World Timeline

Constantine transfers from the Roman Empire to Byzantium

330

The Byzantine era

Period: 330 to 1453

Saint Jerome is born in Italy

347

Saint Jerome, is known most commonly for his Latin translation of the Bible, called the Vulgate. He also worked as secretary to the pope, and started his career as a priest.

Ambrose, bishop of Milan, brings hymns to the west

349

Augustine is born in Algeria

354

Augustine was a philosopher in the fourth century, taking much inspiration from Plotinus, as he was one of the main spreaders of neoplatonism, and mended said philosophy with Christian doctrine.

Theodosius' reign begins

379

The final emperor to rule over both halves of the Roman empire, Theodosius spent most of his career trying to defend against barbarians and keep the grand empire's title safe.

Theodosius makes Christianity the state religion

380

Theodosius' reign ends

395

Saint Jerome dies of natural causes near Bethlehem

420

Augustine dies of illness in Algeria

430

Middle Ages begin

450

Taking place after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Middle Ages was also known as the Medieval Period; it was known for the occurrence of the Black Death, the publishing of the Magna Carta, and all the notorious pieces of Medieval life like castles, peasants, kings, and knights.

Constantinople is the largest city in the world

500

Plagues occur

540

Pope Gregory the first's reign begins

590

Pope Gregory had an incredibly large reach in his work, converted many Anglo-Saxons to Christianity and spreading God's word far and wide.

Pope Gregory the first's reign ends

604

Icons are banned

726

Icons were banned due to the belief that worshiping art had become more worship of the object itself rather than what the art represents. Thus, when they were band there was much rage and haste in their removal from Churches, leading to small scale conflict.

Estimated: Beowulf is written

800

An Old English classic, and one of the most important pieces of literature ever written, Beowulf is an iconic hero story. With a massive and epic scope and several large scale conflicts, Beowulf is revered by all.

Charlamagne crowned emperor

800

In his reign he ruled most of Europe, uniting its western and central segments. He was the first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and spread Christianity with much success.

Icons are brought back

843

Romanesque style

Period: 1000 to 1150

Known for its semi-circular arches, massive scope, and thick walls, the Romanesque style was a turning point in architecture and remains influential to this day.

The Norman Conquest

1066

The Norman Conquest was a turning point in Europe's history, leading to one of the biggest monarchies in human history, and helping remove the Scandinavian influence from common culture.

Building of the Basilica of Saint Denis finished

1140

Gothic style

Period: 1150 to 1250

The Gothic architectural style built upon and exaggerated that of the Romanesque style; it featured massive windows, even taller arches, and expanded vaulting, and swapped out the thick walls of Romanesque in favor of thinner walls.

Genghis Khan is born in Mongolia

1162

Estimated to have killed 10% of the world's population during his reign, Genghis Khan is seen as the greatest invader of all time. A ruthless and brutal leader, he founded the Mongol empire which would go on to become the second largest in history.

Berlinghiero is born in Italy

1175

Employing a late Romanesque style, Berlinghiero, whose real name is unknown, was an avid user of the Christian symbolism and religious imagery. His most famous piece, Madonna and Child, featured an intensely unrealistic style with almost alien looking subjects.

Constantinople is sacked

1204

Magna Carta is published

1215

Quite possibly the most important document in the history of politics, the Magna Carta established the ideals that everyone is subject to accountability, both for the good and the bad, and a fair trial.

Thomas Aquinas is born in Italy

1225

Thomas Aquinas was a philosopher, theologian, priest, and Doctor of the Church, and creator of the Thomistic school of theology; he was an incredibly innovative and forward-thinking figure of the Middle ages.

Genghis Khan dies from unknown reasons in China

1227

Madonna and Child is painted

1230

Painted by Berlinghiero Berlinghieri, Madonna and Child entailed a distinctly unrealistic style, tempera paint on wood, and crushed up gold scattered within the painting. The piece features Mary and baby Jesus as its subjects.

Berlinghiero dies from unknown reasons in Italy

1236

Marco Polo is born in Italy

1252

Up there with Christopher Columbus for most iconic explorer of all time, Marco Polo traveled from Europe to China, where he then lived for nearly two decades and wrote a novel documenting his treks.

Dante is born Italy

1265

Author of one of the most infamous pieces of literature in human history with The Divine Comedy, Dante was otherwise an incredibly well-known and theologically dense writer.

Giotto is born in Italy

1267

Both a painter and architect, Giotto was an early influence on the Renaissance which would come a century later. Also called father of the European Paintings, the influence of Giotto is undeniable.

Thomas Aquinas dies

1274

The Renaissance era

Period: 1300 to 1600

Notable events were the insurgence of humanism, the return to more classic ideals but retaining of a new style, and the overall shift of God leaving the spotlight and man taking His place.

Dante is exiled

1302

Dante was convicted of corruption in political office and faced 2 years in exile as well as a hefty fine which he refused to pay on account of his innocence. Due to this he was sentenced to death for refusal to pay.

Petrarch is born in Italy

1304

Possibly the most important figure in the Renaissance altogether, Petrarch was instrumental in the founding of Renaissance humanism and thus all the art that came after it.

Boccaccio is born in Italy

1313

Creator of The Decameron which was then adapted by William Shakespeare in the play All's Well That Ends Well. Boccaccio was an influential writer in the movement.

Dante dies of malaria in Italy

1321

Marco Polo dies of consumption

1324

Giotto dies of unknown causes in Italy

1337

Plagues reoccur

1340

Petrarch dies of a stroke in Italy

1374

Boccaccio dies of heart failure in Italy

1375

Brunelleschi is born in Italy

1377

Filipo is now seen as the original sole engineer, planner, and supervisor, and is credited with founding Renaissance architecture. His designs and ideas led the movement.

Donatello is born in Italy

1386

Not only one of the greatest sculptors of all time, but one of the most influential as well, helping popularize the art form in the first place. His worked spanned from sculpting humans, animals, and much more to helping create a massive bronze door in Florence.

Massacio "Father of Renaissance paintings" is born in Italy

1401

Prince Henry the Navigator's expedition to Africa

1415

Masaccio dies, supposedly poisoned by a rival painter

1428

Joan of Arc lead the French Royal Army in battle

1429

The most notable female warrior in human history, Joan of Arc was a valiant leader for France and successfully destroyed England's attempt at conquering them.

Adoration of the Lamb is completed

1432

Also known as the Ghent Altarpiece, it is a masterpiece with multiple folding panels and a massive scale. It features a crowd of people praising a symbolic lamb up on a stage with a cross to its back.

Printing press is invented

1439

Invented during Gutenberg's exile from Germany and his stint in France, the printing press completely flipped the accessibility and quantity of books on its head. Without it our recorded history would be fragments of what it is today.

Brunellesechi dies from unknown causes in Italy

1446

Josquin des Prez is born in Belgium

1450

A French composer of the Renaissance, Josquin utilized and popularized a polyphonic vocal style. His melodies are known for being especially beautiful.

Gutenberg's printing of the Bible

1450

One of the original printed books, Gutenberg's edition of the bible was also known as the 42 line bible because each page had two columns of 42 lines each.

Leonardo da Vinci is born in Italy

1452

The prime example of a Renaissance man, Leonardo is an entirely respectable pick as smartest human to ever walk the earth. He nearly mastered sculpting, engineering, painting, architecture, writing, and much more. The Mona Lisa is also possibly the most iconic piece of art in any medium.

Constantinople falls

1453

The product of a 53 long day siege, the fall of Constantinople was orchestrated by the Ottomans and remains one of the most notorious falls of any empire in history.

Donatello dies of diseases in Italy

1466

Durer is born in Germany

1471

Durer utilized a unique style of metal engraving transferred with ink to paper, and it created such masterpieces as Saint Jerome in his Study and Melancolia.

Nicolaus Copernicus is born in Poland

1473

An astronomer and mathematician that was truly ahead of his time, Copernicus was doubted and belittled his entire life. He correctly believed the Sun was at the center of our solar system, not the Earth, but the Catholic Church vehemently disagreed and consequently made his life terrible to get back at him.

Michelangelo is born in Italy

1475

A man with full reign over the medium of sculpting, Michelangelo is in a league of his own. Able to do the relatively unheard of feat of sculpting entirely out of one piece of marble, he created infamous masterpieces like Pieta and David.

Martin Luther is born in Germany

1483

One of the biggest players in the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther was a man of many titles, trying his hand in composing, theology, working as a priest, and a stint as a monk.

Raphael is born in Italy

1483

Raphael is known best for his works in the Vatican, but he also made paintings on his own and is an incredibly iconic figure of the Renaissance movement.

Pieta is finished

1498

Pieta is an intensely captivating masterpiece of a sculpture made from a single block of marble, and displays Mary holding Jesus at his final moments, completely weak and laying in her arms as though he was a kid again.

Middle Ages end

1500

Michelangelo's David is finished

1504

John Calvin is born in France

1509

John Calvin, founder of the Calvinism ideology, was a big believer in complete sovereignty of God and predestination, and popularized both these beliefs. He worked as a theologian as well as pastor.

Saint Jerome in His Study is created

1514

Saint Jerome in his study features many unique aspects, such as a tiger, a dog, a human skull, and more all inside the titular study. Most unique of all, however, was the medium itself. The painting isn't even a painting at all, as it is a metal engraving transferred to ink and paper.

Leonardo da Vinci dies of a stroke in France

1519

Raphael dies of a fever in Italy

1520

Josquin des Prez dies of unkown causes in France

1521

Durer dies of malaria in Germany

1528

Nicolaus Copernicus dies of a stroke in Poland

1543

Martin Luther dies of a stroke in Germany

1546

John Calvin dies of tuberculosis in Switzerland

1564

Michaelangelo dies from an illness in Italy

1564

Galileo Galilei is born in Italy

1564

Galileo is known best for finishing what Copernicus started. He helped prove once and for all that the Sun was at the center of our solar system. Despite this, the Catholic Church did not take well to Galilei either and he spent much of his life on house arrest, where he died.

Johannes Kepler is born in Germany

1571

Kepler was the creator of the laws of planetary motion, and writer of the Astronomia nova among others. He played an integral role in the 17th century scientific revolution and forever changed the field of science.

The Baroque era

Period: 1600 to 1750

The Baroque era saw the Reformation take place, as well as the popularity of composers Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, and painters Rembrandt and Vermeer among many others.

Johannes Kepler dies of acute disease in Germany

1630

Galileo Galilei dies of a fever in Italy

1642

Bach is born in Germany

1685

Sebastian created a whopping 1100 pieces in his lifetime. He is very clearly one of the most iconic and important figures in all of music, creating masterpieces such as the Goldberg Variation.

Handel is born in Germany

1685

One of the more overlooked of the greatest composers of all time, Handel proved himself in a league with Bach and Mozart, creating the most famous oratorios of all time, Messiah.

Haydn is born in Austria

1732

Bach dies of a stroke in Germany

1750

Mozart is born Austria

1756

A prodigy from a young age, Mozart was a prolific composer in genres such as opera and classical, and symphony. One of the most iconic and important musical figures of all time.

Handel dies of unknown causes in England

1759

Beethoven is born in Germany

1770

Mozart dies, supposedly of a fever, in Austria

1791

The Louisiana Purchase occurs

1803

The Louisiana Purchase was a transaction between Thomas Jefferson and Napoleon, representing the U.S and France respectively. France sold the state of Louisiana to the U.S for 15 million dollars.

Lewis and Clark Expedition

1804

The expedition had many goals, some of which were sovereignty in the United States, beginning active trade with the natives, and find waterways connected to the Pacific.

Haydn dies of infirmity in Austria

1809

The Camera is invented

1826

Beethoven dies of cirrhosis of the liver in Austria

1827

Brahms is born in Germany

1833

A Composer in the Romantic period, Brahms was an ultra-traditionalist, sticking by the ways of composers before him in an era where everyone else was straying from the norm.

The Telegraph is invented

1837

Created by Samuel Morse, the telegraph was a revolutionary invention in the field of long distance communication. It started a string of inventions that lead to many inventions used hourly by the entire planet.

Brahms dies of hepatocellular carcinoma in Austria

1897