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Sep 3, 1343
University of Pisa is Founded (daily life and culture of the renaissance)
The University of Pisa was founded by Pope Clement VI. There have been lectures on law in Pisa since the 11th century, but Clement VI formally founded the school. The University of Pisa is now one of the most important universites in Italy. https://www.britannica.com/event/Fall-of-Constantinople-1453 -
May 18, 1410
The Invention of Oil Paints (inventions)
Oil paints were invented by Jan van Eyck. Since the base of the paints is oil, the paint was able to be manipulated and didn't dry as fast. This allowed artists to be able to capture a more natural look. https://www.smore.com/p5su2-oil-paints -
Jan 26, 1429
Cosimo de Medici Inherits the Family Bank (patron of the arts)
On this day in 1429, Cosimo's dad, Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici, died. Cosimo inherited the family bank and all of his dad's property. This gave way to one of the greatest Italian families of Renaissance. The Medicis sponsored many famous painters and helped spread the popularity of the arts. https://revolutionarypeoplefromtherenaissance.weebly.com/cosimo-de-medici.html -
Jul 6, 1434
University of Catania is Founded (daily life and culture of the renaissance)
The University of Catania was founded when the king of Spain and Sicily, Alfonso of Aragon, and Pope Eugene IV gave their authorization. It is located in the Kingdom of Sicily in Catania, Italy. It is also the oldest university in Sicily. https://www.unict.it/en/university/history -
Aug 10, 1440
The Invention of the Printing Press (inventions)
The printing press was invented in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg. This invention allowed for copying of books to go much faster. The printing press also helped the spread of Martin Luther's 95 Theses and the German bible. https://www.smore.com/q96dw -
Apr 15, 1452
Leonardo da Vinci is Born (renaissance art and artists)
Leonardo da Vinci, one of the most famous Renaissance men, is born on this day. He was born in Anchiano, Italy. This is located in central Italy. https://www.biography.com/people/leonardo-da-vinci-40396 -
Period: Apr 6, 1453 to May 29, 1453
The Fall of Constantinople (daily life and culture of the renaissance)
The fall of Constantinople forced thousands of people from their homes in search of another place that they could call home. Many of these people brought ideas and philosophies that were not common in the very western part of Europe. The fall of the city also ended the Byzantine empire. https://www.britannica.com/event/Fall-of-Constantinople-1453 -
Jul 21, 1471
Sixtus IV is Appointed Pope (catholic church (pre-reformation))
Sixtus IV aimed to increase the power of his family and the Papal States. One of the things that he is more well known for is building the Sistine Chapel. He also created the Vatican Archives. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sixtus-IV -
Jul 7, 1483
The Medici Family Protects the Philosopher Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (patron of the arts)
Giovanni Pico della Mirandola was declared a heretic after writing his 900 Treatises. The Medici family protected Giovanni for as long as they could before he was excommunicated. The church didn't agree with what he was writing and decided to stop him from spreading his message. This paved the way for more people to come forward about what was wrong with the church. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pico-della-mirandola/ -
Apr 10, 1498
The Last Supper is Completed (renaissance art and artists)
The Last Supper is a painting by Leonardo da Vinci. The painting features Jesus at a table with his followers. This is considered one of the greatest paintings from the Renaissance. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/early-europe-and-colonial-americas/renaissance-art-europe-ap/a/leonardo-last-supper -
Jul 28, 1503
The Mona Lisa is Completed (renaissance art and artists)
The Mona Lisa is a painting by Leonardo da Vinci. Da Vinci painted many classics and the Mona Lisa is no exception. Millions of people from around the world travel to see this painting every year. http://www.lairweb.org.nz/leonardo/mona.html -
Period: Jan 23, 1506 to
St. Peter's Basilica is Built (catholic church (pre-reformation))
The building of St. Peter's Basilica was started by Pope Julius II and ended under Paul V. It was built using the three-aisled Latin cross design. This also features a dome directly above the high altar, which also happens to cover the shrine of St. Peter the Apostle. This structure was important to the Renaissance because it captures some of the popular architectural designs of the era. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Saint-Peters-Basilica -
Period: Jan 28, 1508 to Apr 4, 1512
The Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is Painted (renaissance art and artists)
The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is home to a huge masterpiece. This such masterpiece was painted by Michaelangelo. This work is timeless and an important part of European history. http://www.italianrenaissance.org/a-closer-look-michelangelos-painting-of-the-sistine-chapel-ceiling/ -
Jun 6, 1516
The Education of A Christian Prince (literary works)
The Education of A Christian Prince was a book written by Desiderius Erasmus during the Renaissance. This book was basically a how-to guide on how to be a good Christian prince. This book educated a lot of males in the renaissance. http://www.theeducationist.info/erasmus-education-of-christian-prince-summary-and-review/ -
Oct 31, 1517
95 Theses (martin luther and the protestant reformation)
This is the day that Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle church. Luther was fed up with the teachings of the Catholic church. He had grown more and more angry with the selling of indulgences and the new "special indulgences" that were even more expensive. This was the start of the Protestant Reformation. http://www.history.com/topics/martin-luther-and-the-95-theses -
May 2, 1519
Leonardo da Vinci Dies (renaissance art and artists)
One of the most famous Renaissance men of the era died on this day in 1519. Leonardo da Vinci was an amazing artist and a jack of all trades. His cause of death was a stroke. https://www.biography.com/people/leonardo-da-vinci-40396 -
Jan 3, 1521
Martin Luther is Excommunicated (martin luther and the protestant reformation)
On this day in 1521, Pope Leo X issued the papal bull that excommunicated Martin Luther from the church. The church had tried many times to get Luther to repent and take back what he said against the church. Every single time, Luther stood by what he believed. Luther left the church and took his followers with him. https://blog.oup.com/2012/01/luther/ -
Oct 11, 1521
Defender of the Faith
After Henry VIII of England wrote Defence of the Seven Sacraments in opposition to Luther, he was rewarded with the title Defender of the Faith. This was awarded to him by Pope Leo X. This shows how much the church disagreed with Luther and how much they wanted to silence him. https://www.britannica.com/topic/defender-of-the-faith -
Sep 20, 1525
The New Testament is published in English (martin luther and the protestant reformation)
The New Testament of the Bible is published in English. It was published in Worms, Germany. This opened up a whole new world for all the English speakers of the Cristian faith. It allowed many more people to read and understand the Bible in their own ways. https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/william-tyndales-new-testament -
Sep 15, 1543
The Heliocentric Theory is Presented (scientific discoveries)
Galileo Galili proposed the theory that the sun was at the center of all the planets. He believed that all the planets revolved around the sun. It took a while for this belief to gain popularity. As more evidence was found to prove the theory, more and more people believed it. muse.tau.ac.il/museum/galileo/heliocentric.html -
Nov 30, 1543
The Scientific Method Theory is Proposed (scientific theories)
The scientific method is a set of techniques for testing phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, and correcting and integrating previous knowledge. This theory was proposed through the work of Nicolaus Copernicus and Galileo Galilei. The scientific method paved the way for multitudes of scientific findings and understandings of the world around us. https://explorable.com/who-invented-the-scientific-method -
Romeo and Juliet (literary works)
Romeo and Juliet is arguably the most famous of all the works by Shakespeare. It has inspired thousands of movies, books, and paintings. At the time it was written, Romeo and Juliet made sense, but to modern day people, it doesn't. However, any story about forbidden love will tug at the heartstrings of any generation. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Romeo-and-Juliet -
The Rings of Saturn are Discovered (scientific discoveries)
On this day in 1610, Galileo discovered the Rings of Saturn on one of his own telescopes. Saturn is the sixth planet from the sin and the second largest planet in the solar system. This discovery was important because it opened minds to the possibility of things existing that we haven't seen yet. https://www.space.com/48-saturn-the-solar-systems-major-ring-bearer.html -
Macbeth (literary works)
On this day in 1623, Macbeth by William Shakespeare was published. Macbeth is a play about a man who relies on the foretellings of three witches. He relies too heavily on these prophecies and ends up driving himself insane and getting himself killed. This was one of Shakespeare's most popular works and solidified him as one of the best writers of the era. http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/macbeth/facts/ -
The Invention of Matches (inventions)
The match was invented in 1680 by Robert Boyle. He was the first person to lay out the groundwork for a physical match. The match allowed for fires to be made easily and efficiently. https://www.smore.com/7e1sc
