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A period of cultural rebirth marked by advancements in art, literature, science, and philosophy, originating in Italy and spreading throughout Europe.
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Columbus's voyage initiated European exploration and colonization of the Americas.
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Da Gama's successful voyage opened up lucrative trade routes to the East, bypassing traditional land routes controlled by the Ottoman Empire.
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Luther's critique of the Catholic Church's practices, particularly the sale of indulgences, sparked the Protestant Reformation and led to the formation of Protestant churches.
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Magellan's expedition proved the Earth was round and opened up new trade routes, despite Magellan himself not completing the voyage.
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The Diet of Worms was an imperial assembly that declared Luther a heretic and outlaw, further escalating tensions between Protestants and Catholics.
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Pizarro's conquest of the Inca Empire led to Spanish colonization of South America.
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Henry VIII's break from the Catholic Church led to the establishment of the Church of England, marking England's separation from papal authority.
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(born c. 1540, Devonshire, England—died January 28, 1596, at sea, off Puerto Bello, Panama) was an English admiral who circumnavigated the globe (1577–80) and was the most renowned seaman of the Elizabethan Age.
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Copernicus proposed that the Earth and other planets revolve around the Sun, challenging the geocentric model of the universe.
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The conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks, marking the end of the Byzantine Empire and leading to the influx of Greek scholars into Western Europe, contributing to the Renaissance.
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Gutenberg's invention revolutionized the spread of knowledge by making books more accessible, contributing to the dissemination of Renaissance ideas.
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The Peace of Augsburg granted princes within the Holy Roman Empire the authority to choose between Catholicism and Lutheranism, formally recognizing the division of Christianity within the empire.
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Challenging Aristotelian cosmology. Brahe's observation of a supernova provided evidence against the Aristotelian belief in the immutability of the heavens.
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Drake's circumnavigation strengthened England's naval power and challenged Spanish dominance in the New World.
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Drake explores California coast and claims it for England, naming it "New Albion." Drake's exploration laid claim to parts of the California coast for England.
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Drake leads successful raid on Spanish-held Santo Domingo and Cartagena de Indias. Drake's raids weakened Spanish control in the Caribbean and South America.
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England's victory over the Spanish Armada marked a turning point in European naval power and solidified England's status as a maritime power.
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European exploration of Africa's west coast begins. European voyages along Africa's coast paved the way for later exploration and trade routes, marking the beginning of European expansion beyond their continent.
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Janszoon's voyage marked the first recorded European landing on Australian soil, paving the way for future exploration and colonization of the continent.
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Galileo's observations, including the phases of Venus and the moons of Jupiter, supported the heliocentric model and revolutionized our understanding of the cosmos.
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Newton's work laid the foundation for classical mechanics and the law of universal gravitation, revolutionizing physics and mathematics.
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Newton's "Opticks" investigated the behavior of light and color through experiments with prisms, contributing to the understanding of optics.