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1395
Johannes Gutenberg
Johannes Gutenberg was a German blacksmith and inventor. He invented the mechanical movable type printing press. This invention allowed more people to have books. This was a major piece in spreading the Renaissance. -
1400
Humanism
Humanism is the ideology that focuses on the human being. It began a secular ideology. This laid the foundation for arts and sciences of the Renaissance. -
1440
Printing Revolution
The Printing Revolution began with the invention of the printing press with movable type. The invention allowed knowledge to spread quickly and the literacy rate to increase. It also allowed more people to read the Bible and rely less on the Church's to interpretation, causing people to increasingly question the Roman Catholic Church. -
Apr 15, 1452
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci was a painter, sculptor, architect, inventor, military engineer and draftsman. He was seen as the ideal Renaissance man because of his many talents. He has influenced art with his advances in the understanding of nature and the human body. -
Oct 28, 1466
Erasmus
Erasmus was a humanist, Catholic priest, social critic, teacher, and theologian. He began to write books in the vernacular. He wrote the Bible in the vernacular, allowing average people to read it without needing a church to interpret it. This helped to progress the Reformation and anger the Catholic church -
May 3, 1469
Machiavelli
Machiavelli was a political philosopher and statesman. He a book entitled "The Prince" that encouraged political leaders to achieve their goals by whatever means necessary. He had an influence at the time because his ideas evoked reactions from the people of the time period. They also influenced politicians at the time to achieve their goals in whatever ways they must do so. -
May 21, 1471
Albrecht Durer
Albrecht Durer was an artist, print maker, and theorist. He took many of the Renaissance painting techniques and applied them to engraving. His art often portrayed religious upheaval and were quite realistic. -
Feb 19, 1473
Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus was a mathematician and astronomer. He created a heliocentric model of the universe, showing that the Sun is the center of the solar system, rather that the Earth. This was a major contribution to the scientific revolution and led to a better understanding of the universe. -
Mar 6, 1475
Michelangelo
Michelangelo was a painter, sculptor, architect and poet. He was most known for being a famous artist. He had a major impact on art at the time because of his work with realism and dimensions. -
1478
Inquisition
The Inquisition was a group of church officials who fought to combat heresy. During the Reformation, the Inquisition expanded to stop the spreading of the Protestants. They worked to punish those who spoke against the Church and scare others away from converting from Catholicism. -
Feb 7, 1478
Thomas More
Thomas More was an English humanist who pushed for social reform. He wrote of a perfect society in where all people are educated and justice is received for all. He was one of the first people to ever suggest that everyone should receive an education. -
Apr 6, 1483
Raphael
Raphael was an Italian artist and architect. He focused most of his work on religion but tried to encompass realism within them. He had an impact on the Renaissance because of his influence on art at the time. -
Nov 10, 1483
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a devout Catholic monk. He came to reject many of the teachings of the Catholic Church and wrote the 95 thesis. This was a list of the 95 things that Luther felt was wrong with the Church. His ideas led a revolution known as the Protestant Reformation and caused people to separate from the Catholic Church. -
Jul 2, 1489
Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer helped to develop the case of King Henry VIII divorce. He then helped the King develop the Church of England and supported that his rule over the Church. He was responsible for many aspects of the Church of England. -
Jun 28, 1491
Henry VIII
Henry VIII was the King of England and had a major impact on the English Reformation. After the Roman Catholic Church refused his divorce, he started the Church of England. He forced Catholics to convert from Catholicism or they were to be executed. This caused many people to unwillingly convert to the Church of England and spark the English Reformation. -
Jan 1, 1499
Lorenzo de Medici
Lorenzo de Medici was a statesman, ruler, and patron of arts and letters. His family worked to fund the art at the time. This helped to improve the arts and fund the Renaissance. -
Jul 10, 1509
John Calvin
John Calvin was a French theologian and pastor. He spread the idea that God is the true leader and that everything in life should be about God less than it is about the Church. He had a major part in spreading the Protestant Reformation because of his ideas. -
1517
Sale of Indulgences
Indulgences were purchased to lessen the time one spent in purgatory. Many Christians objected to their sale because they felt that they were used to fund the Church officials luxurious lives. Their sale laid the foundation of the Reformation and the sparked the challenging of the Church. -
Sep 7, 1533
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I was the daughter of King Henry VIII and the Queen of England. She created a compromise between Catholics and Protestants by allowing people the choice of religion. She separated church and state by not becoming the new head of the Anglican Church. Her reign was known as the Elizabethan era and would unite England and avoid future religious wars. -
1543
Heliocentric Theory
The heliocentric theory is the theory that states that the Sun is the center of the solar system. This ideology was first proposed by Copernicus. Prior to this discovery, it was believed that the Earth was the center of the universe. The heliocentric theory allowed for a better understanding of the universe and further scientific advances. -
Feb 15, 1563
Galileo
Galileo was an astronomer, physicist, engineer, philosopher, and math mathematician. He made discoveries in speed, velocity, gravity and free fall, the principle of relativity, inertia, and projectile motion. His ideas led to a better understanding of these concepts and had a major impact on the scientific revolution. -
Apr 23, 1564
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was a towering figure of Northern Renaissance literature. He explored Renaissance ideals such as the complexity of the individual in his writings. He also used common language that was understood by all and added 1,700 words to the English language. -
Rene Descartes
Rene Descartes philosopher, mathematician, scientist and writer. He invented the Cartesian coordinate system and founded analytic geometry. He also impacted the invention of calculus and mathematical analysis and the Scientific Revolution. -
Scientific Method
The scientific method is techniques used to prove or disprove a hypothesis or theory. During the Renaissance, Galileo used steps and experiments to prove his ideas, helping to develop the scientific method. The scientific method has contributed to many experiments and discoveries over the ages. -
Isaac Newton
Isaac Newton was a mathematician, astronomer, and physicist. He formulated the laws of motion and confirmed that the Sun was the center of the universe. He created a foundation of classical mechanics and had many great accomplishments that contributed to the Scientific Revolution.
