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Aug 22, 1485
Richard III is Killed in Battle
During the civil war in England between the House of Lancaster and the House of York, (the War of the Roses) King Richard III was killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field. -
Oct 12, 1492
Christopher Columbus Reaches the Americas
In an attempt to find a new passage to Asia, Columbus sailed the Atlantic Ocean and stumbled straight onto a New World. -
Jan 1, 1503
Davinci Paints the Mona Lisa
The Mona Lisa, possibly the world’s most famous painting, was created by Leonardo Davinci. Today, the painting hangs in the Louvre museum. -
Jan 1, 1516
Thomas More writes Utopia
Thomas More’s book, Utopia, is a political and philosophical work of fiction. The book was originally published in Latin. -
Oct 1, 1543
With the Supremacy Act, King Henry VIII Proclaims Himself Head of the Church of England
In order to cut ties with the Roman Catholic Church, King Henry VIII passed the Supremacy Act to make himself the head of the Church of England. -
Nov 17, 1558
Elizabeth I Becomes the Queen of England
Queen Elizabeth I, also known as the Virgin Queen, was a well-loved monarch of England. -
Apr 1, 1564
William Shakespeare is Born
William Shakespeare was a playwright, an actor, and a poet. He wrote several plays and 154 sonnets in his lifetime. -
The Globe Theater is Built
The Globe Theater was an Elizabethan theater that was the primary theater for the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. -
Shakespeare Writes King Lear and Macbeth
English playwright Shakespeare wrote King Lear and Macbeth in about 2 years. King Lear and Macbeth are considered to be his most profound tragedies. -
Jamestown is Established in North America
Jamestown was the first major area for colonization of the New World by the British. -
Shakespeare's Sonnets are Published
Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets in his lifetime, and 37 plays. Sonnets are incredibly difficult to write, but it is said that he wrote these with inspiration from his lover. -
The King James Bible is Published
The King James Bible, also known as the Authorized Version, was the third authorized translation of the Bible into English. -
The Mayflower Lands at Plymouth Rock
The Mayflower, a ship containing pilgrims fleeing England in search of religious freedom, lands at Plymouth Rock in 1620. -
Newspapers are First Printed in London
The first newspapers printed in England were very strictly controlled by the British government. -
John Milton Begins Writing Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost is an epic poem that spanned ten books and over ten thousand lines of verse. -
Puritan Commonwealth Ends, and Monarchy is Restored with King Charles II
At the height of the English Civil War, King Charles I was executed, and Oliver Cromwell became a virtual dictator of England. Upon his death, Charles II was invited to reclaim his rightful place as king.
