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Aug 3, 1492
Columbus discovers the New World
Columbus led his three ships- the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa maria- out of the Spanish port of Palos. his objective was to sail west until he reached Asia (the indies) where the riches of gold, pearls and spice awaited -
1517
The Reformation
The protestant Reformation was the 16th-century religious, political, intellectual and cultural upheaval that splintered Catholic Europe, setting in place the structure and beliefs that would define the continent in the modern era. -
Oct 31, 1517
Martin Luther 95 thesis
Martin Luther wrote the 95 Theses a list of questions and propositions for debate. Popular legend has it that on October 31, 1517 Luther defiantly nailed a copy of his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle church. -
Creation of the Edict of Nantes
The edict of Nantes was signed by king Henry IV which granted Huguenots substantial rights in the nation, which was still considered essentially Catholic at the time. -
English Civil War
The English Civil Wars stemmed from conflict between Charles I and Parliament over an Irish insurrection. The first war was settled with Oliver Cromwell’s victory for Parliamentary forces at the 1645 Battle of Naseby. The second phase ended with Charles’ defeat at the Battle of Preston and his subsequent execution in 1649. -
Louis XIV revokes Edict of Nantes
The later Edict of Fontainebleau, which revoked the Edict of Nantes in October 1685, was promulgated by Louis XIV, the grandson of Henry IV. It drove an exodus of Protestants and increased the hostility of Protestant nations bordering France. -
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution was when William of Orange took the English throne from James II in 1688. The event brought a permanent realignment of power within the English constitution. The new co-monarchy of King William III and Queen Mary II accepted more constraints from Parliament than previous monarchs had, and the new constitution created the expectation that future monarchs would also remain constrained by Parliament. -
7 years war
The seven years war was a struggle between two sides. One centered on the maritime and colonial conflict between Britain and its Bourbon enemies, France and Spain -
American Revolution
The war of independence waged by the American colonies against Britain influenced political ideas and revolutions around the globe, as a fledgling, largely disconnected nation won its freedom from the greatest military force of its time. -
French Revolution
the French Revolution began in 1789 and ended in the late 1790s with the ascent of Napoleon Bonaparte. During this period, French citizens razed and redesigned their country’s political landscape, uprooting centuries-old institutions such as absolute monarchy and the feudal system. -
Congress of Vienna
Emperor Napoleon was defeated in May 1814 and Cossacks marched along the Champs-Elysées into Paris. The victorious Great Powers (Russia, Great Britain, Austria and Prussia) invited the other states of Europe to send plenipotentiaries to Vienna for a peace conference. -
Matthew Perry opening Japan to trade
American Commodore Matthew Perry led his four ships into the harbor at Tokyo Bay, seeking to re-establish for the first time in over 200 years regular trade and discourse between Japan and the western world. -
Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War conflict between France and Prussia that signaled the rise of German military power and imperialism. It was provoked by Otto von Bismarck (the Prussian chancellor) as part of his plan to create a unified German Empire. -
Franco-German War
The war of 1870–71 between France (under Napoleon III) and Prussia, in which Prussian troops advanced into France and decisively defeated the French at Sedan. The defeat marked the end of the French Second Empire.
