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Sep 1, 1347
Plague
http://www.historytoday.com/ole-j-benedictow/black-death-greatest-catastrophe-ever
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PFv2Zy4Opw0 Read and watch to learn about how the Plague impacted Europe for generations to come. -
Jan 1, 1450
Printing Press
http://historyguide.org/intellect/press.html The invention of the printing press signifies the beginning of the Renaissance in Europe. -
Oct 12, 1492
Columbus Lands in "The Americas"
This begins the Era of Exploration and establishes Spain as the strongest and richest European power for years to come.
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/columbus.htm -
Jan 1, 1516
Leonardo DaVinci in France
DaVinci's move from Italy to France essentially brings Northern Europe into the Renaissance.
http://www.vinci-closluce.com/en/decouvrir-le-clos-luce/l-exposition-leonard-de-vinci-et-la-france/ -
Oct 1, 1517
The 95 Theses
When Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the door of the church at Wittenberg, he sparked the beginning of the Protestant Reformation and a complete upheaval of the existing system of religious power and corruption in the Catholic Church. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/history/1500-1600-Renaissance-Reformation/protestant-reformation/a/an-introduction-to-the-protestant-reformation -
Jan 1, 1534
Henry VIII Breaks with the Church
When King Henry VIII of England named himself head of the Church of England, he broke all bonds with the Catholic Church, spreading Protestantism farther from its source in Germany and sparking religious conflict in England for years to come. http://history.parkfieldict.co.uk/tudors/henry-viii-and-the-church -
Defeat of the Spanish Armada
The defeat of the Spanish Armada by the English fleet marked the end of Spain's domination of the seas and, with it, the American colonies. http://www.elizabethi.org/contents/armada/ -
Globe Theatre
The opening of the theatre in which Shakespeare would premiere his most famous plays signifies the beginning of a dramatic literary legacy that has influenced writers, painters, composers, etc. ever since. Shakespeare has remained relevant even today and can truly be considered ahead of his time on a variety of social issues.
http://shakespeare.mit.edu -
"Leviathan" Published
The publishing of Thomas Hobbes' political and societal theories in "Leviathan" marks, for many, the point at which the Enlightenment Age began in Europe. The work sparked an age of reason and thinking, later influencing the overthrow and restructuring of the governments across Europe and in the Americas. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3207 -
Flying Shuttle
The invention of the flying shuttle was by no means the most momentous occassion of the industrial revolution in Europe, but it did mark the beginning of a long line of inventions that led to the mechanical age and the skyrocketing of the textile industry. http://m.search.eb.com/topic/313657 -
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was essentially a war between European powers over colonial territory (the French and the English). However, the end of the war brought about much greater ramifications that would eventually spark the American Revolution and a great loss to Britain. http://www.history.com/topics/french-and-indian-war -
Tennis Court Oath
The Tennis Court Oath marks the point at which the middle class and common people of France refused to no longer have a political voice. This day is the symbolic beginning of the long and bloody conflict of the French Revolution, which influenced so many other countries in the years after it. http://historyguide.org/intellect/tennis_oath.html -
Napoleon's Coup d'etat
The point at which Napoleon gained control of France was the point at which all of Europe became wary of its strength to defend itself. Napoleon's wars to conquer gained France a massive amount of territory and created a mess for Europe to clean up when he was finally exiled. http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/wars_napoleonic.html -
Factory Acts
The Factory Acts were the first pieces of legislation passed in England that protected against child labor, which opened up a flood of social justice legislation in the following centuries. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/1833-factory-act/ -
Berlin Conference
The Berlin Conference marks the beginning of the Age of Imperialism. The great countries of Europe essentially "carved up Africa" and created conflicts that are still felt today. http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195337709.001.0001/acref-9780195337709-e-0467 -
Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand
This event is considered by many to be the catalyst that catapulted Europe into World War One, a conflict which would leave France and Germany decimated and bring America onto the world stage. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/archduke-franz-ferdinand-assassinated -
Hitler Becomes Chancellor
When Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany, the German people were desperate for relief and for someon on whom to place their troubles. Hitler gave them a scapegoat and continued to commit some of the worst crimes against humanity the 20th century had seen, spreading throughout Europe until Germany's defeat at the end of World War Two. http://www.theholocaustexplained.org/ks3/the-nazi-rise-to-power/how-did-the-nazis-gain-support/hitler-becomes-chancellor/ -
European Union
After centuries of disunity amongst the countries of Europe, the establishment of the European Union signified a new era of relative peace and common goals. http://europa.eu/index_en.htm
