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Period: Jan 1, 1350 to
Renaissance
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Jul 19, 1374
Petrarch dies
Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch in English; July 20, 1304 – July 19, 1374) was an Aretine scholar and poet in Renaissance Italy, and one of the earliest humanists. Petrarch's rediscovery of Cicero's letters is often credited for initiating the 14th-century Renaissance. Petrarch is often called the "Father of Humanism". -
Jan 1, 1395
Bible Translated
John Wycliffe translated the Latin bible into a Middle English version. At the time, most Western Christian people encountered the Bible only in oral versions. Though few people were able to read at this time, Wycliffe’s idea was to translate the Bible, saying "it helpeth Christian men to study the Gospel in that tongue in which they know best Christ’s sentence". -
Jan 1, 1400
Geoffrey Chaucer dies
Chaucer is also known as the Father of English literature. Chaucer is considered to be the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages. He was an author, philosopher, alchemist and astronomer. He also invented the astrolabe. He is best known for the Canterbury Tales. -
Jan 1, 1449
Lorenzo de Medici born
During the Italian Renaissance, de Medici was the ruler of the Florentine Republic. He was known as Lorenzo the Magnificent because of his tendency to giving large sums of money to artists. He was a diplomat, politician and patron of scholars, artists, and poets. -
Oct 27, 1466
Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus
Desiderius, or "Prince of the Humanists", was a well-known scholar who wrote only in the Latin style. He wrote Greek and Latin versions of the New Testaments. Although he did support the idea of Reform,, he still repected the authority of the Pope, and refused to be directly associated with Luther. -
Jan 1, 1475
Gutenburg invented Printing Press
The printing press is considered to be the most influential aspects of the Renaissance. It could create whole books within a matter of minutes, and reduced the cost of producing one by handwriting the pages. Since more people were beginning to realize the importance of education, more people were able to read. The printing press made books more available. -
Jan 1, 1478
Spanish Inquisition Begins
The Inquisistion was a horrible event that began in the Renaissance and continued until 1834. The purpose of the Inuquisition was to remove all enemies of the Roman Catholic church. As this ocurred, the people heard stories of unimaginable torture. -
Feb 7, 1478
Saint Thomas More
More was a lawyer, a philosopher, an author, and a humanist. He was also a councillor to Henry VIII and Lord Chancellor from 1529 to 1532. His most famous book is Utopia. -
Jan 1, 1492
Columbus sails to the New World
Christopher sets sail to find a route to India, but instead discovers a new continent. He brings back word of the "New World" when he returns from the trip. -
Jan 1, 1500
The Renaissance Man
Though no one is sure of the exact date, the "Renaissance Man" was a sort of guide to living in the Renaissance, which included some of Leonardo da Vinci's greatest scientific studies. The book included aeronautics, anatomy, astronomy, botany, cartography, civil engineering, chemistry, geology, geometry, hydrodynamics, mathematics, mechanical engineering, optics, physics, pyrotechnics and zoology. -
Jan 1, 1504
Mona Lisa
Leonardo da Vinci completed the Mona Lisa in 1504. It was considered the greatest piece of art for the next five centuries. -
Apr 21, 1509
King Henry VIII
King Henry VIII becomes the King of England. Henry VIII is most known for his participation in the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church. -
Jan 1, 1512
Michelangelo
Though it took four years, Michelangelo finishes painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, which is without a doubt a masterpiece. -
Jan 1, 1517
Reformation
The reformation began when Martin Luther posted 95 Theses, questioning the Roman Catholic Church, to the walls of the All Saints' Church, and sparked a need to create new Protestant churches. Although the protestants were all considereed Christian, each church interpreted the bible in a slightly different way. -
May 6, 1527
Sack of Rome
The sack of Rome began when an army of Spanish Catholics and Lutherans held Rome in a state of siege for approximately nine months, treating those who were associated with the Roman Catholic Church, very harshly. -
Oct 24, 1529
Seige of Florence
The seige of Florence began at the end of the War of the League of Cognac. The Sack of Florence began when a spanish army surrounded the city of Florence and replaced the ruler of the city with Alessandro de' Medici. -
May 24, 1543
Nicholas Copernicus dies
Copernicus was one of the greatest mathematicians and astronomers of his time. He discovered that the idea that Earth was the centre of the Universe was completely false, though it seemed to be true. He created the Heliocentric model of the Universe which proved that the everything revolved around the Sun. -
Feb 15, 1564
Birth of Galileo Galilei
Galileo is often referred to the "father of modern observational astronomy", the "father of modern physics", the "father of science", and "the Father of Modern Science". Galileo was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher. He is famous for many Scientific improvements, such as fixing the telescope and supporting the Copernican model of the Universe. -
Apr 26, 1564
Birth of William Shakespeare
Shakespeare was a poet and playwright, and is widely considered to be the greatest English writer in the world. He is most famous for the tradegies in his poems and plays, such as Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, and Macbeth. He is most notable for his play, Romeo an Juliet. -
Queen Elizabeth's Navy
Queen Elizabeth's navy defeats the Spanish Armada, making England one of the most powerful nations in the world.