
1346
Battle of Crecy
A war that took place during the Hundred Years' War, the Battle of Crecy was significant due to it being a turning point. The results of the battle shocked European leaders because a small English army on foot defeated the greatest European cavalry of the time. -
1356
The Golden Bull
The Golden Bull established the centralization of Holy Roman Empire, and gave a lot of power to Prussia. -
Sep 19, 1356
Battle of Portiers
The Battle of Poitiers was England's greatest victory in the Hundred Years' War. It was followed by many rebellions. -
1360
Peace of Bretigny-Calais
A treaty between England and France, the Peace of Bretigny-Calais is seen as the mark of the end of the first phase of the Hundred Years' War. -
1382
John Wycliffe Translates the Bible
John Wycliffe, who was the founder of the Lollards, translated the Bible into vernacular English. This translation set up some basis for the Protestant Reformation. -
1443
The Plague Breaks Out
The Black Death left 25 million Europeans dead, wiping out 35% of the continent. What started in Constantinople and Sicily entered Europe through Italian ports, following decades of overpopulation, economic depression, famine, and bad health; all of which made Europe even more vulnerable to the disease. Following its damages, whole villages vanished, and a depopulation resulted in shorter labor supply and a decline in value of noble estates. -
1453
The End of the Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was an ongoing conflict between England and France that lasted from 1337-1453. The plague forced a truce to end the wars. -
1453
Fall of Constantinople
The Fall of Constantinople was the capture of the Byzantine Empire's capital by the Ottoman Empire. This was a big turning point in history, and it is seen as a shocking betrayal even now. -
1455
The Invention of the Printing Press
The printing press was one of the most important inventions of all time. It increased literature and spread of documents such as the bible, as well as increasing the spread of propaganda. After its invention, writers such as Thomas More and Erasmus began releasing their work. -
1479
Ferdinand and Isabella
As leaders of a dominant Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella made many advancements to the country including securing borders, broadening the military, and Christianizing Spain. Their other claim to fame was sponsoring Christopher Columbus in his voyage. -
1492
Columbus Arrives in the New World
Christopher Columbus believed that Asia could be reached faster by sailing west of Spain. His ideas of travel were supported by Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, who helped fund his trip. Columbus believed he had settled in Asia, or the Indies, but had instead landed in the modern-day Bahamas. He then proceeded to take four more voyages, each of which he incorrectly believed he was in Asia. -
1494
France Invasion of 1494
Charles VIII invaded Italy to lay claim to the Kingdom of Naples, which composed most of southern Italy. The French army marched through Italy with only minimal resistance. The invasion had a profound impact on Italian society and politics. -
Oct 31, 1517
Luther's 95 Theses
Martin Luther was most associated with the Protestant Reform. He was highly critical of the church and its corruption, so much so that he founded his own Lutheran Church of Protestants. He then released his 95 Theses, or 95 arguments against indulgences and the church. -
1521
Diet of Worms
The Diet of Worms was a diet in the Holy Roman Empire which produced the Edict of Worms, a document that declared Martin Luther and his following to be outlaws, and had his religion banned. -
1532
The Prince is Published
The Prince, by Machiavelli, is published. This book is essentially an explanation of what a good ruler should be and do. This is important because it's an argument against absolutism. -
1534
Act of Supremacy
The Acts of Supremacy are two acts passed by the Parliament that established the English monarchs as the head of the Church of England. The act declared King Henry VIII and his successors as the Supreme Head of the Church, replacing the pope. -
1555
The Peace of Augsburg
The Peace of Augsburg was the decree that the leader of a region may choose between Lutheranism and Catholic. This was a huge step forward because previously Catholicism was entirely dominant. -
1564
Shakespeare is Born
Shakespeare was a greatly influential man in both European and world history. He created new words while writing plays and sonnets that would go down in history as iconic. -
Aug 23, 1572
St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre
The St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre was when Roman Catholic mobs, during the French Religious War, killed 5,000 to 30,000 protestants by stoning them. -
Edict of Nantes
The Edict of Nantes was an agreement issued by Henry IV that allowed Calvinists of France many rights that they hadn't previously been granted in an attempt to promote civil unity. -
Assassination of Henry IV
Henry IV was assassinated by a Catholic "fanatic". This shows just how prevalent religion, specifically Catholic religion, was at the time. -
English Civil War
The English Civil war was a civil war in England that ended with the execution of King Charles, and the establishment of the Commonwealth by Oliver Cromwell. -
Principa Mathematica is Published
The Principa Mathematica was a book by Isaac Newton during the Scientific Revolution. It was known for stating Newton's Laws of Motion, which changed science forever. -
The English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights was a document that Parliament forced William and Mary to accept before being crowned king and queen. It stated that Parliament was superior to monarchs, and that the monarch must follow its rules. -
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution was the multiple events that saw King James II of England deposed and succeeded by one of his daughters and her husband. -
Union of England and Scotland
The Union of England and Scotland was made possible by the Acts of Union, which were two Acts of Parliament: the Union with Scotland Act (1706), and the Union with England Act passed in 1707 by the Parliament of Scotland. -
Pragamatic Sanction
The Pragamatic Sanction was an edict issued by the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles VI, to insure that his daughter inherited his land. -
Treaty of Utrecht
The Treaty of Utrecht was the treaty that ended the War of Spanish Succession, therefore allowing for Philip to remain King of Spain, but not King of France. -
Diplomatic Revolution
The Diplomatic Revolution was the shift of support between England and France over Austria and Prussia, from Austria sided with England and Prussia sided with France to the reverse. -
Treaty of Paris ends Seven Years' War
The Treaty of Paris was signed in Paris by representatives of King George III and representatives of the United States of America, and it officially ended the American Revolutionary War. -
Formation of the National Assembly
The National Assembly was the pivotal group of Third Estate Generals that formed a group against the French Monarchy, eventually beginning a revolution. -
Tennis Court Oath
The Tennis Court Oath was one of the meetings of the National Convention: the group that began the French Revolution. This oath happened after the National Convention was forced to use a Tennis Court for their meeting after being locked out of their meeting place. -
Storming of the Bastille
The Storming of the Bastille was was an event that occurred in Paris, France when revolutionaries stormed and seized control of the medieval armory, fortress, and political prison known as the Bastille. At the time, the Bastille represented royal authority in the center of Paris. The Storming of the Bastille put in motion more rebellions afterwards. -
Declaration of Rights of Man and of the Citizen
The Declaration of Rights of Man and of the Citizen was a document that was influenced by the idea of 'Natural Rights' and declared what rights every human should have. It was later referenced very frequently in arguments against monarchs. -
Women's March on Versailles
The Women's March on Versailles occurred when Paris women rioted over the high bread prices of the time. They became so outraged that they ransacked the Palace of Versailles, which ended with King Louis XVI being forced to return to Paris with them. -
Napoleon Comes to Power
Napoleon rapidly rose through the ranks of the military during the French Revolution. After seizing political power in France in a 1799 coup d'état, he crowned himself emperor in 1804. -
Concordat of 1801
The Concordat of 1801 was an agreement between Napoleon Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII. It was a sort of peace treaty that promised safety to the clergy and ties between France and Rome. -
July Revolution
The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution, was a second French Revolution. -
Napoleon Crowns Himself Emperor
Napoleon proclaimed himself emperor. His coronation ceremony took place on December 2, 1804, in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris, with incredible splendor and at considerable expense. The royal court of the French Emperor then became a public spectacle of wealth and elegance. -
The Battle of Austerlitz
Also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, The Battle of Austerlitz was one of the most important and decisive engagements of the Napoleonic Wars. -
Congress of Vienna
The objective of the meeting of the Congress of Vienna was to provide a long-term peace plan for Europe by settling issues that had been caused by the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. -
The Battle of Waterloo
At Waterloo in Belgium, Napoleon suffered defeat at the hands of the Duke of Wellington, bringing an end to the Napoleonic era of European history. -
Napoleon Dies on St Helena
In October 1815, Napoleon was exiled to the remote island of Saint Helena, located in the South Atlantic Ocean. He died there on May 5, 1821, at age 51, most likely from stomach cancer. -
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. -
Archduke Franz Ferdinand Executed
When the heir to the imperial throne of Hungary died, it sparked the beginning of the Great War. -
Austria-Hungary Declares War on Serbia
This was yet another event that began WWI. This nearly confirmed that Russia would inevitably be involved in the war as well, which made it a war between the significant powers. -
WWI is Set in Motion
Germany invades Luxembourg and Belgium. France invades Alsace. British forces arrive in France. Nations allied against Germany were eventually to include Great Britain, Russia, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Rhodesia, Romania, Greece, France, Belgium, United States, Canada, Serbia, India, Portugal, Montenegro, and Poland. -
German Submarine Sinks the Lusitania
When it was revealed that the Lusitania was carrying about 173 tons of war munitions for Britain, the Germans cited it as further justification for an attack. The United States eventually sent three notes to Berlin protesting the action, and Germany apologized and pledged to end unrestricted submarine warfare. -
Germany Attacks Verdun
The Battle of Verdun was fought from 21 February to 18 December 1916 on the Western Front in France. The battle was the longest of the First World War and took place on the hills north of Verdun-sur-Meuse. -
The Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland is considered to be the only major naval battle of World War One. It saw the British Navy losing more men and ships but remained a powerful tool while it left the German Navy too diminished to put to sea again while the war lasted. -
The Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme, also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place between 1 July and 18 November 1916 on both sides of the upper reaches of the Somme, a river in France. -
The Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution was a period of political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire and began during the First World War. -
The US Declares War Against Germany
President Woodrow Wilson asked a special joint session of the United States Congress for a declaration of war against the German Empire. -
Russia Signs Armistice With Germany
Immediately after their accession to power in Russia in November 1917, the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, had approached the Central Powers to arrange an armistice and withdraw from a war they saw as the major obstacle to their plan of providing food and land to the long-impoverished Russian peasant population. -
Wilson's Fourteen Points
The Fourteen Points was a statement of principles for peace that was to be used for peace negotiations in order to end World War I. The principles were outlined in a January 8, 1918 speech on war aims and peace terms to the United States Congress by President Woodrow Wilson. -
Russia Signs Treaty of Brest-Lovisk
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a separate peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, between the new Bolshevik government of Russia and the Central Powers, that ended Russia's participation in World War I. The treaty was signed at German-controlled Brest-Litovsk, after two months of negotiations. -
The Battle of Cantigny
This was the first major American battle and offensive of World War I. The U.S. 1st Division, the most experienced of the five American divisions then in France and in reserve for the French Army near the village of Cantigny was selected for the attack. -
The Battle of the Marne River at Chateau-Thierry
The Battle of Château-Thierry was fought on 18 July 1918 and was one of the first actions of the American Expeditionary Forces under General John J. Pershing. It was a battle in World War I as part of the Second Battle of the Marne, initially prompted by a German Spring Offensive -
St. Mihiel Salient
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a major World War I battle fought from 12–15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Forces and 110,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against German positions. -
The Battle of Meusse-Argonne
The Meuse-Argonne Offensive was the largest operations of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I, with over a million American soldiers participating. It was also the deadliest campaign in American history, resulting in over 26,000 soldiers being killed in action and over 120,000 total casualties. -
Armistice at Compiegne
The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea and air in World War I between the Allies and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices had been agreed with Bulgaria, the Ottoman Empire and Austria-Hungary. -
Peace Conference Begins in Paris
This was when some of the most powerful people in the world meet to begin the long, complicated negotiations that would officially mark the end of the First World War. -
United States Fails to Ratify Treaty of Versailles
In 1919 the Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles, which formally ended World War I, in part because President Woodrow Wilson had failed to take senators' objections to the agreement into consideration. They have made the French treaty subject to the authority of the League, which is not to be tolerated. -
Treaty of Versailles Takes Effect
The Treaty of Versailles was the primary treaty produced by the Paris Peace Conference at the end of World War I. It was signed on June 28, 1919, by the Allied and associated powers and by Germany in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles and went into effect on January 10, 1920. -
United States Signs Separate Peace Treaties With Germany, Austria, and Hungary
U.S. President Warren G. Harding signed the Knox–Porter Resolution, which had been passed by the U.S. Congress and ended the state of war between the U.S. and Germany, Austria and Hungary, further setting the stage for bilateral peace treaties. -
Hitler is Appointed German Leader
On January 30, 1933, President Paul von Hindenburg names Adolf Hitler, leader or führer of the National Socialist German Workers Party (or Nazi Party), as chancellor of Germany. -
World War II Begins
World War II began in Europe on September 1, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland. Great Britain and France responded by declaring war on Germany on September 3. The war between the U.S.S.R. -
Soviet Union Invades Poland
The Soviet invasion of Poland was a military operation by the Soviet Union without a formal declaration of war. On 17 September 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Poland from the east, sixteen days after Germany invaded Poland from the west. -
Warsaw is Captured
Soviet troops liberate the Polish capital from German occupation. Warsaw was a battleground since the opening day of fighting in the European theater. -
The UK Wins War's First Sea Battle
Britain ultimately won the war at sea through two strategies that had little in common with full-scale battles such as Jutland: the trade blockade and the convoy system. Britain used its naval dominance to shut off German access to the North Sea. -
Norway Invaded
Operation Weserübung was Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign. -
Churchill Becomes Prime Minister
In May 1940, Winston Churchill became Prime Minister, replacing Neville Chamberlain. Churchill formed a national government and oversaw British involvement in the Allied war effort against the Axis powers, resulting in victory in 1945. After the Conservatives' defeat in the 1945 general election, he became Leader of the Opposition. -
The Miracle of Dunkirk
The Dunkirk evacuation, also known as the Miracle of Dunkirk, was the evacuation of Allied soldiers during the Second World War from the beaches and harbor of Dunkirk, in the north of France, between 26 May and 4 June 1940. -
Paris Falls to the Nazis
Paris fell to Nazi Germany one month after the German Wehrmacht stormed into France. Eight days later, France signed an armistice with the Germans, and a puppet French state was set up with its capital at Vichy. -
The Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force and the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force, the Luftwaffe. -
The Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, just before 08:00 a.m. This was what officially entered the US into WWII. -
Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference, also known as the Crimea Conference and codenamed Argonaut, held 4–11 February 1945, was the World War II meeting of the heads of government of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union to discuss the postwar reorganization of Germany and Europe. -
Victory in Europe Day
Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the end of World War II in Europe -
The Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference was held in Potsdam, Germany, from July 17 to August 2, 1945 to allow the three leading Allies to plan the postwar peace, while avoiding the mistakes of the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. The participants were the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. -
The Bombing on Hiroshima
The United States detonated two nuclear weapons over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945, respectively. The two bombings killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people, most of whom were civilians, and remain the only use of nuclear weapons in armed conflict. -
The Bombing on Nagasaki
The United States detonated two nuclear weapons over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945, respectively. The two bombings killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people, most of whom were civilians, and remain the only use of nuclear weapons in armed conflict. -
Victory Over Japan Day
Victory over Japan Day (or V-J Day) would officially be celebrated in the United States on the day formal surrender documents were signed aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay: September 2, 1945. But as welcome as victory over Japan was, the day was bittersweet in light of the war's destructiveness. -
Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech
The Iron Curtain speech was a speech delivered by former British prime minister Winston Churchill in which he stressed the necessity for the United States and Britain to act as the guardians of peace and stability against the menace of Soviet communism, which had lowered an “iron curtain". -
Cominform
Cominform was a supranational alliance of Marxist-Leninist communist parties in Europe to coordinate their activity under the direction of the Soviet Union during the early Cold War. Cominform became de facto inactive in Soviet affairs from 1950 and dissolved during de-Stalinization in 1956. -
The Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was a United States foreign policy established by President Harry S. Truman in 1947. It was intended to prevent the spread of Communism in the aftermath of World War II by providing U.S. support to countries thought to be targets of influence by the Soviet Union. -
The Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was a U.S.-sponsored program designed to rehabilitate the economies of 17 western and southern European countries in order to create stable conditions in which democratic institutions could survive in the aftermath of World War II. It was formally called the European Recovery Program. -
The Formation of West Germany
West Germany was created in 1949 when the United States, Great Britain, and France consolidated those zones, or portions, of Germany that they had occupied at the end of World War II. -
The Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact provided for a unified military command and the systematic ability to strengthen the Soviet hold over the other participating countries. -
The Hungarian Revolution
This began as a Hungarian protest against Communist rule in Budapest. It quickly gathered momentum and on 24th October Soviet tanks entered Budapest. The tanks withdrew on 28th October and a new government was formed which quickly moved to introduce democracy, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion. The Soviet tanks returned on 4th November encircling Budapest. -
The Space Race
The Space Race was a 20th-century competition between two Cold War adversaries, the Soviet Union and the United States, to achieve superior spaceflight capability. It had its origins in the ballistic missile-based nuclear arms race between the two nations following World War II. -
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. -
Olympic Boycott by Russia
The 1980 Summer Olympics boycott was one part of a number of actions initiated by the United States to protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The Soviet Union, which hosted the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, and its allies later boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. -
The Chernobyl Disaster
The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred at the No. 4 reactor in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, near the city of Pripyat in the north of the Ukrainian SSR in the Soviet Union. It is considered the worst nuclear disaster in history both in cost and casualties. -
Tiananmen Square
The Tiananmen Square protests, known as the June Fourth Incident in China, were student-led demonstrations held in Tiananmen Square, Beijing during 1989. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The fall of the Wall marked the first critical step towards German reunification, which formally concluded a mere 339 days later on 3 October 1990 with the dissolution of East Germany and the official reunification of the German state along the democratic lines of the West German Basic Law. -
The Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent transition of power in what was then Czechoslovakia, occurring from 17 November to 28 November 1989. Popular demonstrations against the one-party government of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia included students and older dissidents. -
German Reunification
The Peaceful Revolution, a series of protests by East Germans, led to the GDR's first free elections on 18 March 1990 and to the negotiations between the GDR and FRG that culminated in a Unification Treaty. -
Mikhail Gorbachev Resigns
Internally, growing nationalist sentiment threatened to break up the Soviet Union, leading Marxist–Leninist hardliners to launch the unsuccessful August Coup against Gorbachev in 1991. In the wake of this, the Soviet Union dissolved against Gorbachev's wishes and he resigned. -
The End of the Soviet Union
On December 25, 1991, the Soviet hammer and sickle flag lowered for the last time over the Kremlin, thereafter replaced by the Russian tricolor. Earlier in the day, Mikhail Gorbachev resigned his post as president of the Soviet Union, leaving Boris Yeltsin as president of the newly independent Russian state.
