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Period: Jan 1, 1300 to
Renaissance
The Renaissance lasted from approximately the 14th century to the 16th century. -
Jan 1, 1418
Prince Henry's School Founded
Prince Henry the Navigator founded the first school for oceanic navigation in about 1418. -
May 29, 1453
Fall of Constantinople
Constantinople was conquered by Ottomans under Mehmed II in 1453 and renamed Istanbul. -
Period: Jan 1, 1481 to Dec 31, 1556
Peak of Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire reached its peak of power from 1481 to 1556 under Bayezid II, Selim I, and Suleyman I. -
Nov 7, 1492
Columbus Finds Americas
In 1492, Christopher Columbus, attempting to reach Japan, severely miscalculated the distance from Europe to Asia and reached the Bahamas archipeligo in North America. He brutally enslaved the natives and claimed the area for Spain. -
Jun 7, 1494
Treaty of Tordesillas
The Treaty of Tordesillas, which divided the Americas between Spain and Portugal, was signed on June 7, 1494. Portugal only received a small amount of Brazil. -
May 20, 1498
Vasco da Gama finds first water route around tip of Africa
Vasco da Gama arrived in Calicut, India and foudn the first water route around Africa to Asia on May 20, 1498. -
Jan 1, 1506
Mona Lisa Finished
Leonardo Da Vinci is believed to have worked on the Mona Lisa between 1503 and 1506, although he may have continued working until as late as 1517. -
Jan 1, 1509
Erasmus's "Praise of Folly"
Erasmus's book "Praise of Folly" was published in 1509. -
Jan 1, 1517
95 Theses
Martin Luther's 95 Theses were believed to have been written in 1517. His 95 theses were a list of problems he had with the way the church was being run. He nailed them to the door of the local Catholic church. -
Jan 1, 1518
Tobacco introduced to Europe
Tobacco is believed to have been introduced to Europe from the New World in approximately 1518. -
Jan 1, 1521
Cortés conquers the Aztecs
Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztecs in about 1521. He slaughtered and enslaved the natives before claiming their land. -
Sep 6, 1522
Magellan circumnavigates the globe
Although Magellan was killed in the Battle of Mactan in 1521, Elcano completed the voyage on September 6, 1522. -
Jan 1, 1526
Start of Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was founded by Babur in 1526. -
Jan 1, 1534
Anglican Church started
The Anglican Church was started by King Henry VIII in 1534. He started the church because the pope would not allow him a second divorce. -
Jan 1, 1537
Pizarro conquers the Incans
Francisco Pizarro conquered the Incans in approximately 1537. He treated the natives very poorly. -
Jan 1, 1543
Copernicus's Heliocentric Theory published
Nicolaus Copernicus's Heliocentric Theory was published in 1543, the year of his death. He was correct that the planets orbit the Sun, but he incorrectly proposed that the Sun was at the center of the universe. He was also incorrect in proposing that all other stars were in fixed positions around the Sun. -
Period: Dec 13, 1545 to Dec 4, 1563
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent met on many occasions between 1545 and 1563. -
Defeat of Spanish Armada
The Spanish Armada was defeated by England in September of 1588. -
Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar"
Shakespeare's play "Julius Caeser" is believed to have been written in 1599. -
Galileo's First Telescope
Galileo is believed to have made his first telescope in 1608. -
Period: to
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest wars in history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. -
William Harvey published his discoveries on circulation of blood
William Harvey's disocveries about the circulation of blood were published in "On the Motion of the Heart" in 1628. -
Period: to
Taj Mahal built
The Taj Mahal was built from 1632 to 1648 by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of Mumtaz Mahal, his deceased wife. -
Descarte's "Discourse on Method"
Descarte's "Discourse on Method" was published in 1637. -
Newton's Laws of Gravitation published
Isaac Newton's Laws of Gravitation were published in "Principia Mathematica Philosophiae Naturalis" in 1686.
