West and the World

Bubonic Plague begins

Jan 1, 1347

The Bubonic Plague was the first biological warefare. The disease came from China on fleas on rats. They came across on merchant ships. This was a violent plague and it infected anyone who came into contact with it. Once you had the Bubonic Plague or Black Death your life expectancy was about a week.

Renaissance beings

Jan 1, 1350

The Renaissance was the humanistic revival of classical art, architecture, literature, and learning that originated in Italy in the 14th century and later spread throughout Europe (definition). The Renaissance lasted through the 14th century until the 16th century.

Brunelleschi creates Leanear Perspective

Jan 1, 1420

Brunelleschi was one of the best architects and engineers of the Italian renaissance. He placed a hole in the vanishing point of a painting . He then looked through it with one eye and a mirror facing and relfecting the painted side. This proved that linear perspective give it a 3 dimensional look instead of just a 2 dimensional look.

Joan of Arc and the Siege of Orleans

Oct 12, 1428

The Siege of Orleans was Joan's first major military victory. It was the turning point in the hundred years' war between France and England. For half of that year it seems as though England was winning but then the siege collapsed nine days after Joan arrived.

Johann Gutenberg invents the printing press

Jan 1, 1440

Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1440. It remained the principal means of printing until the late 20th century. The printing press allowed there to be the first mass production of printed books.

Cosimo de Medici dies

Aug 1, 1464

Cosimo de' Medici was born on September 27, 1389, in Florence.He represented the Medici bank, and controled and managed the papacy's finances. He then became the wealthiest man of his time.He was the start of a dynasty that held power for centures.Cosimo was an important patron of Renaisance art. He died in his sleep in 1464.

Sandro Botticelli paints Birth of Venus

Jan 1, 1468

Birth of Venus was Botticelli's most famous painting. In the painting Venus rises from the sea, looking like a classical statue and floating on a seashell. This image is one of the post well known images in history.

Spanish Inquisition begins

Sep 27, 1478

The Spanish Inquisition was used for political and religious reasons. After the crusaders and the reconquest of Spain by the Christian Spaniards, the leaders of Spain needed a way to unify the country into a STRONG nation and purify the people of Spain. So Ferdinand and Isabella chose Catholicisn to unite Spain. After deciding that they ask the pop to begin the Spanish Inquisition.

Columbus discovers the America's

Oct 11, 1492

In 1492 Columbus discovered the America's, he called it the New World. He led his three ships he Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria in a quest to sail west until he reached Asia where the riches of gold, pearls and spice were waiting. This trip turned out to be a lot longer then he or any of his crew were hoping. By October 10 the crew's apprehension had increased to the point distruction. They needed to find land and the next day they did. America.

Michelangelo starts painting the Sistine Chapel

Jan 1, 1508

It took Michelangelo 4 years to paint just the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The ceiling is not the only thing he painted there though, the walls are filled with many of his paintings aswell.

Raphael paints The School of Athens

Jan 15, 1510

The School of Athens is also names Scuola di Atene in Italian.It is one of the most famous frescoes by the Italian Renaissance artist Raphael.The School of Athens portrays Plato, Aristotle, and other ancient philosophers engaged in philosophic questioning.

Machiavelli writes the Prince

Jan 1, 1513

The book The Prince is a part of a series called the Merchant Prince. They are a very famous set of books by Machiavelli. The book was first written in Latin in the year 1513 but the printed version was not published until 1532, five years after Machiavelli's death.

Thomas More Utopia

Jan 1, 1516

The book Utopis by Thomas More is written in Latin and is one of his best known and most controversial pices of work.

Martin Luther 95 Theses

Oct 31, 1517

"Out of love for the truth and from desire to elucidate it, the Reverand Fath Martin Luther, Master of Arts and Sacred Theology, and ordinary lecturer there in at Wittenberg intends to defend the following statements and to dispute on them in that place. Therefore he asks that those who cannot be present and dispute with him orally shall do so in their absence by letter. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen." - Dr. Martin Luther

Start of he European Wars of Religion

Jan 1, 1524

The European wars of religion were a series of wars in Europe from ca. 1524 to 1697. They were following the following the onset of the Protestant Reformation in Western and Northern Europe. All of the wars were bases on the religious change in that time period.

Ivan the Terrible is born

Aug 25, 1530

Ivan the Terrible did not bother poor people or the peasants, but he tortured, executed, and inprisoned most of his royal court who he suspected of plotting against him and trying to overthrow him.

Henry VIII of England excommunicated

Jan 1, 1533

Henry wanted a divorce from Catherine because she was getting old and couldn't have children anymore. So he wanted to marry Anne Boleyn. However the pope would not let him get a divorce because they had had sex. Henry then started his own church, making himself the head and married Anne. Becuase of this he was excommunicated.

Jusuit Order founded by Ignatius Loyola

Aug 1, 1534

The Jesuit Order is a Roman Catholic religious order. A man in this has taken requisite steps to belong to the society of Jesus. The society could include vows of poverty and obidience. This is the largest male religious order in the world.

Desiderius Erasmus dies

Jul 12, 1536

Desiderius Erasmus was a Dutch Renaissance humanist. He was also a Catholic priest, social critic, teacher, and theologian. Desiderius was a classical writer that only wrote in pure Latin. He died suddenly when he was in Basel.

Scientific Revolution Started/ Copernicus

Jan 1, 1550

The Scientific Revolution was the beginning of modern science during the early modern period, when improvements and developments in mathematics, physics, astronomy, biology, medicine, and chemistry changed views of society and nature for many people.
Copernicus was a mathematician and an astronomer that figured out that the Sun was at the center of our colar system instead of the Earth.

Spain declares bankruptcy for the 1st time

Jan 1, 1557

Phillip II of Spain is to blame for SPain's first bankcruptcy and # others after it in 1560, 1575, and 1596.

Coronation of Queen Elizabeth I

Jan 15, 1559

At just 25 years old, Elizabeth was crowned Queen. The day she had her coronation was the last time that they ever used the Latin service. This is why it is one of the most important coronations to us today.

Saint Bartholomew's Massacre

Aug 23, 1572

King Charles IX of France, under the direction of his mother, Catherine de Medici, orders the assassination of Huguenot Protestant leaders in Paris, setting off an rampage of killing that resulted in the massacre of thousands of Huguenots all across France.

da Vinci paints The Last Supper

Jan 1, 1593

The painting by da Vinci was made using experimental pigments directly on the dry plaster wall and it has not stood the test of time well. Even before it was finished there were problems with the paint flaking from the wall and it had to be fixed. Over the years it has crumbled, been vandalized, bombed and restored.

Edict of Nantes

Apr 13, 1598

The Edict of Nantes is the law granting religious and civil liberties to the French Protestants. It was published by Henry IV in 1598 and revoked by Louis XIV in 1685.