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The Magna Carta was signed by King John. The document limited the power of the English monarch and stated that the king must have the consent of the people to tax. -
Zheng He leads his first of seven voyages with the only purpose being to show off China's might.
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Civil war destroyed Japan's feudal system and the country became chaotic. Warrior chieftains called daimyos or shoguns became lords in a new Japanese feudalistic system.
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Christopher Columbus was an Italian sent by Spain. He tried to reach Asia, but landed in the Carribbean Islands. -
John Cabot was an Italian sent by England. He explored the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. -
Amerigo Vespucci was an Italian navigator on a Spanish ship. He wrote a book on his travels and both North and South America were named after him. -
Juan Ponce de Leon was a Spanish explorer. He explored Puerto Rico and was in search for the mythical 'Fountain of Youth'. -
Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan sets out from Spain and later discovers the 'Straight of Magellan'.
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Hernan Cortes was a Spanish conquistador who claimed Mexico for Spain. He conquered the Aztecs in 1521.
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French explorer Jacques Cartier sailed up St. Lawrence river and explored Canada from 1534-1542. -
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado was a Spanish explorer and conquistador. He searched for the mythical '7 Cities of Gold' and was the 1st European to see the Grand Canyon and American southwest. -
Henry Hudson was an Englishman who sailed for the English and the Dutch. He captured the Hudson River and modern-day New York for the Dutch. He claimed the Hudson Bay area for England.
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Shoguns sealed Japan's borders to preserve the Japanese culture, and as a result, Europeans focus on exploration West.
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The Treaty of Westphalia ended the 30 Years War, which started as a religious conflict in Germany and quickly grew into a political conflict throughout much of Europe, especially Central Europe.
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Robert de la Salle was a French explorer who claimed Louisiana for France. He also explored and established forts from the Great Lakes down to the Mississippi River -
The time James II became king of England and tried to force Catholicism on Protestant England marks the end of the Age of Absolutism in England.