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1351
The end of the Black Plague
Many scholars believe that the Renaissance began after the end of the Black Plague in 1351. -
1374
Death of Francesco Petrarch
Francesco Petrarch, the Italian humanist and poet called the father of the Renaissance, died in 1374. -
Period: 1400 to 1468
Gutenberg
Gutenberg invented the first printing press by printing many Bibles and introduced printing in England. -
1401
The Bronze Doors
In 1401, Italian artist Lorenzo Ghiberti was awarded a commission to create bronze doors for the baptistry of San Giovanni in Florence. -
1452
Birth of Leonardo da Vinci
In 1452, the artist, humanist, scientist, and naturalist Leonardo da Vinci was born. -
1453
End of the Hundred Years War
In 1453, the Hundred Years War ended, bringing stability to northwestern Europe. -
Period: 1476 to 1500
The Age of Exploration
In the 15th century, Europeans began to sail west across the Atlantic Ocean in search of new routes to China and the East, but in the process, they discovered what they labeled a "New World," although Indigenous people had lived there for centuries. -
Period: 1508 to 1516
War of the League of Cambrai
The War of the League of Cambrai, sometimes known as the War of the Holy League and several other names, was fought as part of the Italian Wars of 1494–1559. -
1527
The fall of Rome
The Renaissance as a unified historical period ended with the fall of Rome in 1527. -
Period: 1551 to 1559
Italian War of 1551–1559
The Italian War of 1551–1559 began when Henry II of France declared war against Holy Roman Emperor Charles V with the intent of recapturing parts of Italy and ensuring French, rather than Habsburg, domination of European affairs.