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Jan 1, 1348
Black Death 1348-1351
The Black Death kills off more than one third of the European population, causing the working class to demand more from the higher class and greatly influencing the Catholic Church. -
Period: Jan 1, 1350 to Jan 1, 1550
Renaissance
The Renaissance was both a period of recovery and development for Europe after the middle ages, intellectuals and artists brought forth new ideas and raised questions on the value of the individual. -
Nov 11, 1417
Council of Constance burns Hus and ends Great Schism
The end of the Great Schism brings peace to the Catholic Church, however faith is decreased. -
Period: Jan 1, 1450 to
Age of Exploration
The age of exploration was the time span in which european explorers sought out new lands, trade and settlements in which to prosper from. -
May 29, 1453
Fall of Constantinople; end of Hundred Years' War
The fall of Constanttinople marks the end of the Byzantine Empire while it is also the start of the Ottoman Empire. the end of the hundred years war ends any British rule in France. -
Jan 1, 1455
Invention of Printing Press
The invention of the printing press allows books to be made quickly while the cost of books fall. Books are also becoming more and more widespread during this time. -
Jan 1, 1492
Colombus encounters America; completion of reconquista in Spain
The discovery of the Americas leads to European colonization, the conquest of the Iberian Peninsula marks the end of muslim influence. -
Jan 1, 1500
Protestant and Catholic Reformations sixteenth century
During the sixteenth century Martin Luther established the two pillars of the Protestant Revolution, justification by faith alone and the Bible as the sole authority in religious affairs. His doing so caused a chain reaction causing Catholicism to reform and new sects to break from Protestantism. -
Period: Jan 1, 1500 to
Early Modern Society
Revolutions during the sixteenth century changed the thoughts and viewpoints of europeans mirroring that of modern day. -
Period: Jan 1, 1500 to
Price Revolution
The price revolution was a inflation period caused by the sudden increase in gold and silver caused by mining in the new world. -
Oct 31, 1517
Luther posts the 95 Theses
Martin Luther posts his 95 theses which in doing so starts the Protestant Reformation. -
Jan 1, 1519
Cortez conquers the Aztecs
Cortez conquers the Aztec empire with the help of neighboring city states and the smallpox disease. -
Period: Jan 1, 1520 to
Religious Wars
The Religious wars of the sixteenth and seventeenth cenuries were a series of wars spurred by the reformation and included the Peasants war and The French wars of Religion. -
Jan 1, 1534
Act of supremacy in England creates Anglican Church
King Henry VIII ends Catholic power in England and creates the Anglican church in order to divorce his wife. -
Jan 1, 1536
Calvin establishes reformed faith in Geneva
John Calvin creates calvinism which adds on to the protestant reformation Luther created. -
Jan 1, 1543
Copernicus publishes heliocentric theory
Copernicus publishes "On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres" which explains that the planets rotate the sun rather than the sun and planets rotate around the Earth. -
Period: Jan 1, 1543 to
Scientific Revolution
The Scientific Revolution was a major turning point in the development in Western civilization, new ideas, developments, discoveries, and thoughts emerged thataffect even the modern world today. -
Dec 13, 1545
Council of Trent opens
The Council of trent met as the center of the counter reformation during the Protestant Reformation. -
Period: Jan 1, 1550 to
Dutch Commercial Dominance
The dutch establish and maintain the first commercial empire overseas over the sixteenth century. -
Period: Jan 1, 1550 to
Age of Crisis
During the age of crisis Europe saw many changes in social, economic and political matters, such as the price revolution and religious wars. -
Sep 25, 1555
Peace of Augsbrug Ends Religious War in Germany
The Peace of Augsburg acknowledges Lutheranism as an equal religion in Germany. -
Jan 16, 1556
Charles V abdicates
Charles V abdicates the throne of the Holy Roman Empire resigning the sovereignty of both the Netherlands and Spain. -
Period: Jan 1, 1580 to
Witchcraft Scare
The Witchcraft Scare was an increase in the number of trials, cases, and executions of "witches" in Europe. -
Defeat of Spanish Armada
The English defeat the "Invincible" Spanish Armada making England a world class power and introducing effective long range weaponry into naval warfare. -
Edict of Nantes ends French religious wars
The edict of Nantes granted a large measure of religious liberty to the Huguenots, it also restored Catholocism in France and made any other protestant practice illegal. -
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Baroque Art
Baroque art emerged during the sixteenth century and featured dramatic scenes that aroused emotions and spiritual feelings. -
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Commercial Revolution
The commercial revolution was a period of European economic expansion, and saw new advances in financial practices. -
Dutch East India Company founded
The Dutch East India Company is the first multinational company and makes the Netherlands the financial capital of the world. -
Stuart monarchy begins in England
The stuart monarchy reigned from 1603 to 1714 beginning with King James I. It led to a bloody civil war and the rise of Oliver Cromwell. -
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Conflict between Parliament and King in England
In the seventeenth century figures like Oliver Cromwell and Charles the first didn't cooperate with parliament and eventually stirred up civil unrest and civil war. -
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Age of Louis XIV
Period of time in which Louis XIV reigns as king of France, during this time he greatly expands France's power and constructs the Palace of Versailles ( which also puts France in debt). -
Peace of Westphalia ends Thirty Years War
The Peace of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years war in the Holy Roman Empire and the Eight Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic. -
Charles I executed in England
Charles I was executed in England fo treason and ends the ideas of a divine absolute monarch. -
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Absolutism
During this time the monarchy had absolute control over their land and did as thay pleased without confrontation. -
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Commercial Wars
Between 1650 and 1763 3 wars were fought between England and the Netherlands, England defeated the Netherlands making its navy the most powerful in Europe and removing the Netherlands from its status as a world power. -
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Rise of Prussia
During the 17th and 18th centuries Prussia rose in power due to their military performance in wars such as the seven years war. -
Newton publishes Principia Mathematica
The Principia definined the basic concepts of mechanics, it introduced Newtons three laws of motion and the uniersal law of gravitation. -
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution resulted in the deposition of James II and the accession of his daughter Mary II and her husband William III. -
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Rise of Russia
Due to the succesful performances of Peter the Great, Ivan the Great and others Russia rose in power and became one of the most powerful countries at the time. -
Bank of England founded
The Bank of England was founded in 1694 to act as the banker and debt-manager of England. -
Peter the Great's reign begins in Russia
After Peter's brother Ivan died Peter inherited the Russian nation ruling for the first time alone, having ruled Russia jointly with his brother before he died. -
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Rise of the Middle Class
As the middle class grew and became more and more educated with the effects of the enlightenment, the middle class desired more power in their government. -
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Agricultural Revolution
The Agricultural Revolution introduced new inventions like the horse pulled hoe and the seed drill which increased the amount of food made with fewer workers. -
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The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was a time of change in Europe, the ideas of the Scientific Revolution were popularized and the ideas of philosophes impacted the lives of individuals all across Europe. -
Peace of Utretcht
The Peace of Utretcht was a series of treaties between France and other powers in England as well as Spain and other powers in England, these treaties put an end to the War of the Spanish Succession. -
Death of Louis XIV
On August 10, 1715 king Louis XIV was afflicted with gangrene, despite his pain he continued with his duties and won the admiration of all. However on August 29 he went into a semi-coma and died September 1. -
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Rococo Art
By the 1730s a new style known as art sprung up in Europe, this style known as Rococo emphasized grace and gentle actions rather than the power and majesty of Baroque. -
War of Austrian Succession begins
The War of the Austrian Succession involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg. -
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Industrial Revolution
A period pf time when new manufacturing processes were introduced such as the assembly line to improve production and efficiency. Introduced steam power. -
Treaty of Paris ends Seven Years' War
With the Treaty of Paris signed all French and British involvement in the war has ended. -
American Revolution
In Lexington, Massachusetts a group of 700 British troops marched to to capture Patriot leaders and seize a Patriot arsenal, there they found minutemen waiting and a shot from an undetermined gun fired marking the beginning of the revolution. -
Smith publishes Wealth of Nations
On March 9, 1776, Adam Smith publishes, "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations". His goal was to uphend the mercantalist system. -
French Revolution
The French Revolution begins with the storming of Bastile and leads to a new French constitution being ractified in 1795 and Napolean to become emperor in 1804. -
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Age of Revolutions
The age of revolutions was a period of time where numerous revolutions took place in Europe and the Americas. These revolutions included the American, French, Haitian, and the indepence movements of the South American states. -
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Rise of Nationalism
A movement in both Europe and the Americas where absolute monarchies changed to constitutional states. -
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Feminism
In the time period of the 18th and 20th centuries a series of rallies and protests began in hopes to restore equal rights for women and men in social, economic, and political fields. -
Wollenstonecraft begins feminist movement with "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman"
Mary Wollenstonecraft published "A VIndification of the Rights of Woman" in 1792 stating that intellect will always govern and sought to persuade women to acquire strength. -
Napoleon comes to power in France
After rising in the ranks of the French military during the French Revolution, Napoleon gained political power in a coup d'état and crowned himself emperor in 1804. -
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Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that revolted against the aristocratic, social, and political norms of the Age of the Enlightenment. -
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna formed to prevent imperialism and keep peace between the European states as well as to restore boundaries and resive the main powers. -
Abdication of Napoleon
Napoleon abdicates and resigns the throne. -
Belgian and Greek independence
Belgium and Greece gain their independance. -
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Rise of Liberalism
Period of time when the working and lower classes revolt for individual rights and a voice in government due to war and the absolute monarchies. -
Italy unified
The unification of Italy into a nation-state occured in 1848 after centuries of Italy living as a fragmented state. -
Marx and Engels The Communist Manifesto
On February 21, 1848, The Communist Manifesto, written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, was published in London and by 1950 nearly half the worlds population was run by Maxist governments. -
Revolutions of 1848
The revolutions of 1848 were a series of political upheavals affecting numerous countries with the aim of removing the old feudal structures and creating new independant nation states. -
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Unification and Nation Building
Period where small and fractured countries united to create larger and more powerful states. -
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Realism and Materialism
The ideas of Realism and Materialism rise with the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment, causing people to be more secular and be more attached to material objects. -
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Imperialism
European countries such as England, France, Germany, Russia, and the Netherlands sought out territory to gain power. -
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Modern Ideas and Science
During this time span modern ideas and science rose that are still thought of today such as the theory of relativity and the theory of the atom. -
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Rise of Modern Society
The society which ours grew out of arises out of the effects of the second industrial revolution and the discovery of new sciences. -
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Second Industrial Revolution
The Second Industrial Revolution continuedon from the first when it began diffusing to North America and Western Europe, it was characterized by the wide use of iron and the beginning of electricity and electrical communications. -
Crystal Palace Exhibition in Great Britain
The Great Exhibition was the first international exhibition of manufactured products and was very influential in the development of many aspects of society such as art and design. -
Britain establishes direct rule of India
In 1858, the British Empire established their rule over India gaining trade and labor. -
Darwin publishes Origin of the Species
On the Origin of Species is a work of scientific literature by Charles Darwin considered to be the foundation of evolutionary biology. It notes ideas of natural selection, evolution, and common descendants. -
Russian Serfs emancipated
Alexander II publishes his Emancipation Manifesto which quickly turns into law freeing all Russian serfs. This act furthers Russia socially, economically and politically. -
Paris Commune and Third Republic in France
The Third Republic was the French government from 1870 to 1940 after the fall of the Second Empire and the suppression of the paris commune. -
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Modern Art
During this time artists experimented with new ideas and materials to create new abstract art in opposition to the realism of past artists. -
Unification of Germany
The formal unification of Germany into a nation state in 1871, led to the emergence of another huge power in Europe and ends Austrian dominance in Germany. -
Berlin Conferance over imperialism in Afica
During The Berlin Conferance the colonial powers superimposed domains on the African continent causing political fragmentation. -
Freud publishes Interpretation of Dreams
Sigmund Freud publishes his book The Interpretation of Dreams in 1900, which stresses the importance of dreams and the double level of dreams. -
Einstein publishes relativity theory
In 1905, Einstein wrote 5 articles and had them published in the Annals of Physics. In one of these papers he detailed his Special Theory of Relativity, which stated that the speed of light is constant anf that space and time are not absolutes. -
Revolution of 1905 in Russia
What was intended as a peaceful protest for the working class turned into revolution as protestors in St Petersburg were confronted by troops who shot at the crowd. News spread quickly and soon strikes took place, and on October 30th, the October Manifesto was issued. -
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World Wars
After the wars, Europe strived for peace the US and USSR then become world superpowers. Nuclear weapons are prohibited and the Cold war ensumes. -
World War I begins
World War I began with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria which set off a diplomatic crisisand within weeks the major powers were att war. -
Bolshevik Revolution in Russia
The Bolshevik Revolution overthrew the Russian imperial government and created the Soviet Union and established Communism as its form of government. -
Treaty of Versailles ends World War I
With Germany having surrendered on November 11, 1918, and all nations having agreed to stop fighting while the terms of peace were negotiated, the Treaty of Versailles was signed by Germany and the Allied Nations, formally ending WWI. -
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Totalitarianism
During this time countries such as the Soviet Union and Italy turned into totalitarian governments wielding absolute power and controlling the people. -
Fascists and Mussolini come to power in Italy
With Mussolini having founded the Fascist movement he allies with Nazi Germany becoming a powerful countries and a key state to defeat in WW2. -
Great Depression
The Great Depression was the longest lasting economic downturn in the history of the western world. In the US it began with the stock market crash of October 1929 and wiped out millions of investors leading to declines in industry and rising levels of unemployment. -
Hitler comes to power in Germany
Hitlr gains power by rousing anger and bitterness from the Treaty of Versailles and Great Depression, he gains Nazi support and becomes dictator. -
Munich Conferance
The Munich Conferance allowed Germany to annex certain parts of Czechoslovakia only to find out Adolph Hitler's true plans for Europe later on. -
World War II begins
After the german invasion of Poland, WWII began in September 1939 when France and Britain declared war on Germany. -
United Nations founded
With the death and destruction resulting from WWII the UN is formed in order to prevent another World War. -
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Cold War
The US and USSR compete to spread their ideologies.Each nation strived to beat the other in culture, military power, nuclear power, and in the space race. The Cold War was the closest the world has gotten to armagedden. -
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European Unity
The countries of Europe work for peace for the first time in history in order to prevent another world war. -
World War II ends
With the end of WWII the European nations are weakened and we see the colonial empire end. The US and Soviet Russia come out as the two world superpowers. -
NATO formed
In 1949 the prospect of further Communist expansion prompted the US and 11 other western nations to form the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). -
European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) formed
The ECSC was created as a way for the european countries to recover from WWII financially. -
Stalin dies
With the death of Stalin the Soviet Union goes through de-stalinization to undo all Stalin did. -
Hungary Revolt
The Hungarian revolution was a failed series of revolts that contributed to the fall of the Soviet Union. -
Khrushchev's de-Stalinization speech
Khrushchev's de-Stalinization speech was the center of the de-Stalinization campaign intended to destroy the image of the dictaor and to revert the Soviet Union to a Leninist model. -
Sputnik launched
Sputnik was the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth and marked the beginning of the space age and the US-USSR space race. -
Treaty of Rome creates European Economic Community (EEC)
The Treaty of Rome focused on economic co-operation and founded the EEC which later became the EU. -
Fifth Republic in France under DeGaulle
The Fifth Republic system of government was put into effect in 1958. Its constitution was crafted by Charles de Gaulle who became the first president of France under the Fifth Republic. -
Berlin Wall erected.
The Berlin wall was built to stop travel between West and East Germany as many people fled for the better life the West had to offer. -
Second Vatican Council begins
Unlike previous councils the Second Vatican council renewed Catholic doctrines to fit the modern time and perspective. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
In October 1962 an American spy plane photographed nuclear missile sites being built by the Soviet Union on Cuba. After a naval blockade was established around Cuba both the US and Soviet UNion agreed to dismantle both of their weapon sites. -
Czech "Praque Spring" revolt
The Czechoslovak Communist Party set about liberalizing Czechoslovak life, a movement known as Prague spring. However it was ended by the Warsaw Pact. -
Student revolts
In France protests organized by students in favor of education reforms rose due to the scarcity of jobs for university graduates. -
Helsinki Accords
The Helsinki accords aimed to ease tensions between the East and West, although it was nonbinding it played a part in ending the Cold War. -
John Paul II elected Pope
John Paul II changed hope the pope was viewed by making the pope a celebrity and reformed the church by embracing and not denouncing other religions. -
Thatcher elected prime minister in Britain
Margaret Thatcher was elected prime minister in 1979 and became the first woman to lead a major political party by becoming Leader of the Opposition. -
Soviet Union invades Afghanistan
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan leads to a decade long war resulting in a loss of money for the Soviet Union which leads to its collapse. -
Solidarity founded in Poland
Solidarity became the first independent labour union in a country belonging to the Soviet. It also started the chain reaction leading up to the collapse of the USSR. -
Gorbachev comes to power in Soviet Union
Gorbachev reforms the Soviet Union by reforming the economy and liberalizing the Soviet Union. He ends the cold war but this leads to the end of the USSR. -
Berlin Wall falls and collapse of communism
The fall of the Berlin Wall marks the end of the Cold War and communism. -
Balkan conflicts begin in former Yugoslavia
Leads to conflict between neighboring ethnic groups and the breakup of Yugoslavia. -
Break-up of Soviet Union
The breakup of the Soviet Union allows for every nation to regain soverignty and freedom. -
Maastricht Treaty creates European Union (EU)
The EU creates one of the largest markets in the global economy and unifies Europe, allowing ease of travel between countries. -
Euro currency introduced
The Euro became the universal european currency, making commerce much easier. -
Terrorist Attacks on the US
The terrorist attacks of 9/11 leads to world wide involvement in the Middle East.
