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Jan 1, 900
Earliest Form of Polyphonic Music is Created
The first form of practical polyphonic music was created around the 10th century. It is the earliest form of polyphonic music that has been found. Experts have pinpointed the origin of the piece to somewhere around north-western Germany. Polyphonic music became really popular in the renaissance. (http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/earliest-known-piece-of-polyphonic-music-discovered) -
Jan 1, 1283
First Appearance of the European Lute
One of the first appearances of the European lute is found in a drawing in the Libro de Juegos or Book of Games. It depicts a Christan woman playing the lute. This is the first time someone other than an Arab is seen playing the lute. The lute became a popular instrament in the renaissance. (http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/lute/hd_lute.htm) -
Jan 1, 1300
First Doublet Appeared
The doublet appeared in the late 1200s and early 1300s. The garment was crafted to wear underneath plate armor since the body needed padding from the newly developed plate armor. By the late fourteenth century, the doublet became more of an everyday article of clothing instead of something to wear underneath plate armor. (http://fashion-history.lovetoknow.com/clothing-types-styles/doublet) -
Feb 16, 1309
Pope Clement V moved the Papacy to Avignon
After Pope Philip IV had an argument with the king, the next pope, Pope Clement V, moved the papacy to Avignon in 1309. The papacy stayed there until 1377. After this, many people felt that the french kings had a lot of influence on the church leading to the corruption Martin Luther had an issue with.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avignon_Papacy) -
Jan 1, 1448
The Printing Press is Invented
Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1448. He created a better more efficient form of printing. The Chinese created a way to print in 868, but Gutenberg improved their methods and created a way to print without making a new set of woodcuts. Luther's followers later used the printing press to spread his 95 Theses. (Gutenberg Reading and Review document) -
Aug 1, 1464
Cosimo Medici Dies
Cosimo Medici was a wealthy banker who greatly supported the arts. Cosimo greatly supported the arts. He had always been interested in the Humanities. -
Feb 16, 1477
Sandro Botticelli Starts to Make the Primavera
Sandro Botticelli started one of his famous painting the Primavera in 1477. The painting depicts several roman gods which were popular during the renaissance. The painting shows the obsession everyone had with the ancient Romans and Greeks. (http://www.italianrenaissance.org/a-closer-look-botticellis-primavera/) -
Jan 1, 1478
The Canterbury Tales are Published
The Canterbury Tales was a literary work written by Geoffery Chaucer and published in 1478. The tales follow a group of pilgrims traveling from London to Canterbury. The Canterbury tales are one of the first literary works that isn't scripture.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Canterbury_Tales) (https://goo.gl/1G9sWL) -
Feb 16, 1482
Sandro Botticelli Starts to Work on the Birth of Venus
Sandro starts to work on his most famous painting, the Birth of Venus in 1482. The painting features the Roman goddess, Venus again representing the fascination with Roman and Greek culture. (http://www.uffizi.org/artworks/the-birth-of-venus-by-sandro-botticelli/) -
Nov 10, 1483
Martin Luther is Born
Martin Luther is born November 10, 1483, in Eisleben, Saxony. His parents, Hans and Margarette Luther, were peasants. Hans worked hard in the coal mines to put Luther through school. Luther ended up becoming a monk and being a key part in the protestant reformation.
(http://www.biography.com/people/martin-luther-9389283) -
Apr 9, 1492
Lorenzo Medici dies
He ruled Florence from 1478-1492. He was seen as very wise. He is very well known for being a patron of the arts and protected Botticelli and Leonardo De Vinci. -
Feb 16, 1501
Michelangelo Starts to Create his Sculpture David
Michelangelo started work on his famous sculpture David in 1501. His depiction of David is extremely detailed and magnificent. It depicts biblical events like the paintings of the middle ages. (http://www.accademia.org/explore-museum/artworks/michelangelos-david/) -
Feb 16, 1503
Leonardo Da Vinci Starts Work on the Mona Lisa
Leonardo starts to create one of his most famous paintings, the Mona Lisa, in 1503. Leonardo liked to depict perfect human beings and, like other artistic works of the renaissance, did not feature any scenes from scripture. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa) -
Nov 1, 1512
Michelangelo Finishes the Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
Michelangelo was recruited to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in 1508. The Chapel ceiling has several scenes from scripture including the famous Creation. It is an amazing piece of art to come out of the renaissance.
(http://www.history.com/news/7-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-sistine-chapel) -
Mar 9, 1513
Pope Leo X is made the Pope
Pope Leo X succeeded Pope Julius II. He was admitted as Pope on March 9, 1513. He is known mainly for the selling of indulgences and excommunicating Martin Luther. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Leo_X) -
Oct 31, 1517
Luther Nails the 95-Theses on the Church Door
Martin Luther nails his 95-theses on the door of the Church of Wittenburg. Luther's followers then take the theses and print them using the printing press. These theses help people realize the corruption in the church and is a key event in the protestant reformation.
(http://www.biography.com/people/martin-luther-9389283) -
May 8, 1521
Edict of Worms is Released
Martin Luther appears before the diet of Worms and they asked him to recant his Theses. Luther refused so the council released the Edict of Worms which declared Luther a heretic and banned his writings. This showed that the church would not change it's ways and led to Luther making a church of his own. (http://www.biography.com/people/martin-luther-9389283) -
Feb 16, 1532
The Prince is Published
The Prince is a book written by Niccolò Machiavelli. Originally, it was written in Italian and talks about how a prince or ruler should behave. It is a very influential piece of writing that came out of the Renaissance.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prince) -
Feb 16, 1543
Copernicus Publishes his Theory on the Center of the Universe
Copernicus published his theory in 1543. Prior to this, everyone thought that Earth was the center of the universe. Copernicus didn't agree with it and created the heliocentric model. The church did not like this since it went against the bible. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copernican_heliocentrism) -
Romeo and Juliet is Published
Romeo and Juliet is a very famous literary work that came out of the renaissance. Many adaptions of the play have been created and many authors have used Romeo and Juliet as inspiration for their own works. The famous play was written by William Shakespeare and published sometime in 1597. (https://goo.gl/gjVNtK) -
The Telescope is Invented
Galileo Galilei created the telescope in 1609. He eventually was able to create a telescope with the magnification power of 30 and used his invention to find proof that Earth is not the center of the universe. The church didn't like this discovery and pronounced him a heretic. (http://www.inventionware.com/renaissance-inventions/) -
Jupiter's Moons are Discovered
Galileo Galilei discovered four Jupiter's moons proving the geocentric model incorrect. He discovered the moons sometime from December 1609 to January 1610. The church tried to shut down his discoveries since it went against their teachings. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galilean_moons#Discovery) -
St. Peter's Basilica was Finished
The building of St. Peter's Basilica started on April 18, 1506. It is one of the largest churches in the world. Pope Julius II made the decision to rebuild the Basilica in 1505. The building took 120 years to complete. One way the construction was funded was through selling indulgences. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Peter's_Basilica#History) -
Isaac Newton's Book is Published
Isaac Newton's book, Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, is published in 1687. It is seen as the most influential book on physics and contains his three laws of motion. These laws helped Newton discover even more scientific breakthroughs.(http://www.biography.com/people/isaac-newton-9422656#publishing-principia) -
First Steam Engine is Invented
Thomas Savery created the first steam engine. He demonstrated his invention before King William III, who gave him a patent.
(http://www.inventionware.com/renaissance-inventions/)
