Church History Timeline

  • Period: Nov 10, 1483 to Feb 18, 1546

    Martin Luther

  • Period: 1484 to Oct 11, 1531

    Huldrych Zwingli

  • Period: Aug 23, 1491 to Jul 31, 1556

    Ignatius Loyola

  • Period: 1494 to Oct 6, 1536

    William Tyndale

  • Period: Feb 16, 1497 to Apr 19, 1560

    Philip Melancthon

  • 1501

    Luther studies law at University of Erfurt

  • Period: 1503 to 1513

    Papacy of Julius II

  • 1505

    Luther joins Augustinian Monastry

  • 1508

    Luther's first lectures in Wittenberg

  • Period: 1509 to 1547

    Reign of King Henry VIII

  • Period: Jul 10, 1509 to May 27, 1564

    John Calvin

  • Period: 1510 to 1511

    Luther's journey to Rome

  • 1512

    Luther become Doctor of Divinity

  • Period: 1513 to 1521

    Papacy of Leo X

  • 1516

    Erasmus publishes Greek New Testament

  • Oct 31, 1517

    Posting of the 95 Theses

  • 1519

    Leipzig Debate

  • 1520

    Luther writes "Addresses to the German Nobility"

  • 1520

    Luther writes "Babylonian Captivity of the Church"

  • 1520

    Luther writes "On the Freedom of a Christian"

  • Dec 10, 1520

    Luther burns the papal bull

  • Period: 1521 to 1521

    Diet of Worms

  • Apr 19, 1521

    Edict of Worms

  • Period: Jan 9, 1522 to Sep 14, 1523

    Papacy of Adrian VI

  • Period: Nov 26, 1523 to Sep 25, 1534

    Papacy of Clement VII

  • Period: 1524 to 1525

    Peasant's revolt

  • 1526

    Tyndale publishes English New Testament in Cologne

  • 1529

    Marburg Colloquy

  • 1529

    First battle of Kappel

  • 1529

    Luther's Small Catechism published

  • 1531

    Apology of the Augsburg Confession

  • Oct 11, 1531

    Second battle of Kappel

  • 1534

    Supremacy Act enacted

  • 1534

    Treasons Act enacted

  • 1534

    Succession Act enacted

  • Period: Aug 13, 1534 to Nov 10, 1549

    Papacy of Paul III

  • Aug 15, 1534

    Society of Jesus (Jesuits) founded

  • Oct 18, 1534

    Affair of the Placards in France

  • 1536

    Calvin publishes first edition of the Institutes of the Christian Religion

  • 1537

    Philip Melanchthon writes Treatise on the Power of the Primacy of the Pope

  • Period: 1545 to 1547

    First Session of the Council of Trent

  • Period: 1546 to 1547

    Smalkaldic war

  • May 23, 1547

    Charles occupies Wittenberg

  • 1549

    Book of Common prayer published

  • 1549

    Francis Xavier begins mission to Japan

  • Period: Feb 7, 1550 to Mar 29, 1555

    Papacy of Julius III

  • Period: 1551 to 1552

    Second session of the Council of Trent

  • 1555

    Peace of Augsburg

  • Period: Apr 9, 1555 to May 1, 1555

    Papacy of Marcellus II

  • Period: May 23, 1555 to Aug 18, 1559

    Papacy of Paul IV

  • 1559

    The Geneva Academy established by John Calvin

  • 1559

    Index Librorurm Prohibitorum

  • 1559

    Foxe's Book of Martyrs published

  • Period: Dec 26, 1559 to Dec 9, 1565

    Papacy of Pius IV

  • Period: 1561 to 1563

    Third session of the Council of Trent

  • 1563

    The Thirty-nine Articles of the Anglican church accepted

  • Period: Jan 7, 1566 to May 1, 1572

    Papacy of St. Pius V

  • Period: May 13, 1572 to

    Papacy of Gregory XIII

  • Aug 24, 1572

    St. Bartholomew's Day massacre

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Sixtus V

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Urban VII

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Gregory XIV

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Innocent IX

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Clement VIII

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Leo XI

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Paul V

  • King James Version published

  • Period: to

    Thirty Years' War

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Gregory XV

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Urban VIII

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Innocent X

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Alexander VII

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Clement IX

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Clement X

  • Spener's Pia Desideria published

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Innocent XI

  • Bunyan writes The Pilgrim's Progress

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Alexander VIII

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Innocent XII

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Clement XI

  • Period: to

    First Great Awakening

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Innocent XIII

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Benedict XIII

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Clement XII

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Benedict XIV

  • Handel's "Messiah" first performed

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Clement XIII

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Clement XIV

  • Period: to

    Hans Nielsen Hauge

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Pius VI

  • Period: to

    Second Great Awakening

  • Period: to

    Interregnum of 1799 - 1800

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Pius VII

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Leo XII

  • American Tract Society founded

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Pius VIII

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Gregory XVI

  • Kierkegaard writes Philosophical Fragments

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Pius IX

  • Lutheran Church Missouri - Synod founded

  • Charles Spurgeon becomes Pastor at New Park Street Chapel

  • The Immaculate Conception of Mary made into Catholic Dogma

  • Period: to

    American Civil War

  • Period: to

    First Vatican Council

  • First Vatican Council declares papal infallibility

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Leo XIII

  • Dostoyevsky publishes Brothers Karamazov

  • Lutheran Free Church Founded

  • Period: to

    Papacy of St. Pius X

  • Period: to

    First World War

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Benedict XV

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Pius XI

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Pius XII

  • Period: to

    Second World War

  • Bonhoeffer executed

  • First dead sea scrolls found

  • Missionaries of Charity founded

  • Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Founded

  • Period: to

    Papacy of St. John XXIII

  • Association of Free Lutheran Congregations founded

  • Period: to

    The Second Vatican Council

  • Period: to

    Papacy of St. Paul VI

  • Period: to

    Papacy of John Paul I

  • Period: to

    Papacy of St. John II

  • ELCA founded

  • Period: to

    Papacy of Benedict XVI

  • Beginning of Papacy of Francis