-
Period: 1452 to 1519
Leonardo da Vinci
-
Period: 1469 to 1527
Niccolò Machiavelli
-
Period: 1469 to 1536
Desiderius Erasmus
-
Period: 1473 to 1543
Nicolaus Copernicus
-
Period: 1475 to 1564
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni
-
Period: 1475 to 1521
Pope Leo X
-
Period: 1483 to 1546
Martin Luther
-
Period: 1484 to 1531
Ulrich Zwingli
-
Period: 1485 to 1536
Catherine of Aragon
-
Period: 1494 to 1566
Suleiman The Magnificent (Ottoman)
-
Period: 1500 to 1558
Charles V (Holy Roman Emperor)
-
1501
Safavids in Persia
14-year-old Ismail I is enthroned as shah of a new Persian dynasty, the Safavids -
Period: 1501 to 1536
Anne Boleyn
-
1503
Marriage of James IV and Margaret Tudor
The marriage of James IV, king of Scotland, to Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII, leads a century later to the Union of the Crowns -
Period: 1503 to 1566
Nostradamus
-
1506
St. Peter's Basilica Construction Begins
Julius II, together with the architect Bramante, lays the foundation stone for the new St Peter's Basilica -
Period: 1506 to 1552
Francis Xavier
-
Period: 1509 to 1564
John Calvin
-
1512
Sistine Chapel Ceiling Completed
Michelangelo completes Sistine Chapel frescoes in Rome -
Period: 1515 to 1582
Teresa of Avila
-
1516
Erasmus' Greek Testament
Erasmus publishes Greek New Testament -
Period: 1516 to 1558
Mary I of England
-
1517
Luther's 95 Spark Debate
Luther posts his Ninety-Five Theses in response to indulgence sales -
1518
Zwingli comes to Zurich
Ulrich Zwingli comes to Zurich, where his branch of reformation theology will later blossom -
1521
Diet of Worms
Luther refuses to recant his views based on conscience and Scripture -
1524
Peasants' Revolt Begins
Great bloodshed happens by the hands of commoners over the years, in many eyes "justified" by changes in theology -
1525
Tyndale's English New testament Published
Early Modern English accessible Scriptures -
1530
Augsburg Confession
Lutherans present their case from Scripture: why they teach what they teach -
Period: 1530 to
Ivan the Terrible
-
Period: 1533 to
Elizabeth I of England
-
1534
Act of Supremacy/Church of England
Henry VIII's Act of Supremacy makes the king, not the pope, head of the break-away Church of England. -
Period: 1534 to 1582
Oda Nobunaga
-
1536
Calvin's Institutes
Calvin publishes first edition of Institutes, defining his theology -
1540
Society of Jesus (Jesuits) Founded
Loyola gains approval for Society of Jesus from the Vatican. Founded by Ignatius Loyola, the Jesuit order places its services entirely at the disposal of the pope. -
Period: 1540 to
Francis Drake
-
Period: 1542 to
Mary, Queen of Scots
-
Period: 1542 to
Akbar (Mughal Dynasty)
-
Period: 1543 to
Tokugawa Ieyasu
-
1545
Council of Trent
Council of Trent meets to establish clarity in the counter-Reformation -
1549
English Book of Common Prayer
Cranmer produces the beloved Book of Common Prayer for the Church of England. -
1549
Jesuits in Japan
Francis Xavier begins mission to Japan -
1550
English/French Peace of Boulogne
England Buys Back Boulogne from France in Peace for a time -
1553
Execution of Servetus
Michael Servetus burned at the stake in Geneva -
1555
Peace of Augsburg
Peace of Augsburg "ends" religious wars in Germany -
1558
Elizabeth I takes the English Throne
Elizabeth I succeeds peacefully to the throne of England, after the turmoil of Mary's Catholic reign -
Period: 1561 to
Francis Bacon
-
1563
Foxe’s Book of Martyrs
John Foxe’s Book of Martyrs published -
Period: 1564 to
William Shakespeare
-
Period: 1564 to
Galileo
-
Period: 1564 to
William Shakespeare
-
1565
The Way of Perfection
Teresa of Avila writes The Way of Perfection -
Period: 1570 to
Guy Fawkes
-
1571
Church of Cyprus Reinstated
Restoration of Church of Cyprus to Orthodox rule. -
Period: 1571 to
Johannes Kepler
-
1572
St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre
The Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre in France witnesses the killing of tens of thousands of Protestant Huguenots by Catholics. -
Period: 1580 to
John Smith (Baptist)
-
Period: 1582 to
Johannes Gerhard
-
Period: to
Shah Jahan (Mughal Dynasty)
-
Conversion of Henry IV
Henry IV becomes a Catholic so as to secure Paris and the throne of France -
Period: to
Gustav II Adolf
-
Period: to
Rene Descartes
-
Period: to
Pocahontas
-
Period: to
Tsar Michael I (Russia)
-
Period: to
Oliver Cromwell
-
Shakespeare's Hamlet Published
Shakespeare's Hamlet registered for publication -
Period: to
Charles I (England)
-
East India Company Founded
United East India Company (Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie ), or the VOC founded. This was the first multinational joint-stock company, a landmark in economic development. The VOC prospered for centuries, but went bankrupt at the end of the 18th some say due to corruption and poor management. -
Ieyasu rules Japan from Edo
Tokugawa Ieyasu rules Japan, moves capital to Edo (Tokyo) -
Jamestown Settled
The English settle in Jamestown -
Jesuit Missions to Mexico
Missionary Juan Fonte established the first Jesuit mission among the Tarahumara in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Northwest Mexico -
Santa Fe Founded
The city of Santa Fe New Mexico, the oldest capital city in the US, is founded by the Spanish. Santa Fe prospers for 300 years before New Mexico becomes a state, well, except for the time 1680-1692 when the Pueblo people revolt and push the Spanish out of their territory -
Telescope Invented
The telescope is invented. The first documentation of a telescope being created is when German-Dutch spectacle-maker Hans Lipperhey tries to patent his new telescope in the Netherlands which can magnify its subject three times. -
Period: to
John Milton
-
John Smith and the Baptist Movement
Anglican preacher turned Separatist, John Smith, baptizes the first "Baptists." -
"King James Version" published
Publication of the Authorized or King James translation of the Bible in the English language. Fifty-four scholars worked for four years on the project. -
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre Burns Down
1613, June 29 Shakespeare's Globe Theatre burns down. The theatre could seat one thousand people in the galleries and another two thousand could stand on the grounds. -
Synod of Dort
Synod of Dort begins -
Portuguese Church in Pakistan
Portuguese Carmelites went from Persia to Pakistan to establish a church in Thatta (near Karachi) -
Thirty Years’ War Begins
Protestant/Catholic conflict in Germany (Thirty Years War). -
Mayflower Compact Drafted
Pilgrims coming to America sign the Mayflower Compact and commit themselves to seek the public good, uphold group solidarity and forsake self-seeking. -
Vietnam Expelled Christian Missionaries
Vietnam expelled Christian missionaries, who had been a curious interest to that point. -
Period: to
John Locke
-
Galileo Recants
Galileo forced to recant his theories -
Period: to
Philipp Jakob Spener
-
Harvard College Founded
Harvard College founded by John Harvard -
Providence, Rhode Island Founded
1636: Roger Williams founds Providence, R.I. -
Period: to
Louis XIV (France)
-
Period: to
Sir Isaac Newton
-
John Campanius Arrives in America
1643 - John Campanius, Lutheran missionary to the Indians, arrived in America on the Delaware River. Reformed pastor Johannes Megapolensis began outreach to Native Americans while pastoring at Albany, New York -
Period: to
William Penn
-
Westminster Confession Drafted
The Westminster Confession is drafted in the Jerusalem Room at Westminster Abbey. -
Peace of Westphalia Ends Thirty Years’ War
Peace of Westphalia ends Thirty Years’ War between Protestant and Catholic forces -
Oliver Cromwell Named Lord Protector
Oliver Cromwell Named Lord Protector in England -
Polish Jews Massacred by Cossack Riots
1/4 of Polish Jews are massacred, many survivors move to Jerusalem.
Killed by Cossacks during the riots -
Quakers Founded
1648: George Fox begins to preach in 47, 48 Quakers founded
George Fox founds the Society of Friends, more commonly known as "Quakers." Seeking to live simple lives, opposed to warfare and avoiding formal worship, they had an influence far exceeding their numbers. -
Taj Mahal Completed
1633 The reigning Moghul emperor in India begins to build the Taj Mahal, an
architectural wonder of the world.
The Taj Mahal is built in India (1633 - 1653) -
Blaise Pascal's Conversion
1654: Blaise Pascal has definitive conversion experience -
The Great Fire of London
1666 The Great Fire of London ravages the City for three days destroying 80% of the buildings leaving thousands homeless and bankrupt. Afterwards London is remade when Sir Christopher Wren decrees new buildings will be made of brick and the streets to be widened. Oddly, the fire slows the progress of the plague by destroying so many rats. Only 16 people lost their lives in the inferno. -
Milton’s Paradise Lost Published
Milton’s Paradise Lost Published - greatly influencing popular religious thought and speculation -
Rembrandt Paints "Return of the Prodigal Son"
Rembrandt paints his famous Return of the Prodigal Son -
Spener’s Pia Desideria Published
1675: Spener’s Pia Desideria advances Pietism
German Lutheran minister Philip Jacob Spener publishes Pia Desideria which becomes a manifesto for "Pietism" -
Bunyan Writes The Pilgrim’s Progress
John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress is published. It becomes second in international circulation, exceeded only by the Bible. -
Pennsylvania Founded
Penn founds Pennsylvania -
Battle of Vienna
1683, September 11 The King of Poland Jan III Sobieski leading 20,000 horsemen, the largest cavalry charge in history, rides down from the hills around Vienna and routes the besieging Ottoman forces led by Vizier Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha. The Battle of Vienna is the high water mark of the Ottoman Empire. The date of the 9/11 attacks is thought to avenge this battle. -
Period: to
Johann Sebastian Bach
-
Period: to
George Frideric Handel
-
Isaac Newton Writes Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy
1686 Isaac Newton writes Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy which shows the laws of the heavens are the same as the laws of earth. -
Toleration Act in England
1689 After the “Glorious Revolution” of 1688, English Parliament passes the Declaration of Rights, making Parliament stronger and protecting the rights of the people: Toleration Act in England -
Period: to
Voltaire
Francois Marie Arouet a.k.a Voltaire -
Consecration of the first Orthodox Church in China
1698 Consecration of the first Orthodox Church in China, in the name of Sophia (Divine Wisdom), when Emperor Kangxi ordered a Buddhist temple to be cleared for Russian inhabitants in Beijing. -
Period: to
Nikolaus Ludwig (von Zinzendorf)
Nikolaus Ludwig, Reichsgraf von Zinzendorf und Pottendorf -
Period: to
John Wesley
-
Period: to
Jonathan Edwards
-
Period: to
Benjamin Franklin
-
Isaac Watts Publishes "Hymns and Spiritual Songs"
Publication of Isaac Watt's Hymns and Spiritual Songs marks a new development in the kind of music sung in churches. -
Bach Publishes First Work
-
Period: to
Charles Wesley
-
Period: to
Samuel Johnson
-
Newcomen's Steam Engine
Thomas Newcomen creates the first successful steam engine -
Period: to
Junípero Serra y Ferrer
-
Fahrenheit's Thermometer
German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, who had a flair for glass blowing, invents the mercury thermometer. -
Tamil New Testament
New Testament translated into Tamil (India) -
Period: to
George Whitefield
-
Anti-Christian Sentiment Grows in China
1717 - Chen Mao wrote to the Chinese Emperor about his concerns over Catholic missionaries and Western traders. He urgently requested an all-out prohibition of Catholic missionaries in the Qing provinces
1736 - Anti-Christian edicts in China -
Period: to
Pope Pius VI
Italian: Pio VI; born Count Giovanni Angelo Braschi -
Jonathan Edwards Pastors Northampton
1729: Jonathan Edwards becomes pastor at Northampton
1735
Great Awakening under Jonathan Edwards stirs the American colonies with many conversions and individual returns to heartfelt faith -
First Moravian Missionaries
1727
Awakening at Herrnhut launches Moravian Brethren as the forerunner of modern Protestant missionary movements.
1732: First Moravian Missionaries -
Period: to
George Washington
-
George Whitefield Converted
George Whitefield Converted, important Methodist preaching -
Linnaeus' Taxonomic System Distinguishes Species
1735 The wise Carolus Linnaeus, a homo sapien, creates a taxonomic system for naming species. -
John and Charles Wesley’s Evangelical Conversions
John Wesley's conversion eventually leads to the founding of a branch of the Methodist Church although he had no intention of forming a separate denomination. John and Charles Wesley lead an Evangelical revival in England and form the Methodist church. -
Period: to
William Herschel
-
Great Awakening Peaks
1730-60 The 'Great Awakening' - A revival movement among Protestants in the USA. -
Handel’s Messiah
1742: First production of Handel’s Messiah -
Period: to
Thomas Jefferson
-
Joseph Black Discovers Carbon Dioxide
1754 Scottish chemist Joseph Black discovers carbon dioxide and later the latent heat of fusion -
Period: to
Yi Seung-Hun
Yi Seung-Hun / 子述 / baptismal name Peter -
Period: to
Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart -
Voltaire’s "Candide"
Voltaire’s "Candide" published -
Period: to
Richard Allen
-
Jesuit Suppression Begins
1767-1815 Suppression of the Jesuits in Roman Catholic countries, subsequently finding refuge in Orthodox nations, particularly in Russia. -
Period: to
Napoleon Bonaparte
-
Captain Cook Claims Australia
1770 Captain James Cook claims all of eastern Australia for England and maps the
Australian coast -
Period: to
Ludwig van Beethoven
-
Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca
1774 Russia and Ottoman Empire sign treaty of Kuchuk-Kainarji (Küçük Kaynarca), bringing Russia for the first time into the Mediterranean as the acknowledged protector of Orthodox Christians. -
American Independence
1776 The American colonies declare themselves independent of Great Britain. -
Period: to
Claus Harms
-
Robert Raikes Begins His Sunday School
Newspaperman Robert Raikes begins Sunday schools to reach poor and uneducated children in England. It rapidly becomes a vital international movement. -
Uranus Discovered
1781 William Herschel discovers Uranus using a telescope - the first planet found in modern times. -
Kant Publishes "Critique of Pure Reason"
1781: Kant Publishes "Critique of Pure Reason" -
Bill of Rights
Bill of Rights secure American rights -
French Revolution Begins
The French Revolution ignites with the storming of the Bastille to gain badly needed gunpowder. -
Period: to
Charles Grandison Finney
-
France's Festival of Reason
festival of Reason (de-Christianization of France) -
William Carey Sails for India
1793 William Carey sails as a missionary to India and oversees more Bible translations than had previously been produced in all Christian history. -
Orthodox Alaskan Missions Begin
1794 - Eight Russian Orthodox missionaries arrived in Alaska -
Napoleon Bonaparte Conquers Malta
1798 Napoleon Bonaparte conquers Malta and outlaws slavery. -
Schleiermacher's Lectures on Religion
Friedrich Schleiermacher publishes Lectures on Religion -
Period: to
Samuel Simon Schmucker
-
Period: to
Lars Levi Laestadius
-
Concordat between Napoleon and Pius VII
-
British and Foreign Bible Society formed
-
Period: to
Joseph Smith Jr.
-
Samuel Mills leads Haystack Prayer Meeting
-
Period: to
Johann Konrad Wilhelm Löhe
-
Period: to
Søren Aabye Kierkegaard
-
Napoleon defeated at Waterloo
June 18th -
Richard Allen founds the African Methodist Episcopal Church
Richard Allen, a former slave, founds the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC) -
Elizabeth Fry organizes relief in Newgate Prison
Elizabeth Fry begins ministry to women in prison and becomes model for social compassion and involvement. -
J. N. Darby founds the Plymouth Brethren
John Nelson Darby helps found the Plymouth Brethren, a group which spreads the dispensational view of Scriptural interpretation. -
Charles G. Finney's Urban Revivals Begin
Charles G. Finney's urban revivals begin and introduce techniques that decisively affect later mass evangelism in America. -
Period: to
James Hudson Taylor
-
John Keble’s sermon launches Oxford Movement
John Keble's sermon "National Apostasy" initiates the Oxford movement in England. -
Morse's Telegraph
Samuel Morse demonstrates the telegraph in public. -
Kierkegaard writes Philosophical Fragments
-
The Great Hunger (aka Potato Famine) Begins
Blight causes potato crop to fail in Ireland. 1.5 million die of starvation and disease. Ireland still exports grain to England to pay rents. Help from England was too little too late. This lasts for three years. -
Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod Founded
Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod founded in Chicago, Illinois -
Marx publishes Communist Manifesto
-
Harriet Beecher Stowe releases Uncle Tom’s Cabin
-
Period: to
Franz August Otto Pieper
-
Immaculate Conception made dogma
Dogma of the Immaculate conception of Mary proclaimed by the Roman Catholic church. -
Spurgeon becomes pastor of New Park St. Church
Charles Haddon Spurgeon becomes pastor in London and will go on the be one of the most influential pastors ever. -
Hudson Taylor arrives in China
1854 Hudson Taylor arrives as a missionary in China. His faith work has immense impact.
In 1865 J. Hudson Taylor founds China Inland Mission -
D. L. Moody converted
Dwight L. Moody is converted. He goes on to become one of the most effective American evangelists. -
David Livingstone publishes Missionary Travels
David Livingstone publishes Missionary Travels and his exploits in Africa attract world wide attention. -
Period: to
Pope Pius XI
-
Darwin publishes On the Origin of Species
-
Japan reopens to foreign missionaries
-
Period: to
William (Billy) Ashley Sunday
-
First Orthodox parish established on American soil
First Orthodox parish established on American soil in New Orleans, Louisiana, by Greeks -
U.S. Civil War ends
-
First Vatican Council declares papal infallibility
Pope Pius IX proclaims the doctrine of Papal Infallibility after the First Vatican Council -
Student Volunteer Movement begins
The Student Volunteer Movement begins as a major thrust of young people to bring the gospel to the world as missionaries. -
Period: to
Karl Barth
-
Period: to
Dwight D. Eisenhower
-
Period: to
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien
-
Freud publishes first work on psychoanalysis
-
Billy Sunday begins leading revivals
-
Period: to
Clive Staples Lewis
-
Azusa Street revival
Asuza Street revival launches Pentecostalism, and paves the way for the development of the modern charismatic movement. follows 1901: Speaking in tongues at Parham’s Bible School -
Period: to
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
-
The Fundamentals begin to be published
1910-15 The fundamentals are published and demonstrate the great divide in American Christianity known as the "Modernist-Fundamentalist" controversy. -
International Missionary Conference begins
World mission conference held in Edinburgh. -
Period: to
Mother Mary Teresa (Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu)
-
Period: to
Richard Nixon
-
World War I begins
-
Period: to
Bruce Manning Metzger
-
Period: to
John Fitzgerald Kennedy
-
Period: to
Granville Oral Roberts
-
Period: to
William (Billy) Franklin Graham Jr
-
Karl Barth writes Commentary on Romans
Karl Barth's Commentary on Romans is published, effectively critiquing modernistic theology. -
Period: to
Pope John Paul II
-
First Christian radio broadcasts
First Christian radio broadcast over KDKA in Pittsburgh. -
Period: to
Martin Luther King Jr.
-
C. S. Lewis comes to faith in Christ
-
Period: to
Jerry Laymon Falwell Sr.
-
Wycliffe Bible Translators founded
Cameron Townsend begins the Summer Institute of Linguistics that aspires with sister organization Wycliffe Bible translators to bring the Bible to every language group of the world. -
Kristallnacht accelerates the Holocaust
-
World War II begins
-
Period: to
Francis Wesley Monseth
-
Hundreds of Ukrainian Orthodox priests slaughtered
1943-44 Hundreds of Orthodox priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church eliminated, tortured and drowned by Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists - Ukrainian Rebel Army, aided by Uniate Metr. Josyf Slipyj who was a spiritual leader of Nazi military units that were later condemned by the Nuremberg tribunal, and who was imprisoned by Soviet authorities for aiding the UPA. -
Dietrich Bonhoeffer is executed by the Nazis
Dietrich Bonhoeffer is executed by the Nazis. The German pastor is killed just days before the Allies arrive to liberate that region. His theological writings remain influential. -
Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima
-
Dead Sea Scrolls discovered
-
World Council of Churches organized
The World Council of Churches is formed as an interdenominational body promoting Christian unity and presence in society. -
Los Angeles Crusade catapults Billy Graham
Billy Graham's Los Angeles crusade thrusts the young evangelist into several decades of worldwide ministry and an impressive reputation. -
Missionaries forced to leave China
-
Assumption of Mary made dogma
Dogma of the Assumption of Mary proclaimed by the Roman Catholic Church. -
Charismatic renewal advances
Charismatic renewal surges forward, crossing denominational lines and becoming more mainstream. -
Vatican II opens
Second Vatican Council begins, the most significant council since Trent. It will promote new attitudes and practices in Catholicism. -
King leads March on Washington
Martin Luther King, Jr., a Baptist minister, leads a march on Washington espousing the teachings of Jesus in a civil rights movement that affects all Americans. -
Chinese Cultural Revolution
The Chinese church grows despite the Cultural Revolution. Christianity did not die out under Communism, but experienced one of the most dramatic church growths ever. -
Men on the Moon
1969, July 20 Neil Armstrong becomes the first man to walk on the moon -
Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization
-
End of the Vietnam War
-
1000th anniversary of Orthodoxy in Russia
-
Berlin Wall Falls
1989, November 9 East and West Germans tear down the Berlin wall and pave the way for the uniting of Germany a year later. The Cold War ends and the Soviet Union will be dissolved. -
Nelson Mandela Elected
1994, April 27 Nelson Mandela wins South Africa's first multiracial election. Apartheid is dead. -
Joint Declaration on Justification
Signing of the Joint Declaration on Justification by the "Lutheran" and Roman Catholic Churches.
