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1231
Inquisition
The Inquisition was a method the Catholic Church used to combat heresy. The inquisition was happening during the Renaissance and Middle Ages where people who were said to be against the Catholic Church were tried as heretics and burned at the stake. It is known best from Spain where many people were killed falsely for being heretics. -
Jul 20, 1304
Petrarch
Petrarch is regarded as one of the first Humanists. He was an Italian scholar and poet. His philosophy set the path for the rest of Renaissance Italian Humanists and philosophers. He is also credited with shaping modern day Italian with his poems to Laura, his beloved. -
1400
Johann Gutenburg
Johann Gutenburg was a German inventor who invented the printing press. Gutenburg's creation massively sped up the creation of books with it's movable type blocks. His printing press reduce the price of books and allowed for the spread of books throughout all of Europe. This contributed greatly to the spread of the Renaissance and knowledge throughout Northern Europe, and later the rest of Europe. -
1400
Humanism
Humanism was a series of philosophies that was developed in Italy during the Renaissance. Humanists believed in critical thinking over superstition. They believed in individualism for humans, and many of the prominent Renaissance figures were Humanists, like Petrarch. -
1415
Perspective
Perspective was a type of art developed during the Renaissance in Italy. Perspective was a form of art that would have the artist draw solid objects on a two dimensional surface to show the right depth, width, and height. This form of art was implemented by many of the well known Renaissance artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael. -
1440
Printing Revolution
The Printing Revolution was kick started by Johann Gutenberg. His improvement of the printing press allowed for books to become more widely available. This caused a massive spread of knowledge to Europeans, and the spread of Renaissance ideas all across Europe and eventually the whole world. -
Apr 15, 1452
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci was a Renaissance sculpture, artist, engineer, architect, and inventor. He was born in Anchiano, Tuscany in Italy. He is most famous for painting the "Mona Lisa" and "The Last Supper", though he did invent models for flying machines and would dissect cadavers to learn about the human body. -
Oct 27, 1466
Erasmus
Erasmus was a Dutch humanist during the early parts of the Northern Renaissance. He is best known for the translation of the New Testament to Greek. His translation helped to spread the Reformation all across Northern Europe. -
Feb 29, 1468
Pope Paul III
Pope Paul III was the last pope of the Renaissance, and the first pope of the Counter Reformation. He is known best for supporting the arts, and starting off the Counter Reformation to get people to come back to the Catholic Church. He was the pope who made the Council of Trent in 1545. -
May 3, 1469
Machiavelli
Machiavelli was an Italian Renaissance philosopher and is best known for his book "The Prince". "The Prince" was a book for rulers in Europe which explained how to be a good and just ruler. His book brought him much criticism from around Europe. -
Feb 19, 1473
Copernicus
Copernicus was a Polish astronomer who made the heliocentric model of the solar system. His ideas weren't what the Church believed,so his second book on his model of the solar system was banned by the Catholic Church years after he died. -
Mar 6, 1475
Michelangelo
Michelangelo was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculpture, poet, and architect. He is famous for the paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. He is also famous for the sculptures "David" and "Pieta". -
Feb 7, 1478
Thomas More
Thomas More is best known for writing the book "Utopia". He is also known for refusing to accept King Henry VIII as the head of the Church of England. Henry had Thomas killed, and as a result the Church made him a saint. -
Apr 6, 1483
Raphael
Raphael was an Italian Renaissance artist and architect. He is known for his Madonnas and for his life like sculptures in the Vatican. He is also known for his fresco "The School of Athens". -
Nov 10, 1483
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German theologian who is known for starting the Protestant Reformation. The Reformation began when he wrote the 95 thesis. He translated the bible into the vernacular, which also sped along the Reformation. -
Jun 28, 1491
Henry VIII
Henry VIII was a king of England during the Reformation. He is best known for breaking The Church of England away from the Catholic Church so he could divorce his wife. Before he died he had had six wives in total, all to get a male heir. -
Jul 10, 1509
John Calivn
John Calvin was a French theologian, who was one of the Protestant Reformation's first shaper's. He was popular after Martin Luther, but still had a tremendous effect on the Reformation. His ideas shaped the Reformation as a whole, and brought out a whole new sect of Christians. -
1517
Sale of Indulgences
The sale of indulgences was a method the Catholic Church used to gather money from the people of Europe. Indulgences were a pardon for sins, and to get a pardon you could give the Church money. This led to major corruption in the Church, and was a big part of the reason many people left the Catholic Church during the Reformation. -
Sep 7, 1533
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I was a daughter of King Henry VIII, and Queen of England. She is best known for calming the religious turmoil brought on by Mary Tudor and her father. Her rule was given the name the Elizabethan Era, due to it being a golden age of sorts for England. -
1543
Heliocentric Theory
The Heliocentric theory was a theory created by Copernicus that said that the sun was the center of the solar system. This theory was not what the Church believed, as they believed in the Geocentric model which said the Earth was the center of the solar system. Copernicus's theory went against what many people of the time believed, and his claim led to many other astronomers to research his claim. -
1545
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent was a bid by the Catholic Church to get people to come back to the Church and end the Protestant Reformation. The council took place in Trento, Italy. It is where Pope Paul III started the Counter Reformation by banning the sale of indulgences. -
Jan 22, 1561
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon is known for being an English lawyer and a scientist. He was an English statesman who is best known for promoting the scientific method. He believed in Aristotal's teachings, which lead him to believing in the scientific method. -
1564
William Shakesepeare
William Shakespeare was an English writer, actor, and poet during the late 1500s and early 1600s. Between 1590 and 1613 he wrote around 37 plays. His plays have been read in schools for hundreds of years after his death. His plays have also been made into Broadway shows, as well as some of his plays. -
Feb 15, 1564
Galileo
Galileo was a Renaissance astronomer and mathematician from Italy. His discoveries in the field of science have shaped modern science tremendously. He is known for improving the telescope, and for improving the scientific method. -
Isaac Newton
Isaac Newton was an English physicist who is best known for his laws of gravity. He made discoveries in optics, motion, and mathematics. He shaped the way for modern physics to be where it is today.
