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The black death kills 25 million people, one-third of the population.
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The long-lost map of the world drawn in the second century by the geographer Ptolomey is rediscovered in western Eurpoe. It becomes the best existing map of the world. Ptolomey's map makes Columbus belueve that Asia can be reached by sailing west from Europe.
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Prince Henry the Navigator organizes a School of Navigation and base for explorations on Cape St. vincent in Portugal.
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The first auctions of black slaves took place in Portugal.
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Moslem Turks captured the great Christian city of Constantinople. Some histoians use dates as the beginning of the historical period called the Renaissance. After this time, the Genoese put their financial support behind Portuguese efforts to find a new route.
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Navigation by the stars is grealy imporves over earlier eras.
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Columbus discovers the West Indies in the New World. Columbus also learns that compasses change digrection slightly as the longitude changes. After secen centuries, the lasat Moslems are driven from Spanish soil.
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Treaty of Tordesillas divided the world's undiscovered lands between Spain and Portugal.
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Columbus discorves the American continent but believes it is part of Asia.
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A new world map of the world uses the name "America" for the newly discovered southern continent in honor of Amerigo Vespucchi.
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smallpox brought by Eurpoeans begins to wipe out native populations in the Americas
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Spanish explorer De Soto explores what is today the Southern United States.
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The stronomer Nicholas Copernicus publishes a book which says that the earch and other plants revolve around the sun. Biologist Andreas Vesalius publishes the first accurate book on human anatomy.
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Sir Francis Drake becomes the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe.
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The destruction of the Spain's great Amanda by Francis Drake and another commander makes England the greatest sea power.
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I chose these events because I thought that they decribed exploraion up until he 1600's very well. They varied from the hardships from sickness, to great inventions that were found. The events also helped me understand that the exploration of the New World consisted more than just columbus.
