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313
Constantine Converts
Emperor Constantine legalizes the worship of christianity and is the first emperor to convert his religion to christianity. This was a big deal because now followers could not be prosecuted and Sunday was made a holiday so that people could go to church. His mother exposed christianity to him, and he claims all of his accomplishments were because of God. -
323
Alexander the Great dies
Alexander died suddenly on account of being poisoned. Although, it is sepculated that he may have died from natural causes such as malaria or west nile virus. There was no immediate heir to take his place, but a bodyguard and Alexander's son were named joint kings. The people didn't like this. Once the bodyguard, Perdiccas, was assassinated, the unity of the Macedonians fell apart. Many years of war began between the Successors, and that part of Europe was divided into four areas of power. -
527
Byzantine Emperor
Known as the "emperor who never sleeps", because of the way he worked, Justinian I was crowned when his uncle died in 527. Through various modifications, such as an improvement in some of the western areas, expanding Roman control, and the rewriting of Roman law, he was able to restore the empire to a considerable degree. This was important because his reign was a time of great recovery for the Eastern Roman Empire, that is, until the spread of the bubonic plauge. -
Nov 27, 1095
The Crusades
These were a chain of expeditions by the Christians in order to retake control over the holy city of Jerusalem from the Muslims. The Byzantine emperor asked the pope for help in defending the empire from Muslim attacks. The pope then sought help from Christians to unite in a crusade in opposition to the Muslims. It's important because Jerusalem had a significance to both religions, and although the Christians did not regain control, they benefited increased trade and insight into other cultures. -
Jan 1, 1337
The Hundred Years' War
In 1337, the King of England, Edward III, claimed he was the ruler of France as well. He believed this because his mother was a French princess, and once her brothers died, the throne was given to the Valois cousin. It officially lasted 116 years but was separated by individual wars. It's important because although it was age of military and technological advancements, it also was an evolution of French culture. For example, they gained the inspirational figure, Joan of Arc. -
Jan 1, 1346
Black Death
The black plague began around the mid-1300's in Asia. Goods from Asia went through the Mediterranean Sea, the plague along with it. Rodents and people caused it to spread throughout the trade routes. In 1350, the bubonic plague killed 35% of London's population. Early outbreaks were near southern Italy. The disease took the lives of many workers. This event was important because it took out about 1/3 of Europe's population which changed their society greatly. -
Jan 1, 1498
Da Vinci paints The Last Supper
Leonardo Da Vinci painted The Last Supper in 1498 for a partisan. During this time, the Renaissance was reaching the top of its game. Leonardo is acclaimed as a painter, but he is also known for being a scientist, inventor, architect, and having many other talents. This event was important because it happened during the Italian Renaissance movement. It was a extraordinary time for Europe filled with outstanding works of art, science, and religion. -
Age of Enlightenment
During this movement of learning, questioning, the famous composer Mozart was born. Like the sharing of knowledge and ideas, music was being looked at differently. Music wasn't just for religious purposes anymore, it was now used to for recreation and pleasure. Mozart was a child prodigy that contibuted great amounts of his work to the enlightenment era. This event was important because it was a time when society was becoming reformed and music also played a role in the movement of intelligence. -
Germany invades Poland
In 1933, Adolf Hitler and the Nazis took power in Germany. The most destructive war of all was between two groups of countries. The Axis nations, which included Germany, Japan, and Itlay, wanted to expand their boundaries by taking control of surrounding countries. In 1939, Germany invaded Poland. France and the United Kingdom both had pacts with Poland, so on September 3rd they declared war on Germany. This was important because it guaranteed the possibility of a second world war. -
Charlemagne
During the chaos within Western Europe, the pope crowned Charlemagne, formerly the King of the Franks, as Emperor of the West. In order to clean up this part of the country, he appointed officials with authority to control legal matters, whereas bishops handled religious happenings. The crowning of Charlemagne was important because he helped make the west better than it was through the many ideas and resolutions he made.
