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476
Fall of Roman Empire
The final Roman emperor was overthrown, marking the end of the Roman Empire's reign. -
Jan 1, 1096
The First Crusade
The first of multiple crusades was launched, igniting a feud between the Christians and Muslims for years to come. -
Jan 1, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta is signed, being one of the first official documents to limit the power of a king along with many other guidelines that created the basis for modern democracy. -
Jan 1, 1347
Black Death Strikes Europe
As trade became more popular in Europe, the spread of the Black Death killed about 1/3 of the population -
Jan 1, 1420
Brunelleschi's Dome
Filippo Brunelleschi created the dome on Florence's Duomo, using unprecedented building techniques during the Renaissance. -
Jan 1, 1440
Gutenberg's Printing Press
Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, allowing for the rapid spread of ideas and literature through books and paper. -
Jan 1, 1497
John Cabot
John Cabot was one of the first explorers to step foot on and discover new parts of North America -
Dec 1, 1517
95 Theses
Martin Luther wrote the 95 Theses, which explained everything he believed to be corrupt within the church, and spread his ideas through word of mouth and the utilization of Gutenberg's printing press. His ideas started the Protestant branch of Christianity. -
Jan 1, 1522
Magellan Sails Around the World
Ferdinand Magellan, with a mere 18 of 270 original ship members, returned to Spain after his 3 year voyage across the entirety of Earth. -
Jan 1, 1543
Heliocentric Theory
German scientist Nicolaus Copernicus presented the idea that the sun is the center of the solar system and the planets revolve around it, which contradicted all prior known theories. This was one of the first scientific ideas to go against the church, as it was the start of many other ideas and people who thought for themselves rather than just what the church taught. -
Jan 1, 1564
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare would become arguably the greatest writer who ever lived, creating many now famous literary works and was also credited with introducing over 1,000 words to the English language. -
Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation
Sir Isaac Newton pioneered the study of gravity. He shared his ideas that everything has gravity and attracts everything else to it; he said it's the same force that keeps planets in orbit around the sun.
