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The Mesopotamia is where the birthplace of civilization began. The Fertile Crescent is the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Because the lands beyond this area were too desolate, the rich soil and available natural resources made the collection of societies a thriving possibility.
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The great pyramids @ Giza date back to the fourth dynasty of Egyptian Pharaohs. The largest of the great pyramids belongs to Pharaoh Khufu: c. 2580 - 2560 B.C., taking 20 years to construct. The middle of the great pyramids is that of Pharaoh Khafre, constructed c. 2570 B.C., and the third and smallest of the Great Pyramids is believed to belong to Pharaoh Menkaure, constructed c. 2510 B.C.
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The Cycladics, Minoans, and the Mycenaean (c. 3000 - 1200 BC)
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The best preserved Babylonian law code of ancient Mesopotamia, consisting of 282 Sumerian law/codes. The code of King Hammurabi: c. 18th c. BCE (c.1750 BC), issued on a basalt stone stele monument where upon the laws are engraved in cuneiform.
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The eruption of the super caldera volcano marked the beginning of the end for the Minoan civilization. The explosion of Thera and the Tsunami that followed eliminated the majority of the population and the rest was absorbed into the Mycenaean civilization. This is what is believed to be the fabled location of the Lost city of Atlantis as later recounted by Plato, as he discovered Thera stories from Egyptian records. Thera is modern Santorini.
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The Trojan War is said to have been between C. 1260 - 1180 BC. The war over Helen, who was said to have had a face that launched a thousand ships. Greeks go after the Trojans because Paris kidnaps Helen, wife of Menelaus of Sparta. Homers stories the Iliad and Odyssey recount the heroes, Achilles, Ajax, and Hector. The story of the Trojan Horse is attributed to this war. "Beware of Greeks bearing gifts."
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Homer is believed to have lived between c. 850 - 800 BC. He is attributed as the author of the epic poems, The Iliad and The Odyssey.
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The first Olympics started in ancient Greece, Athens, 776 BC
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The city of Rome has two mythological foundations stories, the first being that it was founded by the Trojan War hero, Aeneas and the other is the story of Romulus and Remus, the two orphaned boys, raised by the She-wolf.
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Lucius Tarquinius Superbus the Etruscan King was ousted from the city of Rome due to the rape of a noblewoman Lucretia, by Tarquin's son Sextus. This date also marks the commencement of the Roman Republic.
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Herodotus was a Greek historian, attributed to be the Father of History, (c. 484 - c. 420 BC) He recorded information about the people in and around the Mediterranean, the Peloponnesian War, and accounts about the Persians.
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Spartan King Leonidas stands with his 300 soldiers in defiance of the Persian Invasion led by Xerxes.
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Socrates (c. 470 - 399 BC) Greatest of the ancient Greek philosophers, Teacher of Plato, He was not a Sophist. The "Socratic" method is attributed to Socrates, which is the teaching by questioning everything. He was executed; by the consumption of hemlock poison.
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Plato (c. 427 - 347 BC) - one of the great philosophers, pupil of Socrates, and teacher of Aristotle. Visited Egypt and recorded the story of Atlantis. Founded the Platonic Academy school.
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Aristotle (C. 384 - 322 BC) Greek philosopher and teacher. He was a student of Plato and a Tutor for Alexander The Great. Aristotle also founded a school at the lyceum.
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Alexander The Great (c. 356 - 323 BC) Son of Macedonian King Philip II, Alexander was tutored by Aristotle. He became King after the death of his father. Alexander conquered the Persians, united the Greeks, and reestablished the Corinthian League.
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A stone stele from the Egyptian Ptolemaic period c. 196 BC, bearing a priestly decree concerning the agreement made with the Pharaoh Ptolemy V. The stele is engraved with three language scripts, the first: Hieroglyphic, second: Demotic, and third: Greek. The Rosetta Stone (discovered in 1799) was the key tool that Thomas Young and Jean-Francois Champollion used to decipher Egyptian Hieroglyph script in 1822.
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Julius Caesar (100 - 44 BC) Roman general who became a dictator. Created the First Triumvirate (Caesar, Pompey the Great, and Crassus) Crossed the Rubicon during civil war with Pompey, Pompey sought refuge with Ptolemy in Egypt. Ptolemy kills Pompey. Caesar goes after Ptolemy, Hooks up with Cleopatra, Has son named Cesarean, he later dies. Cleopatra hooks up with Marc Antony after Caesar is assassinated on the steps of the Senate, betrayed by Brutus and some Senators. End of the Republic is near
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The Roman Empire commenced with Octavian, who becomes the First Roman Emperor, Augustus. He was the adopted son and grandnephew of Julius Caesar.
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Jesus was born 6 BC and died 30 AD. Believed to be the Son of God. He is the worlds most iconic religious figure. Betrayed by Judas, one of his 12 disciples, ordered to be crucified by the Roman perfect, Pontius Pilate. Believed to have risen.
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August 24, 79 AD, Mt. Vesuvius erupts an destroys the Italian city of Pompeii.
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Constantine (272 - 337 AD) First Christian Roman Emperor. Changed Roman polytheism to monotheism and establishing Christianity as the religion of Empire. He split the Roman Empire, into the East and West. He relocated his capital to Constantinople which later became the capital for the Byzantine Empire.
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Attila the Hun, (c. 406 - 453) Mongolian warlord, was a profound enemy of the Eastern and Western Roman Empires. Planned many unsuccessful attacks against the Byzantine Empire.
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Charlemagne - c. 4/2/742 - 1/28/814, Frankish King and Roman Emperor. aka: Charles the Great. Founder and the first King of the Carolingian Empire. He united Western Europe in the Middle Ages, for the first time since the fall of the Roman Empire. 12/25/800, He was crowned Emperor of the Romans by Pope Leo III, at St. Peter's Basilica, Rome.
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Leif Erickson - Viking (Norse) Explorer (c. 970 - c. 1020 C.E.) Believed to be among the first Europeans to actually or originally discovered the North American continent, in and around Newfoundland, Canada, c. 999. It is also believed that the Viking explorers made it inland by way of the Hudson River to as far as Minnesota.
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Explorer, Venetian merchant, Marco Polo (1254 - 1324 AD) Recorded his world travels and wrote a book, "Livres des Merveilles du Monde" (Book of the Marvels of the World) known as the travels of Marco Polo in 1300 AD. He exposed the wonders of the far-east (Central Asia and China) to the Europeans, and inspired Christopher Columbus.
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The Black Plague, later known as The Black Death, occurred in Central Asia and was transmitted to Western Europe (1346 -1353) through the rats and their fleas that traveled along trade routes and shipping cargo. One of the most devastating Pandemics in human history. Approximately 1/3 to 2/3 of Europe's population succumbed to the plague. The plague is attributed to the Yersinia pestis bacteria
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Isabella (4/22/1451 - 11/24/1504) was known as: "The Catholic" queen of Castile. She was married to King Ferdinand of Aragon. She was mother of Catherine of Aragon, who married Henry VIII and grandmother to Queen Mary I. She supported the exploration of the New World by agreeing to fund Columbus and later Ponce De Leon.
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King Ferdinand II of Aragon (3/16/1452 - 2/23/1516) King of Spain. Father of Catherine of Aragon, who married Henry VIII. Ferdinand married his cousin Isabella of Castile and Leon. Their union united all the Spanish territories and Portugal. They were most noted for the sending of explorers (Columbus in 1492 and De Leon in 1513) to search for new routes and later exploit the New World.
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Leonardo Da Vinci (4/15/1452 - 5/2/1519) Italian Renaissance: Inventor, artist, painter, sculptor, scientist, architect, and much, much, more. He was most known for such masterpieces as: La Gioconda or the Mona Lisa, the Vitruvian Man, the Last Supper, as well as his drawings of human anatomy. He is said to have invented the tank, scuba apparatus, and the parachute among numerous other items. He is the full embodiment of a true Renaissance man.
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Michelangelo (3/6/1475 - 2/18/1564) - Italian Renaissance Painter, sculptor, architect. Another true renaissance man. Most known for the Statue of David - made in 1504, his painting of the Sistine Chapel - which took from 1508 - 1512. He was the architect of the new St. Peter's Basilica started in 4/18/1506.
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Martin Luther (11/10/1483 - 2/18/1546) was a theologian monk, who created the Protestant Reformation. He rejected several teachings and practices of the late Medieval Catholic Church. Luther translated the Bible into vernacular in lieu of traditional Latin, which made it more accessible to the laity. He wrote the Ninety-Five Theses in 1517. He was responsible for the Lutheran sect of religion and the spread of Protestantism. Luther was excommunicated by Pope Leo X, in 1520.
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Christopher Columbus (1451 - 1506 AD) Italian Explorer who in 1492, went in search of a western route to the East Indies (spice islands of Asia) across the ocean blue, for a quicker route. Found the Caribbean islands instead, accidentally re-discovering a continent lost in history and unknown to the then modern Europe. Chris opened up the Explorer gate to the West and the exploitation and conquering followed expeditiously.
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Tudor Queen Catherine of Aragon (12/15/1485 - 1/8/1536) Daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. Mother of Queen Mary I. Catherine was originally married to Henry VIII's brother Arthur in 1501. Arthur died at the age of 16 in 1502. Catherine then married Henry VIII - 6/11/1509. They divorced in 1533.
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Ponce De Leon (1474 - 1521) Spanish explorer, was part of Columbus' crew in 1492. In 1513 with his own crew, found the mainland of the continent and claimed the territory for Spain, under King Ferdinand. Landing on the east coast of Florida, in what would become St. Augustine, he called the land La Florida. Originally, a large portion of the North American Continent was included in La. Florida. He also discovered the Gulf Stream. He is associated with searching for the Fountain of Youth.
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Tudor Queen - Anne Boleyn (c. 1507 - 5/19/1536) Married Henry VIII after his divorce from Catherine of Aragon 1/25/1533. Inspired Henry VIII to break from the Catholic Church and proclaim himself head of the Church of England so he could be divorced. Anne had a child with Henry, Elizabeth I, who later became queen. Anne was beheaded after a trial on charges of conspiring to kill the king, treason, Adultery, and witchcraft. She was executed 5/19/1536.
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Tudor Queen Jane Seymour (C. 1509 - 10/24/1537) Married Henry VIII (5/30/1536) after the execution of Anne Boleyn 5/19/1536. Jane gave birth to Henry's only legitimate male heir, Edward VI (10/12/1537), who would later become King. Edward was brother to Mary I an Elizabeth I. Jane died in child birth 12 days after giving birth to Edward. Henry mourned her death.
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Tudor Queen - Anne of Cleves (c. 1515 - 7/28/1557) This was an arranged marriage by Cromwell as a treaty with the Duke of Cleves. On July 9, 1540 the marriage was declared null and void.
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Catherine Howard (c. 1520 - 2/13/1542) Tudor Queen, fifth wife of Henry VIII. Married in July of 1540, after the annulment of Henry's arranged marriage to Anne of Cleves. Catherine Howard, cousin to Anne Boleyn, was also executed under suspicion of marital infidelity. She was executed on 2/13/1542, by beheading as well.
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Katherine Parr - Tudor Queen (c. 1512 - 9/7/1548) Sixth and final wife of King Henry VIII. Married 7/12/1543. Katherine raised Henry's previous children as her own. She nurtured and groomed Elizabeth I, and reinstated Mary I as heir succession. She was with Henry till his death on 1/28/1547. Edward VI was crowned King on 1/31/1547. Katherine later remarried and was the most wed queen of England. She died 9/7/1548 due to complications from the birth of her only daughter.
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King Henry VIII (6/29/1491 - 1/28/1547) Henry was married Six times. He changed the countries religion from Catholicism to Protestant and declared himself the head of the Church of England, so he could divorce his 1st wife and marry another. He had three legitimate children, and one out of wedlock. The three would succeed him to the throne. He also executed two of his six wives, Anne Boleyn (#2) and her cousin, Katherine Howard (#5), both for alleged infidelity.
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King Edward VI (10/12/1537 - 7/6/1553) Son and only legitimate heir to King Henry VIII. Son of Jayne Seymour. Gained the throne upon the death of Henry, and was crowned 1/31/1547. He died 7/6/1553. He was the first in succession but the 3rd legitimate heir.
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Mary I (2/18/1516 - 11/17/1558) Queen of England and Ireland, daughter of Catherine of Aragon and King Henry VIII. She was known as "Bloody Mary" for her harsh nature with the religious Protestants, killing at least 300 people. She tried to restore the old religion after the death of her brother King Edward VI. She was proclaimed Queen on July 19, 1533.
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Elizabeth I (9//7/1533 - 3/24/1603) Queen of England and Ireland. Daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Sister to Queen Mary I and King Edward VI. She never married or had any heirs. She ended the succession of Henry Tudor's Heirs. She is known for defeating the Spanish Armada. Elizabeth was crowned on 11/17/1558 after the death of Queen Mary I.
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William Shakespeare (4/26/1564 - 4/23/1616) English Poet, Playwright, and Actor. Widely regarded as the worlds greatest and most prolific writer in the English Language.
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John Calvin (7/10/1509 - 5/27/1564) Was a French leader of Reformed Faith, a branch of Protestantism. His followers became known as Calvinists, which broke from Roman Catholic doctrine and practices. Although similar to Lutherans, Calvinists had distinct differences in the Eucharist. Calvin and Luther were contemporary and respectful of each other.
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This timespan provides key dates in Western Civilization, based on class readings and events of particular interest.
