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Oct 21, 1485
Richard II is killed in battle
Richard, captured and defeated at Flint Castle by his rebellious subjects, was later imprisoned in the Tower of London by his ever rebellious cousin, Henry IV, during the Lords Appellants' rebellion. He later starved to death in captivity. -
Oct 21, 1492
Christopher Columbus reaches the Americas
In a glaring navagational mistake, Columbus discovers the Americas and begins the colonization and settlement of the New World. -
Oct 21, 1503
Leonardo da Vinci paints the "Mona Lisa"
Da Vinci completes his most famous work, a sitting of portrait of what is thought to be Lisa del Giocondo. With her enigmatic smile, the "Mona Lisa" has become the indisputable face of Renaissance art. -
Oct 21, 1516
Thomas More's "Utopia" is published
Known also by "A Truly Golden Little Book", "Utopia" describes the social, political, and religious customs of a fictional island society of a utopian island society. Thomas Moore's questionably satirical description (and subsequent solving) of European society has captured the minds of students of civilization everywhere, However, its principles flatly contradict those held by the author, causing readers to question the true motives behind its writing. -
Oct 21, 1543
With the Supremacy Act, Henry VIII proclaims himself head of the Anglican Church of England
After the Catholic Church declined to present Henry VIII with yet another marriage annullment, Henry declared himself head of the new Anglican Church of England. Later making England the home of "those rebellious Protestants", this act of defiance instigated several wars in English history. -
Oct 21, 1558
Elizabeth I becomes Queen of England
After ridding England of her half-sister, the infamous Catholic "Bloody Mary", Elizabeth ushered in the Golden Age of the British Empire. Under her rule, Britain was transformed into the world power it was destined to become; strong both economically, militarily, and politically, England was to be feared in the Catholic nations. -
Oct 21, 1564
William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon, is born
The son of John & Mary Shakespeare, he would later become the very face of the stage. His dramas and poetry have been some of the most widely-read literature of Western civilization. -
Globe Theatre is built in London
The Globe Theatre underwent a tu·mul·tu·ous history (burned, rebuilt, burned again, shut down, and moved across a river brick by brick, just to name a few). London is now home to a rebuilding of the ever-famous theatre. -
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Shakespeare writes "King Lear" and "Macbeth"
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First permanent English settlement in North America is established at Jamestown, Virginia
Founded by the Virginia Joint-Stock Company, Jamestown was the first permanent English foray into the New World. Plauged by sanitation problems, famine, lack of actual laborers, and sickness, Jamestown's early years were made even more difficult by raids conducted by their Indian neighbors. Saved by Captain John Smith, Jamestown later became a cornerstone of the settlement of North America. -
Shakespeare's sonnets are published
Shakespeare's sonnets (some of which are thought to be adressed to his lover) contain themes that range from time, mortality, death, and beauty. -
King James Bible is published
Edited to reconcile the beliefs of the Church of England and tenets of King James himself, the widely-read King James Translation of the Bible was comissioned to earn the favor of and control the beliefs of the common man. -
The Mayflower lands at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts
The "Mayflower" brought over many of the exiled English Separatist Puritans from their original place of exile, the Dutch Empire. After believing their children to be becoming "too Dutch", the Separatists set out to make a religious haven for Puritanism. -
Newspapers are first published in London
With the advent of the printing press, the common man had access to the latest news, opinions, and advertisements. Revolutionizing the way people communicated ideas, the newspaper created a new medium for discussion. -
John Milton begins "Paradise Lost"
John Milton's most famous work, his epic poem "Paradise Lost" depicts the Fall of Man and Satan post-fall from Heaven. "Paradise Lost" rivals Dante's "Divine Comedy" as the most widely known Christian-influenced outside of the Bible due to the encapsulating narrative and themes presented throughout the work, such as how marriages (previously thought to depend upon the woman and lacking love) should be mutual partnerships and the place of idolatry in the modern world. -
Puritan Commonwealth ends; monarchy is restored with Charles II
With the monarchy restored and Cromwell beheaded, Charles II was to suffer ruling during the Great Plague of London (with a death rate of 7,000 in a week). He was later tried during the Great Fire of London, joining the fire fighting force and finally stopping the destruction of England's capital city.
