Notable History

By twald
  • Oct 14, 1066

    Battle of Hastings

    King Harold II of England was defeated by William the Conqueror and the Normans. This made the Normans the rulers of England.
  • Jan 1, 1271

    Marco Polo travels in Asia

    Marco Polo traveled with his father and uncle in Asia over 17 years. Polo wrote about his adventures and inspired other adventures to see the world.
  • Jan 1, 1343

    Geoffrey Chaucer was born

    He was a servant to Countess Elizabeth of Ulster, fought in the Hundred Years War, and was taken prisoner. Chaucer became a poet and is known as the Father of English literature.
  • Jan 1, 1412

    Joan of Arc was born

    Joan of Arc had visions from God to lead the French army into battle against the English. She was later captured, killed, and became a saint of the Catholic Church.
  • Apr 15, 1452

    Leonardo da Vinci was born

    Da Vinci was an important leader in the Italian Renaissance. He was a painter, sculptor, and inventor; his most famous works are The Last Supper and Mona Lisa.
  • Feb 19, 1473

    Nicolaus Copernicus was born

    Nicklaus Copernicus was a Polish astronomer. He proposed that the Sun is the center of the universe and the planets revolve around it.
  • Jan 1, 1480

    Ferdinand Magellan was born

    He was a Portuguese explorer who lead an expedition to circumnavigate to globe. Although he died on the expedition, he determined that the world was round.
  • Dec 31, 1491

    Jacques Cartier was born

    Jacques Cartier was a French explorer who claimed Canada for France. He was the first European to map the the Saint Lawrence River and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.
  • Aug 3, 1492

    Christopher Columbus sails the Atlantic

    He was an Italian explorer who had the idea to sail west across the Atlantic Ocean in order to reach Asia. He sailed and instead of landing in Asia, he found the Bahamian islands.
  • Jun 15, 1512

    Magna Carta signed

    The Magna Carta was a series of promises between King John and his subjects. It guaranteed people certain rights and limited the power of the King.
  • Feb 15, 1564

    Galileo Galilei was born

    He was an Italian philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician who is known as the father of modern science. He invented an improved telescope, the formulation of inertia, and the scientific method.
  • Apr 26, 1564

    William Shakespeare was born

    Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright, and actor. Some of his best known works are Hamlet, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet.

  • Sir Isaac Newton was born

    He was an English physicist and mathematician who is famous for the law of gravitation. Newton is considered one of the most influential scientists ever.