West and the World - Jenn Harder

Bubonic Plague Begins

Jan 1, 1348

• one of the most devastating pandemics in human history
• carried by rats on merchant ships
• killed 30-60% of Europe's population
• took 150 years for the population to recover
• aftermath created religious, social, and economic problems

Renaissance Begins

Jan 1, 1350

• Greek and Roman literature, art and architecture was reborn in this period
• overlaps with the late Middle Ages Period
• problem was that people felt they were being separated from the classical age
• beginning of humanism and individualism

Joan of Arc and the Siege of Orleans

Jan 1, 1412

• turning point of the Hundred Years War
• after 80 years of warfare, the siege of Orleans went on for months
• Joan of Arc was sent by Charles of France to attack the English
• eventually gained the upperhand in the siege of Orleans
• ended in 1431

Brunelleschi Creates Linear Perspective

Jan 1, 1420

• a way of creating and convincing the perfect illusion on a 2D surface
• printers and sculptors became obsessed, especially when the information was published by Leon Battista Alberti
• it eliminates multiple view points

Johann Gutenberg Invents the Printing Press

Jan 1, 1450

• invented the printing press with removable metal/wooden letters
• dropped the price of printing and made books/writings more accessible
• it was standard until the 20th century

Cosimo de Medici Dies

Aug 1, 1464

• buried in Florence, Italy
• he was the wealthiest man of his time
• controlled Florence with his wealth
• he was an important patron of Renaissance art
• he was an Italian Merchant Prince

Scientific Revolution/Copernicus

Jan 1, 1473

• Copernicus was a Rennaissance astronomer
• was the first person to formulate a comprehensive heliocentric cosmology which displaced the Earth from the centre of the universe
• was the first person in history to create a complete and general system combining mathematics, physics, and cosmology
• took from 1473-1543

Spanish Inquisition begins

Sep 27, 1478

• used for both political and religious reasons
• could be run by both civil and church authorities
• main purpose is to root out the non-believers
• one of the most deadly inquisitions in history
• goal was to purify the people of Spain

Sandro Botticelli paints Birth of Venus

Jan 1, 1486

• Botticelli's most famous painting
• one of the most treasured artworks of the Renaissance
• represents not a Christian legend, but a classical myth
• Botticelli was the first to create large scale mythology scenes, some based on historical accounts

Columbus Discovers the America's

Jan 1, 1492

• completed 4 voyages cross the Atlantic Ocean
• lead the first lasting contact with America
• he saw his accomplishment primarily in the light of spreading Christian religion

Da Vinci Paints the Last Supper

Jan 1, 1495

• painted for Duke Ludovico Sforza and his dutchess Beatrice d'Este
• took from 1495-1498 to finish
• represents Jesus' last days when Jesus announces that one of his 12 apostals would betray him

Raphael Paints the School of Athens

Jan 1, 1510

• was painted from 1510-1511
• represents all the greatest mathemiticians, philosophers and scientists from different times gathered together sharing ideas under one roof
• Raphael was 27 when he painted this

Michelangelo Paints the Sistine Chapel

Jan 1, 1512

• commissioned by Pope Julius II
• was a visual metahor of humankind's need for a covenant with God -he refused at first, protesting that he was a sculptor, not a painter

Machiavelli Writes the Prince

Jan 1, 1513

• original title was in Latin "De Principatibus"
• first printed version was published 5 years after his death
• was done by the permission of the Medici Pope Clement VII

Thomas More Utopia

Jan 1, 1516

• meaning "ideal and imaginary islant nation"
• wrote a book describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean
• in Utopia, with communal ownership of land, private property does not exist
• men and women are educated alike, and there is almost complete religious toleration

Martin Luther 95 Theses

Jan 1, 1517

• changed the course of human history when he nailed his 95 theses to the church door at Wittenberg
• many cite this act as the primary starting point of the Protestant Reformation
• Luther's changes challenged the position of the clergy in regard to individual salvation
• before long, Luther's 95 Theses had been published around Europe

Start of the European Wars of Religion

Jan 1, 1524

• a series of wars waged in Europe
• all strongly influenced by religion
• different view on religion resulted in these wars

Ivan the Terrible is Born

Aug 25, 1530

• Grand Prince of Moscow from 1530 - his death
• first ruler to be crowned as Tsar of all Russia
• he was intelligent and devout, yet given to rages and prone to episodic outbreaks of mental illness
• one notable outburst resulted in the death of heir Ivan Ivanovich

Jesuit Order Founded by Ignatius Loyola

Aug 15, 1534

• devoted Catholic
• Spanish soldier injury caused him to go through a spritual conversion
• this lead him to priesthood
• he formed an institute of the society of Jesus
• useing the guidance of the pope, they went on foreign missions to educate youth, sick, prisoners, and anyone in society seeking God

Desiderius Erasmus Dies

Jul 12, 1536

• Dutch humanist
• most famous and influential humanist of the Northern Renaissance
• phenomenally productive writer
• did more than any other single person to advance the Revival of Learning

Henry VIII of England Excommunicated

Dec 17, 1538

• excommunicated because he wanted to divorce Catherine and marry Anne
• he needed a son and Catherine couldn't give him one
• Pope wouldn't let them divorce
• build his own church and made himself head of it, so he could divorce Catherine and marry Anne

Spain Declares Bankruptcy for the 1st Time

Jan 1, 1557

• Philip inherited the throne in 1550, with many economical problems
• he appeared to be Europe's wealthiest monarch
• he never raised enough cash to cover his expenditure and as a result, had to declare bankruptcy
• after bankruptcy, Spain's debt got worse

Coronation of Queen Elizabeth I

Jan 15, 1559

• she was 25 years old
• took place in Westminster Abbey
• the ritual itself was a compromise between the Catholic practics that existed and the Protestant ones that she intended to introduce
• she was crowned in Latin by a Catholic bishop

Saint Batholomew's Massacre

Jan 1, 1572

• one of the most horrifying holocaust's in history
• there were so many corpses in the rivers of Europe, that fish were not eaten for many months
• was the murder of French Protestants
• estimated 3000 were killed in Paris, and 70 000 in all of France
• there was hatred between Protestants and Catholics - resulted in resumption of civil war

Edict of Nantes

Apr 13, 1598

• put a temporary end to the ferocious religious wars between Roman Catholics and Protestants
• promoted at Nantes by King Henry IV to restore eternal peace in France
• the Edict defined the rights of the French Protestants