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The Black Plague was one of the most feared diseases in the 1400s. The plague was spread by infected rat flees. The black plague killed about 25 million people.
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The Renaissance began in 1350. The Renaissance period was full of art and music. Renaissance means rebirth in French. Humanism was a big part of the Renaissance. Humanism held the reason, as well as faith was the path to knowledge.
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Filippo Brunelleschi was one of the leading architects and engineers of the renaissance. He is most famous for his work on the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (the Duomo) in Florence.
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Donatello was a famous sculptor from Florence in the early Renaissance. He was the most influential individual artist of the 15th century in Italy.
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Joan of arc was nicknamed The Maid of Orleans. She is known for leading the French army to victory over the English during the Hundred Years' war at age 18.
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German inventor Johannes Gutenberg introduced the printing press to Europe. The printing press was very helpful to the 20th century. Without it we would still be stamping letters on various surfaces, or doing woodblock printing.
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Desiderius Erasmus was a Dutch Renaissance humanist, Catholic priest, social critic, teacher, and theologian. He defined the humanist movement in northern Europe. His translation to Greek of the New Testament brought on a theological revolution.
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Lorenzo de Medeici was born January 1, 1449 and died on April 9, 1492. He ruled Florence, Italy with his brother Giuliano from 1496 to 1478. He was a statesmen, ruler, and patron of art and letters.
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Niccolo Machiavelli was a historian, politician, diplomat, philosopher, humanist, and writer. He has also been called the founder of modern political science.
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Ferdinand Magellan is best known for sailing around the world. In 1519 he set sail to find another route to Eastern Asia. There were 270 men and 5 ships. The ships were called the Trinidad, the Santiago, the Victoria, the Concepcion, and the San Antonio. Instead of sailing to Eastern Asia he sailed around the world.
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Raphael Sanzio da Urbino was an italian painter and architect of the high renaissance. He is best known for his Madonnas and his large figure compositions in the Vatican
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Sandro Botticelli completes his painting, The Birth of Venus in 1486.
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In 1492 Cristopher Columbus sets out to sea with two boats, the Nina and the pinta. He was supposed to sail to Asia, but instead he sailed to America.
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In 1498 Leonardo Da Vinci finishes his painting The Last Supper.
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In 1503 Leonardo Da Vinci finishes The Mona Lisa.
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Michelangelo started painting the ceiling for Pope Julius 11 in 1508. He was replacing the blue ceiling dotted with stars. The pope wanted him to paint a geometric ornament, and place the twelve apostles in spandrels around it. But Michelangelo wanted to paint the Old Testament scenes which are now on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
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Henry the Viii was king of England from April 21 1509 till he died. He was one of the most famous king in English history. He was the second Tudor monarch and was well-known for having six wives. His break with the papacy in Rome established the Church of England and began the Reformation.
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In 1517 Martin Luther set out to reform certain church practices. The pope of Rome did not accept Luther's ideas and Luther broke away from the Catholic Church. His ideas sparked a religious movement called the Reformation
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The Reformation were groups of people that started a new form of Christianity called Protestantism. In the mid 1500s different Protestantism dominated northern Europe. Wars between Roman Catholic and Protestants swept through Europe.
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Queen Elizabeth 1 was queen of England from November 17, 1558 to until she died. She was called the Virginia Queen, and Good Queen Bess. She ruled England for 45 years
