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Jan 1, 1347
Bubonic Plague begins
An outbreak of a deadly disease that diminished Europe's population in the 14th century. The disease was transmitted through fleas on black rats. -
Jan 1, 1350
Renaissance begins
The revival of art and literature under the influence of classical models in the 14th-16th centuries. -
Jan 1, 1420
Brunelleschi creates Linear Perspective
In linear perspective parallel lines that recede into the distance appear to get closer together or converge. This is used to measure depth. -
Oct 28, 1428
Joan of Arc and the Siege of Orleans
During the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453), the city of Orleans, France, ws besieged by English forces. Joan of Arc, a teenage French peasant, successfully led a French force to break the siege. -
Jan 1, 1445
Johann Gutenberg invents the printing oress
Introduced printing to Europe. His invention of mechanical movable type printing started the Printing Revolution and is widely regarded as the msot important event of the modern period. -
Aug 1, 1464
Cosimo de Medici dies
The wealthiest man of his time. Despite never holding office, he controlled Florence via his wealth and was the start of a dynasty that held power for centuries. Cosimo was an important patron of the Renaisance art. -
Jan 1, 1478
Spanish Inquisition begins
The Spanish Inquisition was a religious court established in Spain. It was responsible for the jailing, trial, torture, and execution of "heratics" mostly Jews accused of not completely converting to Catholicism. -
Jan 1, 1486
Sandro Botticelli paints Birth of Venus
A famous painting in the 15th century. It depicts the goddess Venus, having emerged from the sea as a fully grown woman, arriving at the sea-shore. -
Jan 1, 1492
Columbus discovers the America's
Christopher Columbus was a navigator that made four voyages to the Americas, with his first in 1492, which resulted in what is considered by European Americans as the Discovery of America. -
Jan 1, 1494
da Vinci paints The Last Supper
A late 15th century mural by Leanardo da Vinci. The painting represents the scene of The Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples. -
Period: Jan 1, 1508 to Jan 1, 1512
Michelangelo paints The Sistine Chapel
A cornerstone work of High Renaissance art. The ceiling is that of the large Papal Chapel built within the Vatican. -
Period: Jan 1, 1510 to Jan 1, 1511
Raphael paints The School of Athens
The School of Athens is one of the most famous frescoes by the Italian Renaissance artist Raphael. -
Jan 1, 1513
Machiavelli writes The Prince
The Prince is a book written by Niccolò Machiavelli. It was written as a political handbook for rulers and has been used this way for many centuries. -
Jan 1, 1514
Thomas More Utopia
Utopia is a book written by Thomas More. It is a frame narrative primarily depicting a fictional island society and its religious, social and political customs. -
Oct 31, 1517
Martin Luther 95 Theses
The Ninety-Five Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences written by Martin Luther. It protests against clerical abuses, especially the sale of indulgences. -
Aug 25, 1530
Ivan the Terrible is born
Ivan the Terrible created a centrally controlled Russian state, imposed by military dominance. Many believed him to be mentally ill. -
Aug 15, 1534
Jesuit Order founded by Ignatius Loyola
Ignatius Loyola was a Spanish soldier who became a priest. He was an educated man and developed a following of other religious men, forming the Institute of the Society of Jesus. -
Jul 12, 1536
Desiderius Erasmus dies
Desiderius Erasmus was a Dutch Renaissance humanist, Catholic priest, social critic, teacher, and theologian. -
Dec 17, 1538
Henry VIII of England excommunicated
Henry VIII was king of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. -
Jan 1, 1543
Scientific Revolution/Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus was a Polish astronomer who established that the earth and all the other planets revolve around the sun. -
Jan 1, 1557
Spain declares bankruptcy for the 1st time
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Jan 15, 1559
Coronation of Queen Elizabeth I
On January 15th, 1559, England’s twenty-five-year-old sovereign left Whitehall to be crowned Queen. It was a day of stunning pageantry and ritual that was celebrated around the world and marked the beginning of a long and historic reign. -
Jan 1, 1560
Start of the European Wars of Religion
The European wars of religion were a series of wars waged in Europe from ca. 1524 to 1697, all of these wars were strongly influenced by the religious change of the period, and the conflict and rivalry that it produced. -
Aug 24, 1572
Saint Bartholomew's Massacre
An assassination of Huguenot Protestant leaders in Paris, setting off killings that results in the massacre of tens of thousands of Huguenots all across France. -
Edict of Nantes
The Edict of Nantes was the law granting religious and civil liberties to the French Protestants
