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600
The Origin of Islam
In Medina, Muhammed is called upon to be the founder of a new religion. He faces a lot of opposition so he flees to Mecca. There, he is able to find followers and allow his religion to take off. -
Period: 600 to 1550
Religion Throughout European History
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680
The Division of Islam
After the death of Muhammad, Muslims face the crisis of who should continue to lead their people. The religion split into two groups, Sunnis and Shi'as, and they both thought each group was practicing Islam wrongly. -
1054
The Great Schism
Christianity split into two sects, Roman Catholicism in the West and and Eastern Orthodox in the East. The Schism was caused by disagreements on many subjects, but the major point was that the Eastern Orthodox no longer followed the Pope. -
1095
The First Crusade
Christians from across Europe traveled to the Holy Land to reclaim Jerusalem from the Muslim rulers that currently occupied the city. The Crusaders claimed victory and setup cities in Canaan. This also started a period of massacres of Jews in the Rhineland (present day Germany). -
1272
The End of The Crusades
What is referred to as the Ninth Crusade is considered to be the final one during the Middle Ages. Prince Edward of England led a failed conquest to Jerusalem and the Muslims confirmed their control of the Holy Land. The Mamluks became the caliphate in control of the area. -
1440
Invention of the Printing Press
Gutenberg invented the printing press which allowed religious books and scriptures to become widespread across Europe. Instead of the Bible only being in Latin, it was now often produced in the native language of where it was being sold, allowing more people to understand it. This led to more people being able to interpret the Bible for themselves and allowed for new thoughts. -
1478
The Spanish Inquisition
Mandated by Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, this period led to the persecution of all non-Catholics. Over 150,000 people were killed and a few thousand killed. It wasn't definitively ended until the official abolishment in 1834. -
1509
The Painting of "Wedding at Cana"
Paolo Veronese paints "Wedding at Cana" which shows a mixture of Greco-Roman culture and Christianity. This is important because it reemphasizes the importance of older cultures and their values. -
1517
Posting of the 95 Theses
Martin Luther Posted the 95 These on the door of the All Saints' Church in Wittenberg, Germany. The document was written to expose the ongoing corruption in the Church. This has been said to be the start of the Protestant Reformation. -
1534
The Creation of the Church of England
Henry VIII founded the Church of England and named himself Supreme Head of the Church after he was excommunicated by Pope Paul III. He was excommunicated because of his divorce with Catherine of Aragon. This led to England becoming predominantly Protestant.