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1543
Copernicus publishes his studies on the heavenly bodies
Copernicus publishes his book, On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Bodies, in 1543, which happened to be the last year of his life. It focused on the heliocentric theory, which states that the planets orbit around the Sun. -
The microscope is invented
A Dutch maker of eyeglasses named Zacharias Janssen creates the first microscope, an invention vital to the observation of bacteria and blood cells. -
Tycho Brahe's death
Tycho Brahe was a Danish astronomer who added upon Copernicus' work, recording the planet's movements and producing mountains of data. -
Galileo publishes Starry Messenger
The Starry Messenger was a book that contained Galileo's observations about the heavenly bodies. Some of these observations include Jupitar having four moons, the Sun having dark spots, and the moon having a rough surface. This last one is important because it disproves Aristotle's theories and supports those of Copernicus. -
Galileo dies
After being placed under house arrest by the Catholic Church continuing his studies, Galileo lived for another 9 years and then died at his villa near Florence. -
The barometer is invented
A student of Galileo's by the name of Evangelista Torricelli developed the first mecury barometer, a device used for measuring atmospheric pressure and predicting weather. -
Boyle challenges Aristotle's ideas
In a book called The Sceptical Chymist, Boyle states that, rather than Aristotle's idea of the four elements, the world is made up of particles that join together. -
Newton publishes the Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy
Isaac Newton publishes his ideas in a work called the Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy, which explains how the universe is like a giant clock in which all parts must be working together. Among this, Newton included the law that every object in the universe attracts every other object. This work is considered to be one of the most important scientific books ever written. -
William Wilberforce is born
William Wilberforce was born in 1759. He later went on to become a Member of Parliament, and a strong force in fighting slavery and bring abolition to England. -
Napoleon Bonaparte is born
Napoleon Bonaparte is born. He would later go on to become a successful military leader and ruler of France. -
Olaudah Equiano writes his autobiography
Olaudah Equiano writes his autobiography, which was the first slave narrative and the first book published in England written by an African. -
Samuel Slater departs for New York
While in England, Slater learned that there was interest in America in building machines similiar to those in England, so after memorizing as much of the designs as he could, he departed for New York and brought those ideas to fruition. He was known as "Slater the Traitor" in the UK and "The Father of the American Industrial Revolution" in the US. -
Estates General of 1789
King Louis XVI calls for the first Estates General meeting since 1614 because of France's financial problems. This meeting eventually lead to the formation of the National Assembly -
Creation of the National Assembly
The Third Estate declare themselves to be their own seperate government, which they dub the National Assembly. -
Bastille Day
On July 14, 1789, revolutionaries stormed the Bastille, a prison building, in order to obtain the ammo it stored. This event kickstarted the French Revolution. -
The Bread March
Women protest the high price of bread, and eventually storm the palace of Versailles, forcing the king to Paris. -
Eli Whitney invents the Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney invents a machine called the cotton gin, which seperates the seeds from cotton more effectively and efficiently than a person could. A negative side effect was that it made slavery much more effective; it is theorized that if the cotton gin had not been invented, slavery would've went away on its own. -
The royal monarchy is abolished
The king and queen were removed from their thrones, and executed shortly after by the revolutionaries. -
Napoleon declares himself to be "Consul for Life"
Napoleon, now ruling France and self-declared First Consul, declares himself Consul for Life. He would later proclaim himself Emperor. -
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The Congress of Vienna
Austrian Prince Klemens von Metternich hosts the Congress of Vienna, a congress in which he, along with several other world leaders, go about fixing Napoleon's mistakes and bringing France back to how it was before. -
The Battle of Waterloo
Napoleon is defeated by the British-led Allied army. This ends the Hundred Days, ending Napoleon's reign as the Emperor of the French and bringing about a period of peace -
Queen Victoria is born
Victoria was the Queen of Britain. She was very influential during her time period, which is why the Victorian Era is named after her. -
The Reform Act of 1832
The Reform Act of 1832 is passed, which broadens the vote for cities. -
Michael Sadler introduces Bill in Parliament against child labor
On 16th March, 1832, Michael Sadler introduced a Bill in Parliament that proposed limiting hours in all mills to 10 for persons under the age of 18. Although it was clear that Parliament did not want to pass the law, the issue was later looked into. -
Queen Victoria comes to the throne
Following the death of her uncle, William IV, Victoria takes the throne and becomes the Queen. She would rule for many years, and was highly influential. -
The emperor sends Lin Tse-Hsu
The emperor sent one of his most able officials, Lin Tse-Hsu, to try and stop the opium traffic in Canton. This was the event that kickstarted the Opium War. -
Slavery is abolished in Britain
After a lengthy battle, slavery is abolished in the British empire. America wouldn't abolish slavery for another 30 or so years. -
The Opium War starts
The Opium War between Britain and China is started. It would rage on for 3 years, after which Britain would win. -
The Potato Famine begins in Ireland
Potatoes mysteriously became diseased and died off. This led to widespread famine, which caused death and many people to leave the country. -
The Year of Revolutions
1848 is known as the Year of Revolution. During this time, revolutions occured in several countries, including France and Austria -
New French Constitution
After General Louis Cavaignac assumed dictatorial powers and crushed the revolt taking place during the "June Days", a new constitution was created. It provided for an elected President and a one-house legislature. -
Crystal Palace Exhibition
The Crystal Palace of 1851 was the largest enclosed space in the world at the time. Built with 300,000 glass panes, it held 14,000 visitors from around the world who came to see its exotic novelties. It burnt down in 1936. -
The Crimean War starts
The Ottoman Empire was weakening, and Russia saw an opportunity to expand its empire. On the other hand, an expanding Russian empire was just what the French and British were afraid. This was the cause of the Crimean War. -
The Treaty of Kanagawa
A treaty is signed that allows the U.S. to trade with Japan, strengthening their relationship. -
Nightingale and nurses arrive at Scutari in Turkey
Florence Nightingale and the nurses arrive at the Scutari in Turkey. They found the hospital in a very poor condition, so they cleaned it and cared for the patients. Nightingale became known as the "Lady with the Lamp." -
Sepoy Mutiny
The East India Company used Sepoy, who were Indians who fought for the British. After they found out that new cartridges were being sealed with animal fat, they rebelled against the Company. -
Prince Albert dies
Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, died of illness. This sent the Queen into a deep mourning, and for 40 years, she wore only black and had her servants continue to lay out her husband's clothing. This practice was picked up by others during the Era. -
The Meiji Revolt
A powerful group of samurai overthrow Tokugawa Yoshinobu, the last shogun. The hero of this revolution is Sakamoto Ryoma, who helped Japan emerge from feudalism into a unified modern state. -
Stalin is born
Joseph Stalin is born on this day. He would grow up to become Russia's fiercest dictator, and would alter records of his birthday so that finding information about him would be more difficult. -
Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone
Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone, which used electricity to transmit sound over a distance. Soon after, he patented the first working telephone. -
Benito Mussolini is born
Benito Mussolini was born on this day. He was an Italian politician, and the leader of the Nationalist Fascist Party. -
The Berlin Conference
The European leaders met in Berlin to divide African territory. No Africans were invited to this meeting. -
The Indian National Congress is formed
The Indian National Congress, the first nationalist group, is founded by English-speaking Indians. -
Adolf Hitler is born
Adolf Hitler, who is arguably the most well-known dictator, was born in Austria. He is known for leading the Nazi Party and the Holocaust. -
Guglielmo Marconi creates the 1st functioning radio
Guglielmo Marconi creates the 1st functioning radio. It used electromagnetic waves to transmit sound. -
The Boer War
The British meet opposition while claiming territory: the Boers, who are Dutch settlers. This causes the Boer War. -
Britain grants self-rule to the Commonwealth of Australia
This established Australia's own parliament, but it remained part of British empire. -
The Wright Brothers fly their plane
Wilbur and Orville Wright flew a gasoline powered flying machine for 59 seconds at Kitty Hawk, NC. This eventually gave rise to the airplane industry. -
Bloody Sunday
In St. Petersburg, Russia, peaceful, unarmed protesters were gunned down by the Imperial Guard while approaching the Winter Palace. This weakened support for the Czar and signaled the beginning of the 1905 Revolution. -
October Manifesto
The Czar issues a document called the October Manifesto. It promised civil liberties, such as, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, participation in the Duma. -
The Ford Model T goes into production
Production on the Ford Model T begins. Henry Ford set out to create a more affordable car that could be bought by more people. To say the least, he succeeded. -
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
The Archduke of Austria, Franz Ferdinand, and his wife are assassinated by Gavrilo Princip. This is the first in a chain of events that would lead to World War 1. -
Rasputin is killed
Viewed by some as a threat to the country, Rasputin is invited to a party and murdered. He wrote a prophecy before his death, claiming that if a member of the Czar's family were to kill him, his entire family would die. The prophecy was fulfilled. -
The Zimmerman Telegram is dispatched
The Zimmerman Telegram was a telegram sent to Mexico and intercepted by British intelligence. It proposed that Mexico should help Germany in the war efforts, and in return, they would help Mexico reclaim lost land from America. This was enough to pull America into the war. -
Mata Hari is executed
Margaretha Geertruida "Margreet" MacLeod, better known as Mata Hari, was an exotic dancer who was convicted and executed for being a spy for Germany by France. She was later confirmed to actually be a spy. -
The October Revolution
The October Revolution was a revolution led by Lenin and the Bolsheviks to overthrow the provisional government. It was important for the larger Russian Revolution of 1917. -
The Weimar Republic begins
The Weimar Republic was the name given to the German government from the end of the Imperial Period to the beginning of Nazi Germany. -
The Red Baron is killed
Manfred von Richthofen, a.k.a. the Red Baron, is shot during an aerial battle; he managed to land, but succumbed to his injuries. He is officially credited with 80 aerial combat victories, and is the most well-known aerial ace. -
Nicholas II and his family are killed
After being captured by the Bolsheviks, Nicholas II and his family are tricked into going into a cellar. There, they are shot and later buried. -
Vladimir Lenin dies
Vladimir Lenin died of an incurable blood disease. After this, Stalin took advantage of his death and rose to power, becoming one of the fiercest dictators in history. -
The Dachau concentration camp is established
The Dachau concentration camp, the first regular concentration camp, is established. -
The Reichstag Fire
The Reichstag Building, the assembly building of the German Parliament, caught fire on this day. Hitler was quick to blame the communists for this, and someone was blamed and executed, but we still don't know for sure who started it. -
Nanking Massacre
The Japanese invaded the Chinese city of Nanking in an event that is now known as the Nanking Massacre. The Chinese people were so treated horribly (anywhere from 50,000 to 300,000 people were killed, among other things) that the relationship between Japan and China is still tense to this day. -
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht, also known as the Night of Broken Glass, was an event in which many Jewish businesses and synagogues were ransacked. It was carried out by the military and by civilians. -
Germany invades Poland
Hitler starts the invasion of Poland, causing the second World War. -
D-Day
The Allied Forces invade northern France. -
25 April 1945
The Allied troops were closing in on Italy, so Mussolini and his mistress attempted to escape via a plane. However, they were caught. They were killed by a firing squad the next day. -
Hitler commits suicide
Hitler, along with his wife, commit suicide in their bunker. This effectively ends the war. -
V-E Day
Victory in Europe Day marks Germany's surrender. -
Hiroshima is bombed
An atomic bomb is dropped on Hiroshima. After a second bomb was dropped later on, the Japanese surrendered. -
V-J Day
Japan surrenders in World War 2, ending the war.
