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1184
Inquisition
inquisition is the questioning or investigation of something. This started in the Roman Catholic Church and was mostly used to combat heresy. It's important because this started the Church on questioning people and mostly finding them guilty of heresy, so it was a start to corruption. -
1200
Sale of Indulgences
An indulgence was when you could make up for your sin, but you had to pay for it. You could shorten your time in purgatory or even pay for a passed relative to make sure they get into heaven. This was important because this rule of the Catholic Church was the last straw for Martin Luther. -
1300
Humansim
Humanism is when people focus on humans and their values, worth, and capacities. It emphasized human potential to attain excellence and promoted direct study of the literature, art, and civilization of classical Greece and Rome. It was important because it changed the view of millions of people and they started to think and act differently. -
Jul 20, 1304
Petrarch
He was considered the "Father of Humanism". Petrarch's writing includes well-known odes to Laura, his idealized love. He is important because his writing was also used to shape the modern Italian language. -
1395
Johannes Gutenburg
Joannes was born is Mainz, Germany. He is most known for his improvement of the movable type. His first book ever printed was the "Forty-Two-Line" Bible. He is important because he affected communication and learning worldwide. -
Apr 15, 1452
Leonardo Da Vinci
Leonardo was a painter, sculptor, architect, inventor, military engineer, and draftsman. He was considered a "Renaissance Man". Although he was a great painter, fewer than 2 dozen paintings of his exist. -
Feb 29, 1468
Pope Paul III
Pope Paul III was the last of the Renaissance popes and the first for the counter-reformation. He called for the Council of Trent in 1545. He was important because he helped stop the corruption in the Catholic Church. -
May 3, 1469
Niccolo Machiavelli
Machiavelli is most known for writing "The Prince." He was know as the "father of modern political theory." He was important because his views and writings influenced many people. -
Feb 19, 1473
Nicolaus Copernicus
Copernicus started the idea that that the universe was a heliocentric model. His second book on the topic, De revolutionibus orbium coelestium, was banned by the Roman Catholic Church decades after his May 24, 1543 death in Frombork. He was important because he changed a belief about the solar system. -
Mar 6, 1475
Michelangelo
He was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect, and poet. He is most known for the painting of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. He was more famous for sculpting. He was important because he influenced the western art tremendously. -
1476
Printing Revolution
The first printing press in England was invented by William Caxton and after that it took off. it led to an increase in literacy and facilitated critical thinking in sciences and religion. This was important because books became more accessible and the majority of the population learned to read. -
Feb 7, 1478
Thomas More
More is known for his book "Utopia". He is also known for being a wing-man to King Henry VIII. However, once he refused to accept King Henry VIII the head of the Church of England, he was beheaded. He is important because he stood up for the Catholic church and went against his King. -
Apr 6, 1483
Raphael
Raphael was a painter and an architect. He is most known for his "Madonnas". He is important because he helped make art popular in the Renaissance. -
Nov 10, 1483
Martin Luther
He was a German Monk who began the Protestant Reformation. Luther broke away from the Catholic church and began his own religion. He is important because he was the most influential and controversial figures in Christian history. -
Jul 2, 1489
Thomas Cranmer
Cranmer was the first Protestant archbishop of Canterbury, adviser to King Henry VIII and Edward VI. He drew up the "Book of Common Prayer" and wrote a litany that is still used today. He was burned at the stake due to heresy by Queen Mary I. He was important because he promoted the protestant religion. -
Jun 28, 1491
Henry VIII
Henry VII wanted a divorce and the church would not grant him one so he broke away and started the Church of England. He then got remarried 6 times before he died. Henry had only 1 son who died when he was King. Henry VIII was important because he started a spark with the Church and killed many Catholics. -
1509
John Calvin
Calvin was part of Lutheranism until he got the idea for his own religion. He believed that your eternal life choice was decided before you were born. He also believed you should be a perfect protestant your whole life. He was important because he sparked another religious feud but also created a new religion, Calvinism. -
Sep 7, 1533
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth was a princess and then kicked out of the line to be Queen. She eventually made it back in at the age of 25 and ruled for 44 years. She was important because she stopped the wars between religions and let people practiced what they wanted to. -
1543
Heliocentric Theory
The Heliocentric Theory first brought up by Copernicus, was the idea that the sun was the center of the universe and not the Earth. The Catholic Church did not agree with this because it disagreed with what they were teaching. Also, many people didn't pay attention to it because they thought he was crazy. It's important because eventually it was proven and people learned that it was true. -
1545
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent was called by Pope Paul III. It was done to get rid of the corruption in the Church. IT was important because people could finally trust the Church again and they eventually got more followers. -
Jan 22, 1561
Francis Bacon
He was an English Renaissance statesman and philosopher. Bacon came up with the scientific method which is used widely across the world. He is important because this method is still used and believed in today. -
Feb 15, 1564
Galileo Galilei
He was an Italian astronomer, mathematician, physicist, philosopher and professor in physics. He made a telescope that could see the orbit which supported Copernicus's theory. He's important because he helped sway the views of the people even when he went against the church. -
Apr 23, 1564
William Shakespeare
He was an English playwright, actor and poet. Shakespeare wrote plays that capture the complete range of human emotion and conflict. He was important because he affected peoples reading abilities and we still perform his plays today . -
Rene Descartes
His most famous observation was "I think; therefore I am". His teacher influenced him to apply mathematics and logic to understanding the natural world. He is important because he made us acknowledge our existence. -
Isaac Newton
He was a physicist and mathematician who developed the principles of modern physics, including the laws of motion. He wrote "Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica" which has been called the most influential book in physics. He is important because he gave us most of our laws of physics that still hold true today.
