This timeline presents a chronology of religious, political, and military events in Europe.
| 1450 | 1500
| 1550 | 1600 | 1650
| 1700 |
| 1453 |
Fall of Constantinople to the Turks 1492
Columbus lands in the New World Jews and Moslems expelled from Spain
1492 Vasco Da Game lands in Goa (Indian subcontinent) 1500 Birth of
Charles V of Hapsburg, who became Lord of the Netherlands in 1515,
King of Spain in 1516, and was elected Holy Roman Emperor (German-speaking
region) in 1519. He ruled most of Europe until his abdication in 1556. |
| 1509 |
Henry VIII ascends the throne of England. He rules until
1547. |
| 1517 |
Martin Luther nails his 95 theses to the door of the castle church
in Wittenberg. Beginning of the Protestant Reformation. |
| 1520 |
Cortez conquers Mexico. |
| 1520-22 |
First circumnavigation of the world. |
| 1529 |
Turks besiege Vienna. |
| 1534 |
Luther publishes his German bible. |
| 1536 |
John Calvin (1509-1564) publishes his Institutes of Christian Religion. |
| 1540 |
Pope Paul III authorizes the Society of Jesus, founded by Ignatius
of Loyola (1491-1556). |
| 1541 |
Calvin becomes the reformer (and de facto ruler) of Geneva. He occupies
this function until his death in1564. |
| 1543 |
Nicholas Copernicus (1473-1543) published De Revolutionibus
Orbium Coelestium. |
| |
Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564) publishes De Humani Corporis Fabrica. |
| 1545 |
Beginning of the Council of Trent, which met 1545-1547, 1551-1552,
1562-1563. (Last church council until Vatican Council of 1870.) |
| 1450 | 1500
| 1550 | 1600 | 1650
| 1700 |
| 1551 |
Foundation of the University of Lima. |
| 1553 |
Michael Servetus (1511-1553), who denied the Trinity, burned at
the stake by Calvin in Geneva. |
| |
Foundation of the University of Mexico. |
| 1555 |
Peace of Augsburg: victory for the Lutheran cause in Germany. |
| 1558 |
Elizabeth I of Tudor becomes Queen of England. Her rule lasts until
her death in 1603. |
| 1562 |
Beginning of wars of religion in France. These last until Henry
IV of Navarre ascends the throne in 1589. |
| 1564 |
Death of Calvin (b. 1509). |
| |
Death of Michelangelo (b. 1475). |
| |
Birth of Galileo (d. 1642). |
| |
Birth of Shakespeare (d. 1616). |
| 1568 |
Beginning of the revolt of the northern Low Countries against Philip
II, King of Spain. |
| 1571 |
Birth of Johannes Kepler (d.1630). |
| |
Defeat of the Turks in the naval battle of Lepanto. |
| 1572 |
New star (nova stella, or nova) in Cassiopeia, fully des cribed
by Tycho Brahe (hence "Tycho's star"). This was,in fact,
a supernova. |
| |
St. Bartholomew's Day massacre, in which thousands of French Protestants
(Huguenots) were killed on the order. |
| 1575 |
Foundation of the University of Leyden. |
| 1577 |
Comet of 1577, fully
described by Tycho Brahe. |
| 1582 |
Pope Gregory XIII institutes the Gregorian
Calendar. |
| 1588 |
Spanish Armada defeated by the weather and the English fleet. |
| 1589 |
Henry of Navarre (1553-1610) becomes the first Bourbon king, Henry
IV, of France. |
| 1450 | 1500
| 1550 | 1600 | 1650
| 1700 |
| 1597 |
Johannes Kepler publishes Cosmographic
Mystery. |
| 1598 |
Edict of Nantes, under which Protestants in France are allowed to
practice their religion in peace. |
| 1600 |
Giordano Bruno burned at the stake
in Rome. |
| |
William Gilbert (1540-1603) publishes
On the Magnet. |
| 1603 |
Elizabeth I, Queen of England, dies, and with her the Tudor line.
Her successor is James I of the House of Stuart, who ruled until 1625. |
| 1604 |
New star (supernova), fully described by Kepler
in De stella nova (1606), hence "Kepler's star."
|
| 1605 |
Francis Bacon (1561-1626) publishes Two Books of Francis Bacon,
of the Proficiencie and Advancementof Learning, Divine and Human. |
| 1607 |
Foundation of Virginia by the English. |
| 1608 |
Foundation of Quebec by the French. |
| 1609 |
Kepler publishes The New Astromomy, in which he introduces elliptical
astronomy. |
| 1610 |
Henry IV, King of France, is murdered. He is succeeded by his son,
Louis XIII (d. 1643), during whose reign Cardinal Richelieu ruled
France de facto. |
| 1611 |
King James Bible is published. |
| 1612 |
Foundation of New York by the Dutch. |
| 1618 |
Beginning of the Thirty Years' War, which devastates much of the
German region. |
| 1619 |
First African slaves in Virginia. |
| 1620 |
Francis Bacon publishes his New Organum. |
| 1450 | 1500
| 1550 | 1600 | 1650
| 1700 |
| 1625 |
Hugo Grotius publishes Law of War and Peace. |
| |
Beginning of the reign of Charles I of England. |
| 1627 |
Francis Bacon's New Atlantis is published posthumously. |
| 1636 |
Foundation of Harvard College. |
| 1637 |
René Descartes (1596-1650) publishes his Discourse on
Method. |
| 1642 |
Death of Galileo. |
| |
Birth of Isaac Newton (1642-1727). |
| |
Beginning of civil war in England (ended 1649). |
| 1644 |
Descartes publishes Principles of Philosophy. |
| 1648 |
Peace of Westphalia, end of the Thirty Years' War. |
| 1649 |
Charles I of England beheaded by Cromwell and the "Rump"
Parliament. |
| 1651 |
Publication of Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679). |
| 1657 |
Foundation of the Accademia del Cimento in Florence, whose meetings
last until 1667. |
| 1660 |
Restoration of the English Monarchy. |
| |
Foundation of the Royal Society of London. |
| 1661 |
Charles II (d. 1685) crowned king of England. |
| |
Louis XIV (1643-1715) begins governing France. |
| 1450 | 1500
| 1550 | 1600 | 1650
| 1700 |
| |
Robert Boyle (1625-1692) publishes The Skeptical Chymist. |
| 1665 |
First issue of Philosophical Transactions published by
Henry Oldenburg, secretary of the Royal Society. |
| |
Robert Hooke (1635-1703) publishes Micrographia. |
| |
Fire of London. |
| 1666 |
Foundation of the Académie Royale des Sciences by Louis XIV. |
| |
London Plague. |
| 1667 |
First issue of Journal des Sçavans published by the
French Academy. |
| 1673 |
Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695) publishes Horologium Oscillatorium. |
| 1684 |
Repeal of the Edict of Nantes. |
| 1685 |
Repeal of the Edict of Nantes in France. |
| |
James II ascends the throne of England. |
| 1687 |
Isaac Newton publishes his Mathematical Principles of Natural
Philosophy. |
| 1688 |
Glorious Revolution in England. |
| 1689 |
Beginning of the rule of William and Mary in England. |
| 1690 |
Publication of Essay Concerning Human Understanding by
John Locke (1632-1704) |
| 1694 |
Founding of the Bank of England. |
| 1702 |
Death of William III of Orange, King of England and stadholder of
the Netherlands. Beginning of the reign of Queen Anne in England. |
| 1704 |
Isaac Newton publishes his Opticks. |
| 1450 | 1500
| 1550 | 1600 | 1650
| 1700 |