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Period: Jan 1, 1485 to
The Renaissance
Lasting akmost 200 years, we consider the Renaissance important because of the rebirth of art forms and the reinvention of art as it began in Italy mainly because of the rich city-states: Venice, Florence, and Milan. It is also known for the creation of a third dimension within a picture, which had at the time made them more valuable and memorable. The main art forms that had been reborn were painting, sculpting, architectural, and intellectual art. -
Aug 26, 1485
Richard III is killed in battle
Born October 2, 1452, Richard III ruled England beginning June 26, 1483 until his death fighting the second rebellion of his reign in 1485. The first rebellion was in October of 1483, shortly after he was coronated as King of England. In August of 1485, Henry Tudor and Richard's uncle, Jasper Tudor, led a second rebellion on Richard III. He was struck down in the conflict, making Richard III the last English King to die in battle on British soil. -
Jan 26, 1492
Christopher Columbius reaches the Americas
Born on Halloween in 1451, Chris was an Italian explorer, navigator, and colonizer. He sailed for Spain to reach India, proposing he could reach by sea quicker rather than by land. He reached America, discovering the native Americans, all the while believing he had discovered India to his death. -
Jan 26, 1503
Leonardo da Vinci paints Mona Lisa
Painted by Leonardo da Vinci, the Mona Lisa is the most visited, most parodied, most written about, and the most well known piece of art from the Renaissance. Not widely known until its theft in 1911, when Vincenzo Peruggia stole it by hiding in a broom closet during regular hours and walked out after the Louvre closed. He was caught 2 years later trying to sell it to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. -
Jan 26, 1516
Thomas More's Utopia is published
Utopia, a book written and published by Thomas More, had published Utopia in Latin. The book is about the perfect world in the mind of More: what many believe to be life in a monastery. It is widely believed that More was demonstrating what he believed should be done in a perfect society in his mind, where theft is punishable by death, believing that you're going to steal something, you may as well kill the owners to remove witnesses. -
Jan 26, 1543
Henry VIII proclaims himself head of Church of England with Supremacy Act
King Henry VIII broke away from the Roman Catholic Church after the Pope excommunicated Henry in 1533 over his divorce of Catherine of Aragon. Using the Supremacy Act, he declared himself the Head of the Church of England to break away from the Roman Catholic Church. Attempting to restore allegiance to the pope, Henry VIII's daughter Mary I repealed the Supremacy Act in 1555. -
Jan 26, 1558
Elizabeth I becomes queen of England
Taking the throne after Mary I, Elizabeth I became Queen of England, most known as her title "The Virgin Queen". This nickname was given because she never married or sired an heir throughout her life. She was the fifth and last Tudor to rule England. -
Globe Theatre is built in London
Built in 1599, the Globe Theatre was a Theatre commonly associated with William Shakespeare. It was owned by Shakespeare's acting group, The Lord Chamberlain's Men. Many of Shakespeare's works were performed in the Globe: Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Macbeth, Love's Labors Lost, and numerous others. -
William Shakespeare writes King Lear and Macbeth
William Shakespeare, a well-known writer, has written many widely known plays and stories. He is widely regarded as a master of the English language for his wording to emphasize an overall lesson to the story. Between 1605 and 1606, Shakespeare wrote Macbeth, a story about how a man kills the king to become the king, and King Lear, a story about how a king divides his land between his three daughters to avoid conflict after his death. -
First English settlement is established in Jamestown, Virginia
Jamestown, Virginia was the first settlement in America, starting a chain reaction that led to the Declaration of Independence, creating the USA. As the founding of the English colony in the New Land, they had set the frontier to the west of the British Empire. -
King James Bibke is published
The King James Version, or KJV, of the Holy Bible successfully translated the Holy Bible from Hebrew to English, providing easier access to the Word of God. Everyone who read English could easily read the King James Version without needing to take Latin or Hebrew to understand the Bible. This led to a chain reaction that created all of the versions of the Holy Bible that we have today. -
The Mayflower lands at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts
The Pilgrims land in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Their first winter was the most difficult for them, learning how to survive the cold. They eventually befriended the Native Americans, which gave us the holiday Thanksgiving. -
Newpapers first published in London
Starting in Amsterdam, the first newspapers began circulating in 1620. Newspapers started coming to London the next year, setting off a chain of events that led to newspapers being used everywhere. -
John Milton began writing Paradise Lost
With roots of the tens of thousands of lines of verses beginning in Milton's childhood, Paradise Lost is about the biblical tales from the Bible, from Adam and Eve's expulsion from Eden by the demon Satan, to Samson and his God-given strength. Stretched over ten volumes of verses, it contains many epics about biblical and Christian events. John Milton was a 17th century poet. -
Puritan Commonwealth ends: Monarchy restrored with Charles II
King Charles II, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland, had retaken the throne from Oliver Cromwell, who had become a dictator after taking over after Charles I was executed, leaving Charles II too young to rule. Charles II restored his position as monarch of England, Scotland, and Ireland, ending the Puritan Commonwealth.