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Nov 8, 1485
1485 - Richard III is killed in battle
Richard III's defeat at Bosworth Field, the last decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses, marked the end of the Middle Ages in England. -
Nov 8, 1492
1492 - Christopher Columbus reaches the Americas
The four voyages and his efforts to establish permanent settlements on the island of Hispaniola initiated the European colonization of the New World. -
Nov 8, 1503
c. 1503 - Leonardo da Vinci paints the Mona Lisa
The painting was among the first portraits to depict the sitter before an imaginary landscape and Leonardo was one of the first painters to use aerial perspective. The enigmatic woman is portrayed seated in what appears to be an open loggia with dark pillar bases on either side. Behind her a vast landscape recedes to icy mountains. -
Nov 8, 1516
1516 - Thomas More's Utopia is published
In the novel a traveler Raphael describes an imaginary country on an island, Utopia, to More and Pieter Gillis. Through Utopia, More tries to suggest changes that can improve the European society. -
Nov 8, 1543
c. 1543 - Supremacy Act, Henry VIII proclaims himself head of Church of England
The first Act of Supremacy was legislation in 1534 that granted King Henry VIII of England Royal Supremacy, which means that he was declared the supreme head of the Church of England. -
Nov 8, 1558
1558 - Elizabeth I becomes queen of England
From the start of her reign, Elizabeth understood the value of public relations and allowed her 1953 coronation to be televised, despite objections from Prime Minister Winston Churchill and others who felt it would cheapen the ceremony. Elizabeth, the 40th British monarch since William the Conqueror, has worked hard at her royal duties and become a popular figure around the world. -
Nov 8, 1564
1564 - William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon, is born
William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet, and the "Bard of Avon". -
1599 - Globe Theatre is built in London
The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, on land owned by Thomas Brend and inherited by his son, Nicholas Brend and grandson Sir Matthew Brend, and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613. -
1605-1606 - Shakespeare writes King Lear and Macbeth
King Lear is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It depicts the gradual descent into madness of the title character, after he disposes of his kingdom giving bequests to two of his three daughters based on their flattery of him, bringing tragic consequences for all. -
1607 - First permanent English settlement in North America is established at Jamestown, Virginia
The 1st English settlement in North America was the ill-fated colony on Roanoke Island, Virginia in 1585. Jamestown, Virginia was the first successful settlement on 13th of May, 1607. -
1609 - Shakespeare’s sonnets are published
Shakespeare's Sonnets is the title of a collection of 154 sonnets by William Shakespeare, which covers themes such as the passage of time, love, beauty and mortality. -
1611 - King James Bible is published
The King James Bible is an English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England begun in 1604 and completed in 1611. The books of the King James Version include the 39 books of the Old Testament, an intertestamental section containing 14 books of the Apocrypha, and the 27 books of the New Testament. -
1620 - The Mayflower lands at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts
In the landmark Mayflower Compact of 1620, the Pilgrims decided that they would rule themselves, based on majority rule of the townsmen. This independent attitude set up a tradition of self-rule that would later lead to town meetings and elected legislatures in New England. -
1621 - Newspapers are first published in London
In the beginning of the 17th century, the right to print was strictly controlled in England. This was probably the reason why the first newspaper in English language was printed in Amsterdam by Joris Veseler around 1620. -
c.1658 - John Milton begins Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. It is considered by critics to be Milton's major work, and it helped solidify his reputation as one of the greatest English poets of his time. -
1660 - Puritan Commonwealth ends; monarchy is restored with Charles II
Monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
