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1492
Christopher Columbus stumbled upon the West Indies
After Columbus persuaded the Spanish royalty to give him 2 ships, he sailed off in search of the East Indies (India) to find gold. After navigating the Atlantic Ocean for almost 3 months, he and his crew arrived at the West Indies (an island off the Americas), which at the time was believed to be the East Indies. He claimed the island in the name of the Spanish Crown and was welcomed home as a hero. -
1494
Treaty of Tordesillas
A treaty between Spain and Portugal that attempted to ratify and clarify ownership of the lands outside Europe and who could claim them. -
1496
King Henry VII signs agreement with John Cabot
King Henry VII signs agreement with John Cabot to explore the western hemisphere under the flag and authority of England. A year later, Cabot ends up discovering North America for Europe after the Norse explorers originally found America in the 11th century. -
1500
Beginning of the Renaissance Era
It was a time of cultural movement initially beginning in Florence, Italy, but quickly spread across all of Europe . During this period, there was a revival of art and culture heavily inspired by classical Greek and Roman art. There were also many tech. advancements that led to developments in science, mathematics, astronomy, and much more. Some of the most influential figures during the Renaissance were; da Vinci, Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael, Shakespeare, Petrarch, and Galilei. -
1500
Spain's Golden Age
A period of flourishing in arts and literature in Spain, coinciding with the political rise of the Spanish Empire under the Catholic Monarchs and the Habsburgs. The period began with Columbus’ voyage to ‘the Americas’ and it was a time of political superiority in Spain. -
1507
First record of smallpox (Hispaniola, Caribbean)
The first recorded smallpox outbreak occurs in Hispaniola, a small island in the Caribbean archipelago. The event devastates the Taíno population. -
1510
Alfonso de Albequerque conquers Goa, India
The Portuguese statesman and general Alfonso de Albuquerque takes over Goa, India. In doing this, he expanded Portuguese influence across the Indian Ocean and built his reputation as a fierce and skilled military commander. -
1512
Copernicus writes Commentariolus
Nicolaus Copernicus, a Renaissance-era mathematician and astronomer writes a book called Commentariolus, which gives a brief explanation of his revolutionary theory on a heliocentric universe.The Heliocentric Theory is the idea that the Earth is not the center of the universe, and the sun is instead. -
1517
Protestant Reformation
Beginning in the 16th century, the Reformation, otherwise known as the Protestant Reformation was a religious movement in the Western Catholic Church. Because of its political, economic, and social effects, the Reformation became the basis for the founding of Protestantism, one of the three main branches of Christianity. Martin Luther, a German theology professor, was known as the Father of Reformation due to his writings, which sparked the revolution in itself. -
1519
Hernán Cortés takes control of Mexico and Aztec Empire
Driven by wild ambitions of gold and legendary treasures, the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés invades Mexico, which, at the time, was under the rule of King Montezuma. Cortés finds all types of merchandise and riches, then decides to take it all for himself under the name of Spain. Afterwards, he burnt the whole city down, killing thousands of natives on their own land. -
1543
Scientific Revolution
Starting in around the 1500s, the Scientific Revolution was a series of events that marked the beginning of scientific, technological, astronomical, and mathematical advancements. These events altered society's views on laws of nature. It also took place during the Renaissance, and some important figures were; Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo Galileo, Isaac Newton, René Descartes, Johanes Kepler, and many many more. -
1551
North African pirates enslave Gozo Island
The entire Maltese population on the island of Gozo, which ranged between 5,000-6,000 people, was enslaved by North African pirates. Afterwards, they were shipped off to Libya to work the plantations. -
1569
Mercator projection made by Gerardus Mercator
Made in 1569, the Mercator map projection was created by the most important Renaissance geographer, Gerardus Mercator. By using improved lines of longitude and latitude, navigation became much easier for most sailors and explorers. -
Moroccan forces defeat the Songhai Empire
In Mali, at the Battle of Tondibi, Moroccan forces of the Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur led by Judar Pasha defeat the Songhai Empire. This battle guaranteed the downfall of the Songhai Empire. -
Michael the Brave unifies 3 Roman countries
After the Battle of Șelimbăr in 1599, Michael the Brave from Romania unites Wallachia, Moldavia, and Transylvania. He was considered one of Romania's greatest national heroes because of this. -
Plantation workers in colonial America
During the 1600 and 1700s, nearly 250,000 Africans were brought to colonial America to serve as enslaved agricultural workers, domestic servants, and artisans. Their population was the highest in Virginia and South Carolina due to the fertile soil. -
Tokugawa Ieyasu estalishes the Tokugawa shogunate.
By taking the title of shōgun, Tokugawa establishes the Tokugawa shogunate, a feudal military government in Japan, beginning the Edo period, which lasts until 1868. This government imposed a strict class system on Japanese society, efficiently cutting off almost all contact with the outside world. -
Qing Dynasty established
When the Manchu conquered China in 1636, effectively ending the Ming Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty was established and officially ruled over China starting in 1637. The first emperor of the new dynasty was Emperor Shunzhi, who was heavily influenced by eunuch officials and Buddhist priests. When he passed, he was succeeded by the infamous Emperor Kangxi. -
The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was an intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated the world of ideas in Europe throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. It emphasized reason, individualism, and skepticism, and science over superstition and blind faith. By thinking skeptically, philosophers and humanists were able to think critically and methodically, leading to scientific creations. Politics, philosophy, science and communications were extensively altered during this time. -
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War was a conflict between Russian and Swedish Empires that lasted from 1700 to 1721. The war began when Russia, Denmark-Norway, and Saxony-Poland challenged the supremacy of Sweden in the Baltic area. Russian won in 1721, which led to a decline in Swedish power and influence as well as a great rise of Russian power in that area. -
First ban on opium
As early as 1729, Emperor Yongzheng, ruling during the Qing Dynasty, put a ban on opium due to its overuse. Opium in China led to a widespread drug addiction amongst the bureaucracy and society in general. Little was done to enforce the ban, though.