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1750 BCE
Hammurabi's Law Code
A collection of 282 clauses engraved on a 7-foot-high stele made during the first dynasty of the Babylonian Empire. -
1600 BCE
Mycenaean Civilization
A bronze age civilization that was established in the Aegean. They were a militant and aggressive people who challenged other traders for control of the Eastern Mediterranean. -
1200 BCE
The Homeric Age (ca. 1200-750 B.C.E.)
A blind poet named Homer, where legend has it, he remembered each poem during his time. He represents the culmination of a long and vigorous tradition of oral recitation, which was a popular form of entertainment. -
1500
Sixteenth-Century European Literature
European literature was a literature of protest and reform that reflected the tension between medieval and modern ideas. -
1543
The Discovery of the Heliocentric Theory
Nicolaus Copernicus discarded the traditional geocentric theory in favor of the heliocentric theory. -
Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)
A German mathematician who sustained the heliocentric theory by publishing the book "New Astronomy" which set forth the laws of planetary motion. -
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716)
A German mathematician and philosopher who defended the view that human beings live in perfect harmony with God and nature. -
John Locke (1632-1704)
An English philosopher whose influence helped revolutions that took place in America and France. -
Antoine Nicolas de Condorcet (1743-1794)
A French aristocrat who believed that human nature could be perfected by the exercise of reason. -
The Industrial Revolution
During the 18th century a variety of inventions and better ways of harnessing sources of energy made it possible to produce goods by machine instead of hands. -
Auguste Rodin (1840-1917)
The leading sculptor of the 19th century and was a master at capturing the physical vitality of the human figure. -
Paxton's Crystal Palace
Presented in the Great Exhibition of London, known as the world's first prefabricated building and the forerunner of the "functional" steel and glass architecture of the 20th century. -
Natural Selection
Charles Darwin (1809-1882) sustained the theory of evolution by explaining natural selection, which is the process where nature gets rid of unfavorable characteristics in a species. -
The Skyscraper
The prime architectural expression of modern corporate power and the urban scene. -
Verismo Opera
A type of late 19th century opera that presents a realistic picture of life, instead of a story based in myth, legend, or ancient history.