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Feb 28, 1415
John Huss was burned at the stake for being a dissenter of the Catholic Church
The majority of the council's members believed Huss to be a dangerous heretic only fit for death, and was sentenced to be burned at the stake. -
Oct 31, 1418
Prince Henry the Navigator founded the school navigation
Henry's school resulted in a breakthrough for Portuguese navigation. -
Oct 31, 1450
Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press
Gutenberg's printing press is often considered as the most important invention in modern times. -
Oct 29, 1453
The Ottoman Empire conquered Constantinople and renamed it Istanbul
The Ottoman Empire emerged the political and economic power house of the region. -
Oct 29, 1492
Christopher Columbus's first voyage was sponsered by Spain to sail west to reach
His voyages led to the first lasting European contact with the Americas. -
Oct 27, 1498
Leonardo da Vinci painted the Last Supper
The painting represents a scene of The Last Supper with Jesus and his disciples. -
Oct 31, 1500
African slaves were shipped along the Middle Passage of the Triangular Trade to the Americas
Millions of Africans were shipped to the New World as part of the African Slave Trade. -
Nov 3, 1500
Vasco De Gama established trade with India for the Portuguese
De Gama sailed from Lisbon on a mission to reach India and open a sea route from Europe to the East. -
Oct 31, 1509
Elizabeth I became the head of the Anglican Church
Queen Elizabeth authorized the first Anglican colonizing efforts. -
Dec 14, 1509
Desiderius Erasmus wrote the Praise of Folly
Erasmus wrote the Praise of Folly in a week while sojourning with Sir Thomas More at More's estate in Bucklersbury. -
Oct 27, 1517
Martin Luther wrote the 95 thesis.
The 95 Thesis were nailed to the door of the Church of Wittenburg condemning the sale of indulgences and other church practices. -
Oct 31, 1519
Hernando Cortez and his forces conquered the Aztec Empire
Cortez conquered the Aztec Empire, claimed Mexico for Spain, helped colonize Cuba, and became a governor of New Spain. -
Oct 31, 1519
Ferdinand Magellan becomes the first person to circumnavigate the world
Magellan led the first European voyage of discovery to cirmcumnavigate the world.(sail all the way around the world) -
Oct 29, 1532
Francisco Pizarro conquered the Incas
Pizarro's cavalry charged. The Inca warriors charged and the sight of men running in fear frightened Atahuallpa's main force, and they also ran. -
Oct 27, 1533
Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church in Rome and divorced his wife.
Henry VIII broke with Rome because he wasn't allowed to divorce his wife because she had failed to produce a male heir to the throne. -
Oct 31, 1534
Jacques Cartier explored the St. Lawrence River and Montreal leading the French Claim to Canada
Although he couldn't travel up the river all the way to Asia, Cartier had discovered an important waterway into the vast areas of Canada. -
Oct 31, 1540
The Jesuits were created during the Council of Trent
The creation of the Jesuits marked the beginning of the Catholic Reformation. -
Oct 31, 1543
Copernicus created the heliocentric theory
Copernicus created the theory that the Sun is near the center of the Universe, and that the Earth, spinning on its axis once daily, revolves annually around the Sun. -
Period: Oct 31, 1545 to Oct 31, 1563
Followers of the Catholic met at the Council of Trent
The Council of Trent defined Church beliefs even still today. -
Oct 31, 1561
John Calvin beliefs established the idea of predestination
Predestination is the Divine foreknowledge of all that will happen; with regard to the salvation of some and not others. -
Queen Elizabeth I defeated the Spanish Armada
The Spanish Armada was a fleet of 130 Spanish ships that sailed from A Coruña under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia with the intention of escorting an army to invade England. -
Galileo used his telescope to prove the heliocentric theory
All of Galileo's findings supported Copernicus' heliocentric theory. -
Period: to
The Thirty Years War is fought in northern Europe
The Thirty Years War was a series of wars fought by various nations for several reasons; religious, dynastic, territorial, and commercial rivalries. -
Kepler discovers planetary motion
Kepler developed three laws which described the motion of the planets across the sky. -
Louis XIV builds the Palace of Versailles
Louis XIV expanded it into one of the largest palaces in the world. -
William Harvey studies the animals and anatomy to create an accurate theory of the heart and circulatory system
In order to prove his theory, Harvey carefully studied the motion of the heart and blood in live animals, and carried out dissections on the bodies of executed criminals. -
Oliver Cromwell wins the English Civil War and executes Charles I
Charles was forced to appear before a court filled with his enemies, where he was convicted of treason and sentenced to death. -
Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes
The Edict of Nantes granted the Huguenots the right to practice their own religion without persecution from the state. -
William and Mary rule England after the Glorious Revolution
After James II was kicked off the throne, William and Mary were asked to rule England. -
John Locke wrote the Two Treaties on Government
Two Treaties on Government is a work of political philosophy. -
Peter the Great westernized Russia
Peter The Great set Russia on a trajectory that would one day meet the strength of all other European nations. -
Montesquieu writes the Spirit of Laws
Montesquieu offered a wide–ranging comparative analysis of governmental institutions in his book. -
Jean-Jacques Rousseau writes the Social Contract
Rousseau theorized about the best way to create a political community in the midst of the problems of commercial society.
