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Period: 1095 to 1291
The Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars between Christians and Muslims started primarily to secure control of holy sites. -
1096
Battle of Civetot
Battle of Civetot was fought between the Seljuk forces and the People’s Crusade, which was mainly peasants from Christian lands. This was the first notable armed conflict between Muslim and Christian forces which resulted in a disastrous outcome for the Christian crusaders. Source : http://www.10000battles.com/battles2.php?bat=2423 -
1097
The Siege of Antioch
The Siege of Antioch was one of the first significant battles of the First Crusade. This helped mark the arrival of the Crusades in the Holy Land. Source : https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1252/the-siege-of-antioch-1097-98-ce/ -
1148
The Siege of Damascus
The Siege of Damascus was the final act of the Second Crusade which ended in a decisive crusader defeat. The European army was unsuccessful. The crusades' faded out with its leaders returning home even more bitter and angry with each other than before. Source : https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1260/the-siege-of-damascus-1148-ce/ -
1187
Battle of Hattin 1187
The Battle of Hattin was the single most important battlefield event of all the crusades. The battle was fought between the Ayyub forces of Sultan Salah-udo-din Ayyub and the Crusader forces with figures like Ranald of Chatillon, Guy of Lumigan, and Gerard de Radford in it. Source : https://www.worldhistory.org/Battle_of_Hattin/ -
1291
The Fall of Acre
The Mamluks, Muslims, attacked the important city of Acre. It was the last stronghold to fall to the Muslims. The Mamluks were very savage compared to the early Muslims in the earlier Crusades. Source : https://aspectsofhistory.com/the-fall-of-the-knights-templar/ -
Period: 1346 to 1353
The Black Death
The Black Death was a devastating global epidemic of bubonic plague that struck Europe and Asia. It is the most most fatal pandemic recorded in human history that lead to approximately 200 millions deaths. -
1356
The Battles in Poitiers
At the Battle of Poitiers, the Black Prince of Wales Edward defeated the French. In the course of the battle, the French king, John II, was taken prisoner and brought to England. This resulted in civil chaos in France.
Source : https://www.thoughtco.com/hundred-years-war-battle-of-poitiers-2360735 -
1381
The Peasants Revolt
The Peasants Revolt was the most popular rebellion in English history. Many peasants rebelled against King Richard II. The peasants were angry about a range of issues, such as low pay and the introduction of a poll tax.
Source : https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/your-guide-peasants-revolt-facts-timeline/ -
1389
The Battle of Kosovo
The battle of Kosovo was when the ethnic Albanians fought ethnic Serbs and the government of Yugoslavia in Kosovo. The conflict gained widespread international attention and was resolved with the intervention of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Source:https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Battle_of_Kosovo -
1397
Union of Kalmar
Margaret Queen of Sweden completed the conquest of Denmark and Norway. She then went on to form the Kalmar League, which became a Union of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
Source : https://www.lifeinnorway.net/kalmar-union/ -
1397
The Medici bank is founded.
The Medici Bank was a financial institution created by the Medici family in Italy during the 15th century. It was the largest and most respected bank in Europe during its prime.
Source: http://www.themedicifamily.com/The-Medici-Bank.html -
Period: 1400 to 1495
Early Renaissance
The Early Renaissance was a period from about 1400 to 1500 in European, esp. Italian, painting, sculpture, and architecture, when naturalistic styles and humanist theories were evolved. -
1410
Battle of Grunwald
In the Battle of Grunwald the Teutonic Knights suffered a blow from which they never recovered. German supremacy in the Baltic area was broken and Poland-Lithuania began to be regarded in the West as a great power.
Source:https://cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/b/Battle_of_Grunwald.htm -
1413
Brunelleschi creates Linear Perspective
Linear perspective is a system of creating an illusion of depth on a flat surface. All parallel lines in a painting or drawing using this system converge in a single vanishing point on the composition’s horizon line. This allowed artists to move toward a more realistic portrayal of nature and to achieve the illusion of depth on a two-dimensional surface. Source : https://www.britannica.com/art/linear-perspective -
1415
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt resulted in the victory of the English over the French. The English army, led by King Henry V, famously achieved victory in spite of the numerical superiority of its opponent. Source:https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-agincourt -
1429
Joan of Arc and the Siege of Orleans
Joan of Arc, a teenage French peasant, successfully led a French force to break the siege. It was the French royal army's first major military victory to follow the crushing defeat at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. Source : https://www.jeanne-darc.info/location/the-siege-of-orleans-1428-1429/ -
1436
Johannes Gutenberg Printing Press
The printing press enabled the mass production of books and the rapid spread of knowledge throughout Europe. The immediate effect of the printing press was to cut the costs of books. Source: //www.history.com/news/printing-press-renaissance -
Period: 1450 to
Age of Exploration
This was a period of time when the European nations began exploring the world. They discovered new routes to India, much of the Far East, and the Americas. -
1455
Gutenberg bible is published
The Gutenberg Bible was the earliest major book printed using mass-produced movable metal in Europe. The Gutenberg Bible had been designed for liturgical usage in ecclesiastical settings.
Source : https://www.britannica.com/topic/Gutenberg-Bible -
1464
Cosimo de Medici dies
Cosimo was considered the father of the nation by some. The dynasty he founded ruled Florence until 1494. He didn't take office for long and, unfortunately, his dalliance in politics landed him in prison and subsequent exile for a period of time. Source : https://www.historytoday.com/archive/months-past/death-cosimo-de-medici -
1470
Boston Massacre
The Boston massacre was when the British troops stationed in Boston to blows against the colonists. The colonists were angry about being unfairly taxed and angry at the British occupation and took their anger out on the troops.
Source:https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-boston-massacre -
1478
The Spanish Inquisition Begins
The Catholic Monarchs began the famous Inquisition to try and purify Catholicism in all their territories. The Inquisition was established to act as a tribunal to identify heretics and bring them to justice. Source : https://www.donquijote.org/spanish-culture/history/spanish-inquisition/ -
1492
Christopher Columbus Discovers the Native Americans
Italian explorer Christopher Columbus made landfall in what is now the Bahamas. Columbus and his ships landed on an island that the native Lucayan people called Guanahani.
Source: https://www.history.com/topics/exploration/christopher-columbus -
Period: 1495 to 1527
High Renaissance
In art history, the High Renaissance was a short period of the most exceptional artistic production in the Italian states, particularly Rome, capital of the Papal States, and in Florence, during the Italian Renaissance. Source: https://www.theartstory.org/movement/high-renaissance/ -
1496
The Last Supper Painting Drawn
The Last Supper Painting was one of the most famous artworks in the world, painted by Leonardo da Vinci. This painting illustrates the scene from the last days of Jesus Christ, as described in the Gospel of John 13:21.
Source: https://artincontext.org/the-last-supper-da-vinci/ -
1503
Leonardo da Vinci paints the Mona Lisa.
This painting was commissioned by a rich Italian merchant, Francesco del Gioconda, who wanted to place a portrait of his wife, Lisa, in their new home.
Source : https://www.unjourdeplusaparis.com/en/paris-culture/histoire-de-la-joconde -
1509
Henry VIII becomes king of England.
He became heir to the throne on the death of his elder brother, Prince Arthur. After his brothers death he broke with the Roman Catholic Church and had Parliament declare him supreme head of the Church of England.
Source : https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-VIII-king-of-England -
1511
Raphael paints his masterpiece The School of Athens.
The School of Athens represents all the greatest mathematicians, philosophers and scientists from classical antiquity gathered together sharing their ideas and learning from each other.
Source: https://mymodernmet.com/school-of-athens-raphael/ -
1511
Humanist author Erasmus writes Praise of Folly.
This is an essay written in Latin in 1509 by Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam and first printed in June 1511. The Praise of Folly by Erasmus is a bold satire that pokes fun at the foolishness of mankind.
Source:https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691165646/the-praise-of-folly -
1517
Cortes discovers Mexico.
Cortés explored the northern part of Mexico and discovered Baja California for Spain in the late 1530s. In 1540, he retired to Spain and spent much of his last years seeking recognition and rewards for his achievements.
Source :https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hern%C3%A1n_Cort%C3%A9s -
Period: 1517 to
The Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a religious reform movement that swept through Europe in the 1500s. It resulted in the creation of a branch of Christianity called Protestantism -
1519
Ferdinand Magellan begins his voyage around the world.
Ferdinand Magellan, five ships and a crew of 270 men, set sail from Sanlucar de Barrameda in southern Spain, on what would become the first circumnavigation of the world. He wanted to reach South-East Asia, where spices grew and gems were to be found, by sailing westwards across the Atlantic Ocean. Source:https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/ferdinand-magellan -
1519
Charles V crowned Holy Roman Emperor.
Charles V was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Clement VII in the San Petronio Basilica in Bologna on 24 February 1530. He was the last Holy Roman Emperor to be crowned by a pope.
Source: http://www.holyromanempireassociation.com/holy-roman-emperor-charles-v.html -
1519
Spanish conquest of Aztecs
The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, also known as the Conquest of Mexico or the Spanish-Aztec War, was one of the primary events in the Spanish colonization of the Americas.
Source:https://library.norwood.vic.edu.au/aztecs/spanishconquest -
1523
The Downfall of the Kalmar Union
As the Kalmar Union came to an end in 1523 the balance of control and power shifted in Scandinavia. Due to the tyranny of Christian II, Sweden rebelled and broke away under the leadership of Gustav Vasa while Norway remained in union with Denmark.
Source: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2008&context=etd -
1527
Sack of Rome
The Sack of Rome was undertaken by the Visigoths led by their king, Alaric. Rome had fallen and the sack was a major shock to contemporaries, friends and foes of the Empire alike.
Source: https://www.britannica.com/event/Sack-of-Rome-410 -
Period: 1527 to
Late Renaissance
The Late Renaissance is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, when the Baroque style largely replaced it. -
1537
First Bible printed in English by Miles Coverdale.
The Coverdale Bible was the first complete Modern English translation of the Bible (not just the Old Testament or New Testament), and the first complete printed translation into English.
Source: https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/coverdale-bible -
1541
De Soto discovers Mississippi River.
In May 1541, the army reached and crossed the Mississippi River, probably the first Europeans ever to do so. A photo was constructed during this time that shows Hernando De Soto riding a white horse and dressed in Renaissance finery, arriving at the Mississippi. Source: https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/spotlight-primary-source/de-sotos-discovery-mississippi-1541 -
1543
Battle of Wayna Daga
The Battle of Wayna Daga was a large-scale battle between the Ethiopian forces assisted by Portuguese musketeers and cavalry. Ahmad was shot by a musketeer before being beheaded. Once the Imam's soldiers learned of his death, they fled the battlefield.
Source : https://dbpedia.org/page/Battle_of_Wayna_Daga -
Period: 1550 to
Scientific Revolution
Scientific Revolution is the name given to a period of drastic change in scientific thought that took place during the 16th and 17th centuries. -
1558
Elizabeth I becomes Queen of England.
Elizabeth succeeded to the throne on her half-sister's death in November 1558. She was very well-educated and had inherited intelligence, determination and shrewdness from both parents. Source: https://www.royal.uk/elizabeth-i -
1564
William Shakespeare's born
William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist.
Source: https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/shakespedia/william-shakespeare/when-was-shakespeare-born/ -
Henri iv becomes king of France.
Henry was crowned King of France at the Cathedral of Chartres on 27 February 1594. Pope Clement VIII lifted excommunication from Henry on 17 September 1595.
Source: https://www.britannica.com/summary/Henry-IV-king-of-France -
African Slave Trade
The first Africans forced to work in the New World left from Europe at the beginning of the sixteenth century. This was a segment of the global slave trade that transported between 10 million and 12 million enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas from the 16th to the 19th century.
Source: https://www.britannica.com/topic/transatlantic-slave-trade