-
Aug 22, 1485
Richard III is killed in battle
Richard III was the King of England, for two years, and the last king of the House of York. Richard III appears in many literary works including some Shakespeare plays. Richard III was succeedded by Henry Tudor (Henry VII) after his death at the Battle of Bosworth Field. -
Oct 22, 1492
Christopher Columbus reaches the Americas
Christopher Columbus was a famous Italian explorer well known for being the first person to discover the America--However he was not. Although Columbus is falsely creditted with this dead, he did however begin the colonization in the Americas. -
Oct 22, 1503
Leonardo da Vinci paints the "Mona Lisa"
Leonardo da Vinci is a famous Renaissance mathematician, sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer. He is creditted with the upbringing of many fantastic inventions and ideas as well as an important painting--Mona Lisa. Little is known of the Mona Lisa, such as the reason for its having been painted, but the painting is said to be an oil painting of a woman and perhaps a self portrait of Leonardo, only as a woman. -
Oct 21, 1516
Thomas More's Utopia is published
Thomas More published the book Utopia in 1516. Utopia is a fictional frame narrative primarily depicting a fictional island society and its customs of life. The politics involved in Utopia have been seen to favor communism. -
Nov 26, 1543
With the Supremacy Act, Henry VIII proclaims himself head of Church of England
King Henry VIII, being a man of many women as he was, wished for a divorce in an era where this was not allowed. The Catholic Church would not allow this however.Being the King of England he found a loop-hole as he established the Supremacy Act which split his allegiance from the church and formed the Church of England, in which he became the head of. -
Nov 17, 1558
Elizabeth I becomes queen of England
Elizabeth I was the Queen of England. She was the fifth and last monarch of the tudor empire and is to this day one of the most well known monarchs of England. Queen Elizabeth I is well known for being "The Virgin Queen". -
Apr 26, 1564
William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon, is born
William Shakespeare is an English poet and playwright often referred to as the greatest writer ever. He wrote roughly 38 plays and 154 sonnets in his life time which is in no way a simple task. Although Shakespeare is so highly upheld as a writer, little is truly known about his life. Shakespeare went to grammar school for a short time and then left his wife for many years to write plays at the Globe Theatre. To this day we do not know if Shakespeare actually wrote what he is creditted for. -
Globe Theatre is built in London
The Globe Theatre was a well known theatre during the renaissance period. The Globe Theatre was home to many plays by Shakespeare. Nearly everyone who could would go to this theatre for some relaxation. It costed only 1 shilling to get in and stand and only 2 shillings to watch while sitting; It is for this that so many people were capable of watching a play in this theatre. -
Period: to
Shakespeare writes King Lear and Macbeth
Shakespeare is creditted with the writing of 38 plays, two of which are King Lear and Macbeth. Both plays are tragedies. King Lear is based on legend of Leir of Britain. Macbeth is considered Shakespeare's darkest tragedy and was wrote for the King of Scotland. -
First permament English settlement in North America is established at Jamestown, Virginia.
Jamestown was a colony in Virginia and the first colony in the Americas. Jamestown is named after King James I King of England. Jamestown was discovered and settled by the first pilgrims to come to America by the request of the King, who wished for them to colonize in the Americas. -
Shakespeare's sonnets are published
William Shakespeare was creditted with the publishing of 154 sonnets. His sonnets to this day are extremely well known and viewed as the best of literature. It is not known if Shakespeare is the true writer of these 154 sonnets. -
King James Bible is published
The King James Bible is an English translation of the Bible and one of the most common versions of the Bible. -
The Mayflower lands at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts
The Mayflower was a Pilgrim ship full of 102 passengers who were trying to escape prosecution for their religious beliefs. The Pilgrims finally decided to set up "camp" at Plymouth beause of the lack of Native Americans and the winter weather wasnt as bad there as in other places. -
Newspapers are first published in London
Corante was published by the printer Nathaniel Butter in London. The earliest of the seven surviving copies is dated September 24, 1621, but it is thought that this single page news sheet began publication earlier in 1621. Corante was the first private newspaper published in English. As a result of a 1586 edict from the Star Chamber, it carried no news about England -
John Milton begins "Paradise Lost"
Paradise Lost is an epic poem by the poet John Milton. The poem concerns the Biblical story of the Fall of Man: the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Milton's purpose, stated in Book I, is to "justify the ways of God to men". -
Puritan Commonwealth ends; Monarchy is restored with Charles II
The Restoration of the English monarchy began when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Restoration refers to the monarch literally being restored and how a new political system was established.
