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Period: Jan 1, 1096 to Jan 1, 1291
Crusades are fought
Crusaders were Christians from Western Europe who fought a religious war against the Muslims as the Roman Catholic Church sanctioned. Each crusade was a military expedition, and there were seven total. -
Dec 1, 1300
Renaissance begins
Renaissance, literally meaning "rebirth," was a period of cultural movement, a renewal of art and culture, that began in Italy, specifically Florenc, and soon spread throughout the rest of Europe. Famous artists, writers, and scientists, like Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and Leonardo all lived during this time. -
Jan 1, 1337
100 Years War begins
The long conflict between the kings and kingdoms of England and France. Two issues started the conflict: the duchy of Guyenne which belonged to England yet remained of fief of the French crown, and the 1337 English kings taking the French crown after Charles the IV died. -
Oct 1, 1347
Black Death begins in Europe
In five years, the Black Death killed more than 20 million people in Europe, almost one third of its population. It orignated in the Gobi Desert and was transmitted through air, people, or the bites of fleas on rats aboard ships. -
Period: Sep 17, 1368 to
Ming Dynasty in China
The Ming Dynasty, under Chinese rule, was preceded by Mongol rule and suceeded by Manchu rule. During this time, China heavily influenced, buth politically and culturally, East Asia, Vietnam, Myanmar, and the Turks to the west. -
Period: Sep 17, 1405 to Sep 17, 1433
Voyages of Zheng He
Zheng He, or Cheng He, was a Chinese explorer, admiral, and diplomat. He was commander in chief of the Treasure Fleet, which consisted of 317 junks, each manned with a crew of over 27,000, and led this fleet on seven voyages from the port at Nanjing to India, Arabia, and East Africa. -
May 30, 1431
Joan of Arc burned at the stake
Joan of Arc was a peasant girl who led a French army that won against the English at the city of Orléans. The 19 year old was captured by Anglo-Burgundian forces who convicted her of witchcraft and heresy, sentencing her to burn at the stake. -
May 29, 1453
Ottomans conquer Constantinople
Part of the Byzantine-Ottoman Wars, Constantinople fell after a siege which began on April 6. Mehmed II, leader of the Ottomans, took the Byzantine capital from Constantine XI. -
Jan 1, 1455
Johannes Gutenberg - printing press
German man, Johannes Gutenberg, invents the printing press with replaceable/movable letters made of wood or metal. The printing press allowed for books to be more readily available for the masses. -
Mar 31, 1492
Jews, gypsies & moors expelled from Spain
The Moorish Kingdom of Granada surrendered to the Spanish rulers, Ferdinand the V and Isabella. Those who failed to convert to Christianity were expelled in what is called the Muslim Expulsion from Spain. -
Aug 3, 1492
1st voyage of the Columbus
Sponsored by the Spanish monarchs, Columbus departed from mainland Spain on August. With a final restocking of the Pinta, the Nina and the Santa Maria, they left Europe, heading towards what is now North America. -
May 20, 1498
Da Gama lands in India
Vasco De Gama was a Portuguese explorer and became the first European to reach India by sailing through the Atlantic. He and his crew circumnavigated the southern tip of Africa to land in India. -
Period: Sep 17, 1500 to
Slave trade across Atlantic
The enslaving and transporting of Africans mostly for labor on plantations. The Middle Passage is a leg on this trade route and 10-20% of the Africans did not survive the journey. -
Period: Jul 1, 1501 to
Safavid Empire
Ismāʿīl I was the founder of this dynasty after being enthroned as shah, and in ten years spread his territory from just Azerbaijan to include most of Iran and the Iraqi provinces of Baghdad and Mosul. Establishing Shīʿite Islam as the state religion greatly contributed to the diverse elements feeling like a unified nation. -
Jun 1, 1502
Naming of the "new World"
Columbus had not, in fact, landed in India but an entirely new land. Amerigo Vespucci was the first to call the newly discovered, western hemisphere, the "New World," with Asia, Europe, and Africa, the "Old World." -
Period: Jan 1, 1503 to Dec 31, 1506
Da Vinci paints the "Mona Lisa"
The Mona Lisa is probably the most famous painting in the world. It was painted sometime when Da Vinci was living in Florence, and the mysterious identity and smile is a source of fascination and curiosity even today. -
Sep 17, 1508
Michelangelo begins painting Sistine Chapel
Comissioned by Pope Julius II, it took Michelangelo, sculpter of David, four years to finish. It is considered a cornerstone work of art from the High Renaissance. -
Oct 13, 1517
Martin Luther posts 95 Theses
Upset with the corruption in the Catholic Church, German monk, Martin Luther wrote 95 theses and nailed them to the church door. Based on the belief that the bible is the central religious authority and that your own faith is the most important in seeking salvation, Luther's theses sparked the religious revolution know as Lutherism. -
Aug 10, 1519
Magellan starts his "around the world" trip
Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, departed from Spain with five ships and became the first European to cross the Pacific Ocean. Though he and four ships did not make it, the expedition was the first to travel around the world. -
Sep 17, 1526
Mughal Empire begins
Founded by Babur, Chagatai Turkic prince, the Mughal Empire ruled most of northern India until the mid-18th century where it notably and increasingly declined in power until the mid-19th century. Also known as the Mogul or Mongol Empire, it is noted for its effective, over two centuries-long rule, its administrative organization, and seven generations of unusually talented rulers, one of who built the Taj Mahal. -
Aug 29, 1533
Pizarro invades the Inca Empire
Spanish forces under the Spanish explorer and conquistador, Francisco Pizarro defeated the forces of the empire centered in modern-day Peru, the Incas, in a battle near Cuzco. He tricked and executed the 13th and last emperor, Atahuallpa, ending 300 year-long Inca civilization which had a population of 12 million. -
Sep 17, 1534
Henry VIII founds Anglican Church
Called the "Defender of the Faith," King Henry VIII split England off from the Roman Catholic Church and used the Act of Supremacy of 1534 to make himself the head of the newly founded Anglican Church. With his newfound power, King Henry anulled his marriage, which the Pope refused to do, and remarried several times. -
Sep 17, 1543
Copernicus publishes heliocentric theory
By publishing his own version of the heliocentric model in his book, On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Bodies, that the Sun is near the center of our universe, the Earth is the third planet from the sun, and the moon revolves around the Earth, Nicolaus Copernicus laid the foundation for modern astronomy. During that time, the popular theory was that the Earth was the center of the universe. -
Period: Sep 17, 1545 to Sep 17, 1563
Council of Trent
The council convened to address the corruption within the Roman Catholic Church. It passed many significant self-reform decrees and assertively defined and clarified every doctrine the Protestants contested. -
Period: Jan 16, 1556 to
Phillip II rules Spain
Phillip II was the champion of the Counter-Reformation headed by the Roman Catholic Church. The Spanish empire was at its zenith in power, extent, and influence during his reign. -
Jan 15, 1559
Elizabeth I becomes Queen of England
Possibly England's most popular monarch, at the age of 25, Elizabeth succeeded her half-sister, Mary who had imprisoned her for nearly a year. Her 44 year-long reign, known as the Elizabethean era, provided welcome stability for England and helped it gain a sense of confidence, as, marvelling, Pope Sixtus V noted, "[Elizabeth] makes herself feared by Spain, by France, by the Empire, by all." -
Period: to
Age of Enlightenment
A period of time where European politics, philosophy, science and communications were extentsively reestablished. Enlightenment ideals directly inspired both the French and American Revolutions, though one marked its peak and the other marked the beginning of its end. -
Jamestown, colony in Virginia, founded
On the banks of the James River, the about 100-member Virginia company founded the first permanent, English settlement in North America. Tobacco became Jamestown's first profitable export, earning the nickname "brown gold." -
Louis XIV becomes King of France
Louis XIV inherited the crown at four years old, but had his mother, Anne of Austria and her cheif minister, Cardinal Jules Mazarin rule on his behalf. Also known as the Sun King, Louis' 72-year-long reign, during which was a golden age of art and literature among other things, is the longest of all the known European rulers. -
Qing Dynasty in China begins
The last of China's imperial dynasties was ruled by the foreign Manchu. During the Qing Dynasty, China's territory grew to three times what it was under the Ming Dynasty, the population grew about 300 million to 450 million people, and many non-Chinese minorities accepted Chinese culture, beginning to live and think like a Chinese person. -
Thomas Hobbes writes Leviathan
Thomas Hobbes was an English philospher best known for his societal views and his book, the Leviathan. Emerging after the Civil Wars, Leviathan argued for absolute sovereignty during politically unstable years and its philosophical way of arguing scandilized even those who agreed with his belief. -
Period: to
Oliver Cromwell rules England
Though he refused to become king, Cromwell ruled because of his military ability and the unwavering loyalty he inspired from his troops. Because of his military victories, Wales, Scotland, and England became politically integrated. -
Peter I (the Great) becomes Czar
After his brother and co-ruler died, Peter became the sole ruler of Russia. Czar, or Tsar, from 1682 to 1725, is best known for his attempts to establish Russia as a great nation through his extensive reforms. -
Period: to
Catherine the Great rules Russia
Her 34-year-reign was seen by many as the Golden Age of Russia, and she is the most-renowned and longest-serving female monarch of Russia. Catherine's achievements during her reign are often overlooked in favor of her personal life which was one of the scandalous in that or any era. -
U.S. Constitution is ratified
Rather than amending the Articles of Confederation, which had failed to give enough power to the national govenment, the Constitutional Convention instead drafted a new document which became the Constitution we use today. On June of 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution, allowing for it to become law, which it did on March of the following year. -
French Revolution begins
The French Revolution, like the American Revolution, was influenced by Enlightenment ideals, especially the concepts of popular sovereignty and inalienable rights. Now commemorated as a national holiday, many consider the rioters storming the Bastille fortress to get gunpowder and weapons, as the beginning of the Revolution. -
Reign of Terror begins
A period of violence during the French Revolution after the Revolutionary government sanctioned them to take harsh measures against suspected enemies. This period is marked by mass executions, which were considered educational, and over 16 thousand of them were done via guillotine. -
Napoleon becomes Emperor
After ending the French Revolution through the coup of 18 Brumaire, two years later, Napoleon Bonaparet crowned himself Emperor of France. He conquered a lot of Europe and sold the Louisiana Territory to the U.S. -
Napoleon defeated at Waterloo
Napoleon's final defeat at the hands of the English, especially the Duke of Wellington, and the Prussians sparked the end of his reign and military career, as well as the end of France's domination in Europe. Four days later, Napoleon abdicated the throne to his son. -
Tokugawa Shogunate ends
The Tokugawa, or Edo, period is the last era of traditional Japanese government, culture, and society. The end of 250 years of peace and prosperity under the dynasty of shoguns is marked by the Meiji Restoration which would lead to the dawning of modern Japanese culture, society, and politics.
