Renaissance/Reformation/Scientific Method Revolution Timeline

Heliocentric Theory

300 BCE

The heliocentric theory was proposed by Aristarchus of Samos during 3rd century, but it wasn't until Copernicus built upon that theory in the 1540s for it to gain popularity. The theory states that the sun is the center of the solar system with the planets orbiting it. However, what makes this theory important was how scientists, such as Galileo, conducted research that expanded upon this theory even though at the time the Catholic Church stated that the earth was the center of the solar system.

Petrarch

Jul 20, 1304

Petrarch (July 20, 1304-July 18, 1374) was an Italian poet and scholar who is credited for starting the idea of Humanism, which led to the start of the Renaissance. During his lifetime, he realized one could accomplish more in life by embracing an idea known as humanism. Furthermore, his writings were in the vernacular and helped build the foundation for the Italian language. Petrarch is regarded as a man whose work led to the Renaissance, causing him to be an important figure of the time.

The Sale of Indulgences

1343

In 1343, Pope Clement VI declared the pope would be the head of the Treasury of Merit, leading to the sale of indulgences. Indulgences were sold under the pretense that it would relieve sins, however, it was used as a way for the Catholic Church to accumulate money. By 1567 the sale of indulgences ended, but their impact caused it to be an important event. Martin Luther, for example, declared the sale was wrong (in the 95 Thesis) causing people to lose faith in the Church and break away from it.

Johannes Gutenberg

1398

Johannes Gutenberg was a German goldsmith and inventor who lived from 1398 to 1468. His invention of the printing press led to several events such as the rise of schools, availability of books, and a thirst for knowledge. However, the most important aspect of his invention was that it helped spread religious ideas from the Renaissance and Reformation across Europe at a faster pace.

Humanism

1400

The idea of humanism spread throughout Europe from the 1400s-1600s and with it came a new way of thinking and living for Europeans, causing this to be one of the most important events of the time. Humanism placed an emphasis on thinking critically and scientifically when analyzing a problem or making a discovery. It also brought in a more secular way of thinking and revived classical themes, with many scientists, scholars, artists, etc. taking a part in the spread of humanism.

Perspective

1405

During the Renaissance, artists, architects, sculptors, etc began to focus on integrating realism techniques into their work. Around 1405 Italian architect Filippo Brunelleschi utilized one-point perspective in his work and thus began the spread of perspective. Perspective became a way for artists to achieve realism, causing this technique to be both influential and important. Perspective techniques, such as the central vanishing point, are still used in today in modern works of art.

Lorenzo de Medici

Jan 1, 1449

Lorenzo de Medici lived from January 1, 1449 to April 8, 1492 and ruled the city-state of Florence, Italy with the legacy he left behind making him an important Renaissance figure. Under his rule, Florence flourished by becoming an area filled with culture and art. He also established the Platonic Academy which included figures such as Leonardo de Vinci and Pico della Mirandola (a humanist). De Medici was known as "Lorenzo The Magnificent" because of the positive impact his rule had on Florence.

Printing Revolution

1450

Around 1450, Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press which led to the Printing Revolution. Books were printed at a much faster pace and resulted in the lowering of book prices, thus leading to the availability of books. Furthermore, a new thirst for knowledge rose amongst Europeans, causing this to be an important event of the time. By the year 1500 it was estimated that there were about 1,000 printing shops across the continent of Europe with the number continuing to grow.

Leonardo da Vinci

Apr 15, 1452

Leonardo da Vinci (April 15, 1452-May 2, 1519) was known as the ideal Renaissance man since he contributed to several areas such as botany, engineering, art, etc. Some of his most famous works include the "Mona LIsa", "Virtruvian Man", and his invention known as the flying machine. His work paved the path for something future scientists could build upon, causing da Vinci to be regarded as an important figure of his time.

Erasmus

Aug 28, 1466

Erasmus (October 28, 1466-July 12, 1536) was a Renaissance figure who was devoted to furthering his knowledge as a scholar. At the time, Erasmus was one of the first people to publicly denounce the Church and Protestant ideals that were too radical. He also played a part in the spread of classical knowledge by incorporating them into his writings. As a result of the impact Erasmus left during his time, he became known as an incredibly important Renaissance figure.

Maciavelli

May 3, 1469

Machiavelli was a Florentine writer and government worker who lived from May 3, 1469 to June 22, 1527. He is well known for his book The Prince, which outlined how a leader could successfully lead the people while also achieving unity. Although Machiavelli's work did not become well known until after his death, he is still regarded as an important Renaissance figure since he is said to have played a role in the start of modern political science.

Copernicus

Feb 19, 1473

Nicolaus Copernicus (February 19, 1473-May 24, 1543) was a renowned figure of the Scientific Revolution for his discovery of the heliocentric theory. Copernicus was an astronomer, and in 1508 he developed an idea that contradicted those of Aristotle's. His idea, known as the heliocentric theory, stated that the sun was the center of our solar system and other planets orbited the sun. However, many were skeptical of this since the Catholic Church taught that other planets orbited the earth.

Michelangelo

Mar 6, 1475

Michelangelo (March 6, 1475) is a well known painter and sculptor from the Renaissance period with some of his famous work including "David" and his paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. He studied the architecture from areas such as Rome and Florence, Italy and incorporated it into his work. Michelangelo's extremely successful career and eagerness was what made him an important Renaissance figure.

Albrecht Durer

May 21, 1475

Albrecht Durer was a German theorist and painter who lived from May 21, 1471 to April 6, 1528. Durer studied techniques from Italian art (such as realism) and applied them to his own works. For example, Durer's engravings and paintings often depicted religious upheaval through the use of realism and other techniques. However, what made Durer an important Renaissance figure was him introducing Northern Europe to classical themes through his works of art.

Martin Luther

Nov 10, 1483

Martin Luther lived from November 10, 1483 to February 18, 1546 and was the man who started the Protestant Reformation in Europe, making him an important figure during the Reformation. After he was excommunicated from the Catholic Church for writing the 95 Thesis, Luther started a religious movement. With the help of the printing press, his ideas began to spread throughout Europe and people would break away from the Catholic Church so they could the religious movement known as Lutheranism.

Henry VIII

Jun 28, 1491

King Henry VIII of England lived from June 28, 1491 to January 28, 1547 and was an important figure for several reasons. After being denied an annulment to his marriage with his first wife, Henry VIII went on to declare that the ruling monarch will be the head of the Church of England and they separated from the Catholic Church. He ended up having a total of six wives with only his third wife (Jane Seymour) bearing him a male heir, Prince Edward.

John Calvin

Jul 10, 1509

John Calvin (July 10, 1509-May 27, 1564) was a French theologian statesman who is regarded as an important figure from the Protestant Reformation because of the religion he started. Known as Calvinism, this primarily focused on the theology behind Protestantism. He started a government in Geneva, Switzerland and soon this religion began to spread across Europe and people left either the Church or Lutheranism to become a Calvinist.

Raphael

Apr 6, 1520

Raphael was both a painter and an architect during the Renaissance period and April 6, 1483 to April 6, 1520. He was an important figure during that time because of the techniques he incorporated into his art. By studying the works of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Fra Bartolommeo, and Masaccio Raphael was able to utilize a painting technique that captured both emotion and expression. Some of his most famous works include The School of Athens, Transfiguration, and The Sistine Madonna.

Elizabeth I

Sep 7, 1533

Queen Elizabeth I (September 7, 1533- March 24, 1603) and was a renowned Reformation figure due to the positive changes she made in England. During a time that was coined the Elizabethan Era, Queen Elizabeth I ended religious turmoil in England (to an extent since historians argue that Catholics were still executed), ended the war between England and France, and was devoted to the people. However, she never married so after her death the Tudor family's reign ended.

Council of Trent

Dec 13, 1545

During the Protestant Reformation, the Council of Trent was called to order so pressing issues could be examined. Points such as the Church's doctrines and the corruption in the Church were discussed, causing this to be an incredibly important event. The Council of Trent was convened from December 13, 1545 to December 4, 1563 and was overseen by three popes, Pope Paul III (1545–1547), Pope Julius III (1551–1552), and Pope Pius IV (1562–1563).

Francis Bacon

Jan 22, 1561

Francis Bacon (January 22, 1561-April 9, 1626) was an English lawyer who is an important figure because of how he refined the scientific method. Although Bacon is not credited for creating the scientific method, he added an idea (known as inductive reasoning) to it that allowed for a cause and effect relationship to be analyzed. The steps included making an observation, conducting research, analyzing the results, and then using inductive reasoning to apply the results.

Galileo

Feb 15, 1564

Galileo Galilei (February 2, 1564- January 8, 1642) was an Italian physicist who made a huge impact in the scientific field, causing him to be one of the most important Scientific Revolution figures. By using a telescope he invented, Galileo studied the planets and discovered that they did not revolve around the Earth, which confirmed Copernicus's findings. Furthermore, Galileo proposed theories on both motion and falling objects and he is credited for discovering Jupiter's moons.

William Shakespeare

Apr 23, 1564

William Shakespeare was (and still is) a famous English writer who lived from April 23, 1564 to April 23, 1616. Shakespeare wrote various plays such as Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and Julius Caesar, with most remaining popular today. Not only does that make him an important figure, but he also wrote in the vernacular, allowing for a wider audience to enjoy and understand his plays. Furthermore, it is estimated that Shakespeare added about 1,600 words to the English language during his time.

Rene Descartes

Mar 31, 1596

Rene Descartes (March 31, 1596-February 11, 1650) was a French philosopher and mathematician whose work left an impact on the field of science. Descartes is credited for being the first to use the x axis and y axis in both mathematics, while also proposing that some geometry concepts could be reduced and solved through algebraic concepts. His work is still used today in the fields of science and mathematics, causing him to be an important figure from the Scientific Revolution

Isaac Newton

Jan 4, 1643

Isaac Newton was both a mathematician and physicist who lived from January 4, 1643 to March 31, 1727. Newton proposed theories on motion, gravity, light, and color while also presenting the three basic laws of motion. These laws helped back up previous discoveries of the sun being the center of the solar system by describing the science behind orbits. As a result of Newton's findings, he became known as a significant figure from the Scientific Revolution.