-
Jan 1, 1394
Prince Henry the Navigator
Prince Henry the Navigator lived from 1394 to 1460 and was frmo Portugual. He sent explorers to sail and map the east side of Africa. Prince Henry never went on these voyages, but he did start the first navigation school around 1418. The explorers never went further than Cape Palmas, but the information gathered was influential to Dias's and Columbus's journey. -
Jan 1, 1440
Beginning of Portuguese Slave Trade
Portuguese first took slaves from West Africa in the 1440s. These slaves were the labor force in Brazil's sugar plantations and other places. -
Jan 1, 1453
Ottoman Dynasty
The Ottoman Dynasty started whenever the Ottoman Turks took over Constantinople. The Ottoman Empire brought Muslim rule to a largely Christian population in southeastern Europe and Turkish rule to a largely Arab population in the Middle East and North Africa. -
Jan 1, 1464
Songhay Empire
Existed in Western Africa from mid-15th century to late 16th century. One of the largest Islamic Empires in history. -
Jan 1, 1483
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest who lived from 1483 to 1546. He publicly invited debate about various abuses within the Roman Catholic Church, by issuing a document known as the Ninety-five Theses. This was also the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. -
Mar 12, 1488
Dias' Voyage Into Indian Ocean
Bartolomeu Dias was the first person to sail the entire length of the west coast of Africa and down to the horn of Africa. Dias' voyage reached its furthest point in 1488. He wanted to travel onward to Africa, but his crew refused. Dias didn't discover the Cape of Good Hope until his return voyage. -
Aug 3, 1492
Columbus's First Voyage
Columbus set out from Spain looking for a shortcut to India. Instead, he landed in the Americas and decided to settle there. -
Jun 7, 1494
Treaty of Tordesillas
The Treaty of Tordesillas divides the lands of the Americas between Portugal and Spain. The lands of the east would be Portugual's and the lands to the west would be Spain's. -
Jan 1, 1501
Safavid Dynasty
Most importnat ruling of Persia. Ruled from 1501 to 1722. Islam as the official religion. -
Jan 1, 1509
John Calvin
John Calvin lived from 1509 to 1564. He was a principle figure in the developement of a Christian theolgy later called Calvinism. It was a very severe view of Christianity and Calvin argues that the knowledge of God is not inherent in humanity nor can it be discovered by observing this world. The only way to obtain it is to study scripture. Calvin writes, "For anyone to arrive at God the Creator he needs Scripture as his Guide and Teacher." -
Feb 1, 1519
Spanish Conquest of Mexico
Led by Hernaán Cortés, the Spanish took over the Aztec empire in 1521, but began their efforts in 1519. Cortés turned tribes against each other and destroyed the unity of the empire -
Sep 30, 1520
Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman the Magnificent was the longest ruling sultan of the Ottoman Empire. He instituted makor legislative changes that still exist, centuries after his death. These reforms fixed the form of the empire. His reign ended when he died on September 7th, 1566. -
Jan 1, 1526
Mughal Dynasty
The Mughal Empire established itself in India during 1526. It fragmented during after 1707. It was created by Turkic-Mongol Invaders. It brought much of Hindu South Asia within a single Musil-ruled political system. -
Aug 15, 1534
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus was one product of the Protestant Reformation. It was a new religious order that provided a dedicated brotherhoof of priests that were committed to the renewal of the Catholic Church. -
Jan 1, 1545
Council of Trent
The Council ofTrent lasted from 1545 to 1563. With this council. Catholics clarified and reaffirmed their unique doctrines and practives. This included the authoruty of the pope, prietly celibacy, the veneration of saints and relics, and the importnace of church traditoin and good works. -
Feb 11, 1556
Reign of Akbar
Akbar reigned from 1556 to 1605. He was the third and greatest ruler of the Mughlal Empire in India. The empire tripled in size and wealth under his reign. -
Jan 1, 1564
Galileo Galilei
Galileo was an Italian scientist. He developed an improved telescope; discoverd sunspots, mountains on the moon, and Jupiter's moons; and, performed experiments work on the velocity of falling objects. -
Jul 19, 1572
Reign of Emperor Wanli
Emperor Wanli was the 13th eperor of CHina during the Ming Dynasty of China. He witnessed the steady decline of the Chinse Empire during his 48 year reign, which was the longest reign of the dtnasty. -
Spanish Armada
The Spanish Armada sailed from Spain against England in July of 1588. Philip II wanted to invade England but his plan tragically failed. The goal was to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I. -
Tokugawa Shogunate
The Tokugawa Shogunate were a series of military figures that unified Japan politically in the early 17th century. The shogun was the suprme military commander, and Tokugawa is the clan he hailed from. The Tokugawa Shogunate closed off the country from outside traders during 1650-1850. -
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War lasted from 1618 to 1648. This was the result of a culmination of European religious conflict between the Cathlics and Protestants. It began in the Holy Roman Empire but soon engulfed most of Europe. Very destructove war that was brought to an end by the Peace of Westphalia. -
John Locke
John Locke was an English phlosopher who lived from 1632 to 1704. He offered principles for constructing a constitutional government and a contract between rulers and the ruled. Much of his enlightenment was directed at the superstition, ignorance, and corruption of established religion. -
Qing Dynasty
Enormous project of imperial expansion happened under China's Qing dynasty, taht lasted from 1644 to 1912. The Qing dynasty was itself foriegn born, though they tried to maintain a Chinese distinctiveness. -
Peace of Westphalia
Ended Thirty Years' War. Result of reshuffling of boundaries and agreement that each state was sovereign, authorized to control religious affairs within its own territory. -
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War took place between 1756- 1763. This was took place between teh great powers of Europe and affected Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines. -
Establishment of 1st Colony in Australia
The 1st colony was established in Australia by the British with their First Fleet in 1788. Captain Author Philip gave the instructions to settle here, though the First Fleet were wholly unprepared for the task. They ended up having to settle further upstream and trade with the Aboriginals due to poor soil conditions. -
Hatian Revolution
The Hatian Revolution was from 1791 to 1803. It was subject to enormous inequaliteis (against its massive slave population) and its rampant exploitation. Warring factions of slaves, whites and free people of color battled one antoher. -
End of the British Slave Trade
Slavery was abolished in Britain in 1807. This was caused by the various rebellions across Hati and the British Isles. The end of the Atlantic slave trade marked a rapid turn in the moral thinking of humankind. -
Reign of Sunni Ali
Sunni Ali reigned from about 1464 to 1492. Sunni Ali was the first ruler of the Songhay Empre. -
Reign of Mehmed the Conqueror
Mehmed II was sultan of the Ottoman empire twice. At 21, he conquered Constantinople and ended the Byzantine Empire.
