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1214
Scientific Method
When using the scientific method, findings from an experiment are generalized to a wider world. The steps are as followed: observation, hypothesis, experiment, and verification. This inductive reasoning was first promoted by Roger Bacon. -
Jul 20, 1304
Petrarch
Petrarch was an Italian poet, scholar, and humanist. He is well known for his poems. His most famous poems are about a woman named Laura who he had fallen in love with in an Avignon church. -
1395
Johannes Gutenberg
Gutenberg was a German inventor who began experimenting with printing in 1438. He later on invented the movable-type printing press. This invention later on helped to create a wider literate reading public. -
1400
Humanism
Humanism was a system that focused on humans and their values. Rather than focusing on the afterlife, people began to focus on present-day life. Creativity and literature were also two of the main focuses during this time. -
1415
Perspective
Perspective is done by using geometric lines and a vanishing point. This was a technique used to make paintings look more realistic and to add three-dimensional depth and space. This technique was invented by the architect and engineer, Brunelleschi, and it led to more naturalistic styles. -
Jan 1, 1449
Lorenzo de' Medici
Lorenzo was known for being a politician, patron, and ruler. He is most commonly referred to as being the most brilliant of the Medici. Lorenzo also sponsored the famous artists Botticelli and Michelangelo. -
1450
Printing Revolution
One invention that impacted the printing revolution was the printing press. Johannes Gutenberg's invention had a big impact because it allowed people to have easier access to books. By the 1500's, at least half a million books were made. -
Apr 15, 1452
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci is most commonly known for being an artist, inventor, and a scientist. Two of his famous paintings are the 'Mona Lisa' and 'The Last Supper'. Along with his paintings, he also conceptualized the helicopter. -
Oct 27, 1466
Desiderius Erasmus
Erasmus is remembered for being a dutch humanist, priest, and teacher. He defined the humanist movement in Northern Europe. Erasmus embraced the belief in an individual's capacity for self-improvement. -
May 3, 1469
Niccolò Machiavelli
Machiavelli was a political philosopher, writer, and statesmen. He is the author of the book, 'The Prince'. In this book he discusses his vision of an ideal leader. One of his most famous quotes is, "Since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved". -
May 21, 1471
Albert Durer
Durer was an artist and a printmaker. He is more commonly known for his copper engravings. Durer painted and drew self-portraits which reflected artistic individuality. -
Feb 19, 1473
Nicolaus Copernicus
Copernicus was a mathematician and an astronomer. He proposed the idea of a heliocentric system. In the system, it was believed that the planets revolve around the sun. Copernicus' theories were considered heretical and they brought forth controversy. -
Mar 6, 1475
Michelangelo
Michelangelo was an Italian sculptor, painting, and architect. Two famous pieces of his artwork are the 'David' and 'Pieta' statues. Michelangelo also painted on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. This tedious task led to tremendous physical strain. -
Feb 7, 1478
Thomas More
More is know for being an author, humanist, and a lawyer. One of his more popular books is 'Utopia'. In this book he shares his ideas of a perfect political system. More refused to refer to King Henry VIII as head of the church. For this reason, he was beheaded. -
Apr 6, 1483
Raphael
Raphael was an Italian painter and architect. He focused on perspective and the disposition of each figure. Rather than having his figures being related to architecture, his figures were more informal and animated. One of his famous pieces of art was 'The School of Athens'. -
Nov 10, 1483
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a priest, monk, and a professor. He rejected many of the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Later on he came up with 'The 95 Theses' which consisted of a list of propositions and questions. Martin Luther refused to recant his propositions, and was excommunicated from the Catholic Church -
Jul 2, 1489
Thomas Cranmer
Cranmer is known for being the Archbishop of Canterbury. Under the reign of King Henry VIII, he drew up 'The Book of Common Prayer'. This became the only legal form of worship in the land. Cranmer was later on executed for his beliefs in Protestantism. -
Jun 28, 1491
Henry VIII
Henry VIII was King of England from 1509 until 1547. Throughout his life, he had many different health problems along with many wives. In total he married 6 women, in hopes that he would have a son. He eventually had a son named Edward VI who died before he was old enough to rule. -
1517
Sale of Indulgences
The Roman Catholic Church sold indulgences as a way to make money. Indulgences were said to lessen the time one spent in purgatory before going to heaven. Martin Luther was against the sale of indulgences and said they had no place in the Bible. -
Sep 7, 1533
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I was Queen of England from 1558 to 1603. During her reign, many Catholics were executed. This caused her to be excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church. -
1543
Heliocentric Theory
Nicolaus Copernicus proposed this idea that the planets revolve around the fixed sun. This theory never gained support because there was never an explanation as to why the relative position of the stars seemed to remain the same despite the Earth's changing viewpoints. This theory later on proved that the Geocentric theory (planets revolving around the Earth) had been false. -
Feb 15, 1564
Galileo
Galileo was an Italian polymath and astronomer. He improved the idea of the telescope and his findings laid the foundation for future scientists. Galileo also discovered that objects travel at the same rate, no matter their weight. -
Apr 23, 1564
William Shakespeare
Shakespeare was an English poet and actor. In total, he wrote a total of 37 plays. Works of William Shakespeare have been performed for more than 400 years. One popular play he wrote was, 'Romeo and Juliet', which was a tragic story between two star-crossed lovers. -
Rene Descartes
Descartes was a French mathematician and scientist. He showed that he could solve previously unsolvable problems in geometry by converting them into simpler problems in algebra. His hard work made him known as 'The Father of Modern Philosophy'. -
Isaac Newton
Newton was an English mathematician, physicist, and astronomer. He came up with the 'Three Laws of Motion'-- inertia, acceleration, and reaction. Newton also came up with 'The Law of Universal Gravitation'. This law states that all particles in the universe exerted some gravitational force.
