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Martyrdom of the churches two greatest apostles forces church leadership into a new era.
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This signaled a shift in Christians' life and practice.
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The Edict of Milan; made by Constantine I the Roman Emperor, Christianity no longer persecuted.
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The First Council of Constantinople ratifies the Nicene Creed and condemns Apollinarianism, safeguarding a high view of Christ.
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Gregory the Great becomes pope: The "first of the medieval popes" takes on civil power and lays the foundations for the papal state. He also commissions, in 597, Augustine's mission to England, which converts the pagan Angles.
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Battle Tours: Frankish general Charles Martel halts the seemingly unstoppable Muslim invasion, keeping Europe under Christian control.
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With the help of his adviser, Alcuin, the seven- foot-tall king brings Europe political unity, a stronger church, and a renaissance of learning.
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The monastery at Cluny is founded, the genesis of a reform movement that spreads to over 1,000 communities and revitalizes monastic life for hundreds of years.
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The Latin and Greek portions of the church permanently separated into the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church.
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Deeply damaged Western Christians' relations with others, the breach between Eastern and western Christians became wide and lasting, sparked pogroms against the Jews, and the crusaders' brutality worked only to make the Muslims more militant. On an economic level, however, the Crusades increased trade and stepped up Europe's economic growth. They also led to a greater interest in travel, map making and exploration.
