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Jan 1, 1485
Richard III is killed in battle
Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 1483 until his death in 1485, at the age of 32, in the Battle of Bosworth Field. -
Jan 1, 1492
Christopher Columbus reaches the Americas
Discovers the Americas in 1492. He sailed. Made landfall. -
Jan 1, 1503
Leonardo da Vinci paints the Mona Lisa
The Mona Lisa is a half-length portrait of a woman by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci, which has been acclaimed as "the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world." -
Jan 1, 1516
Thomas More’s Utopia is published
Utopia is a work of fiction and political philosophy by Thomas More published in 1516 in Latin. The book is a frame narrative primarily depicting a fictional island society and its religious, social and political customs. -
Jan 1, 1543
With the Supremacy Act, Henry VIII proclaims himself head of Church of England
He INVENTED the Church of England, he wanted to divorce Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn, however the Pope refused so Henry broke from the Catholic Church and formed the Church of England -
Jan 1, 1558
Elizabeth I becomes queen of England
Queen Elizabeth l starts her long legendary reign. -
Jan 1, 1564
William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon, is born
William Shakespeare was an English poet, play writer, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. -
Globe Theatre is built in London
Oak-and-thatch replica of original Elizabethan theatre, showing Shakespeare plays in the open air. -
Shakespeare writes King Lear and Macbeth
King Lear is a tragedy by the big Billy himself, William Shakespeare. The play's action centers on an aging king who decides to divvy up his kingdom between his three daughters (Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia) in order to avoid any conflict after his death. (1605-1606) -
First permanent English settlement in North America is established at Jamestown, Virginia
On May 14, 1607, a small company of
settlers landed at a point on the James River
in Virginia and established the settlement of
Jamestown. It was the first permanent
English settlement in the New World. -
Shakespeare’s sonnets are published
Shakespeare's sonnets were published in 1609, no doubt without authorization, by the unsavory Thomas Thorpe -
King James Bible is published
The King James Bible is an English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England that began in 1604 and was completed in 1611 -
The Mayflower lands at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts
Plymouth Rock is the traditional site of disembarkation of William Bradford and the Mayflower Pilgrims who founded Plymouth Colony in 1620. It is an important symbol in American history. -
Newspapers are first published in London
First English-printed newspaper published in London. -
John Milton begins Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost is an elaborate retelling of the most important – and tragic – incident in the book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible. Genesis narrates the creation of the world and all its inhabitants, including Adam and Eve, the first human beings. -
Puritan Commonwealth ends; monarchy is restored with Charles II
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
