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Aug 22, 1485
Richard III is killed in battle
Richard III died in the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagent dynasty. -
Oct 22, 1492
Christopher Columbus reaches the Americas
Christopher Columbus found the Americas looking for a way to get to Asia quicker. He also colonized the Americas. -
Oct 22, 1503
Leonardo da Vinci paints the Mona Lisa
The Mona Lisa has been acclaimed as "the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world." -
Oct 21, 1516
Thomas More's 'Utopia' is published
Utopia is a novel by Sir Thomas More about a fictional island and the islands religion. It was first wrote in Latin in 1516 and later translated into English in 1551. -
Oct 22, 1543
With the Supremacy Act, Henry VIII proclaims himself head of Church of England
Henry VIII was responsible for breaking away from the Roman Catholic Church after the Pope excommunicated him in 1533. -
Nov 17, 1558
Elizabeth I becomes queen of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called "The Virgin Queen", "Gloriana" or "Good Queen Bess", Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. -
Oct 21, 1564
William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon, is born
Althought his birthdate is unknown, we know that William Shakespeare was born in the year of 1564. He is known as the greatist writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He has wrote 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and two long narrative poems. -
Globe Theatre is built in London
The Globe Theatre was built in 1599 by William Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men. This is where Shakespeare performed most of his plays. Everybody could go but people with money got better seats. It was burned down on June 29, 1613. It was later rebuilt on the same spot in June 1614. -
Period: to
Shakesspeare writes King Lear and Macbeth
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First permanent Enlglish settlement in North America is established at Jamestown, Virginia
Jamestown was the first successful English settlement on the mainland of North America. Named for King James I of England, Jamestown was founded in the Colony of Virginia on May 13, 1607. -
Shakespeare's sonnets are published
Collection of all of William Shakespeare's 154 sonnets published in 1609. -
King James Bible is published
This bible is a English translation of the Christian bible for the Church of England. Its was the third translation approved by English church authorities. -
The Mayflower lands at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts
Plymouth Rock is the traditional site of disembarkation of William Bradford and the Mayflower Pilgrims who founded Plymouth Colony in 1620. It is an important symbol in American history. -
Newspapers are first published in London
In the 17th century, the right to print was strictly controlled in England. This is why the first newspaper was printed in English in England. -
John Milton begins Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by 17th century poet John Milton. -
Puritan Commonwealth ends; monachy is restored with Charles II
The Restoration of the English monarchy began when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
