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John Cabot sets out on a voyage from England. When he lands on the east coast of North America, he claims the land in the name of King Henry VII, mistakenly believing he is in Asia
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While en route to India, Pedro Álvares Cabral is blown off course and lands in Brazil, claiming it for Portugal. This discovery leads to the establishment of a Portuguese colony in South America, shaping Brazil’s future as the largest Portuguese-speaking nation.
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Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses challenged the Catholic Church, leading to the rise of Protestantism and religious wars in Europe.
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Magellan’s expedition was the first to sail around the world, proving the Earth was round and showing how vast the world is.
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Hernán Cortés leads an expedition which topples the Aztec Empire, capturing Tenochtitlán. Spain gains control of vast areas and resources in the New World aided by local allies and superior arms, powering its rise as a global superpower.
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An Italian explorer of North America. He is renowned as the first European to explore the Atlantic coast of North America between Florida and New Brunswick -
A Portuguese explorer. In 1502, during which he brutally clashed with Muslim traders in the region. -
Cartier’s exploration of the St. Lawrence River helped France claim land in Canada, starting the process of French colonization in North America. -
The first European to map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. He was sent to the New World in search of riches and a new route to Asia. His exploration allowed France to lay claims to lands that would become Canada
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Juan Fernandez Ladrillero and Cortes Hojea explored Chile’s coast and entered the Strait of Magellan.
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Elizabeth I ascends to the English throne, beginning the Elizabethan Era.
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Miguel Lopez de Legazpi discovered the Marshall Islands during his voyages.
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Álvaro de Mendaña reached the Solomon Islands in 1568, adding them to the map of explored territories.
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The St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre begins in France, targeting Huguenots (French Protestants). -
From England he was chosen as the leader of an expedition intended to pass around South America. He succeeded
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Drake became the second person to sail around the world, boosting England’s reputation as a rising maritime power. -
The British East India Company is established, facilitating trade with India and establishing British Influence in Asia -
The Dutch created the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC), or the Dutch East India Company. It monopolized the spice trade of the East Indies and attempted to replace Portuguese and Spanish control of Asia. The VOC developed into a powerful economic and military organization, a harbinger of Dutch colonial expansion.
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Dutch explorer Henry Hudson sailed along the Hudson River, claiming large areas of North America for the Netherlands
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Samuel de Champlain established the city of Quebec, the beginning of France's permanent settlement of North America. This strengthens France's grip on the fur trade and begins to establish the colony of New France, a major competitor to English interests in the region. -
The Pilgrims arrive at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts, establishing a new English colony
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King Charles I of England is executed, leading to the establishment of the Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell.
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Martin Frobisher found Baffin Island, calling it "Meta Incognita," and mistakenly thought Frobisher Bay was a route to Asia.
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The overthrow of King James II of England and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy. -
Northwest Ordinance bans slavery in the Northwest Territory of the United States