Joan of Arc is posthumously acquitted of heresy by the Catholic Church, redeeming her status as the heroine of France.

Tags: Joan of Arc, Catholicism, Heresy, Hundred Years' War, Middle Ages, Sainthood

Construction of Edo Castle begins.

Tags: Edo Period, Architecture, Military, Shogunate, Governance, Feudalism, Territorial Control

Edward IV of England secretly marries Elizabeth Woodville.

Tags: Monarchy, Marriage, War of the Roses, Political Intrigue

The marriage of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile leads to the unification of Spain.The renaissance king Matthias Corvinus of Hungary. ...

Tags: Marriage, Unification, Monarchy, Political Consolidation, Isabella I of Castile, Ferdinand II of Aragon, State Formation

Reign of Axayacatl begins in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan as the sixth tlatoani and emperor of the Aztec Triple Alliance.

Tags: Aztec Empire, Tlatoani, Mesoamerica, Triple Alliance, Indigenous Politics, Pre-Columbian, Governance

Birth of Guru Nanak Dev. Beside followers of Sikhism, Guru Nanak is revered by Hindus and Muslim Sufis across the Indian subcontinent.

Tags: Sikhism, Religion, Religious Figure, Hinduism, Religious Reformation

JagatGuru Vallabhacharya Ji Mahaprabhu was born

Tags: Hinduism, Bhakti Movement, Spiritual Leader, Religious Figure, Philosophy, Religious Reform

Madhava of Sangamagrama found pi and that it was infinite.

Tags: Mathematics, Pi, Infinite Series, Mathematical Innovation

After the Great standing on the Ugra river, Muscovy gained independence from the Great Horde.

Tags: Political Independence, Russian History, Golden Horde, Khanate, Sovereignty

Spanish Inquisition begins in practice with the first auto-da-fé.

Tags: Catholicism, Religious Violence, Heresy, Jews, Reconquista

Portuguese navigator Diogo Cão becomes the first European to enter the Congo.

Tags: Age of Exploration, Portuguese Empire, Colonialism, Atlantic Slave Trade, Maritime History

The Jews are expelled from Andalusia.

Tags: Religious Violence, Expulsion, Jews, Catholic Monarchs, Reconquista, Anti-Semitism

Reign of Ahuitzotl begins as the eighth tlatoani of Tenochtitlan and emperor of the Aztec Triple Alliance.

Tags: Aztec Empire, Tlatoani, Mesoamerica, Pre-Columbian, Triple Alliance, Indigenous Politics, Imperialism

Hongzhi Emperor ascends the throne, bringing Confucian ideology under his administration.

Tags: Ming Dynasty, Emperor, Confucianism, Political Reform, Imperial China, Governance, Dynastic Rule

Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas from Spain.

Tags: Age of Exploration, Christopher Columbus, Spanish Empire, Columbian Exchange, European Colonization, Atlantic World, Indigenous Peoples, Discovery

Ferdinand and Isabella sign the Alhambra Decree, expelling all Jews from Spain unless they convert to Catholicism; 40,000–200,000 leave.

Tags: Religious Violence, Anti-Semitism, Expulsion, Ferdinand II of Aragon, Isabella I of Castile, Catholicism, Conversion, Human Rights

Christopher Columbus landed on modern-day Puerto Rico.

Tags: Age of Exploration, Christopher Columbus, Spanish Colonization, Columbian Exchange, European Exploration, Indigenous Peoples

Spain and Portugal sign the Treaty of Tordesillas and agree to divide the World outside of Europe between themselves.

Tags: Treaty, Colonialism, Exploration, Age of Discovery, Papal Authority, Geopolitics, Imperialism

Manuel I succeeds John II as the king of Portugal (reigns until 1521).

Tags: Monarchy, Portuguese Empire, Renaissance, Exploration, Age of Discovery, Colonialism, Succession

Michelangelo's Pietà in St. Peter's Basilica is made in Rome

Tags: Renaissance, High Renaissance, Sculpture, Italian Renaissance, Michelangelo, Catholicism, Art History, Religious Art, Vatican

Nilakantha Somayaji discovers an infinite series for π.: 101–102 

Tags: Mathematics, Astronomy, Pi, Infinite Series

First portable watch is created by Peter Henlein of Germany.The Iberian Union in 1598, under Philip II, King of Spain and Portugal

Tags: Timekeeping, Iberian Union, Renaissance, Mechanical Engineering, Portable Devices

Charles of Ghent (future Lord of the Netherlands, King of Spain, Archduke of Austria, and Holy Roman Emperor) was born.

Tags: Habsburg Dynasty, Holy Roman Empire, Spanish Empire, Renaissance, Monarchy, European Politics, Dynastic Succession, Imperialism

Spanish navigator Vicente Yáñez Pinzón encounters Brazil but is prevented from claiming it by the Treaty of Tordesillas.

Tags: Age of Exploration, Colonialism, Spanish Empire, Portuguese Empire

Portuguese navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral claims Brazil for Portugal.

Tags: Exploration, Colonialism, Portuguese Empire, Age of Discovery

Islam becomes the dominant religion across the Indonesian archipelago.

Tags: Islam, Religion, Cultural Diffusion, Trade, Religious Conversion

Guru Nanak begins the spreading of Sikhism, the fifth-largest religion in the world.

Tags: Sikhism, Religious Reform, Religion, Religious Movement, Monotheism

Safavid dynasty reunifies Iran and rules over it until 1736. Safavids adopt a Shia branch of Islam.

Tags: Shia Islam, Safavid Dynasty, Dynasty, Religious Conversion, Political Unification, Islamic World, Shah

Michelangelo returns to his native Florence to begin work on the statue David.

Tags: Renaissance, Michelangelo, Florence, David, Italian Renaissance, Sculpture, Art, Humanism, High Renaissance, Patronage

Leonardo da Vinci begins painting the Mona Lisa and completes it three years later.

Tags: Renaissance, Painting, Art History, Leonardo da Vinci, Italian Renaissance, High Renaissance, Visual Arts

Death of Isabella I of Castile; Joanna of Castile becomes the Queen.

Tags: Monarchy, Succession, Castile, Spanish Empire, Isabella I of Castile, Political Transition

Martin Luther enters St. Augustine's Monastery at Erfurt, Germany, on 17 July and begins his journey to instigating the Reformation.

Tags: Christianity, Monasticism, Catholicism, Religious History, Religious Reform

Christopher Columbus dies in Valladolid, Spain.

Tags: Exploration, Colonialism, Discovery, Age of Exploration, Spanish Empire, European Expansion, Atlantic World

King Afonso I of Kongo wins the battle of Mbanza Kongo, resulting in Catholicism becoming Kongo's state religion.Battle of Cerignola: El Gran Capitan ...

Tags: Catholicism, Battle, Military, Christianization, Colonialism, African History, Religious Conversion

Leonardo da Vinci completes the Mona Lisa.

Tags: Renaissance, Painting, Art History, Leonardo da Vinci, Italian Renaissance, High Renaissance, Visual Arts, Humanism

Krishnadevaraya ascends the throne of Vijayanagara Empire.

Tags: Vijayanagara Empire, South India, Empire, Monarchy, Indian History, Succession, Governance

Copernicus writes Commentariolus, and proclaims the Sun the center of the Solar System.

Tags: Astronomy, Scientific Revolution, Renaissance, Cosmology, Heliocentrism, Nicolaus Copernicus, Scientific Thought

Vasco Núñez de Balboa, in service of Spain arrives at the Pacific Ocean (which he called Mar del Sur) across the Isthmus of Panama. He was the first E...

Tags: Exploration, Discovery, Spanish Empire, Panama, Age of Exploration, Colonialism, New World, Maritime History

Juan Ponce de León sights Florida and Vasco Núñez de Balboa sights the eastern edge of the Pacific Ocean.

Tags: Exploration, Discovery, Spanish Empire, Geography, Age of Exploration, Colonialism, Conquest

Sultan Selim I ("The Grim") orders the massacre of Shia Muslims in Anatolia (present-day Turkey).

Tags: Ottoman Empire, Religious Violence, Shia Islam, Islam, Sunni Islam, Religious Conflict, Massacre

Ascension of Francis I of France as King of France following the death of Louis XII.

Tags: French Monarchy, Renaissance, Succession, Francis I, Monarchy, French History

The Reformation begins when Martin Luther posts his Ninety-five Theses in Saxony.

Tags: Christianity, Saxony, Religious Reform, Catholicism, Printing Press, Religious Doctrine, Heresy

Death of Emperor Maximilian; Charles I of Austria, Spain, and the Low Countries becomes Emperor of Holy Roman Empire as Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor ...

Tags: Holy Roman Empire, Charles V, Emperor, Succession, Habsburgs, Monarchy, Imperialism

Leonardo da Vinci dies of natural causes on May 2.Europe at the time of the accession of Charles V in 1519

Tags: Renaissance, Death, Charles V, Art, Painting, Sculpture, Leonardo da Vinci, High Renaissance

The first European diplomatic mission to Ethiopia, sent by the Portuguese, arrives at Massawa 9 April, and reaches the imperial encampment of Emperor ...

Tags: Diplomacy, Exploration, Portuguese Empire, Ethiopian Empire, Foreign Relations

Jiajing Emperor ascended the throne of Ming dynasty, China.

Tags: Ming Dynasty, Emperor, Succession, Imperial China, Dynastic Rule, Rulers

Sweden gains independence from the Kalmar Union.

Tags: Independence, Denmark, Monarchy, Nationalism, Union

Giovanni da Verrazzano is the first European to explore the Atlantic coast of North America between South Carolina and Newfoundland.

Tags: Exploration, Age of Discovery, Cartography

Ismail I, the founder of Safavid dynasty, dies and Tahmasp I becomes king.Gun-wielding Ottoman Janissaries and defending Knights of Saint John at the ...

Tags: Safavid Dynasty, Ottoman Empire, Persian Empire, Succession, Shah, Islamic World, Political Transition

Mughal Empire, founded by Babur.

Tags: Mughal Empire, Babur, Empire, Islamic Empires, Political Consolidation, Delhi Sultanate, Empire Building

Protestant Reformation begins in Sweden.

Tags: Christianity, Religion, Religious Reform, European History

Treaty of Zaragoza defined the antimeridian of Tordesillas attributing the Moluccas to Portugal and Philippines to Spain.

Tags: Treaty, Exploration, Colonialism, Treaties, Spice Trade, Geopolitics, Moluccas

Foundation of São Vicente, the first permanent Portuguese settlement in the Americas.

Tags: Colonization, Portuguese Empire, Settlement, Exploration, Colonialism, Atlantic World

Anne Boleyn becomes Queen of England.

Tags: English Monarchy, Tudor Dynasty, Henry VIII, Christianity, Marriage, English Reformation, Monarchy, Royal Court

Elizabeth Tudor is born.

Tags: Tudor Dynasty, Monarchy, Succession, English Monarchy, Religious Reformation, Henry VIII

Jacques Cartier claims Canada for France.

Tags: Exploration, Colonization, Colonialism, French Empire, New France, North American History, Political Expansion

Affair of the Placards, where King Francis I becomes more active in repression of French Protestants.

Tags: Christianity, Francis I, Religious Violence, Catholicism, Huguenots, Religious Conflict

Catherine of Aragon dies in Kimbolton Castle, in England.Territorial expansion of the Ottoman Empire under Suleiman (in red and orange)

Tags: Tudor England, Ottoman Empire, Death, Suleiman the Magnificent, Tudor Dynasty, English Reformation, Henry VIII, Monarchy, Marriage, Divorce, Catholicism, Succession

In England, Anne Boleyn is beheaded for adultery and treason.

Tags: Tudor Dynasty, English Reformation, Henry VIII, Adultery, Monarchy, Treason, Political Intrigue

Establishment of the Inquisition in Portugal.

Tags: Inquisition, Religious Violence, Catholicism, Anti-Semitism, Heresy, Jews, Conversion

William Tyndale's partial translation of the Bible into English is published, which would eventually be incorporated into the King James Bible.

Tags: Bible, Translation, Christianity, English Language, Religious Texts, Printing Press

Hernando de Soto explores inland North America.

Tags: Exploration, Colonization, Spanish Empire, Age of Exploration, Conquest, Indigenous Peoples, Colonialism, Early American History

Sher Shah Suri founds the Suri dynasty in South Asia, an ethnic Pashtun (Pathan) of the house of Sur, who supplanted the Mughal dynasty as rulers of N...

Tags: Dynasty, Pashtun, Conquest, Mughal Empire, Dynastic Change, Political Transition

The Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits, is founded by Ignatius of Loyola and six companions with the approval of Pope Paul III.

Tags: Jesuits, Catholicism, Counter-Reformation, Religious Orders, Missionary Work, Education, Religious History

Amazon River is encountered and explored by Francisco de Orellana.

Tags: Exploration, Discovery, Amazon, Age of Exploration, Spanish Empire, Geography, Colonialism

Akbar The Great is born in the Rajput Umarkot Fort

Tags: Mughal Empire, Rajput, Emperor, Akbar the Great, Political History, Birth

Copernicus publishes his theory that the Earth and the other planets revolve around the Sun

Tags: Astronomy, Scientific Revolution, Mathematics, Cosmology, Heliocentrism, Nicolaus Copernicus, Renaissance, Scientific Theory

Vesalius: pioneering research into human anatomy.

Tags: Renaissance, Medicine, Scientific Revolution, Scientific Publication, Observation

Gerolamo Cardano discovers complex numbers.

Tags: Mathematics, Algebra, Complex Numbers, Gerolamo Cardano, Renaissance, Scientific Revolution, Number Theory, Italian Renaissance

The Council of Trent meets for the first time in Trent (in northern Italy).

Tags: Catholicism, Counter-Reformation, Council, Religious History, Christianity, Religious Doctrine, Church Reform

Francis Xavier works among the peoples of Ambon, Ternate and Morotai (Moro) laying the foundations for a permanent mission. (to 1547)

Tags: Christianity, Colonialism, Catholicism, Missionary Work, Religious Conversion, Exploration

Michelangelo Buonarroti is made chief architect of St. Peter's Basilica.

Tags: Renaissance, Architecture, Michelangelo, Italian Renaissance, Art History, Catholicism, Religious Art

Henry VIII dies in the Palace of Whitehall on 28 January at the age of 55.

Tags: English Monarchy, Tudor Dynasty, Succession, Monarchy, Renaissance, Christianity, Henry VIII, English History

Francis I dies in the Château de Rambouillet on 31 March at the age of 52.

Tags: French Monarchy, Francis I, French History, Royal Death, Renaissance, Succession, European History

Edward VI becomes King of England and Ireland on 28 January and is crowned on 20 February at the age of 9.

Tags: English Monarchy, Tudor Dynasty, Succession, Monarchy, Christianity

Grand Prince Ivan the Terrible is crowned tsar of (All) Russia, thenceforth becoming the first Russian tsar.

Tags: Tsar, Ivan the Terrible, Monarchy, Russian History, Autocracy, Tsardom, Imperialism

Tomé de Sousa establishes Salvador in Bahia, north-east of Brazil.

Tags: Colonization, Portuguese Empire, Settlement, Colonialism, Foundation, Capital City, Exploration, Governance

The architect Mimar Sinan builds the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul.

Tags: Architecture, Ottoman Empire, Istanbul, Religious Buildings, Art History, Construction

Jesuit China Mission, Francis Xavier dies.

Tags: Jesuits, Christianity, Missionary, Catholicism, Missionary Work, Age of Exploration, Religious Conversion

Mary Tudor becomes the first queen regnant of England and restores the Church of England under Papal authority.

Tags: Christianity, Catholicism, Papal Authority, Religious Violence

Princess Elizabeth is imprisoned in the Tower of London upon the orders of Mary I for suspicion of being involved in the Wyatt rebellion.

Tags: Tudor England, Elizabeth I, Tudor Dynasty, English Reformation, Monarchy, Imprisonment, Succession, Political Intrigue

Georgius Agricola, the "Father of Mineralogy", publishes his De re metallica.

Tags: Scientific Revolution, Metallurgy, Mining, Renaissance, Holy Roman Empire

Robert Recorde introduces the equal sign.

Tags: Mathematics, Algebra, Notation, Symbolism, Scientific Revolution, Mathematical Innovation, Education

Elizabeth Tudor becomes Queen Elizabeth I at age 25.

Tags: Monarchy, Queen, Succession, Tudor Dynasty, English Monarchy, Christianity, Renaissance

Jeanne d'Albret declares Calvinism the official religion of Navarre.

Tags: Navarre, Huguenots, Christianity, Religious Reform, French Wars of Religion, Religious Politics

Guido de Bres draws up the Belgic Confession of Protestant faith.

Tags: Christianity, Religious Doctrine, Theology

Galileo Galilei born on February 15

Tags: Astronomy, Renaissance, Scientific Revolution, Galileo Galilei, Physics, Heliocentrism, Scientific Method, Italian Renaissance, Telescope, Cosmology

Gerolamo Cardano is the first to produce a systematic treatment of probability.

Tags: Mathematics, Gerolamo Cardano, Renaissance, Scientific Revolution, Statistics, Intellectual History

Miguel López de Legazpi establishes in Cebu the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines starting a period of Spanish colonization that would last ...

Tags: Colonization, Spanish Empire, Settlement, Spanish Colonization, Colonialism, Age of Exploration, Political Expansion

Spanish settlers outside New Spain (Mexico) colonize Florida's coastline at St. Augustine.

Tags: Colonization, Florida, Exploration, Colonialism, Spanish Empire, Settlement, New World, Indigenous Peoples

After 45 years' reign, Jiajing Emperor died in the Forbidden City, Longqing Emperor ascended the throne of Ming dynasty.

Tags: Ming Dynasty, Emperor, Succession, Chinese History, Imperial China, Dynastic Cycle, Political Transition

Mary, Queen of Scots, is imprisoned by Elizabeth I.

Tags: Elizabeth I, Tudor Period, Scottish History, English History, Monarchy, Political Intrigue, Imprisonment, Religious Conflict

Gerardus Mercator creates the first Mercator projection map.

Tags: Cartography, Navigation, Geography, Mapping, Exploration, Age of Exploration, Renaissance, Global Trade

The Transylvanian Diet, under the patronage of the prince John Sigismund Zápolya, the former king of Hungary, inspired by the teachings of Ferenc Dávi...

Tags: Religious Freedom, Christianity

Mercator Projection map created by Gerardus Mercator

Tags: Cartography, Mapping, Navigation, Exploration, Maritime Trade, European Colonization

The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth is created with the Union of Lublin which lasts until 1795.

Tags: Commonwealth, Political Union, Monarchy

Pope Pius V issues Regnans in Excelsis, a papal bull excommunicating all who obeyed Elizabeth I and calling on all Catholics to rebel against her.

Tags: Christianity, Religious Conflict, Papal Bull, Elizabeth I, Counter-Reformation, Excommunication, English Reformation, Catholicism

Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi establishes Manila, Philippines as the capital of the Spanish East Indies.

Tags: Colonialism, Spanish Empire, East Indies, Manila, Conquest, Political Expansion, Globalization

Supernova SN 1572 is observed by Tycho Brahe in the Milky Way.

Tags: Astronomy, Tycho Brahe, Milky Way, Supernova, Scientific Revolution, Renaissance, Cosmology, Observational Astronomy

Jeanne d'Albret dies aged 43 and is succeeded by Henry of Navarre.

Tags: Succession, Huguenots, French Wars of Religion, Monarchy, Navarre, Religious Conflict

The 9 years old Taizi, Zhu Yijun ascended the throne of Ming dynasty, known as Wanli Emperor.

Tags: Ming Dynasty, Emperor, Succession, Imperial China, Dynastic Succession, Governance

Sonam Gyatso is conferred the title of Dalai Lama by Tumed Mongol ruler, Altan Khan. Recognised as the reincarnation of two previous Lamas, Sonam Gyat...

Tags: Buddhism, Dalai Lama, Tibet, Reincarnation

Spain unifies with Portugal under Philip II. The struggle for the throne of Portugal ends the Portuguese Empire. The Spanish and Portuguese crowns are...

Tags: Philip II, Union, Empire, Spanish Empire, Portuguese Empire, Iberian Union, Colonialism, Political Union, Monarchy

Dutch Act of Abjuration, declaring abjuring allegiance to Philip II of Spain.

Tags: Dutch Revolt, Philip II, Independence, Rebellion, Christianity, Political Revolution, Sovereignty

Bayinnaung dies at the age of 65.

Tags: Burma, Monarchy, Burmese Empire, King, Political Leadership, Military Expansion, Succession

Pope Gregory XIII issues the Gregorian calendar. The last day of the Julian calendar was Thursday, 4 October 1582 and this was followed by the first d...

Tags: Calendar, Astronomy, Timekeeping, Gregorian Calendar, Religious Authority, Renaissance

Gregorian calendar is introduced in Europe by Pope Gregory XIII and adopted by Catholic countries.

Tags: Calendar, Astronomy, Catholicism, Timekeeping, Christianity, Religious Authority, Renaissance

Akbar annexes Kashmir and adds it to the Kabul SubahPortuguese fusta in India from a book by Jan Huygen van Linschoten

Tags: Mughal Empire, Kashmir, Expansion, Territorial Expansion, Imperialism, Political History

Mary, Queen of Scots is executed by Elizabeth I.

Tags: Tudor England, Monarchy, Religious Conflict, Scottish History, Elizabeth I, Execution, Succession, English Reformation

The reign of Abbas I marks the zenith of the Safavid dynasty.

Tags: Safavid Dynasty, Abbas I, Political History, Persian Empire, Shah, Political Leadership, Imperialism, Rise of Empires

William Lee invents the stocking frame.

Tags: Textile Industry, Industrial Revolution, Mechanization, Manufacturing

Catherine de' Medici dies at aged 69.

Tags: French Monarchy, Renaissance, Religious Wars, Monarchy

François Viète's New algebra shows the modern notational algebraic manipulation.

Tags: Mathematics, Algebra, Scientific Revolution, Notation, Symbolism

Galileo Galilei invents a thermometer.

Tags: Galileo Galilei, Scientific Revolution, Instrumentation, Measurement, Physics

Opera in Florence by Jacopo Peri.

Tags: Renaissance, Florence, Opera, Music, Theater, Arts, Performance

Abbas I moves Safavids capital from Qazvin to Isfahan in 1598.

Tags: Safavid Dynasty, Abbas I, Capital City, Governance, Urban Development

Death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, known as the unifier of Japan.

Tags: Sengoku Period, Unification, Power Struggle, Succession, Daimyo, Feudalism, Shogunate

The Edict of Nantes ends the French Wars of Religion.

Tags: Huguenots, Henry IV, Religious Tolerance, French Wars of Religion, Catholicism, Religious Freedom, Christianity, Counter-Reformation

William Gilbert: Earth's magnetic field.

Tags: Astronomy, Physics, Magnetism, Scientific Revolution, Renaissance, Experimentation, Earth Science

Michael the Brave unifies the three Romanian countries: Wallachia, Moldavia and Transylvania after the Battle of Șelimbăr from 1599.

Tags: Unification, Romanian History, Principality, Political Geography

Giordano Bruno is burned at the stake for heresy in Rome.Siege of Fiľakovo castle during the Long Turkish War

Tags: Catholicism, Military, Religious Violence, Heresy, Renaissance, Scientific Revolution, Inquisition, Martyrdom

On February 17 Giordano Bruno is burned at the stake by the Inquisition.

Tags: Renaissance, Inquisition, Heresy, Religious Violence, Martyrdom, Catholicism, Astronomy, Philosophy

Michael the Brave (first unifier of Romania), voivode of Wallachia, Moldavia and Transylvania, is assassinated by the order of the Habsburg general Gi...

Tags: Assassination, Romanian History, Habsburgs, Political Intrigue

Matteo Ricci is given permission to live in Beijing.

Tags: Jesuits, Christianity, Ming Dynasty, Missionary, Cultural Exchange, Religious Tolerance

Matteo Ricci produces the Map of the Myriad Countries of the World (坤輿萬國全圖, Kūnyú Wànguó Quántú), a world map that will be used throughout East Asia f...

Tags: Cartography, Exploration, Ming Dynasty, Jesuits, Cultural Exchange, Global History, Matteo Ricci, Knowledge Dissemination

Elizabeth I of England dies and is succeeded by her cousin King James VI of Scotland, uniting the crowns of Scotland and England.

Tags: Monarchy, Succession, Tudor Dynasty, Elizabeth I, Political Union

Tokugawa Ieyasu takes the title of shōgun, establishing the Tokugawa shogunate. This begins the Edo period, which will last until 1868.

Tags: Shogunate, Edo Period, Tokugawa Ieyasu, Feudalism, Samurai, Japanese History, Political Transition, Centralization, Military Dictatorship

Supernova SN 1604 is observed in the Milky Way.

Tags: Astronomy, Supernova, Cosmology, Scientific Revolution, Tycho Brahe, Celestial Events, Observation, Milky Way

Johannes Kepler starts investigating elliptical orbits of planets.

Tags: Astronomy, Scientific Revolution, Heliocentrism, Planetary Motion, Johannes Kepler, Physics, Mathematics, Cosmology

1627: The reign of Mughal emperor Jahangir after the death of emperor Akbar.

Tags: Mughal Empire, Akbar the Great, Emperor, Succession, Imperialism

Tokugawa Ieyasu passes the title of shōgun to his son, Tokugawa Hidetada, and "retires" to Sunpu Domain.

Tags: Tokugawa Shogunate, Succession, Edo Period, Feudalism, Centralization, Military Dictatorship

Gunpowder Plot failed in England.

Tags: Political Intrigue, Religious Conflict, Catholicism, Christianity, Conspiracy, Treason

Flight of the Earls (the fleeing of most of the native Gaelic aristocracy) occurs from County Donegal in the west of Ulster in Ireland.

Tags: Irish History, Aristocracy

Jamestown, Virginia, is settled as what would become the first permanent English colony in North America.

Tags: Colonialism, English Colonization, Early America, Virginia, British Empire, Exploration, Atlantic World

Earliest record of an optical telescope.

Tags: Scientific Revolution, Optics, Astronomy, Dutch Republic, Hans Lippershey, Telescope, Observation

Quebec City founded by Samuel de Champlain in New France (present-day Canada).

Tags: Colonialism, Exploration, French Colonization, New France, Settlement, North American History

Johannes Kepler: first two laws of planetary motion.

Tags: Astronomy, Scientific Revolution, Planetary Motion, Physics, Mathematics, Johannes Kepler, Tycho Brahe

Maximilian of Bavaria establishes the Catholic League.

Tags: Religious Conflict, Catholicism, Holy Roman Empire, Thirty Years' War, Counter-Reformation, Christianity, League, Maximilian I

Galileo Galilei and Simon Marius observe Jupiter's Galilean moons.

Tags: Astronomy, Scientific Revolution, Heliocentric Theory, Telescope, Galileo Galilei, Renaissance, Planetary Science, Scientific Observation

Galileo Galilei: Sidereus Nuncius: telescopic observations.

Tags: Scientific Revolution, Astronomy, Telescope, Galileo Galilei, Heliocentrism, Renaissance, Scientific Method

King Henry IV of France is assassinated by François Ravaillac.

Tags: Assassination, Monarchy, French History, Political Instability, Religious Conflict

Matteo Ricci dies in Beijing.

Tags: Jesuits, Catholicism, Missionary Work, Ming Dynasty, Christianity, Religious Conversion, Cultural Exchange, Matteo Ricci

The first publication of the King James Bible.

Tags: Bible, Christianity, Translation, English Literature, Religious Texts, Printing Press

The Time of Troubles in Russia ends with the establishment of the House of Romanov, which rules until 1917.

Tags: Time of Troubles, Romanov Dynasty, Dynastic Change, Political Instability, Monarchy, Tsar, Ivan the Terrible

John Napier introduces the logarithm to simplify calculations.

Tags: Mathematics, Scientific Revolution, Navigation, Astronomy

The last remaining Moriscos (Moors who had nominally converted to Christianity) in Spain are expelled.

Tags: Religious Violence, Counter-Reformation, Spanish Empire, Conquest, Expulsion

Death of retired shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Tags: Feudalism, Succession, Samurai

The Defenestration of Prague.

Tags: Thirty Years' War, Religious Conflict, Christianity, Holy Roman Empire, Habsburgs, Political Violence, Diplomacy

Johannes Kepler: third law of planetary motion.

Tags: Scientific Revolution, Astronomy, Planetary Motion, Johannes Kepler, Mathematics, Cosmology

The Brownist Pilgrims arrive in the Mayflower at Cape Cod.

Tags: Colonial America, Early American History, English Reformation, Massachusetts

Deposition and regicide of Ottoman sultan Osman II.

Tags: Ottoman Empire, Sultan, Regicide, Political Instability, Power Struggle, Military

Maffeo Barberini is elected Pope Urban VIII at the Papal conclave of 1623.

Tags: Catholicism, Religious History, Counter-Reformation, Italian Renaissance

1642: As chief minister, Cardinal Richelieu centralises power in France.

Tags: Monarchy, Absolutism, French History

St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican completed.

Tags: Catholicism, Renaissance, Baroque, Vatican City, Architecture, Religious Buildings, Counter-Reformation, Art

William Harvey publishes and elucidates his earlier discovery of the circulatory system.

Tags: Scientific Revolution, Biology, Medicine

Willebrord Snellius: the law of refraction also known as Snell's law.

Tags: Physics, Optics, Scientific Revolution, Mathematics

Abbas I, the Safavids king, died.

Tags: Safavid Dynasty, Shah, Succession, Islamic World

Birth of Shivaji at Shivneri fort, in present day Maharashtra, India, who later founded Maratha Empire in year 1674.

Tags: Maratha Empire, Shivaji Maharaj, Maharashtra, Political History, Indian History, Regional Power

Taj Mahal building work started in Agra, India.

Tags: Mughal Empire, Architecture, Art History, Monument, Cultural Heritage

1639: Japan transforms into "locked country".

Tags: Isolationism, Edo Period, Shogunate, Tokugawa Ieyasu, Foreign Policy, Trade, Nationalism, Political Control

Galileo Galilei arrives in Rome for his trial before the Inquisition.

Tags: Scientific Revolution, Catholicism, Inquisition, Heliocentrism, Astronomy, Trial, Galileo Galilei, Religious Violence

Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul is formed.

Tags: Catholicism, Religious Orders, Charity, Social Reform, Philanthropy

Emperor Fasilides founds the city of Gondar, which becomes the capital of Ethiopia for the next two centuries.

Tags: Capital City, Imperial History, Monarchy, Political Development

Dutch Bible published.

Tags: Religion, Bible, Translation, Christianity, Printing Press, Religious Texts

The first opera house, Teatro San Cassiano, opens in Venice.

Tags: Opera, Music, Theatre, Baroque, Entertainment, Artistic Innovation

Galileo Galilei: laws of falling bodies.

Tags: Scientific Revolution, Physics, Galileo Galilei, Mechanics, Experimentation, Scientific Method

King Charles was compelled to summon Parliament due to the revolt of the Scots.

Tags: English Civil War, Parliament, Royal Authority, Political Crisis, Monarchy

5th Dalai Lama swept power in Tibet, he established the theocratic state in Tibet after series battles against regional Kingdoms.

Tags: Tibet, Dalai Lama, Theocracy, Political Consolidation, Buddhism

Barometer: invented by Evangelista Torricelli, or possibly up to three years earlier by Gasparo Berti.

Tags: Physics, Measurement, Scientific Revolution, Instrumentation

Louis XIV is crowned King of France. He reigned over the Kingdom of France until his death in 1715, making his reign the longest of any monarch in his...

Tags: Monarchy, French Monarchy, Absolutism, King, Louis XIV, Succession

Giovanni Battista Pamphili is elected Pope Innocent X at the Papal conclave of 1644.

Tags: Catholicism, Religious Leadership, Counter-Reformation

Giacomo Torelli of Venice, Italy invents the first rotating stage.

Tags: Theater, Renaissance, Baroque, Performance Art

Seven-year-old Mehmed IV becomes sultan.

Tags: Ottoman Empire, Sultan, Monarchy, Succession, Islamic World

The Peace of Westphalia ends the Thirty Years' War and the Eighty Years' War and marks the ends of Spain and the Holy Roman Empire as major European p...

Tags: Peace Treaty, Thirty Years' War, Eighty Years' War, Sovereignty, Balance of Power, Diplomacy, Religious Tolerance, Holy Roman Empire

King Charles I is executed for high treason, the first and only English king to be subjected to legal proceedings in a High Court of Justice and put t...

Tags: English Civil War, Monarchy, Republic, Treason, Execution, Charles I, Parliament, Commonwealth of England, Political Revolution

Francesco Redi challenges the theory of spontaneous generation by demonstrating that maggots come from eggs of flies.

Tags: Scientific Revolution, Biology, Experimentation, Scientific Method, Microbiology

Oliver Cromwell dissolves the Rump Parliament and replaces it with the Nominated Assembly (also called the Assembly of Saints or Barebones Parliament)...

Tags: English Civil War, Oliver Cromwell, Protectorate, Republic, Parliament, Puritans, Political Transition

Christiaan Huygens describes the true shape of the rings of Saturn.

Tags: Astronomy, Scientific Revolution, Physics, Cosmology, Telescope, Christiaan Huygens, Observation

Pendulum clock: Invented by Christiaan Huygens. It was first conceptualized in 1637 by Galileo Galilei but he was unable to create a working model.

Tags: Scientific Revolution, Timekeeping, Clockmaking, Mechanics, Christiaan Huygens, Galileo Galilei

1661: Mehmed Köprülü is Grand Vizier.

Tags: Ottoman Empire, Grand Vizier, Administration, Turkish History

Christiaan Huygens develops the first functional pendulum clock based on the learnings of Galileo Galilei.

Tags: Scientific Revolution, Timekeeping, Clockmaking, Physics, Mechanics, Galileo Galilei, Instrumentation, Precision

Birth of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj

Tags: Maratha Empire, Indian History, Political History, Monarchy, Maharashtra, Shivaji Maharaj

After his father Shah Jahan completes the Taj Mahal, his son Aurangzeb deposes him as ruler of the Mughal Empire.

Tags: Mughal Empire, Aurangzeb, Succession, Political Intrigue, Emperor, Imperial Power, Dynastic Conflict

Cromwell dies and his son Richard becomes Lord Protector.

Tags: English Civil War, Commonwealth of England, Monarchy, Republic, Political Transition

Richard Cromwell is pressured into dissolving the Protectorate; the Rump Parliament is restored.

Tags: English Civil War, Protectorate, Commonwealth of England, Monarchy, Republic, Political Instability, Restoration

The Royal Society is founded.

Tags: Scientific Revolution, Royal Society, Enlightenment, Experimentation, Natural Philosophy, Isaac Newton, Robert Boyle

The Commonwealth of England ends and the monarchy is brought back during the English Restoration.

Tags: Restoration, Monarchy, Commonwealth of England, Political Transition, Parliament, British History

The reign of the Kangxi Emperor of China begins.

Tags: Qing Dynasty, Emperor, Imperial Rule, Succession, Kangxi Emperor, Governance

Mehmed Köprülü dies and is succeeded by his son Ahmed.

Tags: Ottoman Empire, Succession, Grand Vizier, Political Power, Military Campaign, Imperial Politics, Governance

Cardinal Mazarin, de facto ruler of France, dies.

Tags: French Monarchy, Louis XIV, Royal Authority, Absolutism, Succession, Regency

Robert Boyle: Boyle's law of ideal gases.

Tags: Scientific Revolution, Physics, Chemistry, Robert Boyle, Experimentation, Scientific Method, Mathematics

Blaise Pascal invents a horse-drawn public bus which has a regular route, schedule, and fare system.

Tags: Transportation, Public Transit, Urbanization, Blaise Pascal, Infrastructure

Robert Hooke discovers cells using a microscope.

Tags: Microscopy, Biology, Cell Theory, Scientific Revolution, Observation

James Gregory publishes designs for a reflecting telescope.

Tags: Astronomy, Optics, Telescopes, Scientific Revolution, Instrumentation

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society: first peer reviewed scientific journal published.

Tags: Scientific Revolution, Royal Society, Knowledge Dissemination

Robert Hooke: discovers the cell.

Tags: Biology, Microscopy, Cell Theory, Scientific Revolution, Experimentation, Observation

Maratha King Shivaji signed the Treaty of Purandar with Mughal general Jai Singh I after Battle of Purandar.

Tags: Treaty, Maratha Empire, Mughal Empire, Shivaji, Indian History, Conflict Resolution

The Great Shivaji-Agra Visit.

Tags: Maratha Empire, Mughal Empire, Shivaji Maharaj, Aurangzeb, Political Intrigue, Diplomacy, Military Strategy, Resistance, Indian History

The 10th Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh is born in Patna Sahib.

Tags: Sikhism, Religious Leader, Religious History, Spiritual Leader

Francesco Redi: disproved idea of spontaneous generation.

Tags: Scientific Revolution, Biology, Experimentation, Germ Theory, Scientific Method

First functional reflecting telescope constructed by Isaac Newton.

Tags: Optics, Isaac Newton, Scientific Revolution, Astronomy, Telescope, Instrumentation

Peace Treaty of Lisbon between Spain and Portugal recognizes Portugal as independent country.

Tags: Treaty, Independence, Diplomacy, European History, Colonialism

Nicholas Steno: proposes that fossils are organic remains embedded in layers of sediment, basis of stratigraphy.

Tags: Geology, Paleontology, Scientific Revolution, Natural History

The first known operational reflecting telescope is built by Isaac Newton.

Tags: Optics, Telescopes, Isaac Newton, Scientific Revolution, Astronomy, Physics

Sir Isaac Newton: discovers that white light is a mixture of distinct coloured rays (the spectrum).

Tags: Physics, Optics, Scientific Revolution, Experimentation, Light

Lynching of Johan de Witt and his brother Cornelis de Witt in the Hague – William III of Orange takes power.

Tags: Political Assassination, Dutch Republic, Religious Conflict, Oligarchy, Regicide

Antoni van Leeuwenhoek is the first to observe microbes with a homemade microscope, using samples he collected from his teeth scrapings, raindrops, an...

Tags: Microbiology, Scientific Revolution, Germ Theory, Biology

Christiaan Huygens: first study of oscillating system and design of pendulum clocks

Tags: Physics, Mechanics, Timekeeping, Scientific Revolution, Christiaan Huygens

Shivaji founded the Maratha Empire and crowned himself as first Chatrapati of the empire.

Tags: Empire Building, Maratha Empire, Shivaji Maharaj, Indian History, Political History, Monarchy

Greenwich Observatory commissioned.

Tags: Astronomy, Royal Society, Navigation, Scientific Revolution, Measurement, Timekeeping

Leibniz, Newton: infinitesimal calculus.

Tags: Mathematics, Calculus, Scientific Revolution, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Isaac Newton, Physics, Modern Science

Anton van Leeuwenhoek: observes microorganisms using a refined simple microscope.

Tags: Microbiology, Scientific Revolution, Biology, Cell Theory

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek discovers Bacteria.

Tags: Microbiology, Scientific Revolution, Observation, Biology, Discovery

Ole Rømer: first measurement of the speed of light.

Tags: Physics, Optics, Measurement, Astronomy, Scientific Revolution, Light

Kara Mustafa becomes Grand Vizier.

Tags: Ottoman Empire, Grand Vizier, Sultanate, Government, Administration, Military Leadership

The Treaty of Nijmegen ends various interconnected wars among France, the Dutch Republic, Spain, Brandenburg, Sweden, Denmark, the Prince-Bishopric of...

Tags: Treaty, Warfare, Diplomacy, Balance of Power, Dutch Republic, Holy Roman Empire, Louis XIV, Conflicts

Binary system developed by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.

Tags: Mathematics, Computer Science, Binary Code, Logic, Scientific Revolution, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Number Theory, Calculus

Prince Sambhaji crowned himself as the second Chatrapati of Maratha Empire 20 July.

Tags: Maratha Empire, Indian History, Monarchy, Succession, Empire Building

Peter the Great becomes joint ruler of Russia (sole tsar in 1696).

Tags: Russian Empire, Tsar, Monarchy, Succession, Romanov Dynasty, Political Power, Regency

La Salle explores the length of the Mississippi River and claims Louisiana for France.

Tags: Exploration, French Colonization, Louisiana, New France, Colonialism

Chateau de Versailles becomes the primary royal residence of Louis XIV; Saint-Gobain produced glass for the Hall of Mirrors.

Tags: French Monarchy, Louis XIV, Baroque, Architecture, Art History, Glassmaking, Royal Court, French History

Calculus independently developed by both Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and Sir Isaac Newton and used to formulate classical mechanics.

Tags: Calculus, Mathematics, Scientific Revolution, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Isaac Newton, Scientific Advancement, Physics, Enlightenment

Edict of Fontainebleau outlaws Protestantism in France. King Charles II dies.

Tags: Religious Violence, Christianity, Huguenots, Absolutism, Counter-Reformation

Isaac Newton publishes Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica.

Tags: Scientific Revolution, Physics, Mathematics, Isaac Newton, Mechanics, Enlightenment, Scientific Method, Global Impact

Sir Isaac Newton: classical mathematical description of the fundamental force of universal gravitation and the three physical laws of motion.

Tags: Scientific Revolution, Physics, Mathematics, Isaac Newton, Enlightenment, Scientific Method, Mechanics

1689: The Glorious Revolution starts with the Dutch Republic invading England, England becomes a constitutional monarchy.

Tags: Glorious Revolution, Constitutional Monarchy, Dutch Republic, William of Orange, James II, Monarchy, Parliament, Political Reform

Bill of Rights gains royal consent.

Tags: Bill of Rights, Monarchy, Parliament, Constitutionalism, Glorious Revolution, Limited Government, Political Reform

William and Mary ascend to the throne over England, Scotland, and Ireland.

Tags: Glorious Revolution, Monarchy, William of Orange, Parliament, Constitutional Monarchy, Succession

The Treaty of Nerchinsk established a border between Russia and China.

Tags: Treaty, Diplomacy, Border Dispute, Qing Dynasty, Geopolitics

1699: Grand Embassy of Peter the Great to Western Europe.

Tags: Peter the Great, Diplomacy, Westernization, Modernization, Foreign Policy, Travel, European History

Thomas Savery develops a steam-powered water pump: for draining mines

Tags: Industrial Revolution, Steam Engine, Mining, Mechanical Engineering, Energy

Thomas Savery demonstrates his first steam engine to the Royal Society.

Tags: Steam Engine, Industrial Revolution, Scientific Revolution, Royal Society, Energy

The Treaty of Karlowitz ends the Great Turkish War.

Tags: Treaty, Warfare, Ottoman Empire, Holy Roman Empire, Diplomacy, Geopolitics, Territorial Changes

The 10th Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh, establishes the Khalsa.

Tags: Sikhism, Religious Reform

Kingdom of Prussia declared under King Frederick I.

Tags: Kingdom, Monarchy, Frederick I, Holy Roman Empire, German History, Political Transformation

Ashanti Empire is formed under Osei Kofi Tutu I.

Tags: Empire, Kingdom, Political Formation, Centralization

Saint Petersburg is founded by Peter the Great; it is the Russian capital until 1918.

Tags: Peter the Great, Capital City, Imperial Russia, Modernization, Tsardom, Empire Building, Urban Planning

The Act of Union is passed, merging the Scottish and English Parliaments, thus establishing the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Tags: Union, Political History, British Isles, Parliament, Monarchy, Governance

After Aurangzeb's death, the Mughal Empire enters a long decline and the Maratha Empire slowly replaces it.

Tags: Mughal Empire, Maratha Empire, Aurangzeb, Decline of Empires, Political Transition, Indian History, Empire Building

The first piano was built by Bartolomeo Cristofori

Tags: Music, Musical Instruments, Italian Renaissance, Development, Cultural Impact

Steam engine invented by Thomas Newcomen

Tags: Industrial Revolution, Steam Power, Mining, Energy

Thomas Newcomen builds the first commercial steam engine to pump water out of mines. Newcomen's engine, unlike Thomas Savery's, uses a piston.

Tags: Industrial Revolution, Steam Engine, Mining, Energy

The Treaty of Utrecht until War of the Spanish Succession ended after treaties of Rastatt and Baden were established in 1913 after a new British Gover...

Tags: Treaty, Warfare, Succession, Diplomacy, European History, Balance of Power, Spanish Empire

In Amsterdam, Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit invents the mercury-in-glass thermometer, which remains the most reliable and accurate thermometer until the e...

Tags: Scientific Revolution, Measurement, Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit

Mercury thermometer by Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit

Tags: Scientific Revolution, Measurement, Temperature, Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, Physics

Accession of George I, Elector of Hanover, to the throne of Great Britain.

Tags: Monarchy, Succession, British History, Constitutional Monarchy, Political Transition

Louis XIV dies, leaving France greatly enlarged but deep in debt; The Regency takes power under Philippe d'Orleans.

Tags: French Monarchy, Regency, Louis XIV, Succession, European History

Pope Clement XI declares Catholicism and Confucianism incompatible.

Tags: Catholicism, Confucianism, Christianity, Religious Doctrine, Missionary Work, Cultural Exchange

Establishment of the Sikh Confederacy along the present-day India-Pakistan border.

Tags: Sikhism, Political Fragmentation, Indian History, Mughal Empire, Regional Power

Robert Walpole becomes the first Prime Minister of Great Britain (de facto).

Tags: Prime Minister, British Politics, Constitutional Monarchy, Political Development

Kangxi Emperor bans Christian missionaries because of Pope Clement XI's decree.

Tags: Christianity, Qing Dynasty, Kangxi Emperor, Missionaries, Papal Authority, Religious Conflict, Cultural Exchange

Peter I reforms the Russian Orthodox Church.

Tags: Religious Reform, Peter the Great, Tsarist Russia, Church and State, Imperialism

Brandenburg Concertos by J.S. Bach

Tags: Baroque Music, Classical Music, Composition, Music History, Johann Sebastian Bach, Orchestral Music

Kangxi Emperor of China dies.

Tags: Qing Dynasty, Emperor, Imperialism, Succession, Governance

The Four Seasons, violin concertos by Antonio Vivaldi, composed

Tags: Baroque, Music, Classical Music, Composition, Cultural Heritage, Orchestral Music

Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit proposes the Fahrenheit temperature scale.

Tags: Measurement, Temperature, Physics, Scientific Revolution, Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit

St John Passion by J.S. Bach

Tags: Baroque Music, Classical Music, Johann Sebastian Bach, Religious Music, Musical Composition, Christianity, Art History

The enormous Chinese encyclopedia Complete Classics Collection of Ancient China of over 100 million written Chinese characters in over 800,000 pages i...

Tags: Printing, Movable Type, Encyclopedia, Chinese History, Qing Dynasty, Information Dissemination

St Matthew Passion composed by J.S. Bach

Tags: Baroque Music, Classical Music, Religious Music, Oratorio, Christianity, Music Composition

1735: Charles Wesley and John Wesley begin Methodism in England.

Tags: Christianity, Religious Revival, Great Awakening

Thomas Godfrey and John Hadley independently develop the octant

Tags: Navigation, Astronomy, Scientific Revolution, Maritime History, Exploration

Mahmud I takes over Ottoman Empire after the Patrona Halil revolt, ending the Tulip period.

Tags: Ottoman Empire, Succession, Regime Change, Imperial History

1760: The First Great Awakening takes place in Great Britain and North America.

Tags: Religious Revival, Christianity, Evangelicalism, Religious Reform, George Whitefield, Colonial America, Social Impact

Flying shuttle invented by John Kay

Tags: Industrial Revolution, Textile Industry, Manufacturing

Carl Linnaeus described a new system for classifying plants in Systema Naturae.

Tags: Botany, Classification, Scientific Revolution, Biology, Natural History, Global Impact

Nader Shah assumes the title of Shah of Persia and founds the Afsharid dynasty; he rules until his death in 1747.

Tags: Monarchy, Dynasty, Shah, Political Transition, Nader Shah, Iranian History

Lewis Paul and John Wyatt invent the first mechanized cotton spinning machine.

Tags: Industrial Revolution, Textile Industry, Manufacturing

Pope Clement XII issues In eminenti apostolatus, prohibiting Catholics from becoming Freemasons.

Tags: Catholicism, Religious Doctrine, Excommunication, Secret Societies, Enlightenment, Religious History

Frederick the Great comes to power in Prussia.

Tags: Monarchy, Enlightened Absolutism, Frederick the Great, Kingdom, European History, Habsburgs, Military Reform

George Whitefield brings the First Great Awakening to New England

Tags: Religious Revival, Great Awakening, Evangelicalism, New England, George Whitefield, Colonial America, Christianity, Religious History, American History

Vitus Bering discovers Alaska

Tags: Exploration, Russian Empire, Alaska, Geography, Discovery, Imperialism, Maritime History

Goldberg Variations for harpsichord published by Bach

Tags: Music, Baroque Period, Classical Music, Johann Sebastian Bach, Composition, Cultural Heritage

Anders Celsius proposes an inverted form of the centigrade temperature, which is later renamed Celsius in his honor.

Tags: Measurement, Temperature, Physics, Scientific Revolution, Standardization

Marvel's Mill, the first water-powered cotton mill, begins operation in England.

Tags: Industrial Revolution, Textile Industry, Manufacturing, Economy

Messiah, oratorio by Handel premiered in Dublin

Tags: Baroque, Music, Oratorio, Handel, Dublin, Christianity, Performing Arts, Composition, Cultural Impact

The First Saudi State is founded by Mohammed Ibn Saud.

Tags: Wahhabism, Political Formation, Islam

John Roebuck invents the lead chamber process.

Tags: Industrial Revolution, Chemistry, Manufacturing, Early Technology

Ahmed Shah Durrani founds the Durrani Empire in modern-day Afghanistan.

Tags: Empire, Political Founding, Pashtun

(1749-1789) Buffon wrote Histoire naturelle.

Tags: Natural History, Enlightenment, Zoology, Botany, Scientific Revolution, Scientific Literature

Mass in B minor by J.S. Bach assembled in current form

Tags: Baroque, Music, Classical Music, Composition, Johann Sebastian Bach, Religious Music

Joseph Black: describes latent heat.

Tags: Physics, Thermodynamics, Scientific Revolution

Benjamin Franklin: lightning is electrical.

Tags: Electricity, Scientific Revolution, Enlightenment, Benjamin Franklin, Physics, Experimentation, Royal Society

Jacques de Vaucanson perfects the first precision lathe

Tags: Precision Engineering, Industrial Revolution, Mechanical Engineering

The Art of Fugue by J.S. Bach

Tags: Music, Baroque, Composition, Classical Music, Art

Benjamin Franklin invents the lightning rod.

Tags: Electricity, Physics, Benjamin Franklin, Enlightenment, Scientific Revolution

Immanuel Kant: Gaseous Hypothesis in Universal Natural History and Theory of Heaven.

Tags: Philosophy, Cosmology, Enlightenment, Immanuel Kant, Astronomy, Theoretical Physics

Birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Tags: Music, Classical Music, Composer, Ancient greece, Mozart, Opera

George III becomes King of Britain.

Tags: Monarchy, British Empire, Succession, American Revolution

The problem of longitude was finally resolved by the fourth chronometer of John Harrison

Tags: Navigation, Maritime History, Scientific Innovation, Exploration, Age of Exploration, Measurement

Marine chronometer invented.

Tags: Navigation, Maritime History, Scientific Revolution, Exploration, Clockmaking, Age of Discovery, Precision Engineering

1796: Reign of Catherine the Great of Russia.

Tags: Monarchy, Tsardom, Enlightened Absolutism, Imperialism, Catherine the Great, Romanov Dynasty

Orfeo ed Euridice, first "reform opera" by Gluck, performed in Vienna

Tags: Opera, Classical Music, Music History, Performing Arts

Thomas Bayes publishes first version of Bayes' theorem, paving the way for Bayesian probability

Tags: Statistics, Mathematics, Scientific Revolution, Epistemology, Data Analysis

James Hargreaves invents the spinning jenny.

Tags: Industrial Revolution, Textile Industry, Manufacturing, Mechanization

James Watt enhances Newcomen's steam engine, allowing new steel technologies

Tags: Industrial Revolution, Steam Engine, James Watt, Steel Production, Manufacturing

James Watt invents the improved steam engine utilizing a separate condenser.

Tags: Industrial Revolution, Steam Engine, James Watt, Manufacturing, Energy

The Stamp Act is introduced into the American colonies by the British Parliament.

Tags: Colonialism, Taxation, British Empire, American Revolution, Parliament, Protest, Representation

Suppression of the Society of Jesus from the Spanish Empire.

Tags: Jesuits, Catholicism, Enlightenment, Spanish Empire, Colonialism, Religious Orders, Political Intrigue

1779: James Cook mapped the boundaries of the Pacific Ocean and discovered many Pacific Islands

Tags: Exploration, Cartography, Age of Exploration, British Empire, Scientific Revolution, James Cook

1770: James Cook explores and maps New Zealand and Australia.

Tags: Exploration, Mapping, Age of Exploration, British Empire, Maritime History, Colonialism, James Cook, Cartography

James Cook claims the East Coast of Australia (New South Wales) for Great Britain.

Tags: Colonialism, Exploration, British Empire, New South Wales, James Cook, Imperialism, Indigenous Australians

Birth of Ludwig van Beethoven

Tags: Classical Music, Composer, Music History, Romantic Period, Ancient greece, Piano, Symphony, Beethoven

Charles Messier: publishes catalogue of astronomical objects (Messier Objects) now known to include galaxies, star clusters, and nebulae.

Tags: Astronomy, Scientific Revolution, Galaxies, Cosmology, Observation

Richard Arkwright and his partners build the world's first water-powered mill at Cromford.

Tags: Industrial Revolution, Textile Industry, Manufacturing

The Kalmyk Khanate dissolves as the territory becomes colonized by Russians. More than a hundred thousand Kalmyks migrate back to Qing Dzungaria.

Tags: Migration, Imperialism, Colonization, Khanate, Qing Dynasty, Russian Empire, Nomadic Peoples

Gustav III of Sweden stages a coup d'état, becoming almost an absolute monarch.

Tags: Monarchy, Coup d'état, Political Reform, Enlightened Absolutism, Gustav III, Absolutism, Royal Power

1795: The Partitions of Poland end the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and erase Poland from the map for 123 years.

Tags: Partition, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Territorial Division, Geopolitics

16 December, the Boston Tea Party.

Tags: American Revolution, Colonialism, Protest, Taxation, British Empire, Independence, Revolution

Joseph Priestley discovers "dephlogisticated air", oxygen

Tags: Chemistry, Scientific Revolution, Enlightenment, Joseph Priestley

John Wilkinson invents his boring machine, considered by some to be the first machine tool.

Tags: Industrial Revolution, Machine Tools, Manufacturing, Mechanical Engineering

John Harrison H4 and Larcum Kendall K1 marine chronometers are used to measure longitude by James Cook on his second voyage (1772–1775).

Tags: Exploration, Navigation, Maritime History, Scientific Instruments, James Cook, Age of Exploration

Jesse Ramsden invents the modern screw-cutting lathe.

Tags: Manufacturing, Industrial Revolution, Precision, Machine Tools, Mechanization

Russia imposes a reduction in autonomy on the Zaporizhian Cossacks of Ukraine.

Tags: Russian Empire, Cossacks, Autonomy, Imperialism, Sovereignty

First improved steam engines installed by James Watt

Tags: Industrial Revolution, Steam Engine, James Watt, Manufacturing, Energy

John Wilkinson invents a mechanical air compressor that would become the prototype for all later mechanical compressors.

Tags: Industrial Revolution, Mechanical Engineering, Inventions, Mining, Manufacturing

The United States Declaration of Independence is adopted by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia.

Tags: American Revolution, Independence, Declaration, Enlightenment, Thomas Jefferson

Antoine Lavoisier (and Joseph Priestley): discovery of oxygen leading to end of Phlogiston theory.

Tags: Chemistry, Scientific Revolution, Antoine Lavoisier, Joseph Priestley, Enlightenment

James Cook becomes the first European to land on the Hawaiian Islands.

Tags: Exploration, European Colonization, Indigenous Peoples, British Empire, Hawaii, James Cook, Discovery, Maritime History

Franco-American alliance signed.

Tags: American Revolution, Diplomacy, International Relations, Warfare, Treaty

Photosynthesis was first discovered by Jan Ingenhousz

Tags: Biology, Botany, Enlightenment

Amazing Grace published by John Newton

Tags: Christianity, Religious Music, Evangelicalism, Slavery, Global Impact

William Herschel announces discovery of Uranus, expanding the known boundaries of the Solar System for the first time in modern history.

Tags: Astronomy, Scientific Revolution, Planetary Science, Solar System, Discovery, Enlightenment, Telescope, Cosmology

Joseph-Ralf and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier build the first manned hot air balloon.

Tags: Aeronautics, Flight, Transportation

The Treaty of Paris formally ends the American Revolutionary War.

Tags: American Revolution, Treaties, Diplomacy, Independence, Warfare, Nationalism

Russian Empire annexes the Crimean Khanate.

Tags: Imperialism, Expansionism, Geopolitics, Russian Empire, Ottoman Empire, Annexation, Catherine the Great

Bifocals invented by Benjamin Franklin

Tags: Inventions, Optics, Benjamin Franklin, Medicine, American History

Argand lamp invented by Aimé Argand

Tags: Industrial Revolution, Lighting

William Withering: publishes the first definitive account of the use of foxglove (digitalis) for treating dropsy.

Tags: Medicine, Botany, Scientific Publication

Power loom invented by Edmund Cartwright

Tags: Industrial Revolution, Textile Industry, Mechanization, Manufacturing, Economic History

Automatic flour mill invented by Oliver Evans

Tags: Industrial Revolution, Manufacturing, Agriculture, Automation, American History

Threshing machine invented by Andrew Meikle

Tags: Agriculture, Industrial Revolution

1787: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart premieres The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni.

Tags: Classical Music, Opera, Performance Arts, Musical Composition, Cultural Impact

1788: The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay

Tags: Political Theory, American Revolution, United States Constitution, Federalism, Political Philosophy, Early Republic, Founding Fathers

The United States Constitution is written in Philadelphia and submitted to the states for ratification.

Tags: Constitution, Founding Fathers, Federalism, Republicanism, Legislative Branch, Executive Branch, American Revolution, Political Philosophy

Don Giovanni, opera by Mozart

Tags: Opera, Classical Music, Mozart, Performance Art, Musical Composition, Enlightenment, Theater

First permanent European settlement established in Australia by Britain at Sydney.

Tags: Colonialism, British Empire, Exploration, Settlement, New South Wales, Indigenous Australians

New Hampshire becomes the 9th state to ratify the United States Constitution, and by the terms of Article VII it takes effect.

Tags: Constitution, Federalism, American Revolution, Political History, Early Republic, Founding Fathers

Jupiter Symphony (Symphony No. 41) composed by Mozart

Tags: Classical Music, Symphony, Music Composition, Orchestra

Antoine Lavoisier: law of conservation of mass, basis for chemistry, and the beginning of modern chemistry.

Tags: Chemistry, Scientific Revolution, Antoine Lavoisier, Modern Science, Enlightenment, Scientific Method, Experimentation

George Washington is elected the first President of the United States; he serves until 1797.

Tags: American Revolution, Presidency, George Washington, Founding Fathers, Federalism, Early Republic, Political Leadership, Constitution

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen adopted.

Tags: French Revolution, Human Rights, Enlightenment, Natural Rights, Liberty, Equality