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1347
The Black Death in Europe
The Black Death was an illness caused by the virus Yersinia pestis. While it was in Europe, if you were to catch it, it would take under two weeks to kill you. Due to the huge decrease in population in Europe after the Black Death, people started questioning the Church's teachings, making it lose power. In addition, the decrease in population lead to the fall of Feudalism in Europe. -
1440
Gutenberg's Printing Press
Johannes Gutenberg developed a system of a movable type printing press to speed of the process of printing. Stamps of single pages of books were carved and used multiple times to produce multiple books. Now that the cost and time spent on producing books decreased significantly, there was an increase in easily accessible education and knowledge. -
1475
Adoration of the Magi
The Adoration of the Magi was painted by Sandro Botticelli, a painter during the Italian Renaissance. This painting was commission for the Medici family, which was the main banker family in Florence, Italy. The painting itself contain depictions of Medici family members, and even Botticelli himself. Although it is a very realistic painting, some people were opposed to the depiction of Mary and Jesus in struggle. -
1509
Juan Ponce de León in Puerto Rico
After hearing report of gold being found in Puerto Rico, Ponce de León traveled, explored, and settle there. While there, he founded the colony's oldest settlement, Caparra, which is near modern day San Juan. When he returned to Hispaniola, he was named governor or Puerto Rico. This exploration inspired him to continue exploring and finding new land to settle. -
1511
School of Athens
The School of Athens is a fresco in the Sistine Chapel created by Raphael, a painter during the Italian Renaissance. This painting is a great example of the art style during the Renaissance because it shows realistic perspective, the draping of clothing, and light's response to its environment. -
1514
Nicolaus Copernicus
A Polish astronomer by the name of Nicolaus Copernicus proposed that the Earth orbits the sun and is not the center of the universe. Along with that, he even proposed that the Earth spins on a axis itself. His discoveries had important consequences for later thinkers in the Scientific Revolution. -
1517
Martin Luther's 95 Theses
Martin Luther was upset at the Church's selling of indulgences to their followers to free them of their sins and help them get into heaven. With this anger, he wrote 95 Theses against the Church and nailed them onto doors of his church in Wittenberg, Germany. His dissidence against the Church paved a path for the future of rebellion. -
1541
Calvinism
A french Protestant named John Calvin, spent his days in exile writing "Institutes of the Christian Religion". His doctrine emphasized the power of God and humanity's destine fate. His teachings an ideas quickly spread to France, Scotland, Transylvania, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Also, for 400 years after that, Dutch Calvinism would be used an economic and religious force. -
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet was a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. This tragedy is about two lovers whose love is forbidden due to their families' conflict. Romeo and Juliet is the most famous and referenced love stories in traditional English literature. -
Galileo's Telescope
Galileo was inspired by a previous invention in Europe of an instrument meant to enlarge the appearance of objects as if they were nearby. His inspiration caused him to develop a more powerful and effective instrument, called a telescope. This invention paved the path for the acceptance of Copernicus' heliocentric theory and revolutionized astronomy.
