-
Aug 22, 1485
Richard III is killed in battle
Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, wanted the throne and engaged King Richard I in battle. Richard had superior numbers and would have won, but many of his lieutenants defected and left Richard alone. Richard refused to flee and was killed. -
Oct 12, 1492
Christopher Columbus reaches the Americas
Christopher Columbus convinced the King and Queen of Spain to finance a trip to the West Indies. He led the Pinta, the Nina, and the Santa Maria to what he thought was Asia but was actually the Americas. -
Oct 22, 1503
Leonardo da Vinci paints the Mona Lisa
Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa is one of the most famous paintings in the world. The work is said to be have commissioned by Francesco del Giocondo, who wanted da Vinci to paint his wife but scholars disagree about the real identity of the Mona Lisa. -
Oct 21, 1516
Thomas More's Utopia is published
Thomas More's Utopia is an influential book that describes an idealized island community. On the island there is perfect social harmony, no violence, and religious tolerance. Utopia has inspired many social movements throughout history. -
Feb 11, 1543
With the Supremacy Act, Henry VIII proclaims himself head of Church of England
King Henry VIII needed to divorce his current wife because she was not producing the son that he needed. Since the Catholic Church was refusing to grant his divorce, he broke from the Catholic Church and named himself head of the Church of England. -
Nov 17, 1558
Elizabeth I becomes queen of England
Elizabeth I was a big supporter of the Protestant religion which caused friction with her Catholic half-sister Mary. She had Mary executed which made Elizabeth queen. She was also known as the Virgin Queen. -
Apr 26, 1564
William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon, is born
William Shakespeare was a famous poet and playwright. He wrote about 38 plays and about 154 sonnets. He and his wife, Anne Hathaway, had three children. -
Globe Theatre is built in London
The Globe Theatre, a famous theatre associated with William Shakespeare, was built by the playing company- Lord Chamberlain's Men. -
Shakespeare writes King Lear and Macbeth
Shakespeare wrote several plays, two of them being King Lear and Macbeth. Both are famous tragedies. -
First permanent English settlement in North America is established at Jamestown, Virginia
English Puritans, in an effort to escape religious prosecution, sailed across the Atlantic to the Americas. There, they started the first English settlement Jamestown. -
Shakespeare’s sonnets are published
Shakespeare wrote about 154 sonnets. They were written a meter called iambic pentameter. Each sonnet had 14 lines with three quatrains and one couplet. -
King James Bible is published
The King James Bible was considered a milestone for Christianity in the English-speaking world. This was the first time a Bible was in English and allowed more people to study Christianity. -
The Mayflower lands at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts
Puritans, who were still hoping to flee religious prosecution, tried to use the same charter that Jamestown used to make a new colony. They sailed farther north and ended up at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts. -
Newspapers are first published in London
First titled newspaper, Corante, was published in 1621 by Nathaniel Butter. The earliest of the seven surviving copies is dated September 24, 1621. -
John Milton begins Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost is considered the greatest epic poem in English literature. It is about how Adam and Eve were created and how they lost their home in the Garden of Eden. -
Puritan Commonwealth ends; monarchy is restored with Charles II
Unhappy with Charles I’s religious policies, the people of England revolted against their king. Oliver Cromwell and his army gave Parliament what they needed to win and end the civil war. Parliament then executed Charles I, abolished the monarchy, and made England a commonwealth. But, Oliver Cromwell and his army were not working well with Parliament so they took over by force and established a military dictatorship that lasted until Cromwell’s death. After he died, the monarchy.
