West and the World

Bubonic Plague Begins

Jan 1, 1347

The Bubonic Plague was one of the deadliest pandemics in history. It was spread by rat fleas and is thought to have originated in China. Because of poor and unsanitary living conditions, the plague spread rapidly. Since there was no vaccine or treatment, almost every person exposed to the virus died. Within about 2-3 years, an estimated 30-60% of Europe's population had been killed by the plauge. The aftermath of the plauge led to the beginning of the Renaissance.

Renaissance Begins

Jan 1, 1350

The Renaissance began in Florence, Italy around 1350. Literally meaning rebirth, the Renaissance was an artistic and intellectual movement. It brought Europe out of the Dark Ages, and led to great advances in science, art and mathematics. Many of the great thinkers of this time referred to Greek and Roman methods to use as a basis for their work.

Brunelleschi creates linear perspective

Feb 28, 1413

Fillipo Brunelleschi created the revolutionary idea of linear perspective. He used mathematics and the science of optics to determine a vanishing point. When everything in a drawing is directed towards this point, the picture appears 3 dimensional.This allowed for artisic methods to evolve past the 2 dimensional artwork of the Dark Ages.

Joan of Arc and the Siege of Orleans

Apr 28, 1429

As a commander during the Hundred Years' War, Joan of Arc ended the English's siege on Orléans. The fort had been under siege for months but within aout a week, Joan and the French had regained control. This was the first major victory for the French Army. It was also a turning point in the war becasue the fall of France had seemed close before this victory.

Johann Gutenberg invents the printing press

Jan 1, 1439

The invention of the printing press allowed for books to be produced faster and at a lesser cost. Because of this advance, new ideas and concepts could reach a wider range of people. This helped the Renaissance spread throughout Europe. The first ever printed book was the Bible.

Cosimo de Medici dies

Jan 1, 1464

Cosimo was the founder of the de Medici line that ruled Florence for about a century. He made Florence into the most powerful state in Itlay. They built the largest library in Europe and founded the Platonic Academy. Florence became the cultural centre of Europe and supported some of the most famous artists in history.

Spanish Inquisition Begins

Jan 1, 1478

Spanish government and the Catholic Church established a tribunal for maintaining Catholic orthodoxy. Many Jewish and Muslim people were persecuted for heresy. They were driven out of the country and tortured if they refused to convert to the Catholic faith. The Inquisition lasted for over 300 years until it was finally abolished.

Sandro Botticelli paints Birth of Venus

Jan 1, 1486

The Birth of Venus shows the goddess Venus emerging from the sea as a naked and full grown woman. This painting is one of his most famous works. Botticelli was one of the artists supported by the Platonic Academy.

Columbus discovers the Americas

Jan 1, 1492

Funded by King John II of Portugal, Christopher Columbus set out from Castille on August 3, 1492. He was determined that he had found a quick and easy route to the East Indies. What he really found was the Americas. These discoveries led to European exploration and eventual colonization of the American continents.

Leonardo da Vinci paints The Last Supper

Jan 1, 1495

This painting depicts Jesus at his last supper, where he announces that one of his apostles would betray him. Commisioned by his patron Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan, it took da Vinci about four years to finish the 15x29 ft. mural.

Raphael paints The School of Athens

Jan 1, 1510

The School of Athens is one of Raphael's most famous frescoes. He was commisioned to decorate the Apostolic Palace within the Vatican with frescoes. The School of Athens depicts many famous philosophers and scholars and possibly a few famous leaders of history. Each person was painted according to their personality and reputation.

Michelangelo paints the Sistine Chapel

Jan 1, 1512

Commisioned by Pope Julius II, Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel over the span of about four years. The ceiling features 9 scenes form the Book of Genesis and many religious figures and events fill the space around those. Although Michelangelo was granted free reign in regards to what he painted. Many people thought it was blasphemous the way he portrayed God in human form and how most of the figures were naked.

Thomas More Utopia

Jan 1, 1514

Thomas More wrote a fictional but realistic book about a Utopian society. The citizens of this society are all treated equally, Activities such as premarital sex and adultery are against the law but priests are allowed to marry and euthanasia is permitted. Many different religions are practiced in this society. Only atheism is despised, although still permitted. The book was well received and popularized the term utopia.

Niccolo Machiavelli writes The Prince

Jan 1, 1514

This book by Machiavelli highlights his views about how society can be effectively controlled by a hereditary prince. He explains how a prince can be a great leader and the rules they need to follow in order to achieve this.

Martin Luther 95 Theses

Jan 1, 1517

Martin Luther posted 95 theses on the door of a Catholic church. These outlined what he believed were misuses of power by the Catholic church. His major argument was against indulgences since Luther believed that salvation can only be given by God. The Roman Catholic Church felt threatened by this theology and eventually excommunicated Luther. He was iconic to the Protestant Reformation.

Start of the European Wars of Religion

Jan 1, 1524

Lasting over a hundred years, the Wars of Religion were waged throughout Europe following the Reformation. It was the rise of Protestantism that spread the wars throughout Europe. No one believed that they should have to tolerate other religions beside their own.

King Henry VIII of England is excommunicated

Jan 1, 1533

King Henry VIII of England was excommunicated by the Catholic church by Pope Clement VII because he wanted to divorce his first wife Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne of Boleyn. Since the Pope would not allow King Henry VIII to divorce, Henry created the Church of England which he controlled. This allowed him to divorce
Catherine and marry Anne in hopes of producing an heir.

Ivan the Terrible is Born

Jan 1, 1533

Ivan the Terrible came to the throne of Muscovy when he was just three and was crowned ruler at fourteen. He was the first ruler of Muscovy to assume the title of Tsar, which he did at the age of sixteen. During his reign, Ivan introduced laws that would eventually lead to serfdom, started a 22 year war that damaged their economy greatly and caused depopulation and famine throughout the country.

Jesuit Order founded by Ignatius Loyola

Jan 1, 1534

The Jesuit Order was formed by Ignatius Loyola after he was wounded in battle and experienced spiritual conversion. Along with six other men, Loyola swore oaths of poverty, chasity and obedience.

Desiderius Erasmus dies

Jan 1, 1536

Blamed by the Catholic Counter Reformation for starting the reformation. Was coined the "Prince of Humanists" because he pioneered the idea of religious tolerance. He had great respect for Martin Luther but was hesitant to follow him completely.

Scientific Revolution and Copernicus

Jan 1, 1543

Copernicus pioneered the scientific revolution. He created the heliocentric model of the solar system where the sun was in the center with the planets orbiting around. This was revolutionary because he combined mathematics, physics and cosmology in order to prove his theory. Many scientists that followed after him used methods like this.

Coronation of Queen Elizabeth I

Jan 1, 1559

Queen Elizabeth I was the last monarch of the Tudor family. She established the English Protestant Church. Upon ascending the throne of England, Queen Elizabeth I had the great task of bringing England out of the poverty and famine stricken country it had become under her half sister, Queen Mary's rule. She was indifferent to her subjects religous views as long as they were loyal to her. Queen Elizabeth's main goal was to establish and maintain stability within England.

Spain declares bankruptcy for the first time

Jan 1, 1559

Spain was the first country to ever declare bankruptcy. Under the rule of King Phillip II, Spain had to declare bankruptcy. The former king, Charles V, left Phillip with major debt. Because of a tough economic situation, he was unable to bring the country back to a stable situation and declared bankruptcy.

Saint Bartholomew's Massacre

Jan 1, 1572

A turning point in the French Wars of Religion. Saint Bartholomew's Massacre was a targeted group of assassinations of Huguenots leaders. The massacre spanned several weeks and killed somewhere between 5000 and 30,000 Huguenots.

Edict of Nantes

Jan 1, 1598

Created by King Henry IV of France, this edict was meant to unify the different religious groups of France. It gave the Protestants more rights and treated them as more than just heretics. The edict ended the religious wars in France.