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1337
100 Years War Begins
The fight was between France and England during the late Middle Ages. The was lasted 116 years from 1337 to 1453. The war started because Charles IV of France died in 1328 without a son and Edward III of England then believed he had the right to become the new king of France through his mother. Nearly 3.5 million people died. -
1347
Black Death Hits Europe
The Black Death was a devastating global epidemic of bubonic plague that struck Europe and Asia in the mid-1300s. The Chinese brought goods on board to Europe, and the traders carried the bacterium yersinia pestis in the rats on board as well as in some of the sailors which is how the Black Death arrived in Europe. The first signs of the Black Plague in Europe were present around the fall of 1347. In the span of three years, the Black Death killed one third of all the people in Europe. -
1397
Medici Bank Founded
The Medici family were wool merchants and bankers. They controlled Florence throughout much of the Renaissance. In 1397, Giovanni de Medici, the banker to the Papal Court, created the first bank in Florence. The Medici family had a major influence on the growth of the Italian Renaissance through their patronage of the arts and humanism. -
1440
Printing Press
The printing press was invented by Johannes Gutenberg in 1440. Instead of using wood blocks, Gutenberg used metal instead. It was known as a "movable type machine," because the metal block letters could be moved around to create new words and sentences. Gutenberg then decided to make the very first printed book, which was a reproduction of the Bible. The Gutenberg Bible is an incredibly valuable, treasured item for its historical legacy. -
1492
Christopher Columbus Discovers America
Christopher Columbus Discovered America in 1492. He led his three ships the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria out of the Spanish port of Palos on August 3, 1492. His objective was to sail west until he reached Asia (the Indies) where the riches of gold, pearls and spice awaited. But instead he came across America. -
1501
Creation of the Statue of David
The statue was created in 1501 and it was sculpture created in marble. It was created by the Italian artist Michelangelo. The statue represents the Biblical hero David, a favoured subject in the art of Florence. The original statue is held in Florence's Accademia Gallery. -
1503
Creation of the Mona Lisa
The Mona Lisa is one of if not the most famous painting ever created. It was painted by the Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci and it is known for it's optical illusion aka 'the mysterious smile'. It took about 4 years (1503-1507) to paint it but it remained unfinished and it took another 3 years to complete. An estimated 7 years of painting. The painted died in 1519. The original Mona Lisa Painting is held in the Louvre Museum, Paris. -
1517
Luther's 95 Theses
In 1517 Luther wrote a document attacking the Catholic Church’s corrupt practice of selling “indulgences” to absolve sin. He said that the Bible is the central religious authority and that humans may reach salvation only by their faith and not by their deeds. He nailed a copy of his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle church which were quickly distributed throughout Germany and then made their way to Rome. -
The Building of the Globe Theater
The Globe Theater was associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company but sadly destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613. It was Located in London and almost all of his plays were preformed there. -
Galileo's Telescope
Galileo made his first telescope in 1609. He was able to look at the moon, discover the four satellites of Jupiter, observe a supernova, verify the phases of Venus, and discover sunspots. He proved that the earth and other planets revolved around the sun. And he modeled his telescope after telescopes produced in other parts of Europe.
