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Prince Henry of Portugal, along with his father and brother, lead an attack to capture Ceutha. Prince Henry was inspired by this event to begin more exploring.
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Johannes Gutenberg, from Germany, invented the printing press, which was based on already existing screw presses
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Christopher Columbus lands in San Salvador
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Leonardo da Vinci finished painting The Last Supper
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Vasco da Gama discovers the overseas trade route from Europe to India.
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Leonardo da Vinci finished his famous painting, The Mona Lisa. It is primarily famous because it was stolen.
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Michelangelo sculpts the Statue of David
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Martin Waldseemüller made a map, which named the new world America, after the feminine latin version of Amerigo Vespucci's name.
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Erasmus writes the Praise of Folly
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Michelangelo finishes painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
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Machiavelli writes The Prince, which describes how to get and maintain a position with political power
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Martin Luther writes the 95 Theses, which challenge the Catholic Church. He nailed them on his church's door
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Ferdinand Magellan died on April 27, 1521, but his crew was the first to sail around the globe. They got home on November 5, 1521.
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Hernando Cortez captured the Aztec ruler Montezuma and destroyed the capital city Tenochtitlán, effectively defeating the Aztecs
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Castiglione writes The Book Of The Courtier, which describes how a gentleman and lady should act.
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Francisco Pizarro led his troops up the Andes mountain and conquered the Incas.
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Henry VIII founded the Anglican Church, so he could divorce his wife.
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St. Ignatius de Loyola established the Jesuits.
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Jacques Cartier explores for the Northwest Passage, a fictional route from Europe west to Asia.
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John Calvin published the Institutes of the Christian Religion, creating Calvinism. In Calvinism, it is believed that people should have a work ethic that honors God.
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The Jesuits were recognized by Pope Paul III
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Nicolaus Copernicus created the Heliocentric Theory, which stated that the sun was the center of the universe. Previously, people believed that Earth was the center.
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Queen Elizabeth I makes the Anglican Church the official state church of England
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The Huguenots in France attack in civil wars
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Francis Drake becomes the first Englishman and the second person to sail around the world
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Queen Elizabeth I defeated the Spanish Armada.
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Francis Drake worked for Queen Elizabeth I, and he helped her defeat the Spanish Armada
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The famous play Romeo and Juliet, by Shakespeare, was published for the first time
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Henry IV signs the Edict of Nantes, which gave Huguenots some rights
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Miguel de Cervantes writes Don Quixote. He is regarded by many as the best Spanish writer.
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Shakespeare finished writing his play Macbeth
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Galileo created his first telescope, which was more advanced than other ones of his time. He created another later that year that was even better.
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William Harvey announced his discovery of the circulation of blood.
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The war that started as a religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants
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Kepler published his third law of planetary motion, which was the final law.
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Charles I was executed for high treason, and the monarchy was abolished.
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Thomas Hobbes published his book Leviathan. He believed that people were naturally wicked and that an absolute monarchy was the best form of government
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Oliver Cromwell forms a dictatorship. The people did not want another monarchy after Charles I.
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In 1660,Charles II is invited back to England to rule. After Cromwell's dictatorship, the English people decide that they want a monarchy again.
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Isaac Newton proposed his Laws Of Universal Gravitation, basically explaining how gravity works.
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Louis XIV, the sun king, rebuilt Versailles, transforming it from a hunting lodge into a grand palace.
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William III and Mary II take over England in a joint monarchy. They take power from James II. It is known as the Glorious Revolution because there was no blood loss in battles.
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John Locke wrote his Two Treatises of Government. Locke believed that people had the gift of reason and that people were sovereign. He also believed that people had the rights to life, liberty, and property.
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Peter the Great modernized the Russian army. By 1725, Russia's military had 130,000 men, 48 ships, and 800 galleys.
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Baron de Montesquieu writes the Spirit of Laws. He believed that the best government had a separation of powers
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The Seven Years War affects much of the world. Prussia comes out on the victorious side. Frederick the Great's leadership caused them to win, against terrible odds.
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Voltaire writes Candide. He believed in religious toleration over fanaticism. The church should also be separate from the state.
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Jean-Jacques Rousseau writes the Social Contract. He said that people had the right of liberty, but many were oppressed. Strong people rule over the weak, and government only rules with the consent of the people
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This date represents the Storming of the Bastille, a turning point in the French Revolution. Today, it is a French holiday celebrated as Bastille Day
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The reign of terror was a period when the government (run by Robespierre) killed everyone that they thought opposed them. The guillotine was the most popular instrument of execution.
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After being convicted of conspiracy with foreign powers, Louis XVI is executed by guillotine.
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Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo, ending his leadership.
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Eugene Delacroix paints Liberty Leading The People. He was a French Romantic artist.
