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Period: Feb 15, 1564 to
Galileo Galilei
An Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer and philosopher, he played a major role in the Scientific revolution. His achievements include improvements to the telescope and consquent astronomical observations. But more important than his advancements in astronomy and physics, Galileo’s real influence comes from the precedent that he set which would define modern science: we did not need a higher authority to provide us with knowledge, we could seek it for ourselves. -
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Rene Descartes
Descartes was a mover and shaker on two fronts, one being his great advancements in mathematics (most notably the Cartesian plane) as well as advancements in Philosophy. As the ‘father of modern philosophy’ Descartes laid the groundwork for how to think about nature and the sciences as well as our own existence. "I think therefore I am." -
Galileo invents telescope
The telescope was one of the central instruments of the Scientific Revolution. Although this first telescope was primitive, it revealed phenomena in the heavens and had a profound influence on the controversy between followers of the traditional geocentric astronomy and cosmology and those who favored the heliocentric system of Copernicus. -
Authorized King James Version published
The Authorized King James Version is an English translation of the Christian Holy Bible begun in 1604 and completed in 1611 by the Church of England. By the first half of the 18th century, the Authorized Version was effectively unchallenged as the English translation used in Anglican and Protestant churches. -
Defenestration of Prague
In 1617 Roman Catholic officials in Bohemia closed Protestant chapels. In response, Catholic officials were thrown out of a window. This was a signal for the beginning of a Bohemian revolt against the Habsburg emperor Ferdinand II, which marked one of the opening phases of the Thirty Years’ War. -
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John Locke
Locke was an English philosopher and physician regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers. He influenced many of the philosophers to follow with his ideas of self concept and identity. These ideas were also well ingrained with the American independence movement. He believed everyone had a right to "life, liberty, and property." -
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Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
During a time when many scientists were looking skyward, Leeuwenhoek was thinking smaller. With his invention of the microscope, Leeuwenhoek discovered a whole new world: the world of microorganisms. His examination of cells led him to the discovery of bacteria and the establishment of microbiology. -
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Isaac Newton
An English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian, he is considered to be one of the most brilliant men who ever lived. His Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica layed the groundwork for much of classical physcis. Newtons description of universal gravitation and the laws of motion would dominate thoughts about the physcial universe for the next three centuries. Newton also designed the first practical reflecting telescope. -
Louis XIV takes throne
His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days, and is the longest documented reign of any European monarch. For much of his reign, France stood as the leading European power, engaging in three major wars. Louis XIV exemplified absolutism. -
Peace of Westphalia signed
Peace of Westphalia denotes a series of peace treaties signed between May and October of 1648 ending the Thirty Years' War in the Holy Roman Empire and the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic. The treaties resulted from the first modern diplomatic congress, initiating a new political order in central Europe based upon the concept of a sovereign state governed by a sovereign. -
Charles I executed
Following years a struggle against Parliament and a conviction of high treason, Charles I was beheaded. This was the first time in history a reigning European monarch was beheaded. A period known as the Interregnum followed in Great Britain. -
The Restoration begins in England
Following the Interregnum, the reign of Oliver Cromwell, and the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, the Enlgish, Scottish, and Irish monarchies were restored under King Charles II. This period represents the realization that Parliament cannot rule without a monarch as much as a monarch cannot rule without Parliament. -
Newton discovers gravitation
In discovering gravity, Newton showed that the motions of objects on Earth and of celestial bodies are governed by the same set of natural laws. By demonstrating the consistency between Kepler's laws of planetary motion and his theory of gravitation, Newton removed the last doubts about heliocentrism and advanced the Scientific Revolution. -
Bach's birth
Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist. His works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity. Although he was not widely recognized during his life own lifetime, he is now generally regarded one of the main composers of the Baroque style, and as one of the greatest composers of all time. -
Revocation of the Edict of Nantes
In 1685, Louis XIV renounced the Edict and declared Protestantism illegal in France. Although the religious wars did not reignite, many Hugenots chose to leave France. This exodus deprived France of many of its most skilled and industrious individuals. The revocation also damaged Europe's perception of Louis XIV.
