-
Period: 1300 to
The Renaissance
-
1347
The Black Death
The Black Death was a plague that killed about one-third of Europe's population. Even though the plague devastated Europe, it did have positive results. One of these results was caused by the mortality rate. Since there was a major loss of life, there was room to change the way people thought. This change influenced the Renaissance and eventually the Reformation (Routt). -
1453
Invention of the Movable Type Printing Press
Johannes Gutenberg invented the movable type printing press. This press was much more efficient and cost-effective than previous presses. The Gutenberg press was very useful and influenced the Scientific Revolution as it allowed scientists to share their research without the risk of miscopying information (Lehmann-Haupt). -
1489
Leonardo da Vinci's Sketches of Human Anatomy
Leonardo da Vinci began detailed sketches of the human body. He started a book containing these drawings but was delayed by being unable to dissect human bodies. Later in his life, he dissected 30 corpses, enabling him to continue his studies. He never finished his book, and if it had been published, it would rival Andreas Vesalius' "De Humani Corporis Fabrica" (Alastair). Da Vinci's work, although not as well-known as his paintings, greatly advanced comprehension of human anatomy. -
1504
Michelangelo's "David"
Michelangelo's "David" was completed. This sculpture has astonishing detail. For example, the marble displays the protruding veins on the neck and wrists. The skin of the figure shows realistic stretches and wrinkles on the face and fingers ("Michelangelo's David"). This sculpture, although not the first, has incredible anatomical accuracy, which was one step closer to understanding the complexities of the human body. -
1517
The Posting of the 95 Theses
Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of Castle Church. This event provoked the Protestant Reformation, which created several new religions and was the start of religious tolerance. The Reformation also paved the way for scientific advancement later on as the Catholic Church lost power ("Martin Luther and the 95 Theses). -
1526
Paracelsus Becomes a Professor
Paracelsus was selected to be a Professor of Medicine at the University of Basel, Switzerland. Although many of his studies were later proved false, he was correct when questioning Galen's theory of four humors and encouraged doctors to learn through experiment rather than guesses. Paracelsus also burned books by Galen, which allowed the public to see his views on the matter. ("Paracelsus (1493-1541)"). -
1537
Improvement of Surgery
During a battle, Ambroise Paréran out of the solution used to detoxify bullet wounds before cauterizing them, so he improvised with a mixture of egg yolk, turpentine, and rose oil. It proved effective; moreover, it actually limited the patient's pain and prevented swelling, which the conventional solution did not. Later on, Ambroise Paré continued to try to limit the patient's pain, which was a new thought in medicine and influenced the modern practice of surgery (Drucker). -
1543
Publication of "De Revolutionibus Orium"
Nicolaus Copernicus wrote "De Revolutionibus Orium Coelestrium," which hypothesized a heliocentric solar system. Copernicus set the foundation for all future astrology, even though he only guessed and never actually disproved the Ptolemaic Theory. This book later allowed Johannes Kepler to further Copernicus' research and mathematically prove the heliocentric theory ("On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres"). -
1543
Publication of "De Humani Corporis Fabrica"
Andreas Vesalius' "De Humani Corporis Fabrica" includes almost scarily accurate and detailed notes and sketches of the human body. Starting with animals, he worked his way up to human dissections, which helped him illustrate muscle and bone systems. This is one of the most influential biology books in history (Rushing). -
Period: 1543 to
The Scientific Revolution
-
1555
Peace of Augsburg
The Peace of Augsburg was a treaty designed to end conflict between Lutherans and Catholics. It let German princes choose Lutheranism or Catholicism to be the religion of their state. This created some vulnerabilities in the Church that would be used later, during the Scientific Revolution, to create ideas that contradicted Catholic beliefs. Although the Peace of Augsburg created peace for a time, it was revisited after the 30 Years' War, where new treaties were formed ("The Thirty Years' War"). -
1560
Tycho Brahe Studies Astronomy
Astronomers predicted that in August, a solar eclipse would occur. Tycho Brahe witnessed the eclipse and realized they were right, which inspired him to study astronomy, which began with observations of the night sky. Although his conclusions drawn from these observations were incorrect, his assistant, Johannes Kepler, went on to have many accomplishments in the field of astronomy, which greatly impacted the science. (Dimuro). -
1570
The Printing of the First Modern Atlas
The first modern atlas, called "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum," or "Theatre of the World," was printed by Abraham Ortelius, a cartographer. Although this was not the first atlas, as that atlas was created by Ptolemy about a century earlier, this was the first to have organized uniform pages. This edition contained around 70 maps and helped people explore the world and make new discoveries (Briney). -
Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion
Johannes Kepler, the former assistant of Tycho Brahe, continued his employer's studies. Kepler ended up disproving Brahe's theories and confirming the idea that the universe is heliocentric his Laws of Planetary Motion. All advancements in astronomy since Kepler have been affected by these laws, making his discoveries extremely important ("The Science: Orbital Mechanics"). -
Baconian Method
Francis Bacon's "Novum Organum Scientarium" describes the Baconian Method, consisting of three steps: an explanation of facts, a categorization of the facts, and the rejection of the correlation between these facts and the phenomena being experimented. The Baconian Method is essentially the first draft of the modern Scientific Method, which was further developed later in the Scientific Revolution ("Baconian Method"). -
Galileo's House Arrest
The Roman Inquisition place Galileo Galilei under house arrest for the remainder of his life. This was because a treatise of his, "Dialogue Concerning Two Chief Systems," was viewed heresy. Although this stopped all scientific developments of Galileo, he still had many achievements. Before his arrest, he improved the refracting telescope, supported the heliocentric theory, and wrote two treatises that explained his observations. All of these works advanced the Scientific Revolution. (Wilde). -
Peace of Westphalia
The Peace of Westphalia was a group of treaties that ended the Thirty Years' War. It reinstituted the Peace of Augsburg, added Calvinism to the short list of choices for German princes, and expanded the religious toleration in Europe. This further paved the way for the Scientific Revolution by continuing to weaken the Catholic Church's grip, although the Chuch was still an extremely influential power on the contributors of the Revolution ("The Thirty Years' War"). -
The Royal Society
The Royal Society was formed to confirm theories through experiments. They published many famous scientists, including Robert Boyle, Isaac Newton, and later Benjamin Franklin. It is still in operation and receives £42 million annually from governmental and individual sources to continue their scientific advancements ("History of the Royal Society"). -
Boyle's Gas Law
Robert Boyle, a philosopher, chemist, and inventor, discovered a gas law that plays a large role in science today. The law describes that the volume of a gas inversely relates to its pressure. Boyle discovered this by experimenting with vacuums and measuring the pressure, volume, and temperature of a gas ("Robert Boyle"). -
Invention of Calculus
Isaac Newton invented calculus. Although many students despise it, this development in mathematics is significant to many fields of science including biology, physics, chemistry, and engineering. Many scientific advancements from the past few hundred years would not have been possible without calculus ("How Isaac Newton Changed the World"). -
Identification of Bacteria
Antony van Leeuwenhoek used homemade microscopes to detect bacteria. He was the first to discover bacteria and made many more discoveries during his lifetime, such as noticing the pattern on fibers of muscles. His research laid the groundwork for many medical and biological advancements ("Discovery of Bacteria").