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476
Beginning of the Middle Ages
The overthrow of Romulus Augustulus, the last Roman emperor in the West, in 476 AD -
622
Hegira
the departure of Mohammed from Mecca to Medina in 622 ad; the starting point of the Muslim era -
695
Organum
The organum was developed. It is an early form of counterpoint, which eventually led to polyphony. This type of song had a plainchant melody with at least one added voice to enhance the harmony. There is no real independent second voice, so, it is not yet considered polyphony.¡ -
Period: 766 to 980
Mosque of Cordoba
The Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba is a mosque turned cathedral in the city of Cordoba, Spain. It is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. According to history, it has its origins dating back to the year 785 when it served as a mosque and was known as the Mezquita or Great Mosque of Córdoba, which was locally referred to as Mezquita de Córdoba. In modern times, the Cordoba Mosque or the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba. -
Jun 8, 793
Vikings raid Lindisfarne
The turning point came on 8 June of that year when the Vikings launched an attack on the wealthy and unprotected monastery-island of Lindisfarne. Though it was not technically the first raid on the British Isles it marked the first time the northmen had sent shivers of fear throughout the Kingdom of Northumbria, England and wider Europe. -
Period: 1100 to 1200
Goliards
This period is the age of the Goliards. The Goliards were a group of clergy who wrote satirical Latin poetry to mock the church. Some known Goliards were Peter of Blois and Walter of Chatillon -
Period: 1300 to 1400
HUMANISM
During the 14th century, a cultural movement called humanism began to gain momentum in Italy. Among its many principles, humanism promoted the idea that man was the center of his own universe, and people should embrace human achievements in education, classical arts, literature and science. -
Period: 1300 to 1399
Mongol Invasion
The Mongol invasion in the 13th century had great impact on the east of Europe, as many countries of the region were invaded, pillaged, conquered -
1350
Beginning of the Renaissance
The Renaissance is generally considered to have started in Florence, Italy around the years 1350 to 1400. The start of the Renaissance also was the end of the Middle Ages. -
1436
INVENTION OF THE GUTENBERG
In 1450, the invention of the Gutenberg printing press allowed for improved communication throughout Europe and for ideas to spread more quickly. -
1437
GUILLAUME DUFAY
The lifetime of Guillaume Dufay, a French and Flemish composer, popular as a leading composer of the early Renaissance. He is known for his church music and secular songs. One of his compositions, "Nuper Rosarum Flores" was written for the consecration of Florence's great cathedral -
May 29, 1453
The end of the Middle Ages
Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, fell to the hands of the invading Ottoman Empire -
1492
Columbus reaches the Bahamas
Italian explorer Christopher Columbus made landfall in what is now the Bahamas. Columbus and his ships landed on an island that the native Lucayan people called Guanahani -
Period: 1500 to 1550
FRENCH CHANSONS
Experimentation with French chansons. Known composers during this period were Clément Janequin and Claudin de Sermisy. -
1527
End of the Renaissance
The Renaissance as a unified historical period ended with the fall of Rome in 1527. -
Period: 1550 to 1555
PEACE OF AUGSBURG
By the early 1550s, it was apparent that a negotiated settlement was necessary. In 1555 the Peace of Augsburg was signed. The settlement, which represented a victory for the princes, granted recognition to both Lutheranism and Roman Catholicism in Germany, and each ruler gained the right to decide the religion to be practiced within his state.