Northern Renaissance

Invention of the Printing Press

Jan 1, 1440

Johannes Guttenburg invented the printing press that remained the main way to printing till the late 20th century. This allowed the mass production of printed books. With the printing press was used to print the Bible (the first thing that was printed by the press) and slips of paper sold by the Catholic Church to those that committed the sin of not paying
indulgences, even if they could.

Northern Renaissance

Period: Jan 1, 1440 to Mar 24, 1603

Birth of Leonardo Da Vinci

Apr 15, 1452

Leonardo was born in the village of Vinci in Tuscany as an illegitimate child but was raised by his father. Leonardo was a genius in math, music and art so his father took him to Florence to study painting, sculpture, and engineering under Andrea del Verrocchio and was admiitted to Florence painter's guild in 1452. He is best known for his paintings, "the Mona Lisa", "The Last Supper", and the Madonna of the Rocks". He died on May 2, 1519 in Amboise, France at the Cstle of Cloux.

End of the Byzantine Empire

May 29, 1453

The end of the siege on Constinople by the Ottoman Turks, and this was marked as the end of the empire, This expedition was led by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II, and when Emperor Constantine XI was killed defending the city Santa Sophia, one of the greastest church became a mosque and many fled to Italy. This is also used by some to mark the end of the Middle Ages.

Start of Christopher Columbus' First Expedition

Aug 3, 1492

Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer that sailed the Atlantic Ocean trying to find a route to India, making a total of four trips to the Carribean and South America till 1504. Sailing for King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella of Spain, Columbus led the expedition of 3 ships, Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria. They traveled to San Salvador in October 11, 1492, islands of Hispaniola, Cuba and many other small islands.

Charles the Eighth Invades Italy

Oct 1, 1494

King Charles VIII of France invasion was one of the first invasions on Italy by a foreign power for this invasion pulled in other invasions into Italy from Spain and France. The invasion was due to the conflict with King Ferdinand I of Naples and the Pope Innocent VIII, when Ferdinand refused to pay dues to the papacy. Alfonso II suceeded Ferdinand and was a threat to Ludovico Sforza, who controlled Milan, so he encouraged Charles to invade and they captured and sieged Italy on May 20, 1495.

Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses is Posted

Oct 31, 1517

Martin Luther wrote this document that challenged the teachings of Catholic Church on nature of penance, the authority of the pope and the use of indulgences. He posted this on the door of the Castle Church of Wittenburg It is said that this started the Protestant Reformation. This is said to be copied and spread throughout Germany and then Europe.

Siege of Florence

Oct 24, 1529

This occured at the end of the War of the League of Cognac by the Spanish under Philibert of Chalon and Pier Maria III de' Rossi surrounded the city. The siege lasted till August 10, 1530, when the finally overthrew the Republic of Florence and made Alexander de' Medici as the ruler. Florence had no allies due problems and other wars in neighboring countries, and with betrayal by Florence's soilders, capture of Volterra, and the death of Francesco Ferruccio the city had to surrender.

Birth of Galileo Galilei

Feb 15, 1564

Born in PIsa, France, Galileo was the the oldest of his seven siblings, and the son of a musician and wool trader who wanted Galileo to study medicine, and at age 15, he announced to his father he wanted to become a monk. He was withdrawn from the Jesusit Monastery and 2 years later was sent to the Univeristy of Pisa to study medicine. He made the Law of the Pendulum, made accomplishments in math, Dante's Inferno, constructed a military compass, built a telescope, and supported heliocentrism.

Birth of Shakespeare

Apr 23, 1564

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, and he was baptized on April 26, 1564. Shakespeare was one of the greatest British writer with works like "Romeo and Juliet" and "Hamlet." He created 154 poems and 37 plays that ranged from histories to comedies and tragedies. He was married to Ann Hathaway and had 3 kids, Susanna and the twins Hamnet and Judith. He died on his birthday on April 23, 1616.

Death of Eizabeth the First

Mar 24, 1603

Queen Elizabeth the First died due to blood poisoning at the age of 70. England grew under her, and she encouraged Arts and literature by William Shakespeare, John Donne, and many more. During her reign, it was called the Golden Age of England with many explorers dicovering new lands. After the ececution of Robert Devereux, Elizabeth began to lose interest and lost her grip on England. Her successor was James the Sixth of Scotland on her death bed by pointing at him.