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1485
Richard III is killed in battle
Richard III was King of England from 1483 until his death at the battle of Bosworth field. He was the last king of the house of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat at Bosworth field, the last decisive battle of the War of the Roses, marked the end of the Middle Ages in England. -
1492
Christopher Columbus reaches the Americas
Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer, navigator and colonist who completed 4 voyages across the Atlantic Ocean. He led the first expeditions to the Caribbean, Central America and South America initiating the permanent European colonization of the Americas. -
1503
Leonardo da Vinci paints the Mona Lisa
The Mona Lisa is a half-length portrait painting by the Italian Renaissance artist Leonard da Vinci that has been described as the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world. -
1516
Thomas Moore's Utopia is published
Utopia is a work of fiction and socio-political satire by Thomas Moore published in 1516 in Latin. The book is a frame narrative primarily depicting a fictional island society and its religious, social, and political customs. -
1543
With the Supremacy Act, Henry VIII proclaims himself head of Church of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 1509 until his death. Henry was the second Tudor monarch, succeeding his father, Henry VII. Henry is best known for his six marriages, in particular his efforts to have his first marriage, to Catherine of Aragon, annulled. -
1558
Elizabeth I becomes Queen of England
Elizabeth I was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn and was Queen of England and Ireland from November 17, 1558 until her death March 24, 1603. Also known as the Virgin Queen, she was the last of the 5 monarchs in the House of Tudor. -
1564
William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon is born
William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright and actor, widely regarded as both the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His extant works, consist of approximately 39 plays, and 154 sonnets. His plays are performed more often than those of any other playwright. -
Globe Theatre is built in London
The Globe theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company the Lord Chamberlain's men. -
Shakespeare writes King Lear and Macbeth
King Lear is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It depicts the gradual descent in madness of the title character after he disposes of his kingdom by giving bequests of two of his three daughters. Macbeth is also a tragedy which the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those who seek power for its own sake. -
First permanent English settlement in North America is established at Jamestown, Virginia
The Jamestown settlement in the Colony of Virginia was the first permanent English settlement in Americas. It was established by the Virginia company of London as James Fort. Jamestown served as the capital for the colony of Virginia for 83 years from 1616 to 1699. -
Shakespeare's Sonnets are published
Shakespeare's sonnets are poems that William Shakespeare wrote on a variety of themes. All 154 of his sonnets were published all together in a quarto in 1609; although there are an additional 6 sonnets that he wrote which are included in famous works such as Romeo and Juliet, Henry V, and Love Labour's Lost. -
King James Bible is published
The King James Version otherwise known as King James Bible is an English translation of the Christian bible for the church of England begun in 1604 and was finished in 1611. The books of the King James version include the 39 books of the Old Testament, the 14 books of Apocrypha, and the 27 books of the New Testament. -
The Mayflower lands at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts
The Mayflower was an English ship that famously transported the first English puritans, also known as pilgrims from England to the New World in 1620. There were 102 passengers and estimated 30 crew members. -
Newspapers are first published in London
In England, news began to be circulated in print early in the 17th century as Newspapers. -
John Milton begins Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th century English poet John Milton. The first version, consists of 10 books with over 10 thousand lines of verse. A second edition followed in 1674 arranged in 12 books with minor revisions throughout and a note on the versification. -
Puritan Commonwealth ends; monarchy is restored with Charles II
Charles II was the king of England, Scotland, and Ireland. He was king of Scotland from 1649 until his deposition in 1651, and king of England, Scotland and Ireland from the restoration of the Monarchy in 1660 until his death.
