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Jan 1, 1300
The Renaissance begins in Italy
In the 1300's the Renaissance begins in some Italian city states such as Flourence, Milan, and Mantua. It was an explosion of creativity in art, writing, and thought. Many advances were made in the time period of the renaissance that set the foundation for today's world. -
Sep 9, 1300
Osman founds Ottoman state
The most successful ghazi (warrior for islam) was Osman. He built a small Muslim state in Anatolia between 1300 and 1326. His followers were called "Ottomans". His succesors expanded the state more and more turning it into a vast empire. Their military success was mostly based on the use of gunpowder. -
Sep 21, 1398
Timur the Lame destroys Delhi
Permanently injured by an arrow in the leg, he was called Timur the Lame. He halted the expansion of the Ottoman empire by burning the powerful city of Baghdad to the ground. He was a rebellious warrior and conquerer from Samarkand in Central Asia. -
Sep 9, 1400
Development of Humanism
Humanism developed from the study of classical texts. It focused on human potential and achievements. Humanists influenced artists and achitects to carry on classical traditions. They also popularized the study of subjects common to classical education, such as history, literature, and philosophy. -
Jan 1, 1452
Printing Press invented
A craftsman named Johann Gutenberg from Mainz, Germany developed a printing press. The new process made it possible to produce books quickly and cheaply. It enabled a printer to produce hundresds of copies of a single work. In the same amount of time that a copyist could produce a single book, one man and a printing press could produce five hundred books. -
Sep 21, 1453
Ottomans take over Constantinople
Mehmed II achieved the most dramatic feat in Ottoman history. In 1453 he launched his attack on Constantinople. The city held out for seven weeks while being attacked from two sides. Finally the Turks found a break in the wall and entered the city. Now called Mehmed the Conquerer, he opened the city to new citizens of many religions and renamed the city Instanbul. -
Sep 21, 1501
Safavids conquer Persia
In 1499 a twelve year old named Isma'il began to seize most of what is now Iran. He completed the task two years later. He took the title of Shah (king) and established Shi'a Islam as the state religion. -
Sep 21, 1509
Henry VIII becomes King
Henry VIII was a devout Catholic and wrote a stinging attack on Luther's ideas. The Pope then gave him the title "Defender of the Faith". He married his older brother Arthur's widow, Catherine of Aragon. He was in desperate need of a male heir, so he had many wives. -
Sep 9, 1517
Martin Luther leads the Reformation
Martin Luther decided to take a public stand against the actions of a friar named Johann Tetzel. He was selling indulgences to raise money to rebuild St. Peter's Catherdral in Rome. He gave people the impression that by buying indulgences they could buy their way into heaven. In response Luther wrote 95 theses attacking the "pardon-merchants". His actions began the reformation. -
Sep 21, 1526
Babur founds Mughal Empire
Babur built up an army, swept down into India and laid down the foundation for the vast Mughal Empire. He was a brilliant military general and had led 12,000 troops to victory against an army of 100,000. After his death, his son took over and lost most of the territory that his father had worked so hard to gain. -
Sep 9, 1529
Protestantism develops
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity. It developed out of the Reformation. The term "protestant" was applied to Christians who belonged to non-Catholic churches. There were only three distinct branches of protestantism at first, Lutheranism, Calvinism, and Anglicanism. -
Sep 9, 1534
King Henry VIII starts the church of England
In 1534 Parliament voted to aprove the Act of Supremacy. This called on people to take an oath recognizing the divorce of Henry VIII and Catherine. It also accepted Henry, not the pope, as the official head of England's church. -
Sep 20, 1559
Elizabeth I Restores Protestantism
Elizabeth I was determined to return her kingdom to Protestantism. In 1559 Parliament set up the Anglican church with Elizabeth as its head. Elizabeth decided to establish a state church that moderate Catholics and moderate Protestants might both accept. -
Shah Abbas I rules Safavid Empire
Shah Abbas took the throne in 1587. He reformed aspects of both military and civilian life. He built a new capitol at Esfahan, which was considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world. He brought hundreds of chinese artisans to Esfahan. This gave rise to artwork that blended Chinese and Persian ideas. -
Taj Mahal built
Leader of Mughal Empire Shah Jahan had a passion for beautiful buildings and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. After her death in 1631, he ordered that a tomb be built "as beautiful as she was beautiful". Fine white marble and fabulous jewels were gathered from many parts of Asia. This memorial was known as the Taj Mahal. It has been called one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.
