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500
Fall of the Western Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire falls as the Dark Ages begin. War is a common occurence, and barbaric invaders attack, as shown in the image above (Bryullov, 1833-1836). Overall, life is not as stable than it is later in the Middle Ages. -
800
Coronation of Charlemagne
Charlemagne, shown in the above image (Dürer, 1512), and the first Holy Roman Emperor, is crowned king. This marks the end of the Dark Ages. He encourages a revival of art, religion and culture with the help of the Church. -
1066
The Battle of Hastings
William of Normandy defeats Harold II and takes the English throne in the Battle of Hastings, which is depicted in the scene above (The Bayeux Tapestry, 1066-1071). He divides all of England's land into manors of lords, and introduces the feudal system. -
1095
The First Crusade
Pope Urban II orders the First Crusade, shown in the image above (Pope Urban II Presiding over the Council of Clermont, 1095). It is a religious battle waged against the Muslims to take back Jerusalem and the Holy Land of the Christians. -
1215
The Magna Carta
King John signs the Magna Carta, which is a royal document that restricts the rights of monarchs. An excerpt is shown above (John, Langton, 1215) It establishes the principle that even the king has to adhere to the law. -
1315
The Great Famine (1315-1317)
The Great Famine occurs. During the two years of famine, many people die of hunger and disease, and crime rates greatly increase. Cannibalism also occurs in some cases. -
1337
The Hundred Years War
The Hundred Years War begins. It is a conflict between the kings of England and France, depicted above (Nicolle, 2017). It is waged again and agian with some stalemates in between and finally ends after 100 years. -
1347
The Black Death (1347-1351)
The Black Death occurs. This Plague is one of the worst in history, killing anywhere between 30-50% of the European population. Though the main breakout of the Plague was during this time, it occured a few more times later. Another wave of the disease is depicted in the above image (Plague in London, 1625). -
1378
The Western Schism
Three people claim themselves to be Pope as the Western Schism begins. The citizens' belief in the papacy and its link to God decreases, and Christiany is splitting across Europe. A map which shows the nations divided between their allegiance to a specific pope is shown above (Shepherd, 1923-1926). -
1381
The Peasants' Revolt
The Peasant's Revolt begins in England, caused by a new poll tax. Infuriated peasants, led by Wat Tyler, attacked the King's castle and burnt down the city of London. A scene is shown above (John Ball encouraging Wat Tyler Rebels, 1470) in which the peasants and king's men stand off. -
1397
The Union of Three Kingdoms
The kingdoms of Sweden, Denmark and Norway are joined together by Margaret I under her rule. This is also called the Kalmar Union. -
1439
Gutenberg invents the Printing Press
Johannes Gutenberg, shown above (Anonymous, 1440), invents the printing press. This was a landmark in historical inventions and part of the dawn of the Renaissance.
