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The printing press was a revolutionary invention that allowed for further spread of literary works. This allowed for translations into the vernacular that resulted in a literacy boom. -
The Ottoman Empire conquered Constantinople and toppled the Byzantine Empire. This solidified them as the regional power that controlled nearly the entire Mediterranean. -
King Henry VII was the first Tudor to reign in England. The start of his reign marked the end of the War of Roses.
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Christopher Columbus was commissioned by the Spanish rulers Ferdinand and Isabella to find a trade route to India by going west to avoid the Ottoman taxes. Columbus ended up finding the Americas instead of an Indian trade route. -
Spanish rulers Ferdinand and Isabella issued the Alhambra Decree which expelled the Jews from their holdings. This also established the Spanish Inquisition to enforce Roman Catholicism as their subjects' religion. -
Spanish rulers Ferdinand and Isabella conquered Granada to expel Muslims from the Iberian peninsula. This was to enforce Christianity as the supreme religion in the area. -
Artist Michelangelo was commissioned to paint the ceiling of Sistine Chapel. His paintings here included the Creation of Adam. -
Martin Luther believed the church needed to be reformed because he disagreed with how it was being run. His 95 theses launched the Protestant Reformation which divided Christianity into several Protestant denominations and Catholicism. -
The Diet of Worms was an imperial assembly held by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Martin Luther attended this to reaffirm his views to Pope Leo X. -
Niccolo Machiavelli was a political and philosophical thinker that invented Machiavellianism. His belief, as shown in The Prince, was that the ends justified the means and that the responsibility of the prince was not to keep his people happy, but to make sure he achieved his goals regardless of how he did it. -
Henry VIII issued the Act of Supremacy which separated England from the Roman Catholic Church and formed the Anglican Church. He did so to enforce his own beliefs and made himself the Anglican Pope. -
Copernicus, a Polish astronomer revolutionized the way astronomers believed the solar system moved around each other. His way of thinking was based in science and mathematics as opposed to the traditional beliefs. -
The Council of Trent was held in 3 sessions in response to the Protestant Reformation in order to establish and reaffirm Roman Catholic doctrine. They established the canon of the Bible, clarified salvation and sacraments, and more.
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The Holy Roman Empire signed a treaty in order to end conflict between Protestants and Catholics. "Cuius regio, eius religio" allowed for rulers to choose Lutheranism or Catholicism as the official religion of their states. -
Catholic mobs targeted French Huguenots in a massacre during the French Wars of Religions. Catherine de Medici instigated this and it resulted in 5000-30000 deaths. -
Three Henrys were fighting for control over France, and it was also called the 8th war of religion. Kings Henry I and III died during this conflict and King Henry IV ended up victorious.
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Philip II of Spain tried to invade England against Queen Elizabeth I. The Spanish fleet was at a disadvantage due to storms and having inferior ships. -
The Edict of Nantes was similar to the HRE Peace of Augsburg and allowed the French Protestants to live in peace and worship mostly freely. The Edict ended the French wars of religion but still upheld Catholicism as the dominant religion.