Ivan the Terrible

Date of Birth

1530

Ivan the Terrible was born on August 25, 1530 in the Grand Duchy of Muscovy Russia. His Parents were Vasili III and Elena Glinskaya. His father was the prince of Russia. Because he was born into this family of Russian rulers, he inherited the throne. This is important because it shows why he became a Russian czar. Source: (Wallace 177)

16th Century Black Death

1530

In the early 1500s, an airborne plague arrived from Central Asia, carried on ships by infected fleas on rats. It was spread through the breath, coughs and sneezes of infected people. This is significant because of its tragic effects. This disease killed seventy-five million people, and is considered one of the worst epidemics in history. Source: (Pruitt)

Taking the Throne Back

1547

In 1547, Ivan the Terrible was officially crowned. In his teens, he decided to take the rule from the boyars. He took back the throne ruthlessly, and started with ordering the arrest of the head of one of the most important boyar families. This event is significant because it marked the start of Ivan the Terribles legacy of ruling Russia, and the start of his cruel actions of violence. Sources: (Moscow 55)

Taking Property Away From Boyars

1547

When Ivan IV was officially crowned, he made several changes. He continued to take power away from the boyars, just like when he took the throne away from them. This time, he took away property. Ivan the Terrible granted state property to those who served him. Soldiers under the Russian monarch held their positions for life, so land given to them was passed down through the families' generations. This is significant because it created a new ruling elite. Source: ("Ivan The Terrible")

Serfdom Put Into Place

1547

After Ivan The Terrible was crowned, he passed several laws. One of them bound peasants to land, so, the peasants were serfs. Serfdom is forced labor. These laws are a significant part of history because later on Russian power depended on serfdom to support the economy. Serfdom also existed longer in Russia than any other country in Western Europe. Source: ("Ivan The Terrible First Czar Of Russia")

Siege Of The Kazan

1552

The Siege of the Kazan started in 1552, when an army under Ivan the Terrible invaded the city. Ivan IV wanted to destroy the city of Kazan, and its inhabitants. Once it was conquered, it was under Russian control. However, this massacre only worsened Ivan the Terrible's reputation. But most importantly, the succession of the invasion was the sole cause of the creation of St. Basil's cathedral. Source: (Higgins)

Death of His Parents

1553

In 1553, the father of Ivan IV died when Ivan IV was only three. Unfortunately, his mother died a few years later. His tragic background may have been one of the reasons he became so unstable later on. The boyars saw the death of his father as a moment of weakness, and used this chance to regain their formal power. They imprisoned Ivan IV nurse, and brother. Anyone who would want to protect him was taken.This ruined Ivan IV childhood, and angered him later on. Source: (Moscow 55)

Dong Qichang's Movement

1555

In 1555 Dong Qichang led a group of artists in a movement about landscape painting, emphasizing expressive brushwork instead of technical proficiency. This movement is a significant event in history, because it influenced China's art history for centuries. Source: ("China, 1400–1600 A.D.")

Livonian War

1558

The Livonian War began in 1558 and lasted twenty-five years. It started when Russia tried to control Greater Livonia. Ivan IV invaded Livonia because he wanted access to the Baltic Sea, but, it was difficult. He fought Poland, Lithuania, and Sweden. It was significant because Russia surrendered its only access to the Baltic Sea(Russian towns along the Gulf of Finland), returned all Lithuanian territory and renounced claims to Livonia. Source: (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica)

John Knox Leading the Scottish Reformation

1559

The Scottish Rebellion started in 1559. John Knox was an important leader in this event. He is considered to be one of the greatest reformers from Scotland's history. This Reformation is important because Knox wrote the "History of the Reformation in Scotland", and he contributed to the "Bible of the protestant Reformation", or the 1560 Geneva Bible. His leadership was an important reason to why the rebellion was successful. Source: ("John Knox")

Death of Anastasia

1560

In 1547, Ivan IV married Anastasia. However, thirteen years later she died, in 1560. Her death is important because of how it affected Ivan the Terrible. It caused him to turn on the people closest to him, and grow unpredictable and angry. This is an important event because it triggered the start of his cruel reign of power. He grew greedy, with the desire to have more power. Source: (Milner 66)

Creation Of St. Basil's Cathedral

1560

Ivan the Terrible ordered the creating of this building because he wanted to mark the 1557 capture of the Kazan from the Mongol Forces. It was finished in 1560, and currently it is used as a museum. Overall, this structure has cultural and historical significance. Source: ("St. Basil's Cathedral")

Shakespeare's Language Influence

1564

Shakespeare was born in 1564. During his life, he created several plays, thirty-seven total. He had an large influence on the English language. Shakespeare made up hundreds of words that we still use today. For example, amazement, gossip and champion were all created by him. His words have affected how we use our language and what the words mean. Source: ("Who was William Shakespeare and why was he famous")

The Revolt of the Spanish Netherlands

1568

In 1558 the revolt of the Spanish Netherlands began. One of the major causes was the fact that people believed Philip was a harmful influence to Spanish Netherlands. This event was significant because it caused Spain to lose their title as a major European power, the Dutch became one of the richest European states, and to Catholic countries, Spain was a useless ally. Source: (Trueman)

The First North Pole Map

1569

Gerardus Mercator created the first known map in 1569 called the Septentrion Alium Terrarum. He created this by using mercator projection, a method he created. It was transforming curved lines of the earth into straight ones, which enabled people to use flat maps. This is significant because the method took technology a step further during his time, revealing scientific facts and leading to newer technological advancements. Source: (Giaimo)

Date of Death

1584

Ivan the Terrible died of a stroke in 1584. His second son inherited the throne, because he had killed his first son. However, his ruling was not forgotten. It resulted in the depopulation of Russian Provinces, and Russia becoming more centralized administratively and culturally compared to life before his rule. He was also another monarch that believed in his divine right, so, his belief of it influenced upcoming kings in Russia. Source: ('Ivan The Terrible")